Exemptions

The deadline for turning in applications for exemptions has now passed.  All exemptions applications needed to be received by Friday, September 21, 2007 at 5pm.  If you submitted an application for an exemption from Campout, you will hear back from the Exemptions Co-Chairs by Monday, September 24, 2007 at 5pm.  

If you have a conflict with campout arising after 5pm on September 21, 2007, you may apply for an emergency exemption.  If your conflict could have been foreseen prior to 5pm on Friday, September 21, 2007, your exemption application is considered late.  Late exemptions will not be granted.

How to apply for an emergency exemption

First, get in touch with us as soon as possible. Download and fill out the 2007 Exemption Request form, and read the Exemptions FAQ.  Save your request form as a separate document, with your last name as the file name.  Please note that all emergency exemptions will require some form of documentation.  If you already have digital documentation of your emergency conflict, please include this with your application.  All emergency exemptions will also require the 5$ registration fee for campout.  

Send your application, along with any documentation to the Exemptions Committee co-Chairs:  exemptions2007@gmail.com .  We will get back to you in a timely fashion.  Once we have looked at your application for an emergency exemption, we will contact you about how to pay the $5 registration fee.

We will no longer be accepting emailed application for emergency exemptions at noon on Friday, September 28, 2007.  If we have not received your application by this time, you or a representative will need to come to the registration tent at Campout on Friday, September 28 after 4pm to discuss your emergency exemption. We will be wearing orange visors.

Documents

• 2007 Exemption Application
• Example exemptions request - A short, fictional example on how to complete an exemption.

Ticket Distribution Exemptions FAQ

1. How is my exemptions request evaluated?
2. What kind of documentation do I need to submit?
3. I only have a conflict with a portion of the campout, can I submit an exemption request for just one part of campout?
4. Why can't I submit an exemption request via e-mail or fax?
5. I don't have a checking account. How should I submit the $5?
6. I am a medical student and I am on-call during the weekend of campout?
7. What is an emergency exemption?
8. Are you going to call me if you have questions about my request?
9. I have an interview on the Saturday of campout. What should I do to get an exemption?
10. I have a medical reason for requesting an exemption, what sort of documentation do I need to submit?
11. I broke my foot two weeks ago and I am afraid that I will injure it further if I come to campout, get drunk, and try to run to check-in or get trampled by others. Will I qualify for an exemption?
12. If I am granted a full exemption, or a partial exemption for the last part of campout, how am I going to purchase my tickets?
13. I have an important event on Sunday morning after campout is officially over. Will I qualify for an exemption so that I can sleep the night before?
14. I have a departmental retreat or course field-trip, can my friends and I submit one application for all of the people in our class/department?
15. My exemptions request involves the sharing of personal information, which I would rather keep private from the committee. Can I put this part of my application in a separate envelope?
    

1. How is my exemptions request evaluated?
   The Exemptions Committee, comprised of about a dozen graduate and professional students from various schools and departments, is responsible for granting exemptions for any portion of campout. The Exemptions Committee evaluates each request individually. Factors that influence the decisions of the committee include, but are not limited to: (a) validity of exemption request, (b) supporting documentation, (c) likelihood that the applicant could have foreseen the conflict with campout and avoided it, (d) previous campout experience, and (e) completeness of the application (see checklist on application). If ANY portion of your application is incomplete, it will automatically be rejected without review.

2. What kind of documentation do I need to submit?
   You need to submit enough documentation to support the validity and necessity of your requested exemption. A NOTE FROM YOURSELF IS NOT CONSIDERED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION. Examples of supporting documentation include, but are not limited to: a letter from a supervisor on official letterhead, copies of airline itineraries, copies of the program for an academic conference, copies of wedding program and invitations, a letter from a doctor on official letterhead or prescription. Despite submitting supporting documentation, we may still deny your request if you did not submit sufficient documentation to support the validity and necessity of your request. Likewise, your request may be denied if the reason for the exemption is not valid, if you could have foreseen the conflict and planned differently, or are violating any other portion of campout policy. Insufficient documentation is the most common reason for denial. Please email us if you have questions: exemptions@2007@gmail.com.

3. I only have a conflict with a portion of the campout, can I submit an exemption request for just one part of campout?
   Yes! Please explicitly indicate what times you will be unable to be at campout in your request letter. Indicate the times when you need to be where you need to be, and we will decide how much extra time you need for transportation. In general, we will allow 30 min. for transportation on campus and longer for transportation off-campus.

4. Why can't I submit an exemption request via e-mail or fax?
   The primary reason why you can't submit an exemption request via e-mail is that we require supporting documentation, which does not always transmit well over e-mail. The reason why we don't accept faxes is that we don't have a dedicated fax machine that can reliably accept all of the exemption requests we receive. So, we ask that you submit paper copies of everything to us by hand or via postal mail.

5. I don't have a checking account. How should I submit the $5?
   Pay $5 to a friend and have them write a check for you. Please make the check payable to GPSC. Please include your name on the check. CASH WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. If you do submit cash, two things will happen: 1) your request will be denied because you did not include the 5 things you must include for your request to be considered (see checklist on application), and 2) the cash will be considered as a donation to the Emily Krzyzewski Foundation and will not be returned to you.

6. I am a medical student and I am on-call during the weekend of campout?
   Provide an exact schedule of your on-call assignment and a letter from your resident or course director. If schedule isn't available by the exemptions deadline, please apply for an exemption, explaining that the schedule is not yet available. We can delay the final decision on the exact hours of an exemption.

7. What is an emergency exemption?
   Emergency exemptions will only be granted for circumstances arising AFTER 5PM on September 21, 2007. Contact exemptions2007@gmail.com for emergency exemptions. If your exemption request arises after 12:00 noon on Friday, Sept. 28, 2007, please come to campout to find us, or send a representative. Emergency exemptions will be granted at the discretion of the Exemptions Committee. All emergency exemptions applicants must submit a complete exemptions application (including $5 check). ALL EMERGENCY EXEMPTIONS WILL REQUIRE SOME SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION OR OTHER PROOF OF THE EMERGENCY, demonstrating that the event was an emergency and that it occurred. Late exemptions will not be accepted.

8. Are you going to call me if you have questions about my request?
   Except in very rare circumstances, we will not call if we have questions. If the details of your request are unclear to the reviewers, this is an indication that you have not provided sufficient documentation. Insufficient documentation is grounds for denying your exemptions request.

9. I have an interview on the Saturday of campout. What should I do to get an exemption?
   In your application, include official documentation indicating the time of your interview(s) and the necessity of you being there. Please indicate exactly what time the interview will be. If we grant the exemption, it will be an exemption for a discrete portion of campout. We will add on the allowable shower and transportation time. Extra time for sleep prior to an interview will not be granted. You must submit as much documentation as you possibly can and clearly demonstrate to us that it is necessary that you be away from campout for this event.

10. I have a medical reason for requesting an exemption, what sort of documentation do I need to submit?
    In your request letter, you should explain precisely what campout activities you will be unable to perform (e.g. 7 months pregnant with twins and the doctor has confined you to strict bedrest, which would make going to campout impossible). Additionally, you should have a doctor's note that confirms your specific limitations and the risk to your health (e.g. Mary Jones cannot attend campout because any activity other than bed rest at home has an unacceptable risk of inducing premature labor, which may severely impact her health and the health of her unborn children). Please note that a doctor's note does not guarantee that you will have provided sufficient documentation or have a valid request in the eyes of the exemptions committee (namely, if the note does not document your specific limitations with respect to campout). See next question.

11. I broke my foot two weeks ago and I am afraid that I will injure it further if I come to campout, get drunk, and try to run to check-in or get trampled by others. Will I qualify for an exemption?
    It is unlikely that we will grant you a full exemption, even if you have a doctor's note. The actual requirements of campout are sitting around for a really long time and occasionally checking in. We are willing to make other accommodations for you if you are limited in mobility (e.g. If you are on crutches, we can send a representative to check you in at your tent or RV). If you would like special accommodations for any disability, please apply for an exemption, provide the appropriate documentation, and let us know what you need. We will do what we can to meet your needs. If your condition worsens during the course of campout, you can always apply for an emergency exemption.

12. If I am granted a full exemption, or a partial exemption for the last part of campout, how am I going to purchase my tickets?
    An exemption request does not need to be submitted if it is only needed for the ticket purchasing portion of campout. In that event, you will need to designate a proxy (see ¤ 8 of the Campout Policy for more info). The proxy can find out whether or not you won tickets and purchase the tickets for you.

13. I have an important event on Sunday morning after campout is officially over. Will I qualify for an exemption so that I can sleep the night before?
    Except in very rare cases, we do not grant exemptions for sleep in preparation for events. If you are traveling to your Sunday event (e.g. you are giving a sermon at a church in Greensboro), we will give you sufficient time to shower and arrive in time.

14. I have a departmental retreat or course field-trip, can my friends and I submit one application for all of the people in our class/department?
    NO. Exemptions must be submitted on an individual basis. Group exemptions will not be accepted. Each individual requesting an exemption must submit his or her own COMPLETE application, including his or her own supporting documentation.

15. My exemptions request involves the sharing of personal information, which I would rather keep private from the committee. Can I put this part of my application in a separate envelope?
    Yes, definitely. We understand that some reasons for applying for exemptions involve personal information. If there is any information in your application that you would prefer to keep private, please put it in a separate envelope, marked "For Exemptions Co-Chairs Only" and this information will not be read by the Exemptions Committee. We are also happy to shred this documentation for you, at the completion of the exemptions process.