Course & University Withdrawals
Welcome to summer at the University of Georgia. The University offers five different summer sessions: May Session; Extended Summer Session; Thru Term; Short Session I; and Short Session II. Each session has its own specific dates for registering, for beginning, for dropping, for withdrawing, for ending, and for finals; however, commencement for the summer semester, which includes all of these sessions, is on August 2, 2008. Students who wish to withdraw from a summer session class may want to contact Student Support Services before doing so to learn what impact that withdrawal may have. Please contact Linda Edge at 706-542-8220 with questions.
Students withdrawing from classes should be aware of the following:
Withdrawals Prior to the Withdrawal Deadline:
Students withdrawing from some or all of their classes before the withdrawal deadline of a semester do so on OASIS. Faculty may assign a W or WF depending on the student's class performance and attendance up to that point. A withdrawal prior to the deadline does not guarantee a W.
Withdrawals AFTER the Deadline
(and Complete Grade Changes):
Students who have experienced a severe medical and/or mental health problem or a traumatic event or circumstance that has caused them to miss numerous classes and/or prevents them from being able to complete the term, can request (1) a Hardship Withdrawal from the current semester or (2) complete grade changes from a previous semester (not to exceed a year).
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A Hardship Withdrawal is requested after the withdrawal deadline date but before the end of a semester (refer to Hardship Conditions and Requirements for more information). The latest date to allow a hardship withdrawal changes each semester and is determined by Student Support Services.
- Grade Changes may be requested only up to one year after the end of the term in which the grades were recorded. Grade Changes are based on hardship situations and follow the same guidelines as late withdrawals (refer to Hardship Conditions and Requirements for more information).
Hardship Conditions and Requirements:
Hardship Conditions
- Severe accident with prolonged recovery;
- Severe illness with prolonged recovery;
- Severe illness requiring ongoing close medical monitoring;
- Severe complications resulting from a chronic medical condition;
- Documented medical conditions resulting in extended missed coursework;
- New diagnosis of a life threatening condition;
- Necessary surgery with prolonged recovery;
- Complications related to a pregnancy;
- Infectious disease requiring specific isolation;
- Documented medical complications from sexual or other violent assault;
- A traumatic event beyond the student's ability to control that affected the student's ability to perform or continue in classes;
Possibly other serious medical or mental health situations not included above.
Hardship Criteria – an event entirely beyond the student’s ability to control that would prevent her or him from continuing or performing successfully in the semester.
- Severe illness or injury of an acute emergency nature that incapacitates a student during the semester for which the request is made.
- Severe psychological condition requiring hospitalization or intensive outpatient care for an extended period of time during the semester for which the request is being made.
- A traumatic event (e.g. death of a close friend or family member, act of violence, etc.) that clearly impedes a student's ability to perform in the usual manner.
Documentation Required
Complete and thorough documentation, to be determined by Student Support Services, must be provided for any Hardship-related request. In addition to a student’s written personal statement, listed below are some general examples of documentation requirements:
- Official letter from a medical professional that explains medical findings and their impact on the student’s academic performance and/or attendance;
- Hospital admission/discharge summaries;
- Police reports;
- Written verification by a credible third party (e.g. attorney, minister or other non-family member) of a non-medical emergency.
Hardship Recommendation
Student Support Services is charged with collecting and verifying the required official documentation supporting the student's hardship situation. Based on sufficient, verified documentation, Student Support Services notifies the respective faculty member(s) of the student's hardship situation, but it is the prerogative of each individual faculty member to assign a grade of W or WF. A withdrawal for medical reasons or other extenuating circumstances does not guarantee a W (or a tuition refund).
Hardship Recommendation Expectations
It is expected that a request for a late withdrawal be from ALL the classes for the semester. Partial late withdrawals are rarely allowed. A partial late withdrawal request must include specific, official documentation (to be determined by Student Support Services) explaining how and why the hardship impacted the particular class for which the request is being made. For example, a request for a partial late withdrawal must include specific documentation from a medical professional explaining why a reduction in class load is medically warranted. Without very specific documentation that reasonably supports a partial withdrawal, approval is ordinarily not granted. To late withdraw accepting a WF, students do not need to contact Student Support Services. They should notify their instructor of their desire to withdraw. The instructor’s only option is to assign a WF.
Grade Change
Grade Change requests must be made within ONE YEAR of the end of the semester for which the grades were assigned. Grade Change requests follow the same guidelines as late withdrawal requests and must be for ALL the classes for the semester for which the request is being made because ALL the classes were failed. If ALL of the classes were not failed, then the student should not contact Student Support Services, but they should make their grade change appeal directly to the instructor who taught the class. A Grade Change request for anything other than a W is handled within the department in which the grade was received (http://bulletin.uga.edu/bulletin/ind/appeals.html).
Fraud or Misrepresentation
Any evidence of fraud or misrepresentation in this process will be turned over to the Office of Judicial Programs for appropriate action.
Repercussions of Withdrawing
Enrollment Status
Students who withdraw from any or all of their classes should be aware that a reduction in course load may affect the following:
- Financial Aid including HOPE Scholarship (Student Financial Aid/706-542-6147)
- Satisfactory Academic Progress – SAP (Student Financial Aid/706-542-6147)
- Athletic eligibility (Athletic Dept./706-542-1847)
- Health insurance (contact your personal health care insurance provider)
- University housing (University Housing/706-542-1421)
- Use of University Resources and access to University facilities
- Immigration status (International Education/706-542-7903)
- Veterans Educational Benefits (Veterans Benefits/Registrar/706-542-8772)
- Assistantships
A withdrawal could include, but not be limited to, mandatory repayment of already disbursed funds. Students should contact the Office of Student Financial Aid or other appropriate office if they have questions concerning the possible impact of their withdrawal from a course. Withdrawals during any session of the Summer Term (Maymester, Thru Session, Extended Session and both Short Sessions) may affect a student's eligibility to enroll in other summer classes for the term. Students returning from academic dismissal should consult their academic advisor prior to withdrawing. Veterans and dependents of veterans who are receiving educational benefits must notify the Office of Veterans Educational Benefits (706-542-8772) in the Office of the Registrar of any course load reduction.
Grade Assignment
Students who withdraw from any or all of their classes or who are withdrawn by the instructor for excessive absences prior to the withdrawal deadline are assigned a grade of W or WF by the instructor. Students who late withdraw or are withdrawn after the withdrawal deadline are assigned a grade of WF. An exception may exist when the student is doing satisfactory work and Student Support Services makes a "Hardship" determination and approves the late withdrawal, in which case a grade of W may be assigned at the instructor's discretion.
Refunds
No refunds are given for a reduction in hours for an individual course withdrawal except when the withdrawal is accomplished through the Drop/Add process. Students withdrawing from all their classes may receive a refund based on a pro-rated refund schedule set each semester by the Bursar.
https://busfin1.busfin.uga.edu/bursar/refund.cfm
Absences, Final Exam Conflicts, & Incompletes
Absences
The decision to excuse an absence, allow make-up work, or reschedule or make up an exam is solely the prerogative of the instructor, no matter what the reason is for the absence, including absences incurred for religious reasons, family deaths, and/or medical reasons.
Student Support Services will notify faculty when a student is in a crisis or other difficult situation which prevents her or him from notifying instructors or attending classes for an extended period of time, but it remains the prerogative of the faculty member how to assist the student. Student Support Services does not excuse or verify absences.
Finals
The decision to excuse, reschedule, allow a make up of, or allow a retake of a final exam is solely the prerogative of the instructor. Students who have two exams scheduled for the same time or three exams scheduled for the same day may petition to reschedule one exam at a different time or day. Final Exam conflicts are managed by The Office of Curriculum Systems 542-6358 or www.curriculumsystems.uga.edu. Personal conflicts should be managed by the class instructor. Student Support Services does not manage final exam conflicts.
Incompletes
The decision to assign an Incomplete is solely the prerogative of the instructor. An Incomplete is generally awarded at the instructor's discretion when a student is doing satisfactory work, but for non-academic reasons beyond her/his control is unable to meet the full requirements of the course, such as taking a final or turning in a project. Student Support Services does not approve or assign Incompletes.
Student Support Services – 706-542-8220
(A unit in the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs)
Staff:
- Alan L. Campbell, PhD, Senior Associate Dean for Student Support (dralan@uga.edu)
- Linda Edge, Administrative Specialist for Student Support Services (ledge@uga.edu)
Please include your full name and your birth date when emailing.
Phone:
706.542.8220 (or 706.542.3564)
Location:
115 Holmes/Hunter Academic Building, Athens, GA 30602-6111 (at The Arch)
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