A "Petition to the Faculty" form may be completed by a student when asking for an exception to an Institute rule or policy. Examples of exception requests include (some apply to all students, but some are specific to the level of the student):
- To withdraw from school (all classes) past the deadline
- To withdraw from an individual course (selective withdrawal) past the deadline
- To count the first instance of the course toward degree requirements if the grade in the second attempt is not passing
- Register in more hours than would be normally allowed in that term (over 21 hours or over the hour-limit if not in good standing)
- Waiver of the 10-year rule
- Waiver of the 36-hour rule
- Waiver of the 39-hour rule
- Late registration in the current term
- Readmission after academic dismissal (rarely approved if it is the second dismissal)
- Return after withdrawing in the current term
- Late request to change a grade mode for a course
- Late adjustment of credit hours for a variable credit course that was not registered properly
- Waiver of the 6-year rule to complete and MS degree
- Waiver of the 7-year rule to complete a PhD degree
- Change to full graduate standing
All "Petition to the Faculty" forms must be completed by the student and signed by all appropriate offices. Instructions for completion are printed on the form. The form is available on the link above. Once completed and reviewed by the major school, these forms should be submitted to the Registrar's Office via email to comments@registrar.gatech.edu or through DocuSign.
These petitions are processed by the Registrar's Office and may require more than one level of review. Students should allow up to one week as a general rule to receive a decision. This process may take longer depending upon whether more information is needed from the student, the academic advisor, or other offices, how many levels of review are required, and the time of year that the petition is received. The Registrar's Office operates under the delegated authority of the Institute Undergraduate Curriculum Committee and the Institute Graduate Curriculum Committee in these matters.
Students are notified by email of the decision. The academic advisor who signed off on the petition is copied on the email. Any updates to the SIS (student's record) are completed as soon as the decision is made and prior to the email being sent to the student.
Important Supplemental Information
Guidelines for Students Preparing Petitions
Guidelines for Major Schools in Evaluating Petitions to Waive the 10-year Rule