Academic Policies

12. Guidelines for the Submission of Petitions to the University Faculty Senate [1]

Purpose

To provide guidance to administrators, faculty, and students who submit or endorse petitions addressed to the Subcommittee on Undergraduate Education of the University Faculty Senate. Because these Guidelines cannot cover every situation or type of petition, students are advised to review the Academic Policies and Procedures. All faculty should review the relevant Faculty Senate policies, which are available on the Senate home page.

Introduction

Petitions may be submitted for exceptions to the Academic Policies and Procedures approved by the University Faculty Senate. Typical requests include grade changes, retroactive changes in registration or withdrawal, and extensions of late drop credits.

The procedures described below apply to students in degree and non-degree conditional status at Capital College. For those special cases requiring confidentiality, such as the trauma drop [2], students at the Harrisburg campus should consult with Drs. Steven Backels and Linda Meashey in the Student Assistance Center [717-948-6025].

A. Preperation of Petitions

Petitions are usually initiated by the student at the department or college level. The student's instructor and/or academic adviser should play important roles in the process because they understand the circumstances better and should be able to assist the student prior to the submission of any petition.

After discussing the petition with the advisers in the School or the counselors in the Division of Undergraduate Studies, which is located in Olmsted C-216 [Harrisburg], students must submit the completed petition package to the appropriate School Director, who will forward the materials in a timely manner to the Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. The petition must include a memorandum from the School Director indicating whether he/she supports the action requested.

The petition must include the following items: a letter, described as the student request, an unofficial University transcript, any relevant University forms with the appropriate signature[s] and data, and any relevant or appropriate documentation.

Student Request: The student should prepare a dated, brief, factual and signed letter addressed to the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Education. All statements in the letter must be truthful and verifiable, that is, students should not blame their problems on malfunctions in eLion or the telephone registration system if there is no evidence that the either system was ever used. The letter should include:
1. The student's identification number, current address, email address and phone number,
2. A clear statement of the requested action(s) and an explanation of why the petition should be granted,
3. All relevant information, such as, the exact dates of the circumstances outlined in the letter;
4. Reason(s) that warrant(ed) the requested action;
5. Reason(s) why the procedures in Policies and Rules for Students could not be followed. For example, if the request is for an increase in late drop credits, the student must explain the reasons that the allowable late drop credits were used. If the request is for a selective late drop of one or two courses from a previous semester, the student must explain why the circumstances did not affect all of courses taken that semester (e.g., a broken leg might affect a volleyball course, but not a calculus course). If a retroactive withdrawal is requested, the student must explain why the withdrawal was not done before the last day of classes.
Documentation: It is the student's responsibility to collect and submit any documentation relevant to the request. In some cases, documentation is required and in other cases, it is optional.
1. Documentation from the appropriate academic unit or advising unit is required if the justification for the request includes any of the following claims: unfair teaching practice; misinformation from University personnel about a University regulation, Guidelines or procedure; and/or an administrative, advising or clerical error.
2. For a request based on illness or a medical disorder, documentation must be provided. Information from the attending physician should establish the impact the medical condition had on the student's academic situation. If the student received care from a physician, documentation may be obtained by contacting the primary care clinician to request verification of illness. Such information is treated confidentially according to the provisions of the Buckley amendment and University Guidelines.
3. For a retroactive late drop, a letter from the instructor of the course supporting the extenuating circumstances may be submitted. A request for a retroactive late drop is considered differently if it occurs before the semester has ended but after the late drop deadline. If the request for a retroactive late drop is granted, a $6.00 add/drop fee will be charged to the student's account.
4. A petition to the Senate is not required if an error has occurred during scheduling and the student never attended the course. Administrative course cancellation may be initiated through the Registrar's Office. Please contact the Office of Enrollment Services, Swatara Building, 717-948-6250.
5. The following documents are required:
  1. Unofficial Transcript: An unofficial University transcript available from the Registrar must be part of the petition package. Transcripts from e-Lion cannot be used.
  2. University Forms: University forms, such as the Drop/Add form, or any registration records relevant to the request must be included.
  3. The completed Withdrawal Form must be included for a retroactive withdrawal request or a Registration/Add/Drop Form for a retroactive late drop or late registration.
  4. For a late registration (after the last day of classes), all instructors must sign the Drop/Add form. These forms are forwarded to the Registrar for action if the request is granted. If a late registration request is approved, all tuition and fees must be paid before the Registrar will act. The student must also arrange to have each instructor submit a grade directly to the Registrar.

D. Supporting Information

The student's academic adviser and School Director should write letters to accompany the petition. Those letters should state clearly whether the petition is supported or not and the strength of the endorsement, that is, the endorsement[s] may range from "strongly support" to "do not support." Emails should not be used, and the faculty member's letter must be signed and dated.

E. Special Conditions

Since petitions for exceptions to the University Faculty Senate policies are often unique, students and faculty should note that the following examples apply only to typical cases.

Petitions for retroactive registration are monitored carefully. Students petitioning for retroactive registration must prove that they attended the course, met all the course requirements, failed to notify the instructor of their status, and explain why they did not or could not respond to the emails, letters, and telephone calls outlining the college's policies on incomplete registration. The course instructor must endorse all such petitions in writing.
Students requesting selective actions, such as a request to late drop of only one course, must present persuasive evidence to justify the request.
Requests for grade changes after one year from the conclusion of a course must include a letter of support from the instructor explaining the circumstances. A grade change authorization form must be submitted by the School Director of the academic unit offering the course.

F. Confidentiality Requirements

Faculty and administrators should understand that some petitions may require strict confidentiality. In those cases, faculty should consult with the School Director and the Senior Director of Student Affairs to ensure that the student's rights, which are protected by the Buckley Amendment, are respected.

G. Evaluation of Petitions

Petitions are not reviewed on a regular schedule, but are considered by members of the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Education and processed by the Senate Office as quickly as possible.

Well-documented, fairly routine requests for retroactive withdrawal, course late drop (submitted after the deadline, but before the last day of the class), an increase of a maximum of two late drop credits, or a late grade change are reviewed by an appointed member of the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Education. These types of requests require only one signature. Therefore, they are generally processed faster than other petitions.
At least three members of the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Education review petitions that are initially denied. This committee also reviews petitions for less routine requests, such as the retroactive late drop (submitted after the class has ended) or an increase of more than two credits to a student's late drop credit limit.
Students will be notified of the Senate's decision in writing by the Faculty Senate Office.

H. Appeals Process

Students should be advised that there is an appeals process if the Subcommittee on Undergraduate Education denies the petition. The student may appeal in writing to the Committee on Undergraduate Education. If denied at that level, the student may appeal to the Chairperson of the University Faculty Senate. If the Chairperson denies the request, the appeals process is ended.

[1] The Senate Committee on Undergraduate Education does not grant petitions automatically. If strong documented justification is provided, petitions are granted for unusual circumstances that are beyond the student's control. Petitions are typically rejected if the main justification appears to be to raise the student's grade-point average (e.g., to get into a major or medical school).<

[2] Trauma Drop is an option for students who require confidentiality (e.g., being a victim of a violent crime).