Senate Petition
Petitions for exceptions to academic policies and procedures
(www.psu.edu/dus/handbook/petition.html)
1. Students should meet with an academic
adviser who serves as a deans's
representative in the College to
discuss their plans for petitioning the Faculty Senate. The
advising
session
will help students to identify exceptional circumstances
that prevented them from following senate policy and determine
whether
or not a petition is warranted.
2. Student letter should include the
following:
View a sample
letter
- What is being requested (late drop, withdrawal, late add, etc., and semester dates).
- Name, address, student number.
- A clear explanation to substantiate the
request, with documentation.
- If it is a late drop petition, explain why selected courses were affected and other courses not affected during the semester in question.
- If it is a withdrawal petition, explain why that semester was different from other semesters.
- In any petition, indicate why the standard procedures/timelines were NOT followed.
- A typed and signed closing to the letter.
3. Student packet should include the following:
- University faculty senate petition cover sheet (.pdf file)
- Any additional letters of support that will substantiate your case (i.e. letters from faculty, advisors, medical reports, counselors, etc.).
- If the petition is for a retroactive add or drop, attach a drop/add form completed with all required information.
- If the petition is for a retroactive withdrawal, attach
a withdrawal form completed with all required information.
4. Students should meet with the dean's representative in their department/school who handles Faculty Senate petitions. A draft of the student's letter and supporting documents could be taken to the first meeting with the dean's representative, or those documents could be written/obtained after the student has had an opportunity to discuss the petition with the dean's representative. Students should not submit the petition materials directly to the Faculty Senate. The petition must be submitted to the Faculty Senate from the dean's representative who is handling the petition.