Academic Variances

There may be occasions when a student needs to request that one of the curricular requirements or course policies be changed; this most often happens due to a course schedule conflict, or an ususual circumstance when a student has transferred into the Program.

Variance forms are available at the Honors Office (South Hall 100). Requests due to schedule conflicts with required courses for the major should be signed by the academic advisor as well as the student. Variances requesting waivers of requirements are very rarely granted; substitutions are much more common. It's a good idea to speak with the Honors Student Advisor before you turn in your petition; she can help identify the petitions that have the best chance of being approved.

All petitions have to be approved by the Honors Council, which meets twice per quarter. Because some requests are common, the Honors Council has empowered the Honors Director to handle some common petitions; also, if a petition has been approved in the past, the same petition can be approved for a different student (in the same circumstances) by the Honors Director without going to the Honors Council. Students are generally notified within one or two weeks after submitting a petition that a) the petition is approved, b) it is denied, or c) it needs to go to the Honors Council, and when the Council is next meeting.

Note that the Petition for Academic Variance form says that petitions need to be turned in to the Dean of the College or School. If a student is petitioning for a variance from the Honors Program requirements, a few days can be saved by sending the petition directly to the Honors Program.

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