Instructions for supporting documentation for General Petitions 

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Note:  Petitions are considered on an individual basis.  Supporting documentation is very important for the approval of the petition, but it does not guarantee approval.  However, failure to submit the requested documentation along with the General Petition form will delay the processing and may affect the outcome of the general petition.

1. If your request is based on a medical reason:

Obtain a letter from your physician(s) or psychologist(s) on the doctor's letterhead, explaining the medical condition and giving an opinion of its debilitation.  Documentation of the nature of debilitation, the effects on the student's attendance and academic performance should be included.  In addition, supply the information required for the item for which you are seeking relief.

2. If the instructor for the course in which you are seeking relief is no longer at the university:

If your course instructor is no longer affiliated with the university, you must work with the department head in the department offering the course.  The instructor's records, left with the department head by the instructor of your course, can be used to support your case.

3. If your request concerns a financial matter:

The general petition is a vehicle by which the student can request relief from university academic policy.  It is not for requests of financial relief.  See the Bursar's Office for fall and spring semester requests; summer and winter session requests, contact the Office of Summer & Winter Sessions.

4. Retroactive withdrawal of a course because you registered, but never attended the course:

Complete the general petition form and obtain the instructor's signature.  In addition you need to submit a written statement from the instructor, on the instructor's department letterhead, verifying that according to the instructor's attendance records, you never attended the class.  Your statement should include your reason for registering for the course and never attending.

5. Retroactive withdrawal of a course because you attended class, but stopped attending during the semester:

Complete the general petition form and obtain the instructor's signature.  Your statement should explain:

1. Why you stopped attending before the semester ended.

2. Why you did not follow the procedure for dropping the course.

3. If you attempted to drop past the deadline and your request was denied by your College, why you feel the Committee should now approve your request.

In addition you need to submit a written statement from the instructor, on the instructor's department letterhead, which answers the following:

1. What was the last date of attendance by the student?

2. Was the student passing or not passing at the time of last attendance?

6. If your request is for partial withdrawal:

From the list of courses that you completed during a semester, you would like to have a grade for at least one, but not all, of them changed to withdrawal.  This will probably not be approved.  However, if you wish to make such a request, you must complete the general petition form and obtain the instructor(s) signature.  You will need to explain the reason that not all of your courses were affected by the facts that required you to withdraw from only a subset of your courses.  In addition, a letter from the instructor, on the instructor's department letterhead, in which he/she provides information to support the request may be helpful.

7. If you are requesting the extension of time for completing an "I", or and "I" has changed to an "E":

If you want to extend the time needed to complete an "I" for a course then get a petition (Petition for Extension of Course Work) from your college deans office or the Office of Curriculum & Registration.   

If your "I" has become an "E" and you want to reverse the "I" and time to complete that "I", then complete the general petition form and obtain the instructor's signature.  Your statement should explain why you were unable to complete the course in the one year allowed by the policy.  In addition you need to submit a written statement from the instructor, on the instructor's department letterhead, which answers the following:

1. What grade does the student have on the completed work in the course?

2. Do you support the student being given and extension of time to remove the incomplete grade, and are you willing to provide the needed effort for the student to complete the course work?

3. If known, by what term will the work be completed?

8. Canceled course in which you were given a failing grade:

If you were told a class in which you were registered was canceled, ask the Curriculum & Registration Office if this is an administrative error that they can correct.  If not, complete the general petition form and obtain the instructor's signature.  Obtain a letter from the department head in the department offering the course, on departmental letterhead, which explains how the cancellation was handled.

9. Courses which do not have the usual letter grades:

If you would like a P/F course accepted for satisfying a requirement, then see the dean of the college in which you are majoring.

10. Requests associated with Academic Renewal:

The Academic Renewal form should be completed and filed with the petition if you are asking for relief from one or more of the requirements of the Academic Renewal policy.

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