Academic Regulations Appeals Committee
The Academic Regulations Appeals Committee considers appeals for waivers of undergraduate academic regulations. The university rules with which the committee deals were established to help maintain the integrity of the institution and a major purpose of ARAC is to help see that this integrity is maintained. Its role is extremely important and is one that is not taken lightly by committee members.
Appeals process
A student petition to ARAC is considered an appeal to waive a rule. Waivers are granted only in exceptional cases. We encourage you to review the list of regulations ![[PDF]](/images/layout/photos/pdficon_small.gif){kind=small}
that may be appealed to ARAC.
The committee typically meets two Thursdays each month — the first and third Thursday in the summer and second and fourth in the spring and fall. Changes may be made to this schedule due to holidays or certain requests.
All cases on the agenda are heard at each meeting. Results can be approved, denied, tabled or withdrawn. Petitions are tabled if required documentation is not provided. Petitions are withdrawn if the student’s request can be granted by some other means — such as using the repeat course option, which would remove a student from academic suspension — or if the request is not something the committee can hear — such as a request regarding grades assigned by the honor council.
One of the most important considerations in evaluating the merits of a petition is evidence. As stated in the Undergraduate Bulletin, petitions must include evidence to support any claim included in the student’s letter. Acceptable evidence includes such things as police reports, doctor’s notes, death certificates or notices, hospital records and comments from a faculty member directly involved in the case. Materials that are unacceptable as evidence are the student’s unsupported comments in the letter and letters or statements made by family members, acquaintances or friends. Any petition not accompanied by acceptable evidence will be withdrawn or tabled.
Appeal decisions
The committee’s decision is final, and there is no other appeal except reconsideration of the petition if new information is provided. A new letter from the student is not considered new information. A student dissatisfied with the outcome of his or her case communicates exclusively with the dean’s office representative. The student may not contact individual committee members, including the chair, or the provost’s office regarding the results of a petition.
Financial aid
Students receiving financial aid and petitioning to drop, withdraw or change the status of courses from credit to audit risk the loss of some or all of their financial aid. Prior to submitting your petition, you should obtain a written statement from your financial aid counselor explaining the financial impact of the proposed actions. This statement is for your information and should not be presented to ARAC.
Bill payment for retroactive adds
Students approved for a retroactive add into a course may need to pay tuition for the credits being added and must do so before the course will be added to their schedule. Prior to submitting your petition, you should check with student accounting to see what charges, if any, you will be responsible for if a retroactive add is approved. These charges should be paid as soon as possible following the approval of the petition.
Instructions for submitting a petition
Before assembling your petition, you should review the instructions for filing a petition with ARAC for students in the College of Humanities and Sciences. Students who are majoring in a program outside the College should contact the appropriate ARAC representative within that program. If you are a freshman or have an undeclared major, then please contact the ARAC representative for the University College.
You must write a letter explaining your request and provide any documentation supporting your situation. See the ARAC letter-writing instructions for step-by-step instructions for writing an appeals letter to the committee. The ARAC cover sheet should be completed and attached to your letter, any supporting documentation and a copy of your unofficial transcript, which can be printed from VCU eServices.
If you are seeking a retroactive withdrawal or drop, you will also need to complete the faculty memorandum for each course being appealed. In some cases, an e-mail with the necessary information will suffice.
