Policy Statement

Augusta University students may add or drop courses from their schedule of classes, provided they do so by the published deadline. Thereafter, students may withdraw from courses up to the midterm date published in the academic calendar. After that date, students may withdraw from courses, but will receive a WF grade, except in cases of extreme hardship. In extraordinary situations, an instructor may award a W grade after the midterm deadline. The instructor and department chair must both approve the W grade. When the instructor believes that the situation falls under the Medical or Hardship withdrawal guidelines, the course instructor may suggest the student contact the Office of the Dean of Students regarding a Medical or Hardship Withdrawal.

Beginning fall 2013, Augusta University undergraduate students may withdraw from up to five courses in their academic careers. Thereafter, a WF grade will be entered for any subsequent withdrawal from a course. The WF grade will count as an F grade for purposes of grade point average calculation.

Affected stakeholders

All entities and persons within the Enterprise that are affected by this policy:
Graduate Students, Health Professional Students, Undergraduate Students

Policy Owner

Academic and Faculty Affairs

Definitions

Dropped Course: A dropped course does not appear on the academic transcript. A drop may occur only during the published registration and add/drop period. “Dropping” a course is to remove a course from a class schedule during the published registration and add/drop period.

Withdrawn Course: A withdrawn course will appear on the academic transcript with any of the grades listed below. A withdrawal occurs after the published add/drop period for the term has ended.

• W—Withdrawal grade. This symbol indicates that a student was permitted to withdraw without penalty. Withdrawals without penalty will not be permitted after the mid-point of the total grading period, including final examinations, except in extraordinary situations or in cases of medical, hardship, or military withdrawal as defined
• WA – Withdrawal This symbol indicates that a student was approved to withdraw for medical reasons.
• WF—Withdrawal failing This symbol indicates that a student withdrew or was withdrawn after the published withdrawal deadline. A WF will be assigned for every course withdrawal after an undergraduate student has reached the limit of five (5) withdrawals with a grade of W.
• WH – Withdrawal hardship This symbol indicates that a student was approved to withdraw for hardship reasons.
• WM – Withdrawal military grade. This symbol indicates that a student who withdrew is active duty military personnel, military reservists (including members of the National Guard), or a commissioned officer of the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHSCC) who received temporary duty assignment or mandatory training that would prevent the student from completing the semester.

Semester (Term) grade point average: This average is computed using GPA hours attempted and grade points earned for the semester, excluding courses numbered 0001-0999.

Regents’ (Cumulative) grade point average: This average is computed using the total number of GPA hours attempted at Augusta University and the total number of grade points earned at Augusta University, excluding courses numbered 0001-0999. All course attempts are used in calculating the Regents’ grade point average.

Institutional grade point average: This average is computed using the total number of GPA hours attempted at Augusta University and the total number of grade points earned at Augusta University (excluding courses numbered 0001-0999) after including only most recent grade for courses that have been taken more than once at Augusta University and are not repeatable for credit.

Overall grade point average: This average is computed using the total number of Institutional GPA hours and grade points attempted at Augusta University and all attempted hours and grade points from all other institutions attended.

Process & procedures

Office of the Registrar’s regular recording processes will be used in carrying out this policy.

Adding and Dropping Courses from Schedule

Addition of courses to a student’s course schedule will not be allowed after the deadline for adding courses as set forth in the Academic Calendar.

Courses may be added or dropped only by procedures established by Augusta University and available on the Registrar’s web page. Students are responsible for formally adding/dropping courses. They should not attend classes without formal registration. Students should not simply stop attending a course without dropping or withdrawing from the course.

Withdrawal from a Course 

After the add/drop period has ended, a student may withdraw from a course without penalty up to the midterm date set forth in the Academic Calendar. Following this deadline, a student who withdraws from a course will receive a grade of WF (Withdrew Failing), except in extraordinary situations or in cases of medical, hardship, or military withdrawal. WF grades will be treated as F grades for grade point calculations.

Initiating a withdrawal is the responsibility of the student. Forms for initiating a withdrawal may be obtained from the Office of the Registrar’s website and the Academic Advisement Center. A student must consult an advisor before withdrawing from a course. A student must obtain all required signatures on the official withdrawal form and obtain a last date of attendance for the course. The official date of withdrawal is the date the student notifies the Registrar’s Office of their intent to withdraw by submitting the completed withdrawal form.

A student who registers for a course and stops attending class (or never attends class) is not automatically withdrawn by the instructor and is subject to receiving a grade of W (before midterm), WF, or F for the course. However, an instructor may withdraw a student for excessive absences (more than 10 percent of class time).

Undergraduate students at Augusta University may receive a W grade from a total of five classes during their academic career. After five withdrawals have been granted, the student will receive a WF for subsequent withdrawals. The WF grade will count as an F grade for the purposes of grade point average calculation. Only W’s accrued at Augusta University will count in the total. Withdrawals granted for medical, hardship, or military withdrawals as documented by the appropriate offices, cases of approved full withdrawal from all courses during a term, courses of less than three semester hours, and withdrawals during the summer semester are not subject to the terms of this policy.

Medical Withdrawals

Students seeking to withdraw for the student’s own medical reasons must apply for a medical withdrawal using the Medical Withdrawal Petition Form available in the student information system. A medical withdrawal is intended for a student whose own medical condition prevents them from completing the semester. A medical withdrawal from all classes for the semester should include written documentation from the student’s physician and must include a statement that the student’s medical condition prevents him/her from completing the semester. A request for a partial withdrawal should include the specific course the student wishes to withdraw from and written documentation from the student’s physician and must specify why the medical condition only affects these specific classes. Approved medical withdrawals will require a letter of clearance from the same physician who provided the documentation for the request to show that the student is able to return to school when he/she wishes to return to school. Students approved for a medical withdrawal will receive a grade of WA.

Hardship Withdrawals

Students seeking to withdraw from classes due to a hardship must apply for a hardship withdrawal using the Hardship Withdrawal Petition Form available in the student information system. A hardship withdrawal is intended for a student who has experienced an unexpected occurrence in their life that may require that they alter their college schedule or withdraw from all classes for the semester. A hardship withdrawal would include an emergency, a crisis, or unavoidable circumstances that will impede the student’s academic progress. Some examples may include the injury, illness, or death of an immediate family member, a fire or other personal disaster, financial (loss of job by the student or the head of their household), or an employer-initiated job change. The possibility that a student will fail a course is not considered a hardship. Students approved for a hardship withdrawal will receive a grade of WH.

Military Withdrawal 

A military withdrawal is available only to students who are active serving members (Active Duty and Reserve Duty Components) of the U.S. Armed Services or the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHSCC) who receive orders to active duty or are reassigned for temporary duty or mandatory training that prevents them from completing the term. The form is available from the Office of the Registrar’s website. Students approved for a military withdrawal will receive a grade of WM.

Withdrawals for Previous Semesters 

It is preferred that students request a medical or hardship withdrawal by the last day of classes for the semester. However, requests for withdrawals for previous semesters will be considered. A request for a medical or hardship withdrawal from a previous semester must include the same documentation required for the category and must include a statement as to why the request was not made during the semester.

References & supporting documents

Withdrawal Forms http://gru.edu/registrar/forms.php

Related policies

Intentionally left blank.

Approved by

President, Augusta University and CEO Date: July 21, 2015
Last Revision: August 19, 2015 Last Review: May 27, 2015