A petition to the Faculty of Arts Examinations and Standings Committee must be submitted in those instances in which a student seeks relief from normal Faculty or University rules and regulations because of special circumstances such as illness or bereavement.
Petitions may include (but are not limited to) the following: requests to drop or add courses after the deadline; withdraw without academic penalty; take an additional course above the specified maximum for a term; substitute for a required course; take a course on a CR/NCR basis (other than courses normally so designated); reconsideration of academic standing.
Appropriate supporting documentation must accompany all petitions. Such documentation may consist of certification of illness/injury from a medical professional; statements from employers regarding work hours/conditions; documentation for personal difficulties from an appropriate counselling individual/body (e.g., Counselling Services, University Chaplain or other clergy); verification of bereavement (e.g., obituary notice). The Examinations and Standings Committee respects the confidentiality of all documentation submitted to it. Students should be aware, however, that claims made in a petition regarding another individual/body (e.g., claims regarding interaction between a student and an instructor) may require the Committee to verify such claims with that individual/body.
Petitions should be undertaken in consultation with the student's academic advisor. The Petition for Exception to Academic Regulations (Form 70A) form is available at www.registrar.uwaterloo.ca/forms/Petition.pdf. See the Student Petitions and Grievances Policy (UW Policy #70).