Petitions
University regulations are established to provide for the academic progress of students, the welfare of the community, and the orderly conduct of university affairs. Occasionally, exceptions are necessary to fulfill these goals. Individual students seeking exceptions to regulations should petition the appropriate committee or person. Petitions for exceptions to academic regulations should be directed to the Faculty Subcommittee on Administration; petitions for exceptions to conservatory requirements should be directed to the Conservatory Committee on Administration (forms are available in the conservatory office); petitions concerning campus life should be directed to the Dean of Students; and petitions concerning business affairs should be sent to the Vice President for Business Affairs. Information concerning campus life or business affairs petitions may be obtained from the Dean of Students Office or Financial Services, respectively.
Each petition must provide a clear and detailed statement of the exceptions requested and the reasons why the student believes the exception should be made. The student must review the petition with his or her faculty advisor who must sign and comment on the petition. Other parties, such as department chairs, course instructors, etc., should also be consulted when appropriate.
Petitions will be reviewed on a regular basis and the decisions are communicated directly to the student.
Petition forms can be found on the Registrar's Forms page.
Petition for a late addition to course registration:
Students who need to add to their registration after the add/drop deadline must petition the Faculty Subcommittee on Administration by completing the petition form and the following information:
Writing the petition:
- Action Requested:
- Please state: “Request to add” and then include course title, term, number of course units, CRN and instructor’s name
- Basis for the Request:
- Please provide an explanation about why you are making the request, why you missed the deadline, and why an exception to the policy should be made. Please provide documentation from a medical or mental health provider if the explanation relates to health concerns.
- Student contact information:
- Please sign and provide all required information
Signatures required:
- Faculty advisor
- Please discuss your petition with your faculty advisor and request a signature and comments for this form
- Course instructor for the class you are adding or dropping
- Please discuss your petition with your course instructor and obtain a signature and comments about your request.
Where to submit your petition:
Registrar’s office, Chapman Hall (2nd floor)
Important notes:
Students may petition to make changes to their registration in the term the course was taken and in the term immediately following that term. Students should expect a late registration fee- $25 for an approved late registration in the same term, $50 for an approved late registration for course taken in the prior term.
Important Deadlines
Change of advisor
Students are expected to identify or request a major advisor at the point of major declaration, which should happen no later than the end of a student’s sophomore year. Ideally, students should declare a major and submit an Academic Advisor Change Form in time for course registration in Spring Term.
There are other times beyond the point of major declaration when a student may wish to change their academic advisor. An advisor will not be offended if a student wishes to change. To change advisors, the student must simply complete the Academic Advisor Change Form.
Any student who needs help identifying a new advisor can contact the Director of Academic Advising at advising@lawrence.edu. Students are also encouraged to consult with other faculty members or the Center for Academic Success for further advice.
S/U Option
The S/U option is provided to encourage students to explore new academic disciplines. The decision to exercise this option must be made by the end of the class change period at the start of the term. Find more information on the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory option in the Course Catalog in the Grading System area.
Overload
Repeated Course
A course may be repeated under certain circumstances. See Repeating Courses on the Registrar's site for rules regarding repeating a course. A Repeated Course Form is only needed if the repeated course differs in course number or title due to changes in course catalogs. If the course information remains the same, the student only needs to enroll in the course again.
This information can also be found in the course catalog under the Grading System section.
Cross List Request
Various courses offered by the university fall under multiple departments because they relate to more than one discipline. Known as cross-listed courses, they may be applied differently to major and/or general education requirements depending on the department in which the course is listed. A student may fill out this form to change how the course appears on his or her transcript. This change may affect how the course is applied to that student's degree program.
The course is listed in the "parent" or main department first. If a student wishes to have it listed instead in the secondary department, he or she must complete the Cross-List Request Form available on this site or from the Registrar. This form does not require an advisor or instructor's signature.
The Cross List Request Form can be found on the Registrar's Forms page.