Academic Policies and Standards Committee (ACPOL)

The process for petitioning the Committee for an exception to the policies delineated in the Catalog is as follows:

1. Discuss your situation with your advisor and the Chair of your Department/Major or the FYS Director if you are Undeclared (see numbers 3 & 4).
2. If you are petitioning to add a course after the deadline or for permission to take a tutorial, make sure to also discuss this with the instructor for that course or tutorial (see number 5).
3. Prepare and submit a letter of petition to ACPOL (see sample below). Ask your advisor to send an email directly to ACPOL, describing whether they support your petition.
4. Ask your Department Chair (or the FYS Director if Undeclared) to send an email directly to ACPOL, indicating they know that the petition is being made (any commentary about support of the petition is at the discretion of the Chair). If your advisor is also your Chair, only one email is required. The Chair must note in their email that they have discussed the petition with their respective Dean, and cc the Dean in their email to ACPOL. Deans are welcome to contact ACPOL as needed.
5. If you are petitioning to add a course after the deadline or for permission to take a tutorial, also ask the instructor to send an email directly to ACPOL, describing whether they support your petition.
6. The Committee typically meets the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Tuesday of the month. Petitions and supporting emails must be submitted by 12:00PM on the Friday prior to when the Committee meets for them to be considered; otherwise, they may not be considered until the following meeting.
7. Only when ACPOL receives all of your materials (your letter of petition and the emails from your advisor, the Department Chair, and, if required for your petition, the instructor of a course or tutorial) will the Committee review the request.

Preparing and Sending Letters

Students should use the sample letter (see below) and submit the letter using the online form located at the bottom of the webpage. Please ensure you have all information needed when submitting your petition, as all information is required for your petition form to submit.

Committee Consideration of Petition

ACPOL will consider rationale for requests for an exception to the policies delineated in the Catalog according to the following criteria:

1. That the request is based upon action taken by the College or one of its representatives, such as having a required class cancelled or removed from the curriculum, or an advisor error that is explained in the email by the petitioner's advisor;
2. That the request is based on some action by an agency outside the College, such as the State or Federal government if a student is deployed by the military or National Guard;
3. That the request is based upon accurately described need (such as when a course is needed to complete requirements) rather than optional choice (such as when a choice is an elective);
4. That the request is for an extenuating circumstance.

Decision

Once the Committee has reviewed your petition, an email indicating ACPOL's decision will be sent to your campus e-mail address, with a copy sent to the advisor and Department Chair. Regularly check your inbox for the email. If you have not received a response within three weeks, please reach out to the chair(s) of ACPOL regarding your petition.    

SAMPLE LETTER

Student name

Catawba ID number
Student reachable phone number
Student e-mail address

Date of petition submission

Dear Members of the Academic Policies and Standards Committee (ACPOL),

Introduce yourself by name, provide your academic year, major, advisor, and GPA.

I respectfully request ACPOL grant me an exception for: Describe the College rule/regulation that you are requesting an exception for, and the specifics of the exception being requested.

My reason for this request: Provide the rationale for your request, focusing on the circumstances that have led you to petition the Committee for an exception to the relevant College policy.

Thank the Committee in advance for its consideration of the request.

Signature

Foreign Language Waiver and Course Substitutions

Foreign language substitution allows qualified students with certain learning disabilities to replace foreign language requirements with alternative courses approved by the Academic Accessibility Office. The replacement courses must adhere to the following criteria: one course must focus on Culture, one must be related to Language, and one must be at the 2000 level or higher. Note that these substituted courses cannot be used to fulfill general education requirements simultaneously (no ‘double-dipping).

Cultural Group

COMM 3900   Intercultural Communication

ECON 2401    Comparative Economic Systems

ENGL 1218     World Literature

ENV 2405       Socio-Ecological Systems Thinking

HIST 1001      Global History and Cultural Traditions 1

HIST 1002      Global History and Cultural Traditions 2

MGT 2902      International Business

MUS 1113      World Music

POL 1105       Introduction to Comparative Politics

REL 1035        Near Eastern Religions

REL 1036        Far Eastern Religions

SOC 1202       Global Societies

SPAN 2051     Hispanics in the US

SPAN 2052     Hispanic Cultural in Film and Literature

Language Group

CIS 1400         Introduction to Programming

CIS 3400         Advanced Programming

ENGL  3201    English Grammar

PHIL 1155       Introduction to Logic

PHIL 1166       Critical Thinking

REL 1121         Introduction to Hebrew Bible

Special Topics and International Travel Courses considered on a case-by-case basis, with approval from Chairperson of Department of Modern Foreign Languages.