Petition Forms are available in the Records Office(Administration Building, room 222), in the College Advising Centers and the GE office (Building 33, room 290A)

GE Course Substitution/Exception
Substitution for Major or Support Courses
Substitution for Study Abroad

How should I process my GE substitution form?
See sample form (For information only)

Use the GE Course Substitution form only for substitutions or exceptions involving GE. In cases where your GE request also involves a major or support course in your major, use the Substitution for Major or Support Courses instead of this GE petition form

1. First obtain the GE petition form from your advising center, department office, or the Records Office (Administration Building, Room 222). In consultation with your advisor, fill out the student portion (above the student signature) and get your advisor’s signature (#1).

In most cases, courses taken at Cal Poly that have not been approved for GE credit will NOT be allowed to count for GE.

If the course you are requesting to count for GE credit is not a Cal Poly course, find the course description for the course you want to substitute from your college or university web site, or from your own records. Check to see if there is a similar course offered at Cal Poly. If so, you can compare course descriptions online at the Cal Poly catalog web site.

If there is NOT a similar course offered at Cal Poly, see Cal Poly’s General Education web site for a list of the educational objectives and criteria for each GE area. It is possible that the course you want to substitute might meet the objectives and criteria for one of the GE areas you need.

If your substitution request involves information that you read or were told, be sure to attach a letter, email, photocopy, or other supporting documentation from your source to back up your request.

2. Then drop the petition in the Records Office drop box (Administration Building, room 222) between 8:00am and 5:00pm Monday through Friday. You do not need to do anything further. The Records Office staff reviews, writes comments, signs (signature #2), and forwards it to the GE Area Chair.

3. The GE Area Chair reviews the petition, writes a recommendation (pro or con) and justification, signs (signature #3), and forwards to the Chair of the Department offering the GE course.

GE Area Chairs: (updated 12/12/06) Area A/C: Arts and Humanities - Kathryn Rummell/English Area B/F: Science, Mathematics & Technology - Rich Saenz/Physics Area D/E: Society and the Individual - Andrew Morris/History

4. The Chair of the Department offering the GE course reviews the petition, writes a recommendation (pro or con) and justification, signs (signature #4) and sends back to the Records Office.

5. The GE Director reviews the petition to approve or disapprove, and signs (signature #5).

6. The Records Office will notify you of the decision regarding your petition. If your petition is denied, you may appeal to the GE Director. For instructions about an appeal, call the GE Office at (805) 756-2228.

Please allow 3 weeks to process your petition.

GE Appeals

If your GE course substitution/petition is denied, you may appeal the decision to the GE Director. You will need to send an email, addressing any new information that you feel has not been considered in the original request. The GE Director will review the petition again with the Records office, and contact you with his decision.

How should I process my Major/Support Substitution Request?
See sample form (For information only)

Requests for substitutions or exceptions involving major or support courses should use this petition form.

1. Obtain the Substitution for Major or Support Courses form from your department office or advising center.

2. Go to your advisor for help in filling out the top half of the form. Have your advisor check the consultation box and, if appropriate, make a recommendation (pro or con) and sign.

Check with your advisor to see if you also need to get the signature of the Chair/Head of the Department offering the required course. If yes, get this person’s recommendation (pro or con) and signature.

Check with your advisor to see if the course is also being used to satisfy a GE requirement. If yes, get the recommendation (pro or con) and signature of the appropriate GE Area Chair.

3. Get the recommendation (pro or con) and signature of your own Department Chair/Head.

4. Get the recommendation (pro or con) and signature of your College Dean. The Dean’s Office will forward your petition to the Records Office.

5. If necessary, the GE Director and/or the Vice Provost for Academic Programs reviews your petition to approve or disapprove, and signs.

6. The Records Office will notify you of the decision regarding your petition.

Please allow 3 weeks to process your petition.

How should I process my Cal Poly GE credit for Study Abroad course(s)?
See sample form (For information only)

1. Review the list of GE requirements at the Cal Poly GE web site.
2. Determine (preferably with the help of your advisor) which GE courses you need to take.
3. Meet with a Study Abroad Advisor (International Programs Office) to discuss the course(s) you plan to take in the international program, and get a form for GE Course Substitution for Study Abroad.
4. Find the course description(s) (and, if possible, the reading list and syllabus) in the international catalog or on the web site.
5. Check to see if there is a similar GE course offered at Cal Poly. If so, you can compare course descriptions online at the Cal Poly catalog web site. (If there is NOT a similar course offered at Cal Poly, see Cal Poly’s General Education web site for a list of the educational objectives and criteria for each GE area. It is possible that the international course you plan to take might meet the objectives and criteria for one of the GE areas you need.)
6. Fill out the form for GE Course Substitution for Study Abroad.
7. Meet again with the Study Abroad Advisor, who will review your form, sign it, and forward it to the Records Office.
8. The Records Office evaluators will review your form, approve or disapprove, and sign it. If further review is necessary, the Records Office will forward your form to the GE Area Chair, who will forward it to the Chair of the Department offering the GE course, for their approval or disapproval and signatures. Your form will then be sent to the Records Office.
9. The Records Office will notify you of the decision regarding your petition.

Please allow 4 weeks to process your petition.

IMPORTANT NOTICE:
If you are out of the country and the Study Abroad course you had planned to take is not available, you may contact the Cal Poly Records Office for advice. Once you have completed the Study Abroad course, bring its course description, reading list, and syllabus back with you to Cal Poly, and fill out form for GE Course Substitution for Study Abroad with the help of a Study Abroad Advisor.