Committee on Academic Standards

Students who wish to appeal to CAS for exceptions to academic rules and regulations should put their request in writing and must follow the guidelines enumerated below. A petition should identify the academic policies or rules in question and the reasons for an exception to those rules.

Students should note that the College's Curriculum, Assessment and Educational Policy Committee reviews courses submitted by academic departments for approval into the General Education Requirements (GERs). The Committee on Academic Standards does not exist to overrule the Curriculum Committee process by approving requests for substitutions or waivers in the General Education Requirements.

The Committee on Academic Standards does not review grade appeals. In some cases, students with extraordinary circumstances appeal for retroactive changes in grading status for a semester. Information on this option can be found in the Retroactive Academic Relief Policy. If academic relief is granted, all grades will be changed to “S" or “U" (pass or fail) for the semester. Grades of “S" do not fulfill GER requirements and most majors require all courses to be taken on a graded basis. If the relief is granted, courses that previously may have completed a GER requirement, no longer do so. The Committee on Academic Standards reserves the right to review any applicant’s Honor Code record as part of the consideration for approval.

Retroactive Academic Relief Policy

Students are responsible for gathering all materials necessary to support their appeal to the Committee and submitting them by the deadlines. The written request is the only acceptable form of appeal to the committee and students may not appear in person.