Petition Processing

Student request: 3:9:6 Redistribution of General Education Credits (GA GH GS)

Explanation:  A student is asking to count only 3 credits in the General Arts category for example but 9 credits under General Humanities and 6 credits in the General Social and Behavioral Science category.

Typically approved if: 

• a student is also pursuing a minor degree
• a student is a transfer student who has fallen behind in the curriculum and is trying to catch up
• a student makes a compelling argument that taking a third GA GH or GS would be more beneficial to his/her education or future plans

Typically denied if: 

• a student is trying to take 12 credits in one category (GA GH GS) and zero credits in another - this would be a 12:0:6 distribution
• a student justifies his/her request by stating a dislike for either the field of Arts Humanities or Social and Behavioral Sciences

Student request: Substitution of a 400-level non-General Education course for a course on the General Education list

Explanation:  A student may take PHIL 432 for example and want to substitute it for GH credit.

Typically approved if: 

• the subject area of the upper-level course falls under the same General Education category (ie. ART H 442 can only count for GA credit - not GS) and if the student provides a copy of the syllabus

Typically denied if: 

• a student is trying to substitute a 400-level course from one General Education category for a course from a different General Education category (ie. if a student wants to count ART H 442 under GS)

Student request: Substitute Co-op credits (SC 295 395 or 495) for 400-level Biology credits

Explanation: A student wants to count credits which he/she received for participation in the Cooperative Education Program to fulfill 400-level Biology requirements

Typically approved if:

• A maximum of 3 credits may be substituted IF the Co-op work was completed off-campus in the life sciences and if proper documentation is provided

Typically denied if:

• Co-op work was completed on-campus and/or in a non-life science area
• a student wants to petition for more than 3 credits to count

Student request: Substitute Independent Studies credit (BIOL/BMB/MICRB 496) for 400-level Biology course requirements

Explanation:  A student wants to count credits which he/she received for working in a PSU faculty member's lab to fulfill 400-level Biology course requirements

Typically approved if: 

• This request is almost always denied!!! Only under the most extenuating circumstances might a student be given permission to count 1 credit at the most towards the 400-level Biology course requirement category. An example of such extenuating circumstances might be if a student would have to spend an additional semester at UP to fulfill one last credit towards his/her 400-level Biology category.

Typically denied if: 

• Request is always denied! 496 credit can only count under the elective category!!!

Student request: Substitute BIOL 497 courses for specific 400-level Biology requirements

Explanation:  A student may want to take a newly designed upper-level Biology course that is still being offered on an experimental basis and count it towards his/her free 400-level Biology requirements.

Typically approved if: 

• These requests are almost always approved as long as a student isn't asking for an exemption from a prescribed Biology requirement, as long as the course is appropriate to the students option and as long as he/she provides a justification for wanting to take that particular course.

Typically denied if: 

• a student is asking to substitute a BIOL 497 course for a prescribed course (ie. BIOL 472 and 473 in the Vertebrate Physiology option for example)

Student request:  Substitute a 400-level life science course which is not currently listed as a choice under a student's Biology option to fulfill a 400-level Biology requirement.

Explanation:  A student in the Vertebrate Physiology option may want to take a virology course such as MICRB 415 for example to better prepare him(her)self for a graduate course of study in that field or a job at the CDC.

Typically approved if: 

• the course has adequate scientific content and the student provides a good justification and provides a course syllabus with the petition
• a student doesn't attempt to petition for more than half of the 400-level requirements to be fulfilled by life sciences courses outside of Biology

Typically denied if: 

• a student's scientific enhancement is jeopardized because the course doesn't have enough scientific content
• a student attempts to fill more than half of his/her upper-level Biology requirements with courses from fields other than Biology

Student request:  Count "Disallowed Courses" towards graduation

Explanation:  A student is asking for remedial courses that have been defined by the college/department as "disallowed courses" to count as elective credit towards graduation. A list of all disallowed courses for the Biology major can be found on the back sides of all check sheets or on the web (under form center).

Typically approved if: 

• Such requests are NEVER approved and no exceptions are EVER made!!!

Typically denied if: 

• Requests are ALWAYS denied!

Student request:  Substitute PHYS 211 for PHYS 215.

Explanation:  A student is asking for the first calculus-based Physics course in a series of 4 to substitute for the first algebra-based physics course in a series of 2.

Typically approved if: 

• As of Spring 2001 this request is granted IF AND ONLY IF students finish their Physics requirements by successfully completing NOT ONLY PHYS 265 BUT ALSO PHYS 213. PHYS 213 covers the topics that are missing in PHYS 211 and PHYS 213 must be taken either PRIOR or SIMULTANEOUSLY to taking PHYS 265.

Typically denied if: 

• a student who petitions this request during Spring 2001 OR LATER does not plan on taking PHYS 213 in addition to taking PHYS 265. Not taking PHYS 213 in addition to PHYS 265 will prevent a student from being cleared from graduation UNLESS the Biology Department has granted an exception.
  
  
  *** Please note that this does NOT apply to students who petitioned for a substitution of PHYS 211 for PHYS 215 PRIOR to Spring 2001!!!!!