Drop/Withdrawal Policy

Policy #: 
ACD 101.004
Executive Owner: 
Registrar
Scope: 

This policy applies to all AdventHealth University (AHU) students.

Purpose: 

To define when and how students can drop/withdraw from a course or courses, a program, or the University, how grades are assigned, and when any penalty may apply.

Policy: 

It is the responsibility of the student to withdraw in writing to the Office of the Registrar by completing a drop/withdrawal form by the deadline listed in the Academic Calendar of the Academic Catalog.

Students should be aware that course drops/withdrawals may affect:

  • Anticipated graduation dates
  • Immigration status
  • Financial status
  • Eligibility for a professional program
  • Progression requirements for a professional program.

Before a student drops/withdraws from a course(s), we recommend that the student:

  • Meet with the professor to discuss his or her progress in the course
  • Meet with an academic advisor to discuss how the withdrawal will affect his or her educational plans
  • Meet with a financial aid advisor to discuss how the withdrawal will affect his or her financial aid
  • Refer to the Refund Policy in the Financial Information section of the Academic Catalog.

Before the Drop/Add Deadline (see Academic Calendar in the Academic Catalog), students can:

  • Drop course(s) via their student portal located on my.ahu.edu student portal
  • Courses dropped prior to the Drop/Add deadline will not appear on the official transcript or have negative consequences such as course failure
  • No record will appear on the permanent academic record

During the Withdrawal Period (see Academic Calendar in the Academic Catalog) a student::

  • Can withdraw from a course(s) and receive a "W" grade for each course
    • "W"grades appear on transcripts but do not impact a student's grade point average
  • Must submit a complete Drop/Withdrawal Form to withdraw from the course(s)

After published Course Withdrawal deadline:

  • Course withdrawals are not permitted after the deadline
  • Students may be eligible for an appeal if they have experienced extenuating circumstances that impacted their ability to withdraw from the class by the published deadline
  • If the extenuating circumstances appear below, student must submit an appeal with the appropriate documentation to the academic department that offers the course

Appeals my be considered for the following extenuating circumstances:

  • Sever illness or medical emergency (doctor's note required)
  • Military transfer or activation of military orders for more than 30 consecutive days (copy of transfer/orders required)
  • Administrative error (documentation required to support the request)
  • Change in employment situation (documentation from employer required)
  • Childcare issues (documentation from childcare provider required)
  • Death in immediate family (parent, spouse, child, sibling, or grandparent)
    • Copy of death certificate or obituary required

Appeals will NOT be considered for the following circumstances:

  • Misunderstanding of class meeting schedule
  • Misunderstanding of drop or withdrawal deadlines or process
  • Inability to transfer a course to another institution
  • Normal illness or conditions of chronic illness or other health condition that remain unchanged and were known to the student at the time of registration
  • Transportation issues
  • Change of mind by student regarding course selection
  • Dissatisfaction with course content, instructor, or grade
  • Change of major

Drop Deadlines for All Academic Sessions

Number of Weeks in Session Number of weeks in session Grade of “W” will be assigned during this period Course withdrawals are not permitted
4 End of 1st school week in the session Beginning of 2nd week to end of 3rd week Beginning with the 4th week
5 End of 1st school week in the session Beginning of 2nd week to end of 4th week Beginning with the 5th week
7 End of 1st school week in the session Beginning of 2nd week to end of 5th week Beginning with the 6th week
9 End of 1st school week in the session Beginning of 2nd week to end of 7th week Beginning with the 8th week
10 End of 1st school week in the session Beginning of 2nd week to end of 8th week  Beginning with the 9th week
11 End of 1st school week in the session Beginning of 2nd week to end of 8th week Beginning with the 9th week
12 End of 1st school week in the session Beginning of 2nd week to end of 9th week Beginning with the 10th week
14 End of 1st school week in the session Beginning of 2nd week to end of 11th week Beginning with the 12th week
16 End of 1st school week in the session Beginning of 2nd week to end of 12th week Beginning with the 13th week
17 End of 1st school week in the session Beginning of 2nd week to end of 13th week Beginning with the 14th week
18 End of 1st school week in the session Beginning of 2nd week to end of 14th week Beginning with the 15th week

An Administrative Drop may take place if a student is absent for a period of two consecutive weeks and does not contact the instructor or complete a drop/withdrawal form.  Please see Attendance Policies under Policies and Procedures in the Academic Catalog for more information.

Students who temporarily leave the University will be given a withdrawn status if they are gone for more than two trimesters. Students who attend other institutions after leaving will be required to provide updated official transcript(s) for evaluation upon re-entry to AdventHealth University.

Definition(s): 

W: Withdrawal
Drop Course - drop course before the end of Drop/Add.  Course does not appear on academic record,
Course Withdrawal - course withdrawal after Drop/Add to the published Course Withdrawal deadline.
Extenuating Circumstances - circumstances that impacts ability to withdraw from the course by the published deadline (see above for specific Extenuating Circumstances).

Keyword: 

Committees

CommitteeDate VotedMinutes Code
President's CouncilWednesday, April 19, 201722:07
Academic PoliciesWednesday, January 12, 202222:07
Academic PoliciesWednesday, January 11, 202323:05
Approved by: 
Approval Date: 
Thursday, October 26, 2017
Effective Date: 
Thursday, October 26, 2017
Review Date: 
Friday, January 8, 2021
Wednesday, January 12, 2022
Wednesday, January 11, 2023
Tuesday, September 19, 2023