The Academic Standing Committee (ASC) is composed of faculty, administrators, and students. It convenes weekly to rule on petitions for exception to academic regulations of the College, it approves special majors, and it reviews the academic progress of students at the end of each term. It also serves as a judiciary committee in cases of academic misconduct and abuse or misuse of library materials.
Advisees often bring up issues that involve some knowledge of the ASC process. Typical issues that involve formal petitions include petitions for leaves of absence or withdrawal, requests to accelerate graduation, declaration of second major, and petitions for the approval of special majors. (See Petitions in the Rules and Regs of the College). These petitions all have forms that are available on the petitions page of the Registrar’s office.
The Registrar’s office and the Academic Standing Committee (ASC) always appreciate getting as much information as possible concerning student petitions. Conveniently, petitions include required fields in which advisers are asked to provide comments, thereby assisting the work of their colleagues on the ASC. On behalf of all of these colleagues, we ask that advisers please take the time to write comments on student petitions.
When speaking with advisees about petitions, it is useful to have a sense of what their plans are and how important changes such as leaves and early graduation goals might affect their medium- and long-term planning.
To view advisees’ petitions, advisers must go to OnBase through the Hub under “My Advisees” and look in the ASC folder of the student.
The major reason why grades are due at a particular point following the end of each term is that the ASC needs time to compile data and analyze student academic performance to identify cases that require review. Students who demonstrate a lack of academic progress, which is defined in the Rules and Regulations of the College, will be subject to review. Only the administrative and faculty members of the ASC meet as the review board. At the end of the spring term, there are two reviews – a senior review, which is conducted prior to Commencement, and a regular review, which is conducted after the due date for grades for non-seniors (post-Commencement).