Student Petitions

Under specific circumstances, students may petition a course or experience for a substitution in the KU Core. Review the information and follow the steps below to successfully submit a student petition.

When Should I Petition the UCCC?

The UCCC will only review petitions that fall under certain circumstances. These circumstances include: 

  • Courses transferred into KU with a general designator (such as BIOL N) and the student believes the course fulfills and aligns with a KU Core goal. 
  • KU courses classified as a special "topics" course.
  • Study abroad experiences outside of those offered by KU's Office of Study Abroad and Global Engagement (SAGE). Click here for an approved list of courses and programs.
  • Individual educational experience meeting the guidelines for pre-approved educational experiences. Click here for more information on pre-approved educational experiences. Click here for more information on proposing an individual educational experience.

Existing KU courses (outside of topics courses), that do not already have a Core designation, will not be reviewed by the committee. Departments decide to propose courses to fulfill KU Core goals, and the committee cannot override those decisions.

Additionally, the UCCC will not adjust their petition review timetable or meeting schedule to review petitions. Typically, it takes 6-8 weeks from petition submission to receiving an answer from the UCCC.

Questions about these circumstances may be directed to kucore@ku.edu.

How Do I Submit a Petition?

Talk to Your Academic Advisor

Before completing your petition, we recommend talking to your academic advisor. They will be able to provide guidance of your courses and provide you with assistance during your petition process. Please note the last day to submit petitions and supporting documentation to be reviewed during the spring semester is April 19, 2024. Petitions submitted after this date are not guaranteed to be reviewed until the summer.

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Read the Goal's Learning Outcomes

Each of the KU Core goals have learning outcomes that describe what we expect of students when they complete the goal. It is really important to read about the goal you plan to petition to ensure your course or experience aligns with it. In addition, the survey form asks you to provide justification of how your course or experience aligns with the petitioned goal.

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Collect Required Documentation & Information

After you've talked to your academic advisor and read about the KU Core goal, there are required items you will need in order to submit your petition. The first is a syllabus or description of the experience you are submitting. The second the name and email address of the advisor or faculty member who has agreed to write your letter of support. Both of these documents assist the UCCC is reviewing your petition and understanding how the course or experience aligns with the KU Core goal.

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Submit Your Petition

The final piece in the process is submitting your documentation and completing the questions in the Qualtrics form. The questions in the form are really important for the committee during their review process. We recommend you take your time and provide as much information as possible when completing them. Please note the last day to submit petitions and supporting documentation to be reviewed during the spring semester is April 19, 2024. Petitions submitted after this date are not guaranteed to be reviewed until summer.

Once you've submitted your petition, please allow at least a month before receiving the outcome notification email.

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