IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ!!!
MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY-BILLINGS
ACADEMIC STANDARDS AND SCHOLASTIC STANDING COMMITTEE
(Information to Students Who Plan to Submit a Petition)
The Academic Standards and Scholastic Standing Committee of Montana State University-Billings is a regular Standing
Committee of the Academic Senate. The Committee consists of the Director of Admissions, Records and Registrar, the
Academic Deans of each instructional college, three (3) faculty members at-large appointed by the Academic Senate, and
one student from each college designated by the President of ASMSU-B and appointed by the Academic Senate. All of
these delegates are the voting members of the Committee. In Addition, the Registrar (Chairperson), the Academic Dean of
each college, or their representative, are non-voting members of the Committee.
Included in the Committees’ functions are the following:
1) to consider and make final decision on specific deviations from academic regulations on an individual case
basis as referred by individual students, faculty, or other Committees.
2) to act as an appeals body for undergraduate students seeking clarification or reconsideration of academic
decisions.
(I) The Academic Standards and Scholastic Standing Committee meets at least once every six weeks during the academic
year and at least once during the summer. A student who submits a petition for an exception or deviation for an academic
regulation is welcome to attend the meeting to explain and/or defend his/her petition.
(II) All petitions must be endorsed by the student’s instructor(s), chairperson of student’s major, and advisor. Failure to
obtain the necessary signatures may result in the petition being deferred back to the student without action by the
Committee.
(III) The student’s petition should clearly state the exception or deviation that is being requested. The reason(s) or
rationale for the exception should be a brief, clear, well-written statement. The approval or disapproval of the petition is
based entirely upon the information submitted and the statements made by the student, should the student appear before
the Committee. Additional supporting documentation may also be submitted. With prior notice given to the chairperson, the
student may request to have certain individuals speak on his/her behalf before the Committee.
(IV) It is emphasized that a student’s petition is considered on its own individual merit and circumstance. The reason(s) or
rationale that the student indicates as the basis for his/her petition is the sole determiner for approval or disapproval by the
Committee.
(V) The only reason the Committee shall give for denying a petition is the Committee does not accept the circumstance or
the rationale, as stated by the student, as being extenuating or as being valid and to the extent for which the Committee
would recommend approval for a deviation or exception to a college regulation.
(VI) As a policy, the Committee will provide the student with a written notification of the Committee’s actions.
(VII) The Committee has approved a 24-hour time rule for each petition. This means that all petitions must be submitted 24
hours before the next scheduled meeting.