Here is a recent thread where a U refused to allow a core curriculum foreign language credit to be waived.
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/2119905-waiving-language-requirement-at-a-college-p1.html
U’s that have a core that all students must complete may be inflexible about granting waivers.
I’m not saying that the OP shouldn’t make the contacts. She should. She may be able to get them to work with her ds to receive the outcome that they desire. But, the OP should enter into the process fully aware that her interpretation of what she is reading may not equate to the actual outcome. I hope for her ds’s sake that they are successful in their appeal. But, it may come down to needing to have a plan in place in how her ds is going to fulfill the credit if the school does not budge. It might be prudent to do both simultaneously vs focusing just on the waiver bc it that is the position he ends up in, the anxiety without a plan may be even worse.