Petitioning CLA for Exceptions

CLA understands that as a student, you may at some time face an unexpected situation that impacts your plans or makes it difficult to handle academics and the rest of your life.

When this happens, we encourage you to work with  your advisor, instructors, and other support resources (such as the Disability Resource Center (DRC), health care providers, family members or others) to determine the best way forward. In some cases, it may be appropriate to petition for an exception to policy through the Student Scholastic Standing Committee (SSSC), also known as the CLA Scholastic Committee.

What is the Scholastic Committee?

SSSC is made up of CLA advisors and staff and considers petition requests. Depending on the exception requested, the petition may be reviewed by the full committee, a smaller subcommittee, or designated advisors/staff.

What’s an extenuating circumstance?

Typical extenuating circumstances can be but are not limited to: new diagnosis or exacerbation of mental or physical health impacts, disability barriers, temporary illness or injury, violence or abuse, chemical dependency, and death in the family. Factors not typically considered an extenuating circumstance: heavy work schedule, family commitments, “getting in over your head.”

How do I petition?

General information about petitioning for various types of exceptions can be found on the Petition for an Exception to Policy page on One Stop. See below for more about the most common petition types.

Petitions to be reviewed by SSSC should be submitted through an electronic form, to your assigned advisor/ advising office, or to claadvising@umn.edu. Electronic submission is preferred for most requests, and requires an active Internet ID.  If you do not have an active Internet ID or have difficulty accessing the electronic form, a PDF petition form is available.

If you are working with a DRC Access Consultant on a second language modification petition, please submit materials to your Access Consultant. Please do not submit language modification petitions using the electronic form.

You will be notified via your University email account when a decision is reached. Typically, you can expect a response in about two weeks during the academic year, sometimes longer in the summer. If your petition is for a registration change and is approved, SSSC will send it to One Stop for processing.

Completed petitions typically include:

  • Academic Policy Petition form (electronic or PDF).  Note: The electronic form will prompt you to provide necessary information as part of the submission process.
  • Personal statement detailing extenuating circumstances. If requesting a late (during the term but after the deadline) or retroactive (after the last day of instruction before finals) registration change, you must explain why you were not able to take action by the deadline.
  • Supporting documentation, such as:
    • Medical Supplement
    • Letters from healthcare providers
    • Copies of legal documents
    • Letter or email from an instructor approving a late add (The electronic form routes to the instructor you indicate for them to provide input)
    • Instructor verification forms for retroactive withdrawals
    • Obituary in the case of the extenuating circumstance being the death of a third party (family member, friend, etc.).

Please make sure to include all relevant course information (Including section number and five-digit course code, credits, grade basis), and sign your petition. Note that an advisor does not need to sign the petition, but we do encourage you to discuss the petition with your advisor prior to submission to ensure it is complete. A member of SSSC will contact you if additional information is required. Submission of an incomplete petition may delay its review. 

Copies of your petition materials become part of your educational record, but are protected in the same manner as other student data and accessed only on a need-to-know basis by staff for the purpose of assisting you in your educational journey.

If you need a copy of your petition materials, you can contact your advisor or claadvising@umn.edu.

Common Petitions

Listed below are the most common types of requests considered by or on behalf of SSSC.

If you have questions or if your situation is not included above, contact your assigned advisor or advising office.