Withdrawal Policies and Procedures

A student may find it necessary or advisable to withdraw from one or more courses during a term. In some cases, he/she may find it necessary to withdraw from the university.

Course Withdrawal

After consultation with the academic adviser and the instructor of the course, a student may withdraw from any course prior to the expiration of one-half of the term and receive a W. A completed withdrawal form must be presented to the registrar prior to the withdrawal deadline for posting. Course withdrawals do not count toward the twelve hours required for full-time enrollment. In the application of the tuition surcharge policy, course withdrawals do count towards the 140 semester hour limit. (See the section on Fees for information on the tuition surcharge policy.)

After one-half of a term, a W will be assigned only for written verifiable health, medical, or legal reasons. The student must first consult with the course instructor. The instructor and advisor must then indicate support by signing the course withdrawal form (available from the Advising Center). The student must also obtain the appropriate signature from Western Carolina University Health Services staff, Counseling and Psychlogical Services staff, an official of a court of law, or the department head of the department offering the course. The completed withdrawal form must be submitted by the deadline indicated on the academic calendar published by the Registrar's Office. In extenuating circumstances students should refer to the Academic Appeals Procedure section in The Record.

University Withdrawal

To withdraw from the university (i.e. drop all courses), a student must complete a withdrawal form from the One Stop in Killian Annex.

If an emergency prevents a student from completing the withdrawal process before leaving the campus, the student should call, write, or arrange for a friend or relative to contact the One Stop at 828-227-7170.

Any time a student is forced to withdraw from the university during a term for health, medical, legal, or administrative reasons which are verified in writing, a grade of W will be assigned in all courses in which the student is registered. If a student withdraws from the university for other than health, medical, legal, or administrative reasons after one-half of the total class time has elapsed, an F, W, or I grade will be assigned by the instructor according to the following guidelines:

1. A W grade will be assigned if the student is passing or if the student's progress has not been evaluated.
   
   
2. An I grade will be assigned if the instructor agrees that there is a reasonable prospect that the work can be made up and agrees to allow the student to do so.
   
   
3. An F grade will be assigned if the student is failing.

Current policies and procedures pertaining to grades, indebtedness, and refunds are applicable upon withdrawal from the university. A student who withdraws from the university either during or at the end of a term for any reason is responsible for clearing any indebtedness in the housing office, bookstore, financial aid office, controller's office, library, university police department, academic departments, and health services.

Academic Appeals Procedure

Students who feel they have been treated unjustly by an instructor in any matter pertaining to their academic work should follow in order the academic appeals procedure:

1. Appeal verbally to the instructor.
   


2. Appeal verbally to the instructor's department head.
   


3. Appeal verbally to the dean of the instructor's college.
   


4. Appeal in writing to the Academic Problems Committee, as outlined below. Any request by a student for a change in a final grade must be submitted to the instructor within thirty five days after the end of final exams.

The Academic Problems Committee is comprised of five members, including two students chosen by the SGA and three faculty members. In order to appeal to the Academic Problems Committee, students should write a one- or two-page letter to the faculty chair of the committee succinctly stating the grounds for the appeal and the requested action to resolve the appealed issue. After deliberation, the committee will make recommendations to the vice chancellor for academic affairs. The vice chancellor's decision may be appealed to the chancellor. Additional information about the composition and procedures of the Academic Problems Committee is available in the Faculty Handbook, or in the Office for Academic Affairs.