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.

General Petition forms are available at the following locations:

1. Your college Dean's office 

2. Office of Registration and Transcripts, Administration Building, room 210 

Instructions for filling out the General Petition form:

Current contact information is essential. Please print or write legibly on form. All correspondence to the student is done via email.  

Step 1: Student Statement

This statement must be a clear explanation of your request and your reasons why the Committee should grant you an exception to policy. Attach any documents which support your request. Example - Change of Schedule form, transcript, medical or legal documents. If petitioning a course(s), the statement must include course name, course number, course section, units and semester taken for each course in your request.

Example: ENGL 101, section 002, 3 units, taken Fall 2005.

For a complete retroactive withdrawal from a term.

Your statement should explain:

• Why you stopped attending before the semester ended.
• Why you did not follow the procedure for dropping the course.
• 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.

For a partial retroactive withdrawal from a term.

Partial retroactive withdrawals are approved only under the most extreme extenuating circumstances. Your statement should explain:

• Why you stopped attending before the semester ended.
• Why you did not follow the procedure for dropping the course.
• 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.
• 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.

For retroactive registration for a course taken but not registered for.

You wish to have a course retroactively added to a past semester. Your statement should explain:

• Why you did not follow procedure to register for the course.
• The procedure you did follow to add the course if you believe the course should still be on your schedule. Example: Change of Schedule form, WebReg, etc.
• If you were dropped for non-payment, why you did not take steps to re-register during the semester taken.

For extension of an incomplete grade that has turned to an E.

Your statement should explain:

• Why you were not able to complete the coursework in the given time for a course where a grade of I-incomplete was awarded. 

For waiver of other University Policy.

Your statement should:

• Briefly state the policy you wish to have waived and why you could not follow policy procedure.

Step 2: Subject of Petition

Undergraduate students may petition the University General Petitions Committee for relief if they believe they deserve redress or exception to University rules, regulations or policies regarding academic affairs.

Choose from the options listed on the form. Each option states a letter of support is needed from the instructor(s). If your request is not one of the first four listed, choose the fifth, "Waiver of other University Policy," and briefly explain your request. A letter of support is needed from the appropriate administrative department.

Supporting Documentation

Instructor Support: The Committee will need a letter from each instructor on department letterhead for the courses you have listed in this petition.

• For a retroactive withdrawal where you stopped attending, the instructor needs to give the date you stopped attending, your grade at the time you stopped attending and whether you took the final exam.
• If you never attended the class, the letter from the instructor needs to verify, according to attendance records, that you never attended.
• For a retroactive add, the instructor will need to state according to attendance records, you attended and earned a final grade for the course. The final grade may be stated in the letter.
• For an extension of an incomplete when the grade has turned to an E, instructor's letter must include the instructor's willingness to work with you to complete the "I", and the semester in which the "I" will be completed.
• If your course instructor is no longer affiliated with the University, you must work with the Department Head in the 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.

Medical Withdrawal:

 If the student has experienced severe physical or psychological stress of such nature as to prevent satisfactory completion of course work, the student may petition for Retroactive Medical Withdrawal.

A student requesting a Retroactive Medical Withdrawal must:

1) In the student statement, explain the nature of the debilitation, including dates of treatment and the effects on attendance and academic performance.

2) Attach a signed Medical Withdrawal Form from the Campus Health Service Office to the petition. To obtain this form, take all medical documentation to Campus Health at 1224 E. Lowell St., Tucson, AZ 85721 (Northwest corner of Highland & 6th Street.) Once received, attach the Medical Withdrawal Form from Campus Health to the General Petition and proceed to Step 3 on the petition form.

For information on obtaining this form see:

http://catalog.arizona.edu/2009-10/policies/leavingu.htm#Medical

For questions about medical documentation email Campus Health at: west@health.arizona.edu

Step 3: Sign and date petition

Turn completed petition in to the Dean of your own college, not the home college of the course(s) you are petitioning.

The following are not subject to General Petition:

• Cancelled courses  for which you were given a grade. This is an administrative error. See the Office of Registration and Transcripts to have it corrected.
• Courses for which you wish to change from grade type P/F to grade type A, B, C, D, E will not be considered. See the Dean of the college in which you are majoring if you want a P/F course to satisfy a requirement.
• Financial matters: The General Petition process is for academic policy relief. See the Bursar's Office for fall and spring semester requests; for summer and winter session requests, contact the Office of Summer and Winter Sessions.
• Grade appeals: If you are seeking a higher grade in a course than was awarded, and can not resolve the matter with your instructor, you need to follow the Grade Appeal process. 
• If you want to extend the time needed to complete an "I" for a course and the incomplete has not expired, obtain a Petition for Extension of Course Work from your college Dean's office or the Office of Registration and Transcripts.
• Graduate students should consult the Graduate College for information on submitting Graduate Petitions. If the course to be petitioned is an undergraduate course, contact the Office of Registration and Transcripts.
• College Petition: Students may also formally request redress or exception to college policies of requirements. (i.e. change in program, substitution of course work, transfer credit, etc.) This is referred to as a College Petition. Students should consult with their college Dean's office for information on submitting a College Petition.