Course Withdrawal

Immediately following the end of the drop period, students may withdraw from a course according to the policies below.

When a student withdraws from a course before 75% of the course duration has passed, a grade of “W” (withdrawal) will be recorded on the academic record. After 75% of the course duration has passed, a student may not withdraw.

Tuition and fees will not be adjusted for course withdrawals during this withdrawal period. 

Course withdrawals can be processed in the Registrar’s Office or through Banner. The withdrawal date of each course is printed on the student’s schedule. Note that some student groups may need additional approval for withdrawals, such as for international and/or athletic compliance. 

Faculty Initiated Student Withdrawal

Under certain specific circumstances, a faculty member or the University may withdraw a student from a course or courses. The circumstances are either 1 or 2 below.

1. Faculty may withdraw a student from a course for non-attendance if the student has never attended class through the end of the drop period. The course will be removed from the student’s transcript and no grade will be issued. Withdrawal forms must be received by the Registrar’s Office by 5:00 pm on the last day of the drop period.
2. Faculty may withdraw a student for a designated number of absences or for any other reason as stated in the course syllabus with the student’s signature acknowledging the withdrawal on the course withdrawal form. In the event that faculty efforts to contact a student concerning the withdrawal are unsuccessful, the signature of the Department Chair (or Dean, if the Department Chair and instructor are one-in-the-same) acknowledging the withdrawal may be substituted for the student's signature. The student will receive a grade of "W" for the course. Exceptions to the requirement of a student or Department Chair signature may be granted to programs by the Provost.

If a faculty member chooses to incorporate this policy, it must be stated in the course syllabus. The criteria to be met by the student which would trigger a Faculty Initiated Withdrawal of the student from the course must be stated in the policy. The criteria will also include the method by which the student will be informed by the faculty member of the impending withdrawal. As with the Student Initiated Withdrawal Policy, faculty may not initiate a student withdrawal after the official course withdrawal period has ended.

Total Withdrawal from the University

Up until the drop period expires, students may drop full-term courses without charge by using PAWS or through the Registrar’s Office. Short-term courses will have shorter drop periods. Students must refer to their course schedules for exact date for each course.

After the end of the drop period, students who are planning to withdraw from all courses and leave the University for any reason must begin the withdrawal process with the Pack Center (LARC 151) prior to departure. Total withdrawals will not be processed after the last scheduled class day of the semester. Students residing in the Residence Halls also must check out at the Housing Office.

Unless the total withdrawal procedure is followed, students are not eligible for an adjustment (if appropriate) of tuition and fees and will receive failing grades in all courses.

Retroactive Withdrawal

A student may request that all grades in previous terms be retroactively removed and replaced by entries of “W” on their transcript if they had experienced, during that term, health and/or personal problems so severe that they could not reasonably have been expected to complete the term satisfactorily.

Application for a retroactive withdrawal may occur any time after the current term and before conferral of a degree.

Appeal Process

The Retroactive Withdrawal Request form must be submitted with supporting documentation to the Registrar’s Office. Documentation must include the following:

1. Specific information from a professional who can attest to the student's claim of illness or legal issues, and
2. Speak clearly to the difficulty that was encountered by the student and correlate to the specific time frame requested.

After a request is received by the Registrar’s Office, it will be addressed by the Retroactive Withdrawal Committee. Once the request is reviewed and a decision is made, the student will be notified of the outcome by e-mail.

If a student chooses to appeal the decision of the Retroactive Withdrawal Committee (or to omit the above requested documentation), the student must submit a formal appeal including thorough documentation as listed above. The appeal must be submitted, or postmarked if mailed, to the student Academic Appeals Board no later than 20 working days after the date of the initial decision of the Retroactive Withdrawal Committee. If no appeal is received before the deadline, the Retroactive Withdrawal Committee’s decision will be considered final.

The Academic Appeals Board decision is the final decision of the University.

Examples of reasonable requests for retroactive withdrawal include:

1. Death of immediate family member
2. Serious personal/family problems
3. Unexpected deployment or relocation
4. Diagnosed physical or mental condition/illness

A retroactive withdrawal is not allowed if a student has already earned a degree from Colorado State University Pueblo and the term being requested is prior to the degree conferral.

Retroactive withdrawal applies to every class for the requested term(s), not for selective courses during a term.

An approved retroactive withdrawal will have no impact on any financial balance owed to the University. Please contact Student Billing Services for Tuition Appeal Information.

Military Withdrawal

If military obligations interrupt the academic work of a member of the armed forces registered for courses, the student may ask instructors for an early termination of his or her courses. Early terminations may include, but are not limited to:

1. A withdrawal (W) recorded on the transcript,
2. An incomplete (I or IN) grade, if there is any chance the student will be able to complete the course requirements,
3. An early final examination and course grade, or
4. An opportunity to complete the class by independent study.

It is the student’s responsibility to make such a request in writing to the instructor. After the student and instructor have agreed on the terms of early termination, the agreement must be approved in writing by the Department Chair and the Dean.