University College

Students should review section 3.20 of CSUMB's Withdrawal and Registration Policy for rules about withdrawing from a course for serious and compelling reasons after the ADD/DROP deadline. Students should also consult with a Financial Aid counselor prior to submitting a withdrawal request.

Before submitting a Request for Withdrawal, you should first seek assistance from campus and community resources for students who are struggling academically and personally. Some of these resources include:

• Your faculty and/or department chair
• Personal Growth and Counseling Center
• Campus Health Center
• Grief Support Groups (through PGCC)
• Center for Advising, Career, and Student Success
• Cooperative Learning Center

If after consulting with relevant individuals and offices listed above you decide you want to submit a Request for Withdrawal, you should next consult with the following (as applicable):

• Financial Aid (please be aware that a “W” counts against Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) as defined by federal financial aid).
  • Students who are receiving financial aid funds must consult with the CSUMB Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from the university regarding any refunds or repayments of grant or loan assistance received for that academic term. If a recipient of financial assistance under federal Title IV financial aid programs withdraws from the institution during a payment period the amount of grant or loan assistance received is subject to refund provisions governed by federal law.
  • Requests for refunds after the first two weeks of the semester are subject to Title V regulations (copy available at the Cashier's Office.)
• International Programs
• Veteran’s Affairs
• Athletics
• Student Housing

Our hope is that by reaching out to these support systems, you will be ready to persist and succeed in all of your coursework. But, if you are still considering withdrawing from some or all of your classes, you should know that the submission of a withdrawal request does not guarantee its approval. The process outlined below includes the categories of approvable reasons, so long as appropriate documentation is also provided. We’ve also included a list of reasons that will not meet the standard of 'serious and compelling' for the purposes of withdrawal. Requests submitted without supporting documentation will be denied without review, and please know that extraordinary care is taken by our offices to ensure the protection of your privacy with regard to your documentation.

To withdraw from one or all classes, students must submit the appropriate withdrawal form to the office of University College; otherwise, the student will receive a grade of "WU" (unauthorized withdrawal) or "F" in the course. Submission of the request for authorized withdrawal does not guarantee that the withdrawal request will be approved. Students are entirely responsible for appropriately withdrawing from courses or the University by the dates noted in the due dates & deadlines calendar.

Things You Should Know:

• There are different actions needed to drop (courses and grades not recorded on your permanent record) or withdraw (courses and grades recorded on your permanent record) from your course(s) depending on where we are in the semester or special session. Please review these timelines below.
• If approved, a “W” is recorded on your transcript for the course(s). If you do not submit a petition or the petition is not approved, and you have stopped attending class, your faculty can record either the grade earned (typically an “F”) or a “WU” (Unauthorized Withdrawal). A WU is calculated the same way as an F for purposes of your GPA.
• Students may withdraw from no more than 18 semester-units attempted at CSUMB during their undergraduate career. The maximum allowable units for withdrawal applies to coursework taken in matriculated status and any courses taken through extended education, special session, or Open University.
• Students are expected to be aware of the appropriate policies regarding dropping or withdrawing from courses, including the ramifications of not attending.
• Submission of the Request to Withdraw form does not guarantee approval.
• Students should expect that instructors and other University parties may be contacted about the petition.
• Please see the Due Dates & Deadlines Calendar for specific dates for all sessions.

Currently, forms will only be accepted by email at ucdean@csumb.edu from your CSUMB email account. Do not try to turn in a hard copy form into any campus office.

Withdrawal Request forms are available at https://csumb.edu/planning/forms. Students must complete sections 1, 2, 3, and obtain additional signatures in part 4 (if applicable) before submitting the form to ucdean@csumb.edu.

Please make sure to have reached out to your faculty (the second half of section 3 of the form).  University College may consult with faculty to obtain signature(s), last date of attendance, and current grade.

Please Note:

• Students may drop all courses in OASIS before 11:59pm PST prior to the first day of class at the beginning of the semester without penalty. The courses will no longer appear in your schedule, and no fees will be charged.
• During the Schedule Adjustment period (refers to Add/Drop period) for any session, students may Add/Drop courses. If a course is dropped during this period, the course will no longer appear in your schedule. No grade will be recorded in such instances. Please note that you will be charged a pro-rated fee if you drop during this period.
• Students who have registered for classes at CSUMB and do not attend will not have fees reimbursed without dropping all courses prior to the start of the semester.
• After the Schedule Adjustment Period, students must submit a Request to Withdrawal form in order to withdraw from one or more courses. Please note that you will be charged a pro-rated fee if you drop during this period. 
• Students who wish to withdraw from all courses at any point in the semester must submit a Withdrawal Request form as outlined below. Please note that pro-rated fees are reimbursed only to the first 60% of a session.
• Submission of the Withdrawal form does not guarantee approval.
• Students should expect that instructors and other University parties may be contacted about the petition.
• Please see the Due Dates & Deadlines Calendar for specific dates for all sessions.

1. After the second week of instruction and prior to the 19th day of the semester (or up to the first 10% of a special session course), students may withdraw from individual courses with a"W" for reasons such as inadequate preparation. In connection with all other approved withdrawals, the "W" will be used.
2. Course withdrawals between the 19th Day of the Semester and 80% of the session (10% and 80% for special session) are permissible only for serious and compelling reasons (see definitions below). Approval of the withdrawal during this time shall be granted only with the acknowledgement of the instructor with the last date of attendance recorded, and approval by the Associate Vice President for Academic Programs and Dean of University College (UC Dean). Withdrawal during this time from graduate or credential courses shall be granted only with the approval of the appropriate graduate or credential program coordinator and the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research. Supporting documentation may be required.
3. Approval does not suggest permission to stop attending. Students are advised to continue attending the course and submitting assignments until a final decision on the petition is received.
4. All requests for withdrawals after the 19th day of the semester (or after the first 10% of a special session) must be for verifiable reasons and require appropriate supporting documentation. Failure to submit documentation will result in a denial.

• Official withdrawal within the add/drop period will result in no record of enrollment on your transcript. Newly admitted students whom withdraw from all courses during this period are required to reapply to the University.
• Students wishing to withdraw after the last day of the add/drop period must give documented evidence that the withdrawal is necessary due to serious and compelling extenuating circumstances. Reasons must meet the guidelines of 'serious and compelling' listed below.
• No withdrawal is permitted during the last three weeks of classes except for ‘exceptional serious, compelling and extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control’. Supporting documentation must be provided. Students are encouraged to meet with their advisor to discuss withdrawal impacts and alternative options, including incomplete grade assignment.
• For approved withdrawal requests, a grade of ‘W’ will appear on the transcript for each course and will not affect the student’s gpa. A grade of ‘WU’ will appear on the transcript for students who stop attending without following official withdrawal procedures, and is equivalent to an ‘F’ for gpa purposes.
• Students withdrawing from all courses are no longer eligible for Main Campus and East Campus student housing and must submit a license cancellation form with Student Housing & Residential Life and set up an appointment to move out of their assigned space. If a student wishes to return to CSUMB and be eligible for student housing, a new security deposit and housing application must be submitted, and the student will be considered a ‘new’ student in housing.
• The Withdrawal Request Form is used solely to update Academic Records and does not dictate the refund amount for mandatory tuition and fees.  Specific questions regarding a refund may be sent to student_receivables@csumb.edu.
• Withdrawals do have impacts on your Financial Aid. Please visit the Financial Aid Office and their website for more information regarding staying eligible during the withdrawal process.

Students are expected to speak with:

1. Course instructors prior to submitting the petition as a means of seeking options other than withdrawal, including tutoring support, courses, etc.
2. Academic advisors prior to initiating a withdrawal.
3. Financial aid personnel prior to submitting the request as a means of ensuring that the student has the breadth of understanding of the potential ramifications.
4. Veteran's Affairs representative if student is receiving Veteran's benefits.
5. Campus student housing to discuss potential ramifications.
6. International Programs advisor for students requesting to drop below 12 semester units.
7. Athletics Coordinator if you are a student athlete who is requesting to drop below 12 semester units.

Please review criteria below for requirements and appropriate documentation to submit. Petitions without sufficient and relevant documentation may be denied. 

The following situations are typical of those for which 'serious and compelling' is appropriate justification for approving withdrawals. Documentation must show your extenuating circumstance(s), and must match the dates of the term in which you are requesting the drop/withdrawal. *Course withdrawals require significant justification and support for withdrawing from only select courses.

Serious and compelling reasons are typically entirely outside a student’s control and are generally limited to the following:

• An extended absence (a week or more) due to a verifiable accident, illness, or personal problem serious enough to cause withdrawal from the university.
• Death (immediate family): If available, provide a death certificate or obituary/memorial service card (if certificate cannot be issued) documents must include dates.
• Loss of care for dependents.
• Documented medical and/or psychological circumstances that significantly impede student attendance or productivity. The UC Dean will contact the Dean of Students as needed, and particularly for students who are unable to return to campus as a result of these circumstances. If able, provide letter(s) from counselor, or therapist, or psychiatrist.
• A necessary change in employment status which interferes with the student's ability to attend class. Please provide a letter from employer on letterhead or work schedule (clearly identifying hours and/or change in schedule).
• Personal/Financial Hardships: Provide legal documents identifying hardships with specific dates.
  
• Administrative Error: Provide letter(s) on university letterhead or email.
• Military: Provide documentation from Commanding Officer (CO).
• Other unusual or very special cases, considered on their own merit.

The following situations are examples of reasons that would not fall under the intent of "serious and compelling":

• Poor academic performance or grade anticipated in class is not sufficiently high, or student is doing failing work.
• Failure to attend class, complete assignments, or take a test/tests.
• Dissatisfaction with course material, instructional method, or instructor.
• Class is harder than expected. Student not academically prepared for coursework.
• Taking too many units.
• Pressure of other classes or participation in social activities.
• Simple lack of motivation.
• A change of major.
• Not knowing how or when to drop or withdraw from courses.

Withdrawals after 80% of the session are seldom granted. Students are expected to formally withdraw from classes or the university prior this point in the session if work, personal, or health reasons interfere with class attendance or ability to complete work or exams. Please see the academic calendar for exact dates for each semester.

• Withdrawal requests from classes or the university after 80% of the session will be considered only for military, accident, serious physical or mental illness, or serious personal or family problems where the cause of withdrawal is due to circumstances clearly beyond the student's control and the assignment of an incomplete grade is not practicable. In addition, extenuating circumstances must be shown to have prevented withdrawal in a more timely fashion. Students may not request a late withdrawal for poor academic performance. Lack of awareness of the withdrawal procedures is not an extenuating circumstance.
• Such petitions will be reviewed by the UC Dean, the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, and, in some cases, the Vice President for Student Affairs. Permission to withdraw during this time from graduate or credential courses will be granted only with the approval of the appropriate graduate or credential program coordinator and the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research.

If a student has been granted a complete medical withdrawal for medical or psychiatric reasons in a preceding term, then additional medical withdrawal requests must consider the question of whether or not the student can complete appropriate educational objectives, and must be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. After a repeat medical withdrawal is granted, the student may be required to obtain a clearance from an appropriate medical or psychological professional that states the student is well enough to return to classes with the full expectation that the student will be able to complete the semester and intended educational objectives.

Your health and wellbeing need to come first.

Students called for active military duty may withdraw from courses throughout at any point in the term without restriction or penalty with the appropriate documentation. For clarification of Veterans Administration policies on withdrawals, incompletes, course repeats, etc., please contact the campus veterans' representative.

• A grade of “W” will be recorded for approved withdrawal petitions. In all but the circumstances described in the next bullet, the withdrawals will be counted toward the maximum withdrawal units allowed.
• A grade of "W" will be recorded for withdrawal from all courses for the term due to medical reasons but will not be counted toward the maximum allowable units for withdrawals.
• A grade of "WU" , (identified as “unauthorized withdraw”) or the grade earned in the course (typically “F”) in the course) will be recorded in cases in which a student’s petition for an authorized withdrawal is denied. “WU” may also be recorded if a student stops attending (including logging into online courses), even in cases of no petition having been filed. Courses which are graded Credit/No Credit or in cases where the student has elected Credit/No Credit evaluation, "NC" will be used instead.

Withdrawals after the end of the semester and within one year of the start of a previous academic semester (i.e., before August 19 for a previous fall) are called retroactive withdrawals. Requests for such withdrawals are rarely granted and only in the most dire of circumstances.

• Student must submit a Petition for Exception to University Academic Policy. The petition must be received by the University College office via email at ucdean@csumb.edu no later than the first day of classes for a semester no later than one year later than the semester being petitioned (i.e., first day of Fall 2023 for a Fall 2022 retroactive withdrawal petition).
• Documentation of the reasons cited in the petition are obligatory and must be considered carefully. Reasons such as those outlined above as insufficient are not considered in this process. The bar for such approvals is very high and the circumstances must be demonstrably outside of the student’s control.
• Such petitions will be considered by the major advisor, the program coordinator (in the case of graduate or credential students), the Associate Dean, and the Associate Provost for Student Success and Dean of Undergraduate Studies. 
• Retroactive withdrawals are expected to be for coursework of the entire semester, not just a select few.

Please fill out and submit this form by scanning and emailing to University College at ucgs@csumb.edu from your CSUMB email account. We will be in touch regarding what additional documents may be needed.

Be aware that this does not include CSUMB Housing & Residential Life General Petition for Exception form which can be found https://csumb.edu/housing/housing-appeal-request/