Course Withdrawal - Student Services Policy - 80500

To describe the conditions under which a student may withdraw from a course or courses in compliance with Virginia Community College System (VCCS) policy.

Germanna Community College recognizes that at times a student’s participation in class may need to be cancelled. In accordance with Virginia Community College System Policy No. 6.2.3, this policy outlines those provisions under which a student may be able to withdraw or is withdrawn from a class.

A. General Provisions

1. Any withdrawal initiated during the withdrawal without academic penalty period by a student or the college shall result in a grade of ‘W’ on the student’s academic record.
2. ‘W’ grades shall have no point value in the calculation of a student’s grade point average.
3. Students may withdraw from a course after the last day to drop with a refund but no later than the sixty percent (60%) point in a semester or course. Any attempts to withdraw after the sixty percent (60%) point in a semester or course shall result in a grade of ‘F’ unless the student has submitted a withdrawal with mitigating circumstances.
4. Any attempts to withdraw from a course prior to the last day to drop with a refund for a course or semester shall be treated as a drop. Drops are treated as non-enrollment in a course, and results in no grade or record of course enrollment. Students interested in dropping a course, should refer to Germanna Policy, Tuition Refunds.
5. Students are strongly encouraged to speak with an academic advisor prior to withdrawing from a course. Academic advisors can provide information on various policies that can assist students with the best solutions to academic challenges.
6. Students may submit requests for withdrawals via email to admissions@germanna.edu.
7. Students shall assume all responsibility for course transactions.
8. Withdrawal transactions are final and shall not be rescinded or modified unless there is an administrative error by the college by exception to academic policy.

B. On-time Withdrawals

1. After the last day to drop with refund and within the first sixty percent (60%) of a semester or course, a student may withdraw from a course without academic penalty and receive a grade of ‘W’ for each withdrawn course.
2. Official withdrawal for a student shall become effective on the date the withdrawal form is received by Enrollment Services.
3. Course withdrawals should be presented by the student to Enrollment Services. Withdrawal requests may be submitted via email to admissions@germanna.edu.

C. Late Withdrawals

1. After the sixty percent (60%) point within a semester, term, or course, students may not withdraw and receive a ‘W’ without mitigating circumstances. Students who attempt to withdraw in the Student Information System (SIS) shall receive a grade of ‘F’.
2. In instances of mitigating circumstances, students may request a withdrawal after the sixty percent (60%) point within a term by submitting a request for withdrawal with mitigating circumstances. Examples of mitigating circumstances include extended absence due to medical reasons, extended absence due to family emergencies, or the like. Students must provide documentation that supports such a request. All requests for late withdrawals shall be approved by the Vice President of Academic Affairs and Workforce development or the designee.
3. Late withdrawal requests may be granted for one or more courses within a term, based on the impact of extenuating circumstances on the student’s course(s). The requests must be submitted in the semester in question or the immediate subsequent semester for consideration.

A. On-time Withdrawals

1. Before the withdrawal deadline the student should meet with the instructor to discuss the student’s academic standing in the class.
2. If the student decides that withdrawal is the best decision, the student should meet with an academic advisor to discuss the potential withdrawal from the course and its impact on his/her academic performance and standing at the college.
3. If the student is receiving financial aid, he/she should meet with a financial aid specialist to be advised of any financial aid implications due to withdrawing.
4. The student may complete GCC Registration Form and submit the form to Enrollment Services prior to the college’s published withdrawal deadline or withdraw from classes in SIS. The form must be submitted prior to the completion of sixty percent (60%) of the session for classes that are not the standard semester length.
5. The enrollment services specialist will verify the deadline and ensure that the form is completed correctly.
6. The specialist will record the on-time withdrawal in the Student Information System(SIS).

Note: In the case of a dual enrollment student, the student must receive permission from his/her high school counselor in order to withdraw from the course. The student and counselor will complete and sign GCC, Withdraw with Mitigating Circumstances Form to request a withdraw from Class(es). The counselor will submit the signed form to the Dual Enrollment office, and the staff of the Dual Enrollment Office will log the action and either complete the action via SIS or forward the request form to the Office of Enrollment Services.

B. Late Withdrawals

To request a withdrawal after the appropriate withdrawal deadline or after the term has ended, the student must submit a Withdrawal with Mitigating Circumstance Form with documentation supporting the request to Enrollment Services.

Documentation can and should include the following:

1. A letter outlining the circumstances impacting the student’s ability to perform in the course(s) in question and detailing when the circumstances occurred within the semester in question
2. Documentation from professional(s) verifying the circumstances and when the circumstances occurred
3. Receipts or other documents that can verify the circumstances

This information may be submitted by email to admissions@germanna.edu. Upon receipt of the form, an enrollment services specialist will compile and forward information to the appropriate program dean for review.

Once all information has been received, the Vice President of Academic Affairs and Workforce Development or designee will make a decision regarding the request for a withdrawal with mitigating circumstances and forward the packet to the Office of Enrollment Services.

The Office of Enrollment Services will notify students in writing of the decision. The Enrollment Services specialist in the Office of Enrollment Services will record approved withdrawals with a grade of ‘W’ in SIS.

The Office of Enrollment Services will retain the original documentation for requests according to the college’s record retention schedule.

Official Withdraw – Student initiates the request via dropping a course within the withdraw without academic penalty timeframe or completes the withdraw with mitigating circumstances form.

Unofficial Withdraw – Student stops attending and does not complete the class and student is dropped from class for nonattendance.

Date of Determination – The date of the institution’s determination that the student withdrew varies depending on the type of withdrawal. The withdrawal date for an official withdrawal is the day the student submits the paperwork or otherwise notifies the college of their intent to withdraw. The date of determination for an unofficial withdraw is the last date of attendance as reported by the faculty member.

VCCS Policy 6.2.3

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