Special Circumstance Drop

The Office of the Registrar will review requests for special circumstance withdrawals when eligibility criteria are met. These criteria are subject to change at the Office’s discretion. For processing, all required documentation related to a special circumstance withdrawal must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar. To proceed, please complete the form linked below.

Special Circumstance Withdrawal

A request for dropping a specific course due to special circumstances should be directed to the Office of the Registrar for review. This option may be appropriate for courses requiring physical activity that cannot be completed due to health concerns. A special drop applies when a student reduces their course load but does not withdraw from the semester entirely. For example, a student reducing from 12 credit hours to 3 credit hours may qualify for a special drop, whereas a full course withdrawal requires a withdrawal request.

Retroactive Withdrawal

A retroactive withdrawal request applies when a special circumstance impacted attendance in a previous semester. For instance, if a student experienced an eligible event during the Fall Semester but is submitting the request in a later semester (e.g., Spring), a retroactive withdrawal may be appropriate.

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Qualifying Circumstances for Drop or Withdrawal

Requests for a special circumstance drop or withdrawal must include official documentation supporting the student’s inability to attend classes during the relevant period. Qualifying circumstances include:

Military:

•    Field training exercises

•    Active deployment

•    Training-related deployment

•    Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders

•    School training orders

Health:

•    Hospitalization

•    Death or emergency of an immediate family member

•    Doctor’s statement specifying the student’s inability to attend for a specific or extended period

•    Counselor or therapist statement confirming the student’s inability to attend

Other:

•    Police reports

•    Additional documentation supporting the request

The Office of the Registrar will determine if proper University procedures have been followed; all documentation is reviewed by the Assistant Provost/University Registrar and vetted by the committee. A written decision will be sent to the student’s e-mail. Please note: This process usually takes 2-3 weeks due to the research conducted on each request submitted.