Policies & Procedures for Students

Students may submit formal petitions for General Education Field of Study course credit here. Students may also submit formal petitions for exemptions to the General Education Requirements. Petitions for Field of Study course credit typically concern completed coursework taken at UR or transferred to the university from other US or foreign institutions. The petition process evaluates this coursework according to its adherence the Field of Study descriptions.

Typically, student petitions fall into these categories:

1. In cases where non-UR coursework is believed to be potentially analogous to current UR Field of Study courses, but where it was not approved before the course was taken, student petitions for General Education course credit are to be addressed to the appropriate department chair. These petitions ought to demonstrate two things: 1) the similarity of the course in question to an existing UR Field of Study course; 2) the conformity of the course in question to the requisite Field of Study definition (both in theory and practice). Department chairs ought to approve petitions only when the above-listed conditions are satisfied; chairs may refer student petitions to the General Education Committee (GEC) for review when necessary. 
2. In cases where non-UR coursework appears to satisfy Field of Study definitions, but is not analogous to any existing UR Field of Study course, student petitions are to be addressed to the GEC chair for evaluation by the GEC. Such petitions ought to demonstrate the conformity of the course in question to the requisite Field of Study definition (both in theory and practice). 
3. In rare cases when UR coursework appears to satisfy one of the Field of Study definitions but is not included within the General Education Curriculum, petitions are to be addressed to the GEC chair for evaluation by the GEC. Such petitions ought to demonstrate the conformity of the course in question to the requisite Field of Study definition (both in theory and practice). The petition also ought to explain why the student petitioner has been unable to satisfy graduation requirements by taking existing Field of Study courses within the General Education Curriculum.   

A student may initiate a petition for a study abroad or transfer credit course to carry general education attribution by following this process:

1. The student must fill out a form explaining how the course fulfills the learning outcomes and is consistent with the description for the relevant general education area. Please email the registrar's office for the form at registrar@richmond.edu, along with supporting documentation, must be submitted to the registrar’s office. 

2. The registrar’s office forwards the petition and supporting documentation to the general education director, who forwards the form and documentation for review to the appropriate advisory group.

3. The advisory group then forwards their recommendation to the general education committee. 

4. The general education committee reviews the recommendation from the advisory group and makes a final, non-appealable determination. The college deans notify the student of the outcome.

Notes:

• Students may not submit petitions for UR courses. These petitions can only be submitted by departments or programs to the registrar.
• Students must have submitted the course to a department for review before petitioning the general education committee.
• Courses that transfer as TRNS 999 (general transfer credit) may not meet general education requirements.

Exemption (Medical/Disability) from General Education Requirement

Students petitioning for exemption from elements of the Field of Study or the Web of Inquiry curriculum due to documented medical conditions and/or learning disabilities should inquire about appropriate accommodations with the University's  Disability Services Office.

All petitions for Field of Study or Web of Inquiry credit are to be submitted in writing and ought to consist of a detailed cover letter, argumentation and supporting documentation (typically a syllabus detailing teaching methodology and required readings plus completed assignments, student correspondence with the instructor, etc.). All petitions must be submitted by the start of the semester before the student's final semester at UR.