Students who encounter extraordinary circumstances can petition the Clark Honors College for course substitutions and/or exceptions to CHC curricular requirements. CHC course substitutions and requirement exceptions are adjudicated by a petition process that allows students to have non-standard course material reviewed for possible substitution or an exception to an academic requirement for graduation.
Requirement exceptions and course substitutions require the submission of a detailed petition that presents compelling evidence for why the exception or substitution should be granted. Ignorance of the requirements alone is not a sufficient justification. Students are advised to carefully review the instructions on the first page of the petition Qualtrics form, as well as the CHC Guidelines for Course Substitutions, and then meet with their CHC Advisor prior to submitting the petition. A clear and well-documented record of consultations with advisors will make a positive impression on the review committee.
Types of Petitions
CHC Electives Petition: The eight (8) credits needed for the CHC Electives requirement can be completed through any combination of a variety of credit-bearing activities, which are automatically captured by the CHC portion of the degree audit. Submit a CHC Electives Petition to request that a credit-bearing experiential learning opportunity be applied to this requirement.
Other Course Substitutions: The CHC’s curriculum gives students a unique opportunity to build valuable skills and to make connections with their peers. Petitions for non-CHC courses to satisfy HC-subject code requirements in the CHC curriculum are rarely approved and require the student to document an extraordinary circumstance motivating the request. Submit an Other Course Subsitutions Petition to request that a specific course substitute for a course required by the CHC curriculum.
Requirement Exception Petition: The Clark Honors College recognizes that students may face extraordinary circumstances that impact their academic path. Submit a Requirement Exception Petition to request a waiver or alternative mode of completion for a CHC requirement that isn’t covered by a course substitution.
CHC petitions are accepted on a rolling basis, but they must be completed by the end of Week 3 of the term in order for a decision to be made on those petitions by the end of Week 7 (that is, prior to the opening of next term's registration).
Course substitutions and requirement exceptions will be noted on the CHC degree audit by the end of the term during which they were submitted.