Course Drops and Withdrawals
Course Drops
Dropping or adding courses should be discussed with one’s academic advisor. Courses can be dropped by students on through the established add/drop deadlines. Students seeking to drop all or last active course must complete the withdrawal process.
The add/drop with refund period is the time period during which students may adjust their academic schedule for the term without financial or academic consequences. The last day of the add/drop with refund period for a course is designated as the census date for that course and is the official date for enrollment reporting. Students can drop courses through the Last Day to Drop via . See Semester Schedules to determine important semester dates for standard and nonstandard course offerings.
Important Note: Those who discontinue attendance and participation in a class without processing the official drop procedure will receive an F on their transcript.
Undergraduate and graduate students who drop a course shall receive a withdrawal grade if that action occurs anytime between the day after the census day for that course and the day that corresponds with the completion of 70% of the class days for that course.
Beginning with the fall 2015 term, a grade of withdrawal (WD) may be assigned only six times during a student’s undergraduate career. If the student drops additional classes, a grade of WFL will be assigned. Withdrawal grades assigned to continuously enrolled students prior to this term will not count against the limit. Additionally, those withdrawal grades assigned at a non-Regental institution prior to entry as a transfer student will not be counted against the six course limits. This limit does not include W grades assigned if a student withdraws from all classes in a given term, which will be assigned a WW grade. The campus chief academic affairs officer may make exceptions to this requirement in those cases where there are unique factors.
Withdrawals
Those finding it necessary to withdraw (drop all or last active course) from the university are urged to consult with a faculty adviser or professional academic advisor to work out the best plan possible and then contact the Registrar’s Office to process a withdrawal. Grade transcripts are based on the withdrawal date. A student may withdraw from the university until 70% of instruction (Last Day to Drop) has been completed. Visit Semester Schedules for important dates. After that date, students with extenuating circumstances may file a petition for withdrawal.
Important Note: Those who leave the university without processing an official withdrawal will be reported as having failed the semester’s work.
Students who withdraw or are administratively withdrawn, suspended or expelled from the Regental system within the add/drop with refund period receive a 100% refund of tuition and per credit hour fees. Students who withdraw or are administratively withdrawn, suspended or expelled from the Regental system after the date the first 10% of the term ends for the period of enrollment for which they are assessed may be entitled to a refund per .
Students who completely withdraw from the Regental system from the first day of a class(es) through census date of the class(es) will have a course (WD-101 or WD-801) and comment on the transcript stating withdrawal and the date of the withdrawal.
Undergraduate students who withdraw from the system shall receive a grade of WW and graduate students shall receive a grade of W if that action occurs anytime between the day after the census day for that course and the day that corresponds with the completion of 70% of the class days for that course. A notation of the date of withdrawal will be included on the student’s transcript if they withdraw from the system.
Last Day to Drop
For standard classes, the last day to receive a grade of W is determined by calculating 70% of the class meeting days in the term, counting from the first day of classes in the term and rounding up if the calculation produces a fractional value greater than or equal to 0.5.
For any nonstandard course, the last day to receive a grade of W is based on the number of class meeting days for the course, using the method described above.
Similar proportional dates would be established by the Registrar’s Office for summer, interim and other courses taught outside of the normal nine-month academic year.
Students may not drop a course or withdraw from the system after the time period specified above.
If extenuating circumstances (i.e. illness) have prevented class participation, a petition for an individual drop may be filed.
Academic Outcomes
Drop vs. University Withdrawal vs. Withdraw Grade
| Action | Definition | Grade Outcome before Census Date | Grade Outcome after Census Date | Name of Grade | Application of Grade Policy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drop | Student drops one or more, but not all, courses. | No grade. | Grade of WD applied for undergraduate students; grade of W applied for graduate students. | Withdrawal. | Drop grade policy applies for undergraduate students; drop grade policy does not apply for graduate students. |
| University Withdrawal | Student drops all current semester SDBOR courses. | No grades: Transcript will display a WD 101 or WD 801, withdrew/withdrawn course and a comment that states “S-Withdrew mm/dd/yyyy.” | Grade of WW applied for all students; grade of W applied for graduate students. | Withdrawal. | Drop grade policy does not apply for any students. |
Withdraw Grade and GPA Impact
| Withdraw Grade | Withdraw Grade Description | GPA Impact |
|---|---|---|
| WD | Withdraw Drop | Credits do not calculate in GPA |
| WFL | Withdraw Fail | Credits do calculate in GPA |
| W | Withdrawal graduate | Credits do not calculate in GPA |
| WW | Withdrawal undergraduate | Credits do not calculate in GPA |
