Petition Committee Process
The role of the Petition Committee is to consider exceptions to LC State college policy. The Committee balances the needs of the student with institutional integrity.
The role of the Petition Committee is to consider exceptions to College policy such as Late Add or Late Drop of a class, Late Total Withdrawal, Academic Suspension and select Financial Aid appeals. The Committee is charged with balancing the needs of the student with institutional integrity. Exceptions to policy should be granted when there is a compelling personal, medical, or family emergency or situation that prevented the student from adhering to policy, but only in such situations, and when supported by documentation.
- Financial Aid petitions are reviewed by the Financial Aid Office prior to submission to the Committee.
- Overload petitions are reviewed by the appropriate instructional Dean.
- General Education Substitution petitions are reviewed by the Dean for Liberal Arts and Sciences.
- Students locate and complete the Student Petition Form on the Registrar’s webpage.
- Students complete, in its entirety, Part I of the Student Petition Form. Students should read the Instructions on page 2 carefully before submitting the Petition for review by the Petition Committee and/or Dean, paying particular attention to a) the requirements for a letter explaining why a petition is necessary, b) requirements for documentation supporting the request, and c) obtaining the required signatures for the particular petition.
- Advisors and/or Instructors, and Division Chair are advised to sign the Petition only after reviewing the required letter and documentation.
- Student submits the Petition, once completed through Part III, to the Registrar & Records Office.
- The Registrar ensures the Petition is posted to the Petition Committee Shared Drive.
- Petitions are reviewed on a rotating basis.
- The decision of the committee will be reported to the student via the committee chair usually within two weeks of the committee receiving the petition.
- The Chair may, at his or her discretion or at the request of the Petition Committee, return a petition to the student for documentation or table the petition pending further documentation. The Chair notifies the student of any requests for further documentation or clarification.
Students may appeal the Petition Committee’s decision as follows:
- Financial Aid Petition appeal: Vice President for Student Affairs
- All other appeals: Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
| Membership Category | Appointing Authority | AY 24-25 Membership | Role on Committee |
|---|---|---|---|
Committee Chair Dean or designee; no term designated | Vice President for Academic Affairs | Jeffrey Ober, Dean of Career and Technical Education | Tiebreaker voting member Calls and Chairs meetings Signs petitions and communicates decisions in writing to students, academic advisors, and relevant college offices. |
Division Chair; no term designated | Chairs' Council | Susan Steele | Voting member |
| Faculty 1: CTE, 3-year term | Senate | Bill Frei FA22-SP25 | Voting member |
| Faculty 2: Academic, 3-year term | Senate | Peggy Mata FA23-SP26 | Voting member |
| Faculty 3: Academic, 3-year term | Senate | Leanne Parker Fa24-Sp27 | Voting member |
| Faculty 4: Academic, 3-year term | Senate | Ralph Barnes FA22-SP25 | Voting member |
| Registrar | Ex-Officio | Kim Tuschhoff | Non-voting member Received and posts petitions and supporting materials for committee's review |
| Director of Financial Aid | Ex-Officio | Laura Hughes | Non-voting member Provides policy-level (Federal, State, College) guidance |