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Academic Petitions

The Committee on Academic Standing and the Office of Academic Affairs are charged with upholding the academic policies established by the faculty.

Rare exceptions to these policies might be granted through petition and/or appeal, but students should be aware that such requests are reviewed with regard to equity for the whole College population. Therefore, when considering whether or not to submit a petition or appeal, students are required to critically assess their claim to exceptionality and to discuss with their advising dean the grounds for their request.

Columbia College has established petition procedures for requesting exceptions to the following policies:

Policy

Office with initial oversight for reviewing petition

Add a course after the deadline

Columbia College students are not permitted to add a course to their program of study after the deadline for so doing – which is the end of the second week of the semester.

Committee on Academic Standing; form available in the Center for Student Advising

Add a Core class after the Core deadline

The deadline for adding a Core class is the end of the first week of the semester, after which students are not permitted to add a Core class.

Office of Academic Affairs, Center for the Core, 202 Hamilton Hall

College Algebra, registration

Students who wish to take the course ‘College Algebra’ (MATH W1003) may do so on the understanding that they will earn no points of academic credit towards the degree. The petition requires students to confirm their understanding of this.

Office of Academic Affairs; form available in 208 Hamilton Hall

Drop a course after the deadline

Columbia College students are not permitted to drop a course from their program of study after the deadline for so doing – which is the end of the fifth week of the semester. In exceptional circumstances, students may petition the Committee on Academic Standing for permission to receive a grade of W.

Committee on Academic Standing; form available in the Center for Student Advising

Drop a Core class after the Core deadline

The deadline for dropping a Core class is the end of the second week of the semester, after which students are not permitted to drop a Core class. In exceptional circumstances, students may petition the Committee on Academic Standing for permission to receive a grade of W.

Committee on Academic Standing; form available in the Center for Student Advising

Final Exam Schedule, change

Students are not permitted to change their exam schedule in order to accommodate travel plans. However, students may petition the Committee on Academic Standing for permission to reschedule an exam originally scheduled for December 23 should remaining on campus cause undue hardship.

Committee on Academic Standing; form available for download here.

Frontiers of Science, deferment

Columbia College students are required to take Frontiers of Science in their first year.

Office of Academic Affairs; form available in 208 Hamilton Hall or download here

Frontiers of Science-UW switch

Students may request permission to switch the order in which they take Frontiers of Science and University Writing, and will be allowed to do so on a space-available basis.

Office of Academic Affairs, Center for the Core; form available in 208 Hamilton Hall or download here

Global Core Requirement, exceptions

The faculty Committee on the Global Core establishes the list of classes that are approved to count towards the Global Core requirement.

Office of Global Programs, Office of Study Abroad; form available in 606 Kent Hall or download here.

Grade of Incomplete, requesting

Students who experience towards the end of the semester ill-health or a family emergency – or another circumstance of comparable gravity – which prevents them from completing a final exam or paper may petition for a grade of Incomplete. If approved, students will be required to complete the work by a specific date.

Committee on Academic Standing; form available in the Center for Student Advising

Language Instruction, grade of P/D/F

Columbia College students are not permitted to take a language instruction class for a grade of Pass/D/Fail.

Office of Academic Affairs; form available in 208 Hamilton Hall or download here

Music Instruction, Teachers College

Columbia College students may take a music instruction class at Teachers College (TC) on the understanding that they will be charged the full per-point TC tuition and additional TC fees.

Office of Academic Affairs; form available in 208 Hamilton Hall or download here

Overlapping classes, registration

Columbia College students may not register for classes that overlap

Office of Academic Affairs; form available in 208 Hamilton Hall or download here

Pass/D/Fail, late registration

Columbia College students must elect the grading option of Pass/D/Fail by the published deadline, which is typically in the tenth week of the semester.

Committee on Academic Standing; form available in the Center for Student Advising

Pass/D/Fail, uncovering letter grade

Students may uncover the letter grade for the class they took for a grade of Pass/D/Fail up to the second week of the next semester

Committee on Academic Standing; form available in the Center for Student Advising

Points, registering for more than 22

Columbia College students are not permitted to register for more than 22 points of academic credit in a given semester.

Committee on Academic Standing; form available in the Center for Student Advising

Points, registering for fewer than 12

Columbia College students are not permitted to register for fewer than 12 points of academic credit in a given semester.

Committee on Academic Standing; form available in the Center for Student Advising

R credit

Seniors in the College who have completed all the degree requirements may request permission to take a class for a mark of R, with the approval of the instructor.

Committee on Academic Standing; form available in the Center for Student Advising

Science Requirement, exceptions

The faculty Committee on Science Instruction establishes the list of classes that are approved to count towards the Science Requirement

Office of Academic Affairs, Center for the Core; form available in 208 Hamilton Hall or download here

Student Athletes

Student Athletes may, with the approval of their team Head Coach and the Senior Associate Athletics Director, request instructor permission to make up work or take an exam at another time or location, in the event that their team is representing the University in a contest or tournament during scheduled class time.

Intercollegiate Athletics; form available in 433 Dodge Fitness Center or download here

Study Abroad, senior year

Columbia College students are not permitted to study abroad in their senior year

Committee on Academic Standing; form available in the Center for Student Advising

Teachers College classes, registration

Columbia College students may not register for (non-music instruction) classes at Teachers College

Office of Academic Affairs; form available in 208 Hamilton Hall or download here