Committee on Academic Status

Guidelines on Submitting Petitions to the Committee on Academic Status

The Committee on Academic Status will, on a semi-annual basis (normally in June and in January each year), review and adjudicate the following types of appeals and petitions:

1. Appeals of academic dismissals;
2. Petitions for reinstatement following academic dismissal;
3. Petitions to waive the final semester of full-time study in the day school;*
4. Petitions to accelerate completion of the degree in the day school in a timeframe with fewer than eight semesters of full-time study.*

The student has the right to appear before the Committee at its meeting in which these petitions are considered to address Committee members and to answer any questions from Committee members arising from the written submissions in support of the petition. The Committee, chaired by the Associate Provost for Academic Policy & Mission Support, shall determine whether or not the petition should be granted and notify the student of its decision within seven (7) calendar days along with the reason(s) for the decision. If the student wishes to appeal the denial of their appeals or petitions, the appeal must be filed with the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, consistent with the procedures and criteria described below.

• * General Degree Requirements include the following: “Undergraduate students must spend at least eight semesters in full-time attendance unless the period is reduced by advanced standing credit from another institution as reviewed and approved by the Office of Admission in consultation with the Office of the Provost. The College reserves the right, for extraordinary reasons, to allow graduation at the completion of seven semesters for extraordinary reasons following the successful petition by students to the Committee on Academic Status. Students also may petition the Committee on Academic Status to be allowed to accelerate their degree program, through summer and/or winter session work (usually through the Providence College School of Continuing Education); such petitions must be received by the Committee on Academic Status by the end of their sophomore year. Appeals of the decisions of the Committee on Academic Status should be presented to the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, whose decisions will be final.”

1. A student dismissed from the College by reason of academic deficiency has the right to a hearing before the Committee on Academic Status to appeal his or her dismissal if the student believes the dismissal is improper. A request for an appeal, which should include the specific reasons why the dismissal is unwarranted, must be made in writing to the Associate Provost for Academic Policy & Mission Support within the timeframe noted in the letter of dismissal. Failure to appeal within the timeframe stated will, under all but the most extraordinary circumstances, disallow such appeal. If a student appeals the dismissal decision, and the Committee grants the appeal, the student will be permitted to return immediately to the College as a full-time, enrolled student; however, certain conditions may be imposed. If a student appeals the dismissal decision and the Committee does not grant the appeal, the dismissal decision is final. In this case, the Committee will consider the student’s petition for reinstatement.

2. A student dismissed from the College by reason of academic deficiency has the right to file a petition for reinstatement. A petition for reinstatement, which should include the specific reasons why the petition has merit, must be filed in writing to the Associate Provost for Academic Policy & Mission Support within the time frame noted in the letter of dismissal; otherwise, the petition will not be heard absent extraordinary circumstances. On a petition for reinstatement, the Committee on Academic Status may, at its discretion, allow a student who has been dismissed to be reinstated in the day school immediately, either in good standing or on probation, as appropriate. Alternatively, the Committee may choose to reconsider the petition for reinstatement if and when the student provides evidence of specified academic achievement through course work either in the School of Continuing Education (SCE) or at another institution.* It may allow a student to be reinstated on academic probation as long as the student is making reasonable progress toward his/her degree. “Reasonable progress” is defined as maintaining a 2.25 GPA/12 credits each semester as monitored by the Student Success Center until the student has achieved good academic standing. The right to petition for reinstatement is limited to two academic dismissals. In most instances, students incurring a second dismissal must attend another institution, or Providence College’s SCE, for at least one semester before petitioning for reinstatement. A petition for reinstatement may not follow a third dismissal except in rare instances.

*If the Committee on Academic Status requires course work at another institution, or at Providence College’s SCE, these courses may be considered for replacement of failed or withdrawn courses, but they may not count toward one of the semesters required for graduation.

3. Students have the right to petition for a waiver of the final semester of full-time study in the day school. A waiver will be considered for extraordinary reasons. A student’s formal, written petition shall consist of the following: 1) a letter from the student to the Associate Provost for Academic Policy & Mission Support (in his/her capacity as Chair of the Committee on Academic Status) that provides a detailed explanation of the reasons why the student believes the waiver of College policy is warranted; and 2) a letter of support from the student’s academic advisor; for students in the PCSB, the endorsement of the PCSB Dean’s Office that provides an assurance of completion of the advisee’s degree by the proposed date of completion, as well as the advisability of the proposed petition. The material for the petition for waiver (both the student’s and advisor’s) must be received electronically by email (mnowel@providence.edu) no later than the last official day of the semester in which the student is planning to submit his/her petition. Any letters received after the deadline will not be considered until the following semester.

4. Students may petition the Committee on Academic Status to allow an acceleration of their program of study to abbreviate the eight semesters of full-time study. The material for the petition must be received electronically by email (mnowel@providence.edu) no later than the last official day of the student’s second semester of his/her sophomore year. The petition will consist of the following: 1. The reasons for the petition to accelerate the program of study; 2. The detailed plan for the completion of the degree (major, core and credit) requirements (including specific Summer and Winter coursework); 3. A letter of support from the student’s academic advisor (for students in the PCSB, the endorsement of the PCSB Dean’s Office is also required), stating both the assurance of the student’s plan to accomplish degree completion by the proposed new deadline as well as the advisability of the proposed petition.

Appeal of Denial of a Petition for Waiver of the Final Semester or Acceleration of Degree Program

The appeal procedures are as follows:

If a student is not satisfied with the Committee’s decision to deny the waiver or acceleration petition, the student may submit in writing a “Request for Appeal,” addressed to the Provost/Senior Vice President Academic Affairs, by postmarked letter (c/o Office of the Provost/Senior Vice President Academic Affairs, Providence College, Providence, RI 02918); by fax (401-865-1155); or by e-mail attachment (sreid4@providence.edu), within seven (7) calendar days of the date of the Committee’s decision letter. In the Request for Appeal, the student must explain why s/he meets the criteria to appeal and must include all additional information that will aid the Provost/Senior Vice President in making his/her decision. The Provost/Senior Vice President, who may consider the matter on written submissions alone, will communicate his/her decision in writing to the student, the Committee and other College offices as necessary, within seven (7) calendar days of receipt of the Request for Appeal. The decision of the Provost/Senior Vice President Academic Affairs will be final.

The purpose of an appeal is not to provide a second opportunity to consider reasons presented by the student in the waiver petition that was submitted to and reviewed by the Committee. The appeal criteria are limited to:

• the Committee did not follow established procedures, in a significant way, and, as a result, the Committee’s decision should be reviewed and reversed; and/or,
• there is newly discovered information not previously available or known that would have been material to the outcome had it been presented to the Committee. The new information must be included with the student’s Request for Appeal.