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Academic Standards and Related Procedures - MLS

URL: https://libguides.law.ucla.edu/academicstandardsmls

A. Petitions to the Dean of Students

Student petitions relating to administrative or non-academic matters (e.g., request for postponement of examinations or extension of papers) shall be heard and determined by the Dean of Students. The Dean of Students shall consult with the Chairperson of the Standards Committee in making decisions, when appropriate.

B. Petitions to the Standards Committee

A student seeking a waiver of any rule set forth in the Academic Standards may petition the Faculty-Student Standards Committee by presenting a full written explanation to the Dean of Students of the waiver or relief sought and the facts and arguments supporting the request. The Dean of Students will provide the student petition and other information to the committee and, if necessary, convene a meeting of the Standards Committee.  The Committee will consider the petition and may also consider, as it deems appropriate, extrinsic information obtained through the Committee’s or the Dean of Students’ own investigation.

The action of the Committee will then be circulated on a consent calendar by e-mail to the voting faculty. If the student has requested anonymity and the Committee believes that there are compelling reasons supporting the petitioner’s request for anonymity, the student will not be identified. However, a faculty member who believes that s/he needs to know the student’s identity to decide whether to request that the matter be pulled from the consent calendar may obtain that information from the Dean of Students.

If, within 72 hours of the consent calendar’s circulation, three members of the voting faculty ask that the matter be removed, the matter will be placed on the agenda of the next faculty meeting. Otherwise, the Committee’s decision will be deemed approved and the Dean of Students will so notify the student.

In the case of petitions received during the summer break, the petition will be considered by the Dean of Students, in consultation with the Chair of the Standards Committee from the prior academic year and the Associate Dean responsible for Student Affairs or Vice Dean.