Withdrawal from Courses

All registrations are final and students are obligated to pay tuition and fees as of the end of the late registration period. A grade symbol will be placed on the transcript for all courses in which the student is registered as of the end of the late registration period.

Students who wish to receive a grade of W (withdrawal) or, in certain circumstances, WF (withdrew failing) must act in accordance with the policies and procedures explained here, in the semester Schedule of Classes, and on the Registrar's Office withdrawal page.

Official Withdrawal Form Required

A student desiring to withdraw from a specific class, multiple classes, or all classes must submit an official withdrawal form to the Office of the Registrar. Student may withdraw online via the DUCK or in person in the Registrar’s Office in Edgewater Hall.

A withdrawal is not official and will not appear on the transcript unless the official form is properly submitted. Although it is good practice to discuss withdrawal intentions with instructors and other University Officials, the student must be aware that such discussion (whether oral or written) does not constitute official withdrawal. If a student attends class and then quits coming but does not submit an official withdrawal form, the student will be assigned a grade of F.

Withdrawal without Penalty 

A student who completes the official withdrawal process prior to the published deadline date for the term of enrollment will be assigned a grade of W (withdrew) regardless of the reason for withdrawal or how the student is performing in the class. A grade of W is not included in the calculation of the Grade Point Average (GPA), but it may have implications for continued financial aid eligibility. (Consult the Financial Aid Office.)

Withdrawal with Penalty - WF

As noted above, prior to the published deadline, a student may withdraw for any reason whatsoever and receive a grade of W. However, withdrawal after the published deadline is subject to academic penalty (accountability) as follows: A student who completes the withdrawal process after the published date for the term of enrollment will be automatically assigned a grade of WF (withdrew failing) unless a hardship exception is granted. A WF counts in the calculation of the GPA just like a grade of F.

Hardship Withdrawal Policies

A student desiring to be considered for a hardship withdrawal must complete the official withdrawal process and submit a Hardship Withdrawal Request Form to the dean of the school of the student’s major. The Hardship Request form may be obtained from the Registrar online or in person (Edgewater Hall-239).

To be eligible for a hardship withdrawal, a student must meet all of the following criteria.

  • Experienced an emergency or other unanticipated hardship that makes continuation in the course or courses ill-advised.
  • Passing the course at the time the emergency or hardship arose.
  • Acted responsibly by notifying his or her instructors or other University official about the hardship situation as soon as possible after it arose.
  • Filed the hardship request with the appropriate dean as soon as it is feasible to do so. Hardship requests that are not filed in a timely manner are subject to denial even if the student was passing and the hardship was legitimate.
  • Withdraw from all classes.
  • Hardship withdrawals will only be considered prior to the last day of class. You may not file a hardship withdrawal once final exams have begun.
  • Submitted the hardship request form prior to the end of classes for which the hardship withdrawal is being requested. Requests for a hardship withdrawal will not be considered once final exams have started for the semester.
  • Hardship withdrawals will only be considered for the current semester. You may not retroactively request a hardship withdrawal for a previous semester.

Hardship withdrawal does not involve special consideration for refunds. Any refund due will be granted in accordance with the refund regulations and schedule printed in the semester Schedule of Classes booklet.

For purposes of this policy, “passing” is defined to include not only recorded grades but also satisfactory progress toward course assignments (papers, reports, projects, etc.) that have not yet actually been graded at the time the hardship arises. The dean’s office will contact the appropriate faculty member(s) to determine the student’s status.

“Hardship” refers to an unexpected event or circumstance beyond the student’s control that directly interferes with the student’s ability to continue to make satisfactory progress in class(es). This generally includes, but is not necessarily limited to, serious illness or accident of the student or a close relative that requires the student’s extended attention, unavoidable and unexpected job change or change of job assignment that conflicts with class, or significant disruption of family life that prevents regular class progress. The following sorts of cases do not constitute “hardship”:

  • getting behind in class due to taking on more than one can handle;
  • doing poorly in class due to inadequate background, difficult material, or poor time management;
  • taking extensive time away from class for a personal situation that could have been expeditiously handled with a minimum of class interference.

The dean may request documentation of the hardship.

Withdrawal From Learning Support Courses

All of the regulations listed above for withdrawing from any course also apply to Learning Support courses. In addition, regulations provide that a student required to take Learning Support courses may not withdraw from a Learning Support course and remain in any course numbered 1000 or higher.

Returning University-Owned Equipment

A student who withdraws from all classes for a term is no longer considered an enrolled student. The individual must immediately return any University-owned equipment that may have been issued to the student. The withdrawal process is not complete until all equipment has been properly returned.