PREPARING YOUR PETITION AND GATHERING SUPPORT

General Procedures

The following procedures apply to all petitions:

1. Go to Late changes to Registration or Exceed credit limits to find a link to the page that matches your situation. Read information there and download the appropriate petition form. Petitions must be submitted in hard copy, not electronically.
   
   
2. Complete the sections identifying you, the subject involved, your advisor, and your instructor. Explain your request in the space provided or on an attached sheet. Your statement should not exceed one page. Sign and date the petition. See Extenuating Circumstances below for guidelines on preparing your statement.
   
   
3. Bring the petition to your academic advisor, instructor, and other Institute personnel as needed. Your advisor and instructor must each write a brief statement covering the questions asked; a signature alone is not enough. Alternatively, they may email their statements to cap-help@mit.edu. See Signatures and Statements below for help in gathering support for your petition.
   
   
4. Make two copies of the original petition, one for yourself and one for your academic advisor. Give your advisor his or her copy.
   
   
5. Submit the original petition, complete with signatures and supporting materials, to the CAP Staff Associate in Room 7-104. The Petition Deadlines page tells you when to expect a decision.
   
   
6. See Petition Review for the next steps in the process.

Notes

You must submit a separate petition form for each request. For example, asking to add two subjects late requires two separate petitions. You must obtain separate signatures and relevant statements on each petition form (or have them emailed to cap-help@mit.edu). The Committee considers each request individually, and may choose to approve one petition while denying another, based on the merits of each case.

The Committee will not review a petition until it is complete. The CAP Staff Associate will hold your incomplete petition and notify you via email of any missing information.

If you are off-campus but still registered (for example, during IAP or Spring Break) you may submit a petition by fax or postal mail in order to meet a deadline. See Contact CAP for the Committee's fax number and address.

A $50 processing fee will be charged to your MIT term-bill account by the Registrar's Office for a petition that is approved by CAP. No fee is charged for petitions that are denied. Several petition requests approved at the same time will be charged only one processing fee.

Extenuating Circumstances

CAP reviews each petition individually in the context of MIT's policies. It seeks to make consistent decisions while remaining sensitive to individual circumstances.

When reading student statements the Committee looks for honest evidence of your intention to meet the deadline. It recognizes that circumstances beyond a student's control (illness, family issues, etc.) sometimes prevent students from meeting deadlines or fulfilling an academic obligation.

Because CAP is entrusted with upholding the integrity of Institute records, it is important for the Committee to confirm (as much as possible) the events you set forth in a petition. That is the purpose of statements from your advisor, instructor, and possibly other Institute personnel. A petition without this support is likely to be tabled or denied for lack of evidence.

If your extenuating circumstances are of a personal or medical nature you should consult with a dean in Student Support Services (Room 5-104, 617-253-4861), before submitting a petition. The deans can offer guidance with your petition statement, and they should receive any medical records you have authorized for release. The deans will not discuss your situation with the Committee without your permission. The Committee holds all student information in the strictest confidence.

Signatures and Statements

Signatures and supporting statements are required from various Institute personnel to help the Committee come to a fuller understanding of your request. Statements should confirm the signer's understanding of the situation, and indicate his or her level of support for the request. Note that advisors and instructors are not obligated to support your request.

Gathering Support

It can sometimes be difficult to place your petition in front of your advisor or instructor, especially if they are traveling. If this happens, you may email your request to this person and ask her or him to send a statement by email directly to cap-help@mit.edu. Statements sent by email must be received by the CAP directly from the author; CAP will not accept a statement forwarded by you or someone else.

If you have asked for emailed statements, please note this on your petition form. You may then submit your form without signatures from your advisor and/or instructor.

Substitute Signers

If you have tried several times but failed to reach an advisor or instructor, CAP will accept substitute signatures and statements from a specific group of people. These individuals must both have permission to sign for the individual in question and be able to comment knowledgably on the petition. Substitute signers include:

• Undergraduate Academic Administrators

• Staff assistants to faculty members (the department office or website can identify these people)
  

• Teaching Assistants

CAP will occasionally table a petition, pending receipt of additional information that a substitute signer cannot provide.

Comments and questions to cap-help@mit.edu

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