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Office of Graduate and Undergraduate Studies - ARC Petitions

This page is designed to help undergraduate students whose major is declared in the College of Arts and Sciences with the ARC Petition process.

Students who are seeking a major in Aging Studies (Gerontology), Communication Sciences and Disorders, Criminology, and Social  Work must declare or change their major via the new College website at http://www.usf.edu/Academics/Behavioral-Community-Sciences/index.asp.

Students petitioning for readmission are required to meet with a college representative before a petition will be accepted.  Students can meet with a college representative by scheduling an office appointment (813-974-6957) or by registering for a readmission counseling session.

College of Arts & Sciences students petitioning for something other than readmission may be required to meet with a college representative before their petition can be heard by the committee.  Students will receive a petition status notification within 2 working days of receipt in College of Arts & Sciences.  All notifications are sent to the student’s USF email address.

Below you will find a "Click on your question" and "Click on your case" menu.

Click on your question:

Click on your case:

Questions & Answers:

What is the purpose of an ARC Petition?

An ARC Petition allows you to request that USF's general regulations & policies be set aside in your case.

What is appropriate for an ARC Petition?

You can petition to be readmitted into USF after being academically dismissed, to late add a course, to late drop a course and to register late for classes. Submitting a petition does not guarantee approval and you may be required to see a college representative before your petition will be heard by the committee.

Who is my ARC Representative?

Ms. Kim Williams and Dr. Allison Cleveland-Roberts represent students whose major is declared within the College of Arts and Sciences. If you are unsure as to what your major is, check OASIS to verify.

Do I have to meet with the ARC Representative to turn in my petition?

All students petitioning for readmission are required to meet with a college representative. This can be accomplished either with an office appointment or by registering for and attending a readmission counseling session. Students submitting other types of petitions may be required to meet with a college representative before their petition will go before the committee. Students will be notified if they are required to meet with a college representative via their USF email address. Questions regarding ARC petitions can be sent to CASARC@cas.usf.edu.

When will I know the status of my petition?

Students will be emailed as to the status of their ARC petition status within 2 working days of submitting the petition. If the petition is deferred to the ARC Committee, students will receive an email within 2 working days of the meeting as to the committee’s decision. All email correspondence will be through the student’s USF email address. You will also receive your official result via U.S. mail 3-4 days after the Registrars Office has processed them.

If I am late adding a course, will I be charged a $100 late fee?

The $100 late fee only applies to students who are late registering for the semester. If you have already registered for other courses on time, and are late adding courses ON TOP of the ones you’re already registered for you won’t be assessed a late fee. However, if you haven’t registered for any classes AT ALL and are trying to late register for the semester, you will be charged the $100 late fee.

Can I petition to have a class DELETED from my record?

Yes. However, the only way a course can be deleted is if the instructor confirms that you either NEVER ATTENDED or only attended the first week of his/her course. The final decision is always made by the ARC Representative and/or the Academic Regulations Committee.

If I get a class DELETED from my record, do I still have to pay for it?

No. You will not be charged for a deleted course. You will be reimbursed for courses that have been paid for and are later deleted.

What do I have to do to turn in a COMPLETE petition?

To ensure that you have a complete petition, check the case examples on this website and the instructions on the ARC petition form. You may be required to see a college representative once your petition is received and before it will go to the committee. If your petition is not complete, you will receive instructions as to what is needed to complete your petition.

What happens if I turn in my Petition even though it is NOT COMPLETE?

Incomplete petitions will not be processed. You will be required to meet with a college representative to determine what additional documentation is needed before your petition can be presented to the committee.

I have been academically dismissed, but I registered for classes this semester, what will happen to my registration?

Once you are academically dismissed, your future registration will be cancelled. You should petition for readmission immediately after grades are posted and before classes begin for the next semester. You are required to meet with a college representative to submit your petition. If your readmission is approved, you will need to re-register for classes.

My petition is about very personal & private issues. Is there anyone I can talk to before I submit my petition?

Yes. Dr. Mark Klisch in the Counseling Center sits on the committee and can speak on behalf of students with regards to personal and confidential matters. His office is located in SVC 2124; call (813) 974-2831 to schedule an appointment.

Additional tips for submitting a successful petition.

Be sure to submit documentation that fully supports or explicates the reasons for your petition (i.e.: If you claim a broken leg, you need to provide medical documentation supporting your claim). Do not submit original documentation as we cannot return them. Quality photocopies will suffice. Write LEGIBLY and in DARK INK. Make sure your major is declared in the College of Arts & Sciences. We can't process your petition if you aren’t our student. Use the Late Add and Late Drop Instructor's Statement Forms. Emails that are not from an official USF email account and notes from instructors that are not on departmental letterhead are not acceptable.

Case Answers:

I have been academically dismissed. I have been put on academic probation. My GPA fell below 2.0 and now I cant register for classes.

USF requires that all undergraduates maintain a GPA of at least 2.0. When it drops below 2.0, you will be eventually dropped from your classes and you will not be allowed to continue taking courses at USF.

  1. The 1st semester your GPA drops below 2.0, you are put on Academic Probation.
  2. The 2nd semester your GPA drops below 2.0, you are put on Final Academic Probation.
  3. The 3rd semester your GPA drops below 2.0, you are put on Dismissal.

As a student, you have the right to request that the regulations be set aside in your case and request to be readmitted into USF.
Complete readmission petitions include all of the following:

  1. Completed ARC Petition.
  2. Personal statement explaining what changes you are making to improve your GPA.
  3. An academic game plan from your advisor outlining a strategy to enable you to raise your USF GPA.
  4. Sign up for a readmission counseling session or see a college representative.
I want to LATE ADD a class or several classes.

Simply submit all of the following:

  1. Completed ARC Petition.
  2. Personal statement explaining why you are Adding your class or classes and supporting documentation for your reasons.
  3. Late Add Instructors Statement for each class.
  4. A departmental stamp for each class you want to add.

Remember, submitting a petition does not guarantee approval and you may be required to see a college representative before your petition can be presented to the committee.

I want to LATE DROP a class or several classes.

Simply submit all of the following:

  1. Completed ARC Petition.
  2. Personal statement explaining why you are Dropping your class or classes and supporting documentation for your reasons.
  3. Late Drop Instructors Statement for each class.

Remember, submitting a petition does not guarantee approval and you may be required to see a college representative before your petition can be presented to the committee.

Reasons a late drop would NOT be approved:

  1. I changed my majors and don't need the course.
  2. I thought I would do better in the course, but now that its the end of the semester, I realize I will not pass the course.
  3. Completing this course will mess-up my GPA.
  4. I am trying to clean-up my GPA.

I want to DELETE a class from my record.

Simply submit all of the following:

  1. Completed ARC Petition.
  2. Personal statement explaining why you feel the University should delete this class from your record & supporting documentation for your reasons.
  3. Late Drop Instructors Statement for each class indicating that you either never attended or only attended class during the first week.

Remember, submitting a petition does not guarantee approval and you may be required to see a college representative before your petition can be presented to the committee.

I want to completely withdraw from all of my classes for a given semester.

Simply submit all of the following:

  1. Completed ARC Petition.
  2. Personal statement explaining why you feel the University should let you completely withdraw from that particular semester & supporting documentation for your reasons.
  3. Late Drop Instructors Statement for each class.

Remember, submitting a petition does not guarantee approval and you may be required to see a college representative before your petition can be presented to the committee.

I want to Late Add a course and Late Drop another course & they both have the same number of credit hours.

This is called an Even Exchange as long as both courses are the same number of credit hours. You follow the same instructions for both a Late Add & a Deletion with the exception of needing only one Personal Statement. If the number of credit hours varies amongst the courses, you would follow the same procedure, but this is called an Uneven Exchange.

My Petition was denied. What do I do now?

Schedule an appointment with Ms. Kim Williams or Dr. Allison Cleveland-Roberts to talk about why the petition was denied. Additional information may be needed or you may be required to meet with the Counseling or Career Center to help support your petition.

I want to do something else not listed here.

In this case, check Other and briefly describe your request on the line provided on the ARC Petition. Provide all supporting documentation as you see fit for your case.

Remember, submitting a petition does not guarantee approval and you may be required to see a college representative before your petition can be presented to the committee.