Course Withdrawal Limit Policy
What Undergraduate Students Need to
Know
Fostering Undergraduate
Student Success
I N A N E F F O RT T O I M P R OV E C O N S I S T E N C Y
A C R O S S T H E 1 6 C A M P U S E S, T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F
N O RT H C A R O L I N A A D O P T E D T H E F O S T E R I N G
U N D E R G R A D UAT E S T U D E N T S U C C E S S P O L I C Y O N
A P R I L 2 9 , 2 0 1 3 . T O T H I S E N D, U N C S A H A S M A D E
S E V E R A L C H A N G E S T H AT H AV E G O N E I N T O
E F F E C T T H I S FA L L . T H I S S L I D E P R E S E N TAT I O N
E X P L A I N S A N E W W I T H D R A W A L P O L I C Y.
Add/Drop Period
ADD/DROP IS THE PERIOD OF TIME
WHEN STUDENTS CAN CHANGE THEIR
CLASS SCHEDULES WITHOUT
P E N A LT Y. C O U R S E C H A N G E S D U R I N G
T H I S T I M E D O N OT A P P E A R O N
S T U D E N T S ’ S C H E D U L E S, A N D A R E N OT
C O U N T E D I N AT T E M P T E D H O U R S.
STUDENTS CAN ADD OR DROP
COURSES THROUGH THE FIRST WEEK
O F C L A S S E S.
A D D / D R O P E N D S F R I D AY, A U G U S T 2 9
AT 5 : 0 0 P. M .
Withdrawing from Classes
BEGINNING WITH THE SECOND WEEK
T H R O U G H T H E 7 T H W E E K O F C L A S S E S,
STUDENTS MUST WITHDRAWAL FROM
C L A S S E S A N D A C C E P T A G R A D E O F W. *
T H E S E C R E D I T S C O U N T I N AT T E M P T E D
HOURS AND TO WARDS SURCHARGE
AND FINANCIAL AID SAP
C A LC U L AT I O N S.
T H E L A S T DAY T O W I T H D R A W F R O M A
C L A S S I N FA L L 2 0 1 4 I S F R I DAY,
OCTOBER 10
NEW WITHDRAWAL POLICY
Withdrawals*
Undergraduate students may receive a grade of W
for no more than 16 credit hours over the course
of their degree(s).
 Applies to all undergraduate students beginning
Fall 2014, but does not apply for W grades in
courses prior to Fall 2014
 Once a student reaches the maximum withdrawal
limit, no further W grades will be assigned, and the
student must accept the grade he/she earns at the
end of the semester.

Academic Policy: Withdrawals
 Goals of New Policy
 Encourage students to commit to completing the
courses for which they are registered.
 Encourage student success by reducing the number of
unsuccessful course attempts and related undesired
consequences:
Surcharge
 Delayed graduation
 Financial aid penalties


Ensure that students enroll only in those classes they
intend to complete.
Extenuating Circumstances
o
o
o
Students who experience serious extenuating
circumstances (medical crisis, military deployment, or a
crisis beyond the student’s control) may petition for a
withdrawal that does not count toward their W limit.
The student is expected to submit the petition during the
term the circumstance begins. If approved, a grade of
WE will be recorded for each course.
Courses marked WE do not count in GPA or tuition
surcharge calculations.
Extenuating Circumstances
What is an Extenuating Circumstance?
o Crisis beyond student’s control
o Medical or mental health crisis
o Military deployment or activation
Students who have completed the majority of
their coursework may wish to ask their
instructor if they are eligible for an incomplete.
Extenuating Circumstances
o Students must submit a petition to the Case
Manager in Student Affairs to Withdrawal for
extenuating circumstances.
o Must have 3rd party documentation
o
o
o
o
Letterhead
Signatures
Dates
Verifiable
o Event occurred within the semester of the
request
o
Must be beyond their control
Tips
o
Spread the word about the maximum withdrawal
limit
o
Include information on your syllabus
o
Understand other areas impacted (FA, housing,
VA, visa students, etc.)
o
Encourage students to complete their classes
o
Make students aware of counseling services in
Student Affairs
Tips
POINTS TO STRESS TO STUDENTS
o
Attend classes on the first day
o
Avoid registering for more than 18 credits per
semester
o
READ the syllabus carefully
o
Purchase required books and connect to Blackboard
o
If petitioning for extenuating circumstances, must be
done within SAME semester