Office of Student Success, Equity and Innovation

Withdrawal Information

NOTE:

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iPad or iPhone users will not be able to access OnBase on these devices. Please use a laptop or desktop computer, or visit the Bronco Advising Center for assistance.

Petition to Withdraw for Serious and Compelling Reasons E-Form

Fall 2024 Withdrawal Dates

Aug 12 2024

Add/Drop Period Begins

You can add drop classes without receiving Ws.

Sep 05 2024

Add/Drop Period Ends

You can add drop classes without receiving Ws.

11:59 PM

Sep 06 2024

Class Withdrawal Period Begins

You can withdraw on your own in your BroncoDirect Student Center by dropping the courses. You will receive W grades.

Sep 18 2024

Class Withdrawal Period Ends

You can withdraw on your own in your BroncoDirect Student Center by dropping the courses. You will receive W grades.

11:59 PM

Sep 19 2024

Petition to Withdraw for Serious and Compelling Reasons Opens

Nov 10 2024

Last Day to Withdraw by Petition and Receive a W

Dec 08 2024

Last Day to Withdraw by Petition and Receive a WX

Frequently Asked Questions

  • If you drop a course or all of your courses during general registration or Add/Drop Period, the dropped courses will not appear on your transcript. You can find general registration and Add/Drop Period dates on the Student Success Central Academic Calendar.
  • If you want to drop a course or all of your courses during the withdrawal period, Ws will appear for those courses on your transcript. You are limited to 18 units of Ws on your transcript. The grade of W does not affect your grade point average (GPA). You can find withdrawal period dates on the Student Success Central Academic Calendar.
  • You have the right to petition to receive a WX when withdrawing from a course. A WX is granted when you have demonstrated that your withdrawal is due to serious and compelling reasons beyond your control. A WX does not count toward your 18 units of Ws.

  • After the withdrawal period ends, withdrawals will only be permitted for serious and compelling reasons, such as accident or serious illness, where the cause of withdrawal is due to circumstances clearly beyond your control and the assignment of an Incomplete is not practicable. 
  • You will need to fill out the Petition to Withdraw for Serious and Compelling Reasons if you wish to drop a course or all of your courses.

  • All students will be required to submit documentation when submitting a Petition to Withdraw for Serious and Compelling Reasons, regardless of whether they are requesting a W or a WX.
    • The documentation must be related to the reason why you are petitioning to withdraw. 
    • If you are providing medical documentation, it must be on official letterhead and include your name and doctor's contact information. The documentation does not need to disclose a diagnosis. 
    • If you are providing photos as documentation, do not submit photos of deceased people or body parts. 

  • The petition is available above or on the Registrar’s Office website. It must be signed electronically by the Department Chair, College Dean, and AVP for Student Success. 
  • If your request is granted, you will receive Ws or WXs depending on your request and the decisions of the appropriate reviewers. 

  • If you stop attending class(es) (unofficially withdrawal) and do not follow this procedure, you may receive a grade of F or WU (Withdrawal Unauthorized). F and WU grades are equivalent for the purposes of GPA and grade points.
  • The symbol WU indicates that you did not withdraw from the course and also failed to complete course requirements. It is used when, in the opinion of the instructor, you completed assignments or course activities or both were insufficient to make normal evaluation of academic performance possible.
  • WU is also assigned if you do not drop a course properly, such as when a student withdraws from a course without authorization (e.g. no approved Request for Class Withdrawal for Serious and Compelling Reasons Form is on file).
  • If the appropriate withdrawal form is on file, this WU will be replaced by a W in the Registrar's Office and a W will appear on the final grade sheet returned to the instructor and on your grade report.

The University is committed to maintaining integrity in and outside of the classroom.

If you receive communication that your petition has been denied for insufficient and/or possibly altered documentation, you should resubmit within the timeframe communicated, and ensure the information submitted is accurate, honest, and from the original source. Please review our documentation guidelines for more information.

You may receive additional communication from the Care Center to offer additional support.

If you receive communication that your petition has been denied for insufficient documentation, you should resubmit within the timeframe communicated, and ensure the information submitted is accurate, honest, and from the original source. Please review our documentation guidelines for more information.

You may receive additional communication from the Care Center or the Bronco Advising Center to offer additional support.

Ws, WXs and WUs

Table Explaining Ws, WUs and WXs
Grade What does this grade mean? How do I receive this grade? Notes
W This grade means that you withdrew from the class after the Add/Drop Period.
 Students can withdraw between the 11th and 20th day of class via BroncoDirect and receive a W.
Students with serious and compelling reasons to withdraw after the 20th day through the 12th week of instruction must complete the Withdrawal for Serious and Compelling Reasons form to earn a W.
  • Examples of why students may apply:
  • Work hours changed that conflict with class
  • Illness (student or close family)
  • Other circumstances that hinder (but do not prevent) attendance
Not acceptable reasons to apply:
  • Failing a class
  • Don’t need the class to graduate
  • Never attended class

Students are limited to 18 units of recorded course withdrawals (where the student received a “W”).


Ws do not affect your GPA.
WX This grade means that you withdrew from a class after the Add/Drop Period, and the circumstances were serious and compelling, beyond your control. Students with serious and compelling reasons to withdraw after the 10th day through finals must complete the Petition to Withdraw for Serious and Compelling Reasons form to earn a WX.

The Chair, Dean, and Associate Vice President for the Office of Student Success will evaluate the petition and documentation to determine if a WX is appropriate.

Examples of why students may apply:
  • Work conditions change preventing attendance
  • Serious illness (student or close family) preventing attendance
    • Note: Medical documentation must be on official letterhead and include your name and doctor's contact information. The documentation does not need to disclose a diagnosis. 
Students also receive this grade if they have an approved Retroactive Withdrawal. Retroactive Withdrawals are submitted after the term is over and withdraw the student for all classes for a term.

Students are limited to 18 units of recorded course withdrawals (where the student received a “W”).

If a student earns a WX for a course, those units will not count to their 18-unit limit.

 

WXs appear on your transcript as Ws. They do not affect your GPA.
WU This grade means that you did not withdraw from the course and failed to complete the course requirements.  Students who do not withdraw from their course and do not meet the course requirements will earn a WU. WUs are equivalent to Fs for the purposes of grade point averages.