University Schedule Adjustments

WITHDRAWALS AND RESIGNATIONS AFTER MIDTERM
RETROACTIVE WITHDRAWALS AND RESIGNATIONS

Course Add Policy

Through the fifth day of classes each fall and spring semester, students can attempt to add themselves to a course through Tiger i. After the fifth class day, students who wish to add a course need to go directly to the relevant academic department with that request. The University allows each department the ability to add students to courses though the 15th day of classes. However, departments are allowed to determine their own “cut-off” day (up to the 15th class day) of adding students to courses. As a practical matter, if a student wishes to add a course, it is strongly recommended that s/he do so no later than the first day of the semester.

Drop Policy

In the University’s academic calendar (www.auburn.edu/main/auweb_calendar), three periods of each fall and spring semester are noted. Those time periods and their relevance to the University’s Course Drop Policy are shown below.

First 15 days of the semester class
(Does not equal first 15 class meetings)
(DROP WITHOUT PENALTY)

Day 16 - mid-semester
(WITHDRAW TRANSCRIBED
WITH PENALTY)

After mid-semester
(SEE FURTHER EXPLANATION ON THE FOLLOWING PAGE.)

Courses dropped during this period do not become a part of the permanent transcript.
Any applicable refunds can be processed only during this time period.
Keep in mind that students need to maintain a schedule with 12 or more hours in order to be covered by their parents’ health insurance, to receive financial aid, to receive scholarship awards, and to participate in selected campus activities.

Students may drop courses on-line (Tiger i).

Courses dropped during this period are recorded on the permanent transcript as ‘W’.
No refunds are available.
Keep in mind that students need to maintain a schedule with 12 or more hours in order to be covered by their parents’ health insurance, to receive financial aid, to receive scholarship awards, and to participate in selected campus activities.
Students may drop courses on-line (Tiger i).

Courses may not be dropped after mid-semester except in cases of extremely unusual circumstances. Examples include serious illness and unexpected personal emergencies.
Documentation is required for all attempts to drop after mid-semester.
If permission to drop is granted, a grade of ‘W’ or ‘WF’ will be recorded on the permanent transcript. If a ‘WF’ is recorded, it is considered the same as an ‘F’ and will be calculated into the GPA as such.

Policy on Retroactive Withdrawals/ Resignations and Withdrawals/ Resignations after Midterm

Definitions:

Withdrawal – withdrawing from a course or some courses after the 15th class day but in the end student maintains more than 0 credit hours.

(An ‘Auburn University Schedule Adjustment Form’ must be used. The completed form should be sent to the Registrar’s Office unless directed otherwise. Blank triplicate forms can be obtained at the Registrar’s Office or online.)

Resignation--dropping all courses--end result 0 credit hours

(An ‘Auburn University Student Term Resignation Form’ must be used. The completed form should be sent to the Registrar’s Office unless directed otherwise. Blank forms can be obtained at the Forms Page of the Registrar’s website
www.auburn.edu/administration/registrar/faculty-and-staff/forms.html)

Retroactive dating- Establishing an effective date for withdrawal or resignation prior to the date that one is filling out the form—often, prior to midterm. There must be a reason that the forms were unable to be filed at the requested effective date.

Policy from the Auburn University Bulletin:

Withdrawal- No grade penalty is assigned for dropping a course on or before mid-term. A student who withdraws from a course prior to the 15th class day will have no grade assignment; however after the first 15 days a W (withdrawn passing) grade will be recorded for the course. For the summer terms, all withdrawals with no grade assignment must be processed prior to the fifth class day.

Resignation- Students may withdraw without penalty of failure if they resign no later than midterm.

AFTER MIDTERM MEDICAL WITHDRAWAL/ RESIGNATION:

All requests, after midterm, for medical withdrawals (physical and/or psychological issues) must be submitted with documentation by the student’s Associate Dean to the Program for Students with Disabilities (PSD) for verification of medical documentation and approval.
In most cases, appropriate medical documentation will lead to a medical resignation. The PSD will notify the student’s professors and ask for any additional information about the student’s progress in the class/ classes—and to determine the student’s grades.

ALL OTHER WITHDRAWALS/ RESIGNATIONS (NON-MEDICAL) AFTER MIDTERM:

After midterm, non-medical, withdrawals are not permitted.
In rare situations, extenuating circumstance-related exceptions should be submitted from the student’s Associate Dean, with the student’s professor’s recommendation, to the designee from the Office of the Provost (if the student is an undergraduate or professional student) or to the Dean of the Graduate School (if the student is a graduate student) for review. The Undergraduate Studies Office (or Graduate School) will contact the faculty member for final notification of decision.

A request for a resignation which is non-medical, should be forwarded from the student’s Associate Dean, with the student’s professor’s recommendation and supporting documentation, to the designee from the Office of the Provost (if the student is an undergraduate or professional student) or to the Dean of the Graduate School (if the student is a graduate student) for approval.

RETROACTIVE (EFFECTIVE DATE EARLIER THAN DATE OF REQUEST)

WITHDRAWALS/ RESIGNATIONS:

Retroactive withdrawals/ resignations are most frequently initiated when a student has documentation from a health professional (doctor/ psychologist, etc.) verifying a medical condition which is confirmed by the Program for Students with Disabilities.

When a student initiates any retroactive withdrawal/ resignation, the Associate Dean must determine if the retroactive withdrawal/ resignation is based on a medical or non-medical justification/ explanation.

If the retroactive withdrawal/ resignation is based upon a medical justification/ explanation, the Associate Dean follows the procedures described above for medical withdrawals/ resignations (i.e. submit to PSD). The medical documentation must identify why the student was so impaired that he/she was unable to withdraw/ resign in a timely manner.

If the retroactive withdrawal/ resignation is based upon a non-medical justification/ explanation, the Associate Dean follows the procedures described above for all other (non-medical) withdrawals/ resignations (i.e. submit to designee from the Office of the Provost or Graduate Dean). The designee from the Office of the Provost or Dean of Graduate School will review the documentation to determine why the student was unable to resign in a timely manner and if an earlier effective date is warranted.

All requests for withdrawal/resignation after mid-semester and for retroactive dating must include input from the student’s instructors regardless of the cause. All requests must also include an explanation as to why the withdrawal/resignation was not handled during the allotted time during the term. Even in cases where students notify their advisors on or before mid-term with a request to withdraw from the courses, the advisor must still receive input from the instructors if the resignation or withdrawal is not processed in Banner until after that date. HOLDS prevent students from withdrawing from the courses until 11:59.

If the student’s faculty member has left AU, s/he should be contacted by email, by the individual recommending the retroactive withdrawal/ resignation, for information. If the faculty member does not respond, the department head/chair should respond on behalf of the faculty member.

Retroactive withdrawals/ resignations should not be undertaken if more than two calendar years have passed since the course(s) was/were taken, without review and approval of the Provost.

The Program for Students with Disabilities, designee from the Office of the Provost, Graduate School Dean, and Provost (depending upon the situation) have the responsibility for final decisions.