The standard SOS Petition can be used for many requests. Here are the most common:
- Late adding a course
- Dropping a course past the deadline without a "W"
- Extension of Incompletes
- Make-Up Exams
- Reinstatement
- Eligibility to participate in athletics
- Eligibility to study abroad
The SOS petition requires students to clearly state their request and to provide rationale to support it. In some cases, such as late adding and dropping courses, students need the signature(s) of instructor(s). In all cases students will need the signature of their advisor and of the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs of their home college. Students must submit to their Associate Dean's office the SOS petition and all supporting documentation for review and signature of the Associate Dean.
The SOS Committee meets every other Thursday to review petitions submitted by students. The committee is made up of Associate Deans from every college, the Registrar, the Dean of Students, and a representative from the Education Policy Committee. The Associate Deans of Undergraduate Programs represent petitions submitted by students of their college, so it is important to get advice from your Associate Dean, and include well-written requests on your petitions. Please be sure to secure all necessary signatures, which should be electronic (SOS is a completely online process with no printed forms). In cases where it is not possible to obtain electronic signatures from your advisor and/or instructor(s), students may request email permission, which must be submitted with the SOS petition and documentation.
Completed petitions are due to your undergraduate associate dean by the end of the day on the Tuesday before the Thursday SOS meeting. The SOS meeting schedule is posted every semester to the Dean of Students' website. Decisions made by the SOS committee will be emailed to your Lehigh account with the title, "Important Academic Concern", two to three business days following an SOS meeting.
You are welcome to contact your Associate Dean and his or her staff member, or the Dean of Students Office, to ask questions about the SOS process or to inquire about the status of your petition.
| Title | Contact | Contact 2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAS Associate Dean of UG Programs | Professor Kelly Austin | Coordinator | inadvise@lehigh.edu |
| CEAS Associate Dean of UG Programs | Professor Sabrina Jedlicka | Robin Armbruster, Administrative Specialist | rma2@lehigh.edu |
| CBE Associate Dean of UG Programs | Professor Katrina Zalatan | Coordinator | kaz409@lehigh.edu |
Common reasons why petitions are denied:
- Missing signatures: if a petition is missing the signature of an advisor or the associate dean, it may be denied. It may also be denied if it is missing an instructor's signature on a late add or drop petition, for example.
- Unclear request: if a petition does not clearly state the request, the committee may deny it outright or table it for more information.
- No supporting documentation: if a petition claims to have a paperwork trail of failed attempts to late add a course but a student does not submit them with the petition, the late add request may be denied or tabled for more information, for example.
- Incomplete rationale: if the reasoning behind a request is not clearly stated the committee may not understand the importance of the request and therefore deny it.
- Late request: if a student waits until the end of a semester or even later to make a request, it is likely to be denied by the committee.