Binghamton University students must successfully complete all General Education requirements as a condition of graduation. Generally speaking, General Education requirements are not waived for any students. However, we are aware that some students with special circumstances feel their situation warrants a waiver of one of the General Education requirements. Appeals of General Education requirements are considered by the University Undergraduate Curriculum Committee (UUCC), the committee which oversees Binghamton's General Education program. Questions regarding waivers of General Education requirements should be directed to Liz Abate, Coordinator of General Education, at x72146 or labate@binghamton.edu.
IMPORTANT: The following issues are handled by your school's academic advising office.
Non-native English speakers may fulfill the General Education foreign language requirement by alternate means. For more information, read the downloadable form Students Who Qualify for Waivers of the General Education Foreign Language Requirement (in Microsoft Word format). If you have any additional questions, contact your advisor for more information.
Transfer students from other SUNY schools who have been certified as meeting a SUNY-wide General Education requirement prior to matriculation at Binghamton will be certified as having met the corresponding Binghamton requirement. Courses from other SUNY schools taken after matriculation at Binghamton or not certified as meeting a SUNY-wide requirement, as well as courses transferred from schools outside the SUNY system, will be evaluated solely in terms of Binghamton University's General Education requirements. Contact your advisor for more information.
IMPORTANT: Petitions submitted for the following reasons will not be granted.
Any Physical Activity or Wellness experiences taken outside of a credit-bearing college course cannot be used to fulfill General Education requirements. Examples of experiences that cannot be used to fulfill these requirements include classes taken at health clubs or fitness facilities, as well as self-directed fitness activities such as running, swimming, dance, or weightlifting. Basic training in one of the armed forces also cannot be used to fulfill Physical Activity or Wellness requirements.
Courses may be submitted by departments or instructors for General Education designation until the Add Deadline. Any course submitted after the Add Deadline will not be considered for designation; courses which have already been completed will not be considered for designation. Requests for designation cannot be submitted by students; they must come from departments or instructors.
The General Education program requires that all students complete one Composition course. Once you have completed one C course, your General Education Composition requirement is completed. However, Harpur College and SOM have additional writing requirements. Any petitions concerning the additional writing courses required by Harpur College or SOM should be directed to that school's advising office.
IMPORTANT: Please note that submitting a petition for one of the following reasons does not guarantee that the petition will be approved or that the requirement will be waived. Petitions submitted without the necessary supporting documentation will not be considered.
If you appeal on the grounds that you were misadvised about your General Education requirements, you must provide documentation of the advising error in order for your petition to be considered. Specifically:
If you wish to request a substitution or waiver for a General Education requirement on the basis of a documented permanent disability, you must be registered with the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) office. Petitions for substitutions or waivers on the basis of a documented disability must be accompanied by a letter from the SSD office, documenting that you have a disability that would significantly impede your ability to meet the requirement. Students with documented disabilities who feel their disabilities will impact their ability to learn a foreign language should also contact the SSD office. Please note: The SSD office has very strict requirements concerning documentation of disabilities, particularly those that cannot be visibly recognized and quantified. Prior to visiting the SSD Office, please refer to their documentation requirements on their website (http://ssd.binghamton.edu/).
If you wish to request a waiver on the basis of a documented temporary or permanent physical disability, you should first contact the University Health Service. Students with temporary or permanent disabilities may be assigned to the ACR (adaptive, corrective, rehabilitative) program or have the requirement waived. Petitions for waivers on the basis of physical disability must be accompanied by a letter from the Medical Director of the University Health Service stating that, in the doctor's medical opinion, the Activity requirement should be waived. Please be aware, however, that the doctor's decision may be to assign you to the ACR program rather than waiving the requirement.
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Designed & maintained by Liz Abate. Last updated July 1, 2008