Background

As you are aware spots in classes in the Orfalea College of Business are in high demand. In addition, it is important for students to graduate in a timely manner. Consequently, we need to minimize the number of students that take spots in courses at the beginning of the quarter and do not complete their courses. If you drop a class before the add/drop date, it will be removed from your transcript. You will have a "W" on your transcript if you wait and withdraw from the course after the add/drop date.

Students should make every attempt to drop their classes during the drop period or stick with them through the end of the quarter.

If the drop period has passed

Please be aware of the following items when submitting a withdrawal petition:

1. All withdrawal petitions must include valid documentation of student's reasons for withdrawal.
2. When the instructor reviews the withdraw request they should provide substantive comments on student's performance and class attendance. The instructor does not approve or deny the request, they acknowledge the request.
3. The advising center will insure that the student and professor have properly completed their portion of the form and have included the appropriate documentation.
4. The advising center will route the form to the appropriate individual for approval.

From the add/drop date through the 7th week, it is necessary to have a serious and compelling reason to drop a class. The Academic Senate lists the following guidelines as serious and compelling reasons.

• Medical - serious illness or injury of the student or of his/her immediate family, which has resulted in inability to make up course material missed. Verification by the university Health Center or by the student's personal physician may be required.
• Financial - For many different reasons a student's financial situation may become so critical that withdrawal from the University is the only recourse. In other cases, withdrawal from part of the student's course list may be indicated. A student who requests withdrawal after the drop date for financial reasons must offer an explanation for his/her decision to withdraw and may be asked for verification.

After the 7th week of the quarter, it is necessary to have an emergency reason to drop a class.

If a student has a serious and compelling reason, and only needs to drop less than his/her full load of classes, the student will need to carefully justify that the reason is serious and compelling.

It is common that a student wants to withdraw from a class after the drop period (after the 2nd week of the quarter) because they are not doing well in the course. This is not an acceptable reason for dropping a course. Therefore, the instructor's section of the form should be properly completed so the person evaluating the withdrawal can assess the possibility that class performance is contributing to the desire to withdraw.

Recurring Withdrawals

A student will be allowed to withdraw from a particular class only one time.

A student will not be allowed more than 2 withdrawals in any academic year (excluding term withdrawals). A student will not be allowed more than 3 term withdrawals during their career at Cal Poly.

If the student's request for withdrawal is denied, the student may wish to explore the ramifications of possible alternatives:

• Requesting an Incomplete - The student may wish to request from the professor an "Incomplete" (I) grade in the course in order to complete requirements at a later time, but no longer than one year from the quarter the "I" is assigned. How the course requirements will be completed is determined by the professor teaching the course. The course work must be completed within one year after which time the grade of "I" is automatically converted to an "F".
• Taking a grade in the course - A student may receive a D+ or lower (D, D-, F) and repeat the course at a later date. When the course is retaken, if the student has repeated 20 units or less, (inclusive of the course for which the student is seeking withdrawal), the old grade will be replaced. (Both grades will be reported on the transcript).
• Requesting a Withdrawal Unauthorized - Students have a one-time opportunity to receive a grade of "WU" (Withdrawal Unauthorized) which can be converted to a "W" for a fee. This option is intended for students who signed up for a course and inadvertently failed to drop the course during the add/drop period. The student must request the "WU" grade from the professor. After grades are received for the term the student must obtain a change of grade form for "WU" to "W" from the Office of Academic Records and pay the requisite fee. The student must route the form for signatures. The grade change form must be completed within one year after which time the grade of "WU" is changed to an "F". (Both grades will be reported on the transcript).