Student Petition Process
I. Petition Design and Circulation
If a student, or group of students, thinks it is necessary to initiate a petition in order to establish that a substantial portion of the student body is sympathetic to the position of the subject stated in the petition, the petitioner shall:
- Develop a petition, which includes the information about the subject and the purpose of the petition.
- Inform the vice president for student affairs and the director of student activities in writing that a petition is to be circulated, and let the director of student activities review the language of the petition for accuracy and completeness.
- Include on the petition the name of the student or group of students that is circulating the petition. Date the petition so that the date of the first day of circulation is noted together with the date of the last day signatures are to be accepted.
- Circulate copies of the petition by (1) passing them among the student body, (2) posting copies on the designated bulletin boards, and/or (3) setting up tables where students can sign a copy of the petition.
- Collect the petitions at the end of the last day that signatures are collected (the date that is noted on the petition) and turn all petitions in to the vice president for student affairs for validation. Validation shall include a check of the petition signers’ full- or part-time student status, the total number of signatures on the petitions, and the grade averages of the students if such is required for the function or action indicated on the petition.
II. Validation
In all cases in which a student or group of students circulates a petition through one of the approved methods, the petitions, to be valid, must contain in total the signatures of at least fifteen (15) percent of the student body that registered fall semester of the academic year in which the petitions are circulated. Petitioners may verify the number of signatures required by contacting the director of student activities.
III. Action
The vice president for student affairs shall confer with the appropriate professional staff regarding the request indicated on the petitions. A decision regarding the action to be taken about the petitioner’s request will be forwarded to the petitioners through the normal administrative process.