Petitions for Exceptions
Campuswide Honors students who have unexpected or unusual academic planning problems that do not allow them to follow/complete the normal honors curriculum plan (such as taking a CHC course every quarter until you are finished with your required honors courses), or those who need an exception to stated honors requirements or policy, may file a petition for special consideration.
Some examples of reasons to submit a petition include: your required CHC class conflicts with a required major class, you would like to conduct research with an advisor who is not a tenured professor, you plan to study away (study abroad, UCDC) for a quarter and need to delay a CHC class until you return, etc.
Petitions should be submitted no later than the end of week 8 of the quarter PRIOR to when the proposed change will take effect. For example, a petition dealing with winter quarter must be submitted no later than the end of week 8 of fall quarter. The “petition window” occurs between Weeks 6-8 because this time is after the Schedule of Classes comes out and before enrollment windows open.
It may take at least ten business days for a petition to be resolved. The outcome of your petition will be emailed to your UCI email address. Petitions are not guaranteed to be approved. Petitions will not be granted based on failure to register for an honors course, failure to take a CHC course for a letter grade, or departure from the honors curriculum requirements, without prior approval.
Who can submit an Honors Petition for Exception?
Current Campuswide Honors students and students who have been involuntarily withdrawn from Campuswide Honors in the previous week. Campuswide Honors first-year students are not eligible to petition regarding Humanities Core or Honors Biology. Please see an Honors Advisor for questions about these courses.
Petition Submission Instructions
All petitions will be submitted online using the Campuswide Honors Petition for Exception and must contain the following:
- A statement of your request and explanation of your circumstances, detailing what you are asking for and why.
- A copy of your currently filed course plan
- Additional documentation
- For an exception to the CHC curriculum requirements, you must include a proposed course plan (which indicates the classes you will take if the petition is approved and when you will take them, if applicable)
- To request a non-tenured faculty advisor for honors research, you should include a curriculum vitae (resume) for the proposed faculty advisor
Why might an Honors Petition for Exception be denied?
- If the Campuswide Honors staff contacts you with questions about your petition, feedback, requests for supplemental information, requests for appointments, etc. and you do not respond within 24 hours (unless a different deadline is given.)
- If it lacks necessary detail. Be sure to describe your circumstances and the rationale for your request: Why is this a sound academic request for you?
- If it does not have the required documents included or the documents are incomplete. All course-related petitions need to include a proposed alternative course plan that shows all courses planned from now through graduation (assuming that the petition gets approved), including CHC classes and research. Include when you propose to complete the honors courses (if petitioning to postpone).
- If it requests an exception that is not needed and a suitable alternative exists. (See common situations below)
- If it requests an exception that is not in the spirit of an honors education. Petitions are only accepted for exceptional circumstances and are subject to the review and approval of the Campuswide Honors Associate Dean. The Associate Dean will consider your academic record as well as the rationale for your request, and also will take into account the goals and spirit of honors education when reviewing petitions.
Advice for common CHC class situations that do not require a petition
- I am on the Classic Track and am unable to enroll in the upcoming quarter of Social Science Core due to a time conflict with a required major class.
- Before moving forward with a petition, please consider whether taking another honors course would resolve your issue. If you cannot take Social Science Core next quarter, can you take Science Core or a designated honors seminar instead? Social Science Core and Science Core can be taken in any order, and are NOT sequenced. Remember that Campuswide Honors students on Classic track may use only ONE total honors seminar for their entire time at UCI to automatically substitute for a maximum of ONE total QUARTER of an honors core course as designated by Campuswide Honors.
- I am a STEM major on the Classic Track and I don’t have room for Honors Science Core in my schedule.
Most declared science majors and some minors (Engineering, Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences majors and some health sciences majors) DO NOT need to petition to waive Honors Science Core. Former science majors who have completed one or more quarters of science courses at UCI may petition to substitute those quarters for part or all of the honors science core.
Still have questions? Consider scheduling an optional meeting with an honors advisor.
If you wish to meet with a Campuswide Honors advisor to discuss a draft of your petition, visit https://appointments.web.uci.edu/ to schedule an appointment with an honors advisor, preferably prior to week 8 of the quarter. Bring your completed petition and proposed course plan to the meeting. If you have any questions about the outcome of your petition, please contact an Honors advisor as soon as possible.
You might also want to meet with your school honors advisor if your petition relates to a conflict between an honors class and something “required” for your major. Sometimes there is flexibility regarding when you can take certain courses for your school/major requirements.