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Student Petition of Academic Policy

The University of North Florida recognizes that life events beyond your control may impact your academic success. If you feel there are extenuating circumstances that contributed to poor academic performance or prevented you from meeting an academic requirement, you may submit a Student Petition of Academic Policy (SPAP).

A student's circumstances must be extenuating to be considered by the Student Petition of Academic Policy (SPAP) Committee. Certain University Academic Policies and Regulations may not be petitioned under any circumstances.

Students may submit a Student Petition of Academic Policy for review of the following:

  • Extend the Late Registration Deadline
  • Extend the Course Transfer Deadline
  • Withdrawal After the Deadline
  • Exceed the Undergraduate Course Withdrawal Limitation Policy
  • Graduate with Fewer than 48 Upper Level Credit Hours
  • Waive the Board of Governors Summer Session Enrollment Requirement
  • Out of Term Walk (commencement ceremony)
  • Reverse NG Grade (to keep an originally assigned final course grade of D)

Students wishing to petition an academic policy must submit the following:

  • Statement explaining extenuating circumstances (uploaded with petition)
  • Supporting documentation which corroborates your extenuating circumstances

Student Petitions of Academic Policy must be completed online in myWings:

  • Log in to myWings
  • Select Student under the left "My Resources" menu
    • If you are on a mobile device, select the Student tile
  • Select the Banner Self Service button
  • Select Online Forms
  • Under the "Appeals" section, select Student Petition of Academic Policy

A statement of extenuating circumstances and supporting documentation should be uploaded prior to submitting your petition. A Student Petition of Academic Policy (SPAP) submitted without both a statement of extenuating circumstances and supporting documentation will not be considered. Letters of support from your academic advisor, faculty member or other University staff are not required, but may be submitted in addition to the required documents.

Submission of a Student Petition of Academic Policy (SPAP) does not guarantee approval. The SPAP Committee meets weekly to review petitions. You will be notified via email to your UNF email account once a decision is made.

The answers to the most commonly asked questions regarding the Student Petition of Academic Policy (SPAP) are posted below.

For additional questions, please contact One-Stop Student Services.

  • How do I upload documents to my request?

    You can Upload up to five (5) documents. Select the Browse button next to the File to Upload: field to select your file. Files should be text files (.doc, .txt, .pdf, etc) and should not be image files (.jpeg, .bmp, etc.).

    To Replace a document, select the Browse button next to the corresponding document number that you want to replace.

    To Upload additional documents to a request, select the Waiver Number in the List of Waivers at the bottom of the screen. Documents can be added to waivers as long as no decisions have been made.

  • When will I know the outcome of my petition?

    The Student Petition of Academic Policy Committee meets once a week. Incomplete petitions are not reviewed. Complete petitions include a statement explaining your extenuating circumstances and supporting documentation. Additionally, review by your academic advisor, instructor and department chair is required (if applicable to your request). Petitions submitted by graduate students are reviewed by the Graduate School before being reviewed by the Student Petition of Academic Policy Committee.

    Should additional documentation be needed to make a decision on your petition, you will be notified via an email to your UNF email account.

    Decisions are also sent via email to UNF email addresses only.

  • Can I submit my request now and upload documents later?
    No. You will not be able to submit your Student Petition of Academic Policy without uploading a statement and supporting documentation. You must upload at least one document. Documents can be later added to pending petitions as long as no recommendations have been made by your academic advisor, instructor (if applicable) or department chair. 
  • How can I check on the status of my petition?

    Follow these steps to check on the status of your Student Petition of Academic Policy:

    • Log in to myWings
    • Select Student under the left "My Resources" menu
      • If you are on a mobile device, select the Student tile
    • Select the Banner Self Service button
    • Select Online Forms Status
    • Select the waiver number that corresponds to your request to view the status

    From here you can see if your academic advisor, instructor (if needed) and chair have reviewed your request. Once all recommendations are made your request will be routed to the appropriate department for a final decision. Petitions submitted by undergraduate students are reviewed by the Student Petition of Academic Policy Committee while petitions submitted by graduate students are reviewed by the Dean of the Graduate School.

  • What is considered supporting documentation?

    Supporting documentation comes in a variety of forms and depends on the extenuating circumstances outlined in the Student Petition of Academic Policy. Students appealing based on a death in the family should submit a legible copy of the death certificate, funeral program, or obituary. Students appealing based on health reasons need to submit medical documentation. In general, any claim of an extenuating circumstance that hindered a student's academic success should be backed up with concrete documentation.

  • Should I include a statement of support from my academic advisor?

    Statements of support may be submitted with a Student Petition of Academic Policy and can come from a variety of sources. For example, one may choose to seek a statement of support from an academic advisor, professor, or an employer. A student experiencing serious medical issues may choose to seek a statement of support from a healthcare professional. Statements of support should be signed and printed on official letterhead before being uploaded to your request.

  • What other information should I provide?
    The decisions of the Student Petition of Academic Policy Committee are final. Therefore, you should take the proper time to be sure your request is complete and gives a thorough account of any extenuating circumstances that may have hindered your academic progress. Students must submit a personal statement as well as supporting documentation from appropriate sources based on the circumstances. Any documentation you feel strengthens your request should be submitted.