We, the undersigned doctoral learners, respectfully petition California Southern University to review and amend policies governing the duration of doctoral project courses and the standards for faculty and committee feedback. As described below, the current framework of 8-week course terms and vaguely defined response times is not aligned with the realities of doctoral-level scholarship, creates undue hardship for students, and undermines the university’s mission of supporting learner success.

Rationale

• Course Duration and Revision Cycles

For example; The Academic Review (AR) phase of doctoral projects routinely demands several substantive revisions. The short 8-week term cannot accommodate both these requirements and common faculty/committee delays, forcing many students into avoidable course retakes and extension fees, regardless of their dedication or timely submissions.

Delays originating from faculty absence, committee backlog, or technical issues (e.g., Canvas problems) are frequent and well-documented by student experiences, yet are not addressed through institutional remedies, transferring all risk and cost to the learner.

• Financial and Academic Impact

Current policy requires additional payment for any extension ($550 for 30 days) or full price for a course retake, even when delays are outside the student’s control. This practice results in significant extra costs for students, raising ethical concerns regarding institutional profit versus support for student progress.

Student reports across forums and university channels confirm that these issues are systemic and not isolated, indicating a broad need for reform.

• Lack of Accountability in Feedback Timelines

The university handbook refers only to a “timely” faculty response for feedback without specifying an actual time frame, enabling wide variation in response times and leaving students with no recourse when reviewers are absent or slow to respond.

Without accountability or escalation procedures, faculty delays can and do result in missed course deadlines, unnecessary retakes, and unexpected charges.

• Student-Centered Institutional Mission

The lack of structural support for successful student project completion undercuts CalSouthern’s stated values and negatively impacts student well-being, finances, and career progress.

Petition Requests
We therefore respectfully request CalSouthern to act immediately by:

1. Extending Doctoral Project Course Length. Expand all doctoral project course terms to at least 16 weeks or provide flexible, documented timelines for doctoral completion, especially when the delay is proven to originate with faculty or institutional processes.
2. Codifying Specific Feedback Deadlines and Accountability. Update all official documents and handbooks to specify a maximum number of days (e.g., 5–7 calendar days) within which faculty, chairs, and committee members must provide written feedback on project submissions.
3. Institute policies whereby students are protected from fees, extension charges, or negative academic consequences when the university or its representatives do not meet these deadlines.
4. Establish clear, published escalation and tracking procedures for students experiencing repeated or significant faculty or committee delays.
5. Requiring Specific, Actionable AR Revision Requests. Mandate that all requests for revision detail the exact issue(s) and location(s) within the student’s work, ensuring transparency and reducing unnecessary or ambiguous cycles of revision.
6. Reforming Extension and Retake Fee Policies. Provide automatic waiver of retake and extension fees for cases resulting directly from faculty or university-originated delays, and ensure equitable procedures for documenting such events.

Closing

These issues are not just practical concerns but fundamentally conflict with California Southern University’s mission to provide “inclusive, student-centered support,” “flexibility in program delivery,” and “adherence to ethical standards”. When institutional policies result in repeated delays, financial hardship, and a lack of faculty accountability, particularly for factors beyond student control, they undermine the very foundation of CalSouthern’s commitment to empowering students for academic and professional success. Moreover, the uncertainty, prolonged timelines, and financial pressures caused by these policies significantly impact the mental health and well-being of doctoral learners, compounding academic stress and jeopardizing both personal and professional development. Prioritizing fee collection or administrative convenience above student progress contradicts the university’s promise of ethical, student-focused educational practices. We urge the administration to reaffirm its mission and values by enacting swift, meaningful reforms that genuinely support learners, protect student well-being, and uphold the integrity and reputation of the university.