Academic Review Petition Guidelines

The purpose of this guide is to provide information on Committee on Academic Review (CAR) petition processes and tips to navigate the petition process.

These are guidelines Rina Nagashima developed as SAS Judicial and Academic Review Chair and as the student representative for CAR in the 2022-2023 academic year. It was fact-checked by Kelly Hogencamp (Registrar’s Office) and Jennifer Groscup (CAR Faculty Chair 2022-2023). If you have any questions about these guidelines or would like further advice, please email [email protected]. This document has been updated as of March 2024 by the 2023-2024 Judicial and Academic Review Chair, Kaitlyn Chen.

Here is a link to the Registrar’s office with all up to date deadlines. Click on the Forms button to find the CAR petition form and other useful links.

Disclaimer: CAR evaluates petitions for exceptions to academic policy. Although the Judicial and Academic Review Chair is on CAR, these guidelines cannot guarantee that any petition will or will not be approved. She highly advises against missing key deadlines such as add, drop, withdrawal, and incomplete deadlines whenever possible. Please also note that Rina does not represent the committee in this document. These guidelines are just personal advice she gathered from sitting on the committee.

General Guidelines

The CAR meets weekly. In the 2023-2024 academic year, CAR meets every Thursday. The CAR meeting time is subject to change every semester. Be sure to submit your petition early so that the Registrar’s office can add it to the week’s agenda.
You will need to gather signatures and statements of support for your petition, so plan in advance for that! It will vary depending on the specific petition you are filing, but in most cases, you will need to contact:
- An academic advisor’s
- The relevant faculty, if applicable for their signature/statement of support. Check the specific instructions for the petition you are filing on the Registrar’s website.
If you are suffering from external circumstances such as medical, mental health, family, and general safety issues, or chronic health issues, disabilities, and learning differences, then I highly recommend reaching out to Dean and Director of Academic Resources and Services Danny Hernandez ([email protected]) and/or ARS ([email protected]) . Aside from receiving the accommodations you need, they will be able to testify to any barriers you face if that is the key reason you are filing a petition to CAR. This will help your case.
Submit all petition materials together as one pdf file; if approvals/documents/statements are sent separately via email, they’re easily lost, which will delay review of your petition. The Registrar will not piece together different parts of a petition for the committee, and incomplete petitions will not be approved until all parts are included.

Late Add

Focus on explaining the circumstances that caused you to miss the add deadline. It is understood that you want to add the class, so I wouldn’t spend too much time describing that. Rather, what circumstances prevented you from adding the class by the published deadline? The committee needs to know why you believe you should receive an exception to the add deadline policy.
Attend the class that you want to add late everyday until you hear back about your petition decision. Coordinate with the professor to complete the homework assignments. In your petition, write about your efforts to keep up with the class. This conveys how committed you are to adding the class. Depending on how late the add is, one concern might be whether it is possible for the student to make up missed work and learning.
Avoid missing the add deadline whenever possible; if you cannot explain why you missed the add deadline aside from “I forgot,” it’s less likely that your petition will be approved. Generally speaking, an exception to policy requires exceptional circumstances.
Attach time stamps to your petition whenever possible. If you missed the deadline despite your best proactive efforts to add the course before the deadline, then time stamps (such as emails with the professor) and referencing exact dates will strengthen your petition.

Late Drop

Focus on explaining the circumstances that caused you to miss the drop deadline. Although it may be relevant to explain why you want to drop the class, the committee needs to know why you believe you should receive an exception to the drop deadline policy. What circumstance(s) prevented you from dropping the course by the published deadline? Was there any exceptional change in circumstance that coincided with the drop deadline? Include as much detail as you feel comfortable because this allows the committee to have a better sense of the barriers you faced in meeting this deadline. Unless you believe the reason you want to drop the class is exceptional, I would focus more on why you missed the deadline.
If possible, continue attending the class you want to drop until you hear back about your petition. There is no guarantee that the petition will be approved, so it would be best to remain prepared for that.
If your late drop petition is not approved, your options would be to withdraw, opt for credit/no credit or audit (typically the same as the withdraw deadline), or continue attending the class.
In the case of a withdrawal – keep in mind that not wanting a W (withdraw) on your transcript is not an exceptional circumstance that would lead to approval of a petition for changing a W to a “late drop,” as outlined in emails from the Registrar. I definitely understand the anxiety surrounding Ws, which is all the more reason to stay on top of Registrar deadlines. Meeting the drop deadline is really the only way to guarantee that a class is completely wiped from your transcript.
Attach time stamps to your petition whenever possible. If you have made your best proactive efforts to drop a class before the deadline, then time stamps (such as emails with a professor) and referencing exact dates will strengthen your petition.
Remember that 3.0 courses is the minimum to be considered enrolled full time. If you're considering part-time status, contact the Registrar ([email protected]) as soon as possible. Being under enrolled can have implications for degree progress, campus housing eligibility, financial aid eligibility, etc.

Late Withdrawal

Focus on explaining the circumstances that caused you to miss the withdraw deadline. What circumstance(s) prevented you from withdrawing from the course by the published deadline? Was there any exceptional change in circumstance that coincided with the withdraw deadline? Include as much detail as you feel comfortable because this allows the committee to have a better sense of the barriers you faced in meeting this deadline.
Late withdrawal petitions are typically from students who have experienced extenuating circumstances and they tend to be very much on a case-by-case basis. I don’t have much generalized advice to give, but if you are experiencing hardship, please check in with the Dean of Students office and/or ARS! If you use them as a resource, they will be your biggest advocate.
If you missed the withdraw deadline, submit your petition as soon as possible and attach time stamps. The longer it’s been since the withdraw deadline, the more compelling reason you will need to justify why you couldn’t withdraw or submit the petition earlier.

Incomplete Extension

You do not need to submit a petition to CAR to take an incomplete. However, if you are going to miss the deadline to finish your incomplete, you will need to petition to CAR for an incomplete extension. If your incomplete deadline already passed, CAR may deny the petition on that basis. If the petition is not approved, the default grade submitted by the faculty is applied. If no such default grade was submitted, the default grade is an F.
Focus on explaining the extenuating circumstances that caused you to miss your incomplete deadline. The more details you feel comfortable with sharing, the better.
Describe how much work you have already completed, and how you plan to finish the incomplete work. If you are able to create a schedule (in consultation with your professor) of how you plan to finish the work, that would be best.
Please note that an incomplete and incomplete extension must be done in consultation with your professor. It is at your professor’s discretion first whether to grant an incomplete and/or incomplete extension, and then CAR.
For your own mental health and sanity – if you are requesting an incomplete extension into the following semester (for example, finishing your spring classes during the following fall semester), please consider taking a lighter load! Be realistic about what you can handle. If you are accommodating or planning to accommodate your current course schedule to finish the incompletes, mention that in your petition.

Taking more than 5.75 credits of classes

If you are able to, highlight your successful history of overloading semesters (such as taking five courses in a semester) and past strong grades to demonstrate that you can handle the challenge of taking more than 5.75 credits of classes. If you’re seeking this approval for a future semester, and the current grades are in progress, CAR will likely table the petition until the current semester’s grades are recorded.
In many cases, dance, theater, and music majors may regularly have to take more than 5.75 credits of classes because of extra partial-credit courses (such as private music lessons.) The committee sees these kinds of petitions regularly.
CAR doesn’t want you to take on more than you can reasonably do. Convey in your petition your plan to manage a heavy workload, and that you’re aware of drop and withdraw deadlines if the workload is too much.

Early Graduation

The deadlines for early graduation are listed on the Scripps website. As long as you meet the deadline, this process tends to be pretty straightforward.
Explain why you want to accelerate your graduation, and how you plan to do it. The idea here is that you must present a reasonable plan to complete your degree in fewer than 8 semesters. Taking 6+ classes in a semester is not reasonable; seeking an exception to major or GE requirements to graduate early is also not reasonable.
Deadlines are listed on the Registrar’s website on the forms page under early graduation. As of February 2023, the deadline to graduate early in the fall is October 1 and the deadline to graduate early in the spring is February 1. Please check online for the most up-to-date deadlines.

Independent Study

Unlike most CAR petitions, petitioning for an independent study does not have much to do with extenuating personal circumstances. The committee is really just looking to make sure that you hit all the criteria for pursuing an independent study. The only advice I have is to read the requirements carefully and make sure you meet all of them.
The deadline is usually the same as the add deadline. Check online or for emails from the Registrar for confirmation.
If you missed the independent study deadline, you can petition for a “late add” with your petition for the independent study. Include the kind of information suggested above under “late add,” primarily what exceptional circumstance caused you to miss the add deadline. you can still petition to receive internship credit. However, you should explain why you missed the deadline.

Internship Credit

CAR does not evaluate internship credit petitions that are submitted before the official deadline (which is standard academic policy,) but they evaluate internship credit petitions that are submitted after the official deadline (which is a petition for an exception to academic policy.)
Unlike most CAR petitions, petitioning for internship credit does not have much to do with extenuating personal circumstances. The committee is really just looking to make sure that you hit all the criteria for receiving Scripps internship credit.
The deadline is usually right in the beginning of the semester and is listed in the form description. When possible, submit your internship credit petition during the previous semester. For example, if you want to get credit for your spring internship, get all the signatures you need during the fall semester. It is unlikely people will answer your emails over summer and winter break.
If you missed the internship credit deadline, you can still petition to receive internship credit, but approval is less likely.. However, you should explain why you missed the deadline. One reason could be because you did not receive your official internship offer until right after the deadline.
The deadline is the same as the add deadline. Summer internship petition deadline is generally June 1. Check online or for emails from the Registrar for confirmation.

Extend Academic Program Beyond Eight Semesters

A Scripps degree (no matter the major) is intended to be completed within 8 semesters, and Scripps programs and services are designed to support a student over 8 semesters. Sometimes students have a setback (have to take a mid-semester leave, fail a class, etc) and need additional time. If you need an additional semester to complete your degree, you’ll need to explain why, and specifically what circumstances prevent you from completing in 8 semesters.
Keep in mind that approval from CAR does not guarantee that you will have housing or financial aid. You will need to coordinate with those offices, as well.
Focus on why you believe you should receive an exception to this policy. This will vary on a case-by-case basis and there is not much generalized advice I can give.