Dropping or Withdrawing from Courses

Discontinuation of Registration: Dropping or Withdrawing from Courses

(Policy # 02.10.14)

Scope of Policy & Rationale

This policy defines how undergraduate and graduate students may discontinue registration in a course or courses using a "Drop" or "Withdrawal."

Dropping or withdrawing from one or more courses may impact eligibility for financial aid, including work study, loans, grants, scholarships and third-party payments, as well as visa eligibility in current and future semesters. Dropping or withdrawing may also impact student status in programs that require continuous enrollment.

Policy Statement

Drop refers to an action taken by a student during the "drop and add period" to remove a course from their schedule without incurring a financial penalty or notation on the transcript. This transaction can be performed by the student using the self-service method or with the assistance of an advisor. Drop and add deadlines vary by course and term duration and are posted on the academic calendar by the Office of the University Registrar.1 When dropping a course, a student should be aware of the following:

  • Financial Responsibility: Students may be eligible for a tuition refund. (See Undergraduate and Graduate Bulletin for more information.) When, however, the university is required to return grant or loan funds to the federal government on behalf of the student, the student may be financially responsible to Temple University for the returned funds.
  • Participation and Attendance: Once a student drops a course, the student is no longer enrolled and is no longer permitted to participate in or attend the course.
  • Transcript: Dropped courses are not recorded on the transcript.
  • Academic Dishonesty: If a student has been informed that academic misconduct is suspected, the student may not drop the course during the investigation and adjudication process or if a failing grade for the course is given as a sanction. Any drop during this time may be reversed and the course registration reinstated. If the student is found to be not responsible, the student may drop the course provided that the allegation of misconduct predates the deadline for the requested action. This policy may be superseded in exceptional circumstances. To make this assessment, the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards will confer with the appropriate offices to determine if the drop is warranted. See Student Conduct Code, policy # 03.70.12.

Withdraw refers to an action taken by a student to discontinue enrollment in a course once the drop and add period has ended. This transaction can be performed by the student using the self-service method or with the assistance of an advisor. Withdrawal deadlines vary by course and term duration and are posted on the academic calendar by the Office of the University Registrar.1 When withdrawing from the course, a student should be aware of the following:

  • Financial Responsibility: The student remains financially responsible for the tuition charges for the course.
  • Participation and Attendance: The student is no longer enrolled and is no longer permitted to participate in or attend the course. The student's withdrawal date is the last date that the student participated in any academic activity related to the course.
  • Transcript: The course is recorded on the transcript with the notation of "W".
  • Course attempt: The course will be included in the course attempt count under Temple's policy on Repeating a Course, policy # 02.10.12.
  • Incomplete: Students pursuing an Incomplete are not eligible for course withdrawal. See also Temple's Incomplete Coursework Policy, policy # 02.10.13.
  • Academic Dishonesty: If a student has been informed that academic misconduct is suspected, the student may not withdraw from the course during the investigation and adjudication process or if a failing grade for the course is given as a sanction. Any withdrawal during this time may be reversed and the course registration reinstated. If the student is found to be not responsible, the student may withdraw from the course provided that the allegation of misconduct predates the deadline for the requested action. This policy may be superseded in exceptional circumstances. To make this assessment, the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards will confer with the appropriate offices to determine if the withdrawal is warranted.  See Student Conduct Code, policy # 03.70.12.

Excused Withdrawal refers to an approved petition to withdraw from a full semester of classes prior to the last day of class in the term in which the course is taken due to extenuating circumstances beyond the student's control that prohibit continued enrollment throughout the term.

  • Extenuating Circumstances are limited to the following:
    a. Incapacitating medical conditions
    b. Family emergencies
    c. Other catastrophic circumstances 
  • Students may file a Petition for Excused Withdrawal within one (1) year from the end date of the term in which the student experienced documented extenuating circumstances beyond their control that prohibited continued enrollment for the term in all courses.
  • In rare circumstances, a student may receive a partial excused withdrawal from individual courses when the documented extenuating circumstances specifically prohibited continued enrollment in only those courses.

When seeking an excused withdrawal from all courses for the term in progress or a prior term, the student must:

  1. Establish the extenuating circumstances;

  2. Provide documentation supporting the extenuating circumstance (for example, a medical provider's statement for medical conditions); if seeking a partial excused withdrawal, the student must provide documentation establishing extenuating circumstances that specifically prohibited enrollment in only those courses; 

  3. Show evidence of discontinued enrollment, participation in, and attendance at academically related activities (online and/or in-person) in the course(s) prior to the last published class meeting of the term;

  4. Not have taken any final exams or submitted any assignments during the final exam period;

  5. Not have passing grades (D- or higher) or Incomplete grade notations for the term in question; and

  6. Not have an open academic dishonesty student conduct case. (See Student Conduct Code, policy # 03.70.12.)​

  • Financial Responsibility: A student seeking an excused withdrawal for the entire term may be eligible for a pro-rated refund in accordance with the refund schedule published by the Office of the Bursar. If the university is required to return financial aid funds on the student's behalf, the student will owe those funds to the University.
  • Participation and Attendance: The calculation for the return of federal student financial aid funds is based upon the student's verified attendance or participation in academically related activities. This includes attendance, course participation, learning management system activities, exam or assignment completion, and other course related activities. The student's withdrawal date is the last date that the student participated in any academic activity related to the course.
  • Transcript: The course is recorded on the transcript with a "WE" grade notation.
  • Course attempt: "WE" grades are not included in the course repeat count under Temple's policy on Repeating a Course, policy # 02.10.12.
  • Incomplete: Students pursuing an Incomplete are not eligible for excused withdrawal. See also Temple's Incomplete Coursework Policy, # 02.10.13.
  • Appeals: Students may appeal a denied petition by providing documents supporting their appeal to the Office of the University Registrar. Appeals must be filed within 30 calendar days after initial decision.
     
1

Courses scheduled in the Short Duration Course part of term vary in their start and end meeting dates. Students may drop such a course prior to the first scheduled meet date or withdraw between the first scheduled meeting date and three days prior to the last scheduled meeting date, as long as a final grade is not reported.

Notes

  1. Dates of official enactment and amendments

    Adopted by the president on February 4, 2003. First effective on September 1, 2003.
    Amended by the president on February 8, 2011. Effective May 16, 2011 (Summer Session I).
    Amended by the president on August 15, 2014. Effective August 25, 2014 (Fall 2014 semester).
    Amended by the president on August 15, 2018. Effective August 27, 2018 (Fall 2018 semester).
    Amended by the president in May 2019.  Effective Summer 2019 semester.
    Amended by the president in March 2021. Effective Fall 2021.

  2. History

    The February 8, 2011 amendment addressed the change in # 02.10.12, Repeating a Course.
    The July 2014 amendment added a one-year limit to petition the University Registrar for an Excused Withdrawal.
    The August 2018 Amendment added a provision that a student may not drop a course once a student has been informed that academic misconduct is suspected.
    The March 2021 amendment changed the title of the policy from Withdrawal from Classes (Undergraduate and Graduate) to Discontinuing Registration: Dropping or Withdrawing from Classes (Undergraduate and Graduate), added and defined the term "Drop", and clarified language for the Excused Withdrawal​.
    Supersedes
    This policy supersedes all previous policies and procedures concerning drop or withdrawal from classes with effective dates prior to March 15, 2021.

  3. ​Cross References​