Student Initiated Withdrawal From a Course(s)

Purpose:

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

Definitions:

Withdrawal: to withdraw or be withdrawn from a course after the add/drop period but prior to the completion of sixty percent (60%) of the session and for which a grade of 'W' (no grade point credit) is awarded. Prior to the end of the add/drop period, a student who withdraws is considered to have dropped his/her courses; no course or grade information appears on the student's permanent record for dropped courses.

Policy:

J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College (Reynolds) recognizes that at times a student's participation in class may need to be Canceled. 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System Policy No. 6.2.3, this policy outlines those provisions under which a student may be able to withdraw, or is withdrawn from a class.

1. General Provisions

   1. Any withdrawal initiated 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 request for a late withdrawal.

   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 Reynolds Policy 1-02, 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 at a distance may submit requests for withdrawals by fax to (804) 523-6405, or by email to enroll@reynolds.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 Withdrawal transactions are final and shall not be rescinded or modified unless there is an administrative error by the college.

2. On-time withdrawals

   1. After the last day to drop with refund and within the first sixty percent (60%) of a semester or term, 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 Advising Services.

   3. Course withdrawals should be presented by the student to Advising Services. Withdrawal requests may be submitted by fax to (804) 523-6405 or email to enroll@reynolds.edu.

3. 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 late withdrawal. 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 Academic Standing Committee.

   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).

   4. Student academic performance in class prior to the student's last date of attendance may be considered in the decision regarding a late withdrawal request.

   5. Late withdrawal requests must be submitted by the following dates:

      1. January 30th for the previous fall semester
      2. June 30th for the previous spring semester
      3. September 30th for the previous summer term

Procedures:

1. 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 in Advising Services to be advised of any financial aid implications due to withdrawing.

   4. The student must complete  JSRCC Form 11-0002, Add / Drop / Withdraw from Classes, and submit the form to Advising Services prior to the college's published withdrawal deadline. 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 student 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  JSRCC Form 11-0002, Add / Drop / Withdraw from Classes. 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 Admissions and Records.

2. Late withdrawals

   To request a withdrawal after the appropriate withdrawal deadline or after the term has ended, the student must submit JSRCC Form 11-0015, Late Request for Withdrawal from Classes, with documentation supporting the request to Advising 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 enroll@reynolds.edu or fax to (804) 523- 6405 for students at a distance. Upon receipt of the form, an advising specialist will communicate to the student the impact of the withdrawal(s). Once the communication is completed, the coordinator of Advising Services will forward the completed packet of information to the Academic Standing Committee for review.

      The Academic Standing Committee will review the request and documentation. If the packet is incomplete, the Academic Standing Committee will deny the request and provide the student information on the type of information that will complete the packet, and provide one appeal with the requested information. In the event that additional information is needed (such as academic progress in the course[s] for which the late withdrawal is being requested), the Academic Standing Committee will request the academic progress of the student prior to the student's last date of attendance.

      Once all information has been received, the Academic Standing Committee will make a decision regarding the request for a late withdrawal and forward the packet to the Office of Admissions and Records.

      The Office of Admissions and Records will notify students in writing of the decision of the committee. The records specialist in the Office of Admissions and Records will record approved withdrawals with a grade of 'W' or denied requests with a grade of 'F' in the Student Information System. Decisions of the Academic Standing Committee are final.

      The Office of Admissions and Records will retain the original documentation for requests according to the college's record retention schedule.

      Note: In the case of a dual enrollment student, the student must initiate the request for late withdrawal with his/her high school counselor. The counselor and student will sign JSRCC Form 11-0015, Late Request for Withdrawal from Classes, and forward the complete form, including documentation of mitigating circumstances, to the Dual Enrollment Office. The coordinator of dual enrollment will consult with the coordinator of instructional services and forward the request form to the Office of Admissions and Records as determined necessary.

Other Information:

JSRCC Form 11-0002, Add / Drop / Withdraw from Classes

JSRCC Form 11-0015, Late Request for Withdrawal from Classes