Petitions & Appeals
Overview
If extenuating circumstances warrant a deviation from academic policy or other School of Continuing Education policies related to course enrollment, you may petition for an exception.
Submission of a petition form does not imply or guarantee approval of your request.
You have up to three months from the last day of the session or term in which you took your class to submit a petition. The SCE Petitions Committee will not accept petitions beyond that point.
Types of petitions
- Withdrawing from a class after the drop deadline (all withdrawals will result in a W on your transcript)
- Adding a class beyond the deadline
- Changing grading basis or credits in a class after the deadline
- Requesting to exceed the maximum number of credits allowed in a specific session/term.
- Requesting a refund of tuition and/or program charges, due to extenuating and unforeseen circumstances.
How to submit a petition
1. Select the appropriate petition form, based on your registration category:
I am a/an
- Cornell undergraduate/graduate student (currently registered in a Cornell degree program).
Note: SCE only reviews petitions for Cornell matriculated students when they are enrolled in summer or winter courses. If your request is related to a fall or spring course, you must work directly with your school or college.
General Petition: Matriculated Cornell Students (Summer and Winter Terms Only) (PDF)
- Visiting student/general registrant (not currently registered in a Cornell degree program)
- Cornell employee (not current registered in a Cornell Degree Program, EDP)
2. Email all petition materials together to cusce@cornell.edu, using your Cornell NetID email address.
If submitting any sensitive information, contact us and we will provide you with a link for a secure file transfer.
All approvals listed on the form must be obtained unless the form indicates that a specific type of approval is not required based on your petition request (e.g., advisor approval is not required for a refund petition).
Incomplete petitions will not be reviewed.
Petition decisions
The SCE Petitions Committee will evaluate each petition separately, on a case-by-case basis, using the information available. Individual students petitioning for similar deviations from academic policy should not expect the same decision from the committee.
The committee will make every reasonable effort to review your petitions, communicate the decision to you, and take any necessary actions on your record within three weeks of receiving the completed petition form and any appropriate supporting documentation.
Appealing a petition decision
You may appeal the committee's decision on a petition by completing the appeal form (PDF). You may appeal a petition decision only once and only if there is new information to present. The decision made upon appeal is final. No further appeals will be accepted.
Academic integrity
A petition to drop a course will become invalid if you are found to be in violation of the Code of Academic Integrity for your course.Application of refunds
Should you drop a class after the deadline for a refund, the tuition and fees for that class cannot be applied - in any case - to tuition and fees for a subsequent offering of the same class or any other class taught in a later session or term.
The SCE Petitions Committee adheres to all FERPA and HIPAA guidelines for working with student data. Confidential student data will not be shared with the parent(s)/guardian(s) of a student unless the student signs a release form allowing the information to be disclosed. Contact us for more information.