Guidelines
A student seeking an exception to a University or Elliott School policy due to extenuating circumstances must submit a Policy Exception Request.
A policy exception request must be accompanied by documentation of extenuating circumstances. Documentation will be considered, but it does not solely determine the outcome of the request. Missing or incomplete documentation will result in a longer processing time.
Faculty support, if requested by the Elliott School, will be considered, but does not solely determine the outcome of the request.
Policy exception requests take 7-10 business days to process. Requests that require consultation with other offices (e.g., Student Accounts, The Office of the Registrar, etc.) may take longer. Students are notified of policy exception decisions via e-mail by their academic advisor.
Students should not assume that policy exception requests will be approved. Until a student receives written confirmation that an exception has been approved, the student should operate under the assumption that it will be denied.
Requests involving medical issues:
- Requests involving physical health must be accompanied by documentation from a medical professional. Such documentation will be considered, but it does not solely determine the outcome of the request.
- Requests involving mental health must have the support of the GW Student Health Center, Mental Health Services. Support of Mental Health Services will be considered, but it does not solely determine the outcome of the request.
The following request will not be considered:
- Requests for exceptions to University and School policy on the basis of not knowing the policy. Students can access important policy information through the GW Bulletin, the Elliott School website, or by contacting their academic advisors.