Academic Record Changes & Petitions

A petition for a medical withdrawal must be submitted within six (6) months of the end of the semester from which the medical withdrawal is requested. Only one semester can be petitioned on each Medical Withdrawal Request. An approved medical withdrawal petition that was submitted by the 6-month deadline will result in a tuition refund for the semester from which the student was medically withdrawn. If a medical withdrawal is approved, a grade of “WM” (withdrawal due to medical reason) will be recorded for each affected course. A “WM” grade will have no effect on the Grade Point Average.

If considering a medical withdrawal during the semester, you should talk to each course instructor before pursuing the medical withdrawal. It may be possible for you and the instructor to work out an alternate solution together. A medical withdrawal petition should be a student’s last option. For example, if you and the student’s instructor(s) agree(s) to a grade of “Incomplete” for the semester, you do not need to petition for a medical withdrawal. Students are also encouraged to contact Student Accessibility Services to explore possible accommodations that would enable the student to meet course requirements without withdrawing.

When you have decided to pursue a medical withdrawal during the semester, you should inform each instructor of the your intent, because medical withdrawal is a change of registration status. The Registrar’s Office will officially notify the your instructor(s) of the intent to submit a medical withdrawal petition and seek each instructor’s input and support for the petition.

Eligibility Requirements:

• The student is suffering from a serious medical (physical or psychological) condition that substantially limits one or more major life activities such as caring for one’s self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, eating, sleeping, standing, lifting, bending, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating or working.
• Medical withdrawal must be supported by adequate documentation from a medical and/or psychological services provider(s). Form D should be used for this purpose. The medical information must be relevant to the semester for which the student is seeking a medical withdrawal.
• Consideration will be given only when the medical condition precludes completion of course(s). A medical withdrawal requires withdrawal from all classes (“full medical withdrawal”) for that semester except in unusual circumstances where the medical documentation indicates that only select courses are impacted by the medical condition (“selective medical withdrawal.”). Once a determination is made to seek “selective medical withdrawal”, the student cannot amend the request at a later date or request a retroactive withdrawal for classes not included in the petition.
• Medical Withdrawals will not be approved if the difficulty resulting from a medical condition that precludes completion of the course(s) was present at the beginning of the semester from which the withdrawal is requested except in unusual circumstances where medical documentation indicates that a change in the condition during the semester resulted in the student’s inability to meet course requirements.
• Students who are requesting to withdraw from the university due to pregnancy or sexual violence should contact the Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Institutional Equity (Barbara Ying CMMS, Building #81, Suite 101) or call (407) 823 – 1336 for appropriate consultation before submitting a medical withdrawal petition so that other options may be explored.

Students are responsible for all requirements of the course(s) until such time the medical withdrawal is approved. Poor academic performance is not a basis upon which a medical withdrawal will be approved.

Medical withdrawals for consecutive semesters will not be approved for the same medical condition. If a student’s medical condition is serious enough to necessitate a medical withdrawal, the student should carefully consider future enrollment. The time period immediately following a medical withdrawal should be devoted to recovery. Students are encouraged to contact Student Accessibility Services well before a subsequent semester begins to explore possible accommodations if necessary.

Students who receive a medical withdrawal may be placed on medical hold when the University is able to determine that the medical condition is likely to continue to prohibit the student from meeting course requirements into the next semester(s). In this case, the University may drop the student’s enrollment for the subsequent semester(s), however it is ultimately the student’s responsibility to make sure enrollment is dropped while on medical hold or risk being fee and grade liable. When the student on medical hold believes that he/she/they can meet course requirements with or without a reasonable accommodation, the student may petition to have the medical hold removed. To have a medical hold removed, the student must submit the following documents: (1) a Medical Hold Removal Form completed by the student and his/her medical and/or psychological provider(s), and (2) a letter authored by the student stating what the student has done regarding the treatment of the medical condition that will enable the student to complete course requirements going forward, and discussing future plans (both academic and any further treatment plans) upon returning to the university. All required paperwork to remove the medical hold must be submitted before the semester in which the student wants to return by that semester’s deadline, which is listed on the Registrar’s Office website.

Academic Record Change Policy 

University policy prohibits academic record changes after the designated deadline unless there is evidence of extraordinary circumstances.

The purpose of an academic record change is to assist students whose academic performance is seriously hindered by circumstances beyond their control. Students should consider a petition for an academic record change as their last option. It is imperative that the student speak to their instructors before pursuing any administrative avenues. It may be possible for the student and the instructor to work out an alternate solution together.

Once a student has exhausted all other options, it is possible to pursue an academic record change. The petitions for these changes are reserved for students who can demonstrate extraordinary circumstances. If these criteria are met, it will be necessary to submit documentation of the situation along with the petition paperwork. It is crucial that all information in the petition is thorough and complete when it is submitted to the Registrar’s Office. The petition will be reviewed to determine a decision when all supporting documentation is submitted to the Registrar’s Office.

Late Drop: Following the close of the Drop/Swap period each term as published in the academic calendar, students withdrawing from courses will incur both grade and fee liability unless the university approves a late drop. No drop is permitted after the drop/swap deadline except in exceptional circumstances beyond a student’s control that prevent the student from completing courses. Exceptional circumstances include, but are not limited to, death of an immediate family member, involuntary call to military service, or administrative errors created by the University. Unsatisfactory academic performance, change of major, or financial challenges are not acceptable reasons for a drop after the deadline. Late drops are normally for all courses taken in the term. If a student is requesting a late drop from fewer than all courses in which the student is enrolled during a semester (“selective drop”), the student must explain in detail why the exceptional circumstance prevents the student from completing the requirements of certain courses but not others, including providing documentation that supports the explanation. If approved, a late drop includes a refund of tuition fees, and the courses will not appear on the student’s academic records. Students must submit the completed petition and provide all supporting documentation for a late drop to the Registrar’s Office (MH 161) within six (6) months of the end of the term for which the late drop is sought. No late drop petitions are accepted past the six-month submission deadline. If you do not have any intention of completing a class, you may want to consider withdrawing from that class prior to the withdrawal deadline. Withdrawing will relieve you of any academic responsibility, but will not entitle you to a refund. If you receive finanical aid, scholarships, bright futures or loans, please contact the Office of Student Financial Assistance before dropping or withdrawing to inquire if (or how) your aid may be impacted.

Late Withdrawal: No withdrawal is permitted after the withdrawal deadline as published in the academic calendar except in extraordinary circumstances beyond the student’s control that prevent completion of courses. Extraordinary circumstances include, but are not limited to, being the primary caretaker of an immediate family member who is seriously ill or injured, or a mandated employment transfer. Unsatisfactory academic performance is not an acceptable reason for withdrawal after the deadline. A late withdrawal is usually for all courses taken in the term. If a student is requesting a withdrawal from fewer than all courses in which the student is enrolled during a semester (“selective withdrawal”), the student must explain in detail why the extraordinary circumstance prevents the student from completing the requirements of certain courses but not others, including providing documentation that supports the explanation. If a late withdrawal is approved, grades of “WP” (Withdrawn Passing) or “WF” (Withdrawn Failing) will be assigned by the instructor(s) of the course(s) according to the student’s academic performance. A grade of “WP” will not affect the calculation of the GPA, whereas a grade of “WF” is calculated as a failing grade in the GPA. If approved, a late withdrawal does not refund tuition, and/or the student is still fee liable for the late withdrawn courses. Students must submit the completed petition and provide all supporting documentation for a late withdrawal to Registrar’s Office (MH 161) within one year of the end of the term for which the late withdrawal is sought. No late withdrawal petitions are accepted past the one-year submission deadline.

PLEASE NOTE: While the petition process is in progress, the student remains responsible for all course work unless already withdrawn. Only when a decision is rendered does the student’s responsibility change in accordance with the final decision. Because poor academic performance is not a basis upon which a petition will be approved, it is important that the student maintains satisfactory performance in his or her course(s) during the petition process.