Undergraduate students who have attempted the WST a minimum of three times and have been unsuccessful in passing. Students who fail the WST twice must earn a credit grade (CR) in either LLD 98 or LLD 99 before taking the WST a third time.
Separate guidelines apply to graduate students. Competency in written English is a requirement of classified graduate students as a condition necessary for advancement to candidacy for the award of the master's degree.
Adm. 159 - First floor of the Administration Building, in the Undergraduate Studies Office (UGS).
A one page double-sided sheet with extensive instructions. The form requests the following:
Please note that NO incomplete petitions will be accepted by the UGS staff.
A student is allowed to apply for the WST waiver only once per a semester, and may not reapply until they have complied with all instructions from previous requests.
Usually, the student will receive notice via mail within two to three weeks. It is most advisable for a student to apply for a waiver as soon as possible, instead of waiting closer to add and drop deadlines. During this time, waits may be longer due to the high volume of requests received by the Undergraduate Studies office.
Dr. Robert Cooper, Associate Vice President for Undergraduate Studies (ADM 159)
Dr. Cooper requires that all students follow the protocol established by the undergraduate Studies Office, which requires submission of the WST waiver request and possible written appeal processes before meeting with him.
All requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and final decisions vary accordingly. Student's entire academic record is reviewed, with particular attention to grades in courses that require substantial individual writing assignments.
Attachment that include plagiarized materials will automatically be denied, and no further petitions will be accepted.
The number of times you have failed the WST is not a consideration.
Being a non-native English speaker is not a justification for waiving the WST. SJSU students whose native language is not English pass the WST in large numbers.
The fact that you cannot enroll in SJSU Studies (formerly Advanced GE) or 100W is not a reason for waiving the WST. These courses are supposed to teach sophisticated, not fundamental, writing. This is not an acceptable justification in your petition. Writing is a GRADUATION REQUIREMENT. SJSU does not waive major requirements, or writing requirements, without strong evidence of proficiency.
On the WST, the difference between an essay score of 6 and 7 is significant. Earning a 6 means that two independent readers failed an essay. A 6 does not mean that you just missed passing, it means a failing essay was written.
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