Guidelines for Student Petitions Regarding Course Registration Deadlines
To create a shared structure for student decision-making across the four undergraduate schools, the Council of Undergraduate Deans provides a set of guidelines for setting course registration deadlines that apply to all traditional undergraduate students each term. These course registration deadlines – deadlines for adding a course, dropping a course, withdrawing from a course, and changing the grade type in a course – are not subject to extension or any other revision by individual instructors for individual courses or students. Students are responsible for knowing these deadlines.
There are rare instances in which an exception to the expected timeframe for student decision-making might be appropriate, however. In consultation with academic advising staff in their home school administrative offices, students may submit a petition to request such an exception. Each undergraduate school administrative office has its own procedure for the submission and review of student petitions. Students are expected to provide proper documentation of the pertinent details.
School committees carefully review this documentation when evaluating petitions.
To set realistic expectations regarding the likelihood of such requests being approved, the Undergraduate Working Group is highlighting the limited circumstances in which student requests for exceptions are even considered. Petitions outside of these circumstances are typically not approved, and petitions might still be denied even in these limited circumstances.
Circumstances in which petitions are considered, but not always approved:
- An acute condition arises for the student around the time of the pertinent deadline that impedes sound decision making within the expected timeframe
- Student acted on erroneous information obtained from a faculty member, an advising staff member or a school/department website
- Undue hardship that would alter student status at the University
Approved November 20, 2019