The Office of the Dean of Students strongly encourages individuals to make an appointment by calling 719-255-3091, emailing dos@uccs.edu, or contacting a specific staff member using our staff contact information.

 

Withdrawals

Withdrawals

Complete Withdrawals

Due to extenuating circumstances, students sometimes need to leave the University. Our goal is to educate students on the withdrawal process and provide support so students can easily return when their circumstances allow.

Withdrawal Options

  • Complete Withdrawal: Dropping all active enrolled courses
  • Course Drop/Partial Withdrawal: Dropping one or more courses, and remaining enrolled in one or more active courses
  • Retroactive Withdrawal: Withdrawing from all classes for a specific term after the term end date
  • Retroactive Drop/Partial Withdrawal: Dropping one or more classes for a specific term after the term end date

General Withdrawal Information

For most classes during the Fall 2023 semester, the last day to withdraw (Census Date) is September 7, 2023. For short-term classes, please refer to the Office of the Registrar’s Withdrawal Policies and Procedures page for relevant dates.

After the last day to withdraw, course drops and complete withdrawals are usually only available in the case of extenuating circumstances.

The following are typically not acceptable stand-alone reasons for dropping or withdrawing after the last day to drop:

  • Poor performance in class
  • GPA protection
  • Failure to verify class schedule
  • Failure to monitor waitlist position
  • Change of major or program that results in a course no longer being a requirement
  • Failure to attend/participate in class on a regular basis
  • Failure to abide by withdrawal deadlines

Financial Considerations

When deciding whether a withdrawal would be in your best interest, please also consider the following financial implications:

  • Any withdraw after a course’s posted census date will generate a ‘W’ grade (not impacting GPA) and will not result in in an automatic refund.
  • Withdrawing can impact your financial aid eligibility; if you are receiving financial aid, please make sure to discuss this at your support meeting
  • In rare circumstances, tuition appeals may be available; this is separate process and may require different documentation. 

Support

The Dean of Students Office is available to support students with extenuating circumstances through the CARE team. Regardless of when a student is withdrawing, they should contact the Dean of Students Office if they are withdrawing due to:

  • Personal or family emergency
  • Unforeseen medical emergency or condition
  • Behavioral or mental health impacting ability to be successful 
  • Other crises

Navigating the Withdrawal Process

Please select a withdrawal option below to learn more about next steps:

Withdrawal Before the Drop Deadline (Current Semester)

Prior to the drop deadline, additional permission is not needed to drop a course or withdraw completely. If you are dropping one or more of your classes prior to the drop deadline for the course, please refer to the Office of the Registrar's website for information. 

Complete Withdrawal Post-Drop Deadline (Current Semester)

If you are seeking a complete withdrawal from all of your classes after the drop deadline, you will need to work with the Office of the Dean of Students. The first step is to review the General Information above and complete the Withdrawal Request webform. After you submit the form, you will be contacted by the Office of the Dean of Students to schedule an appointment to review your situation. During busy periods, this may take up to three business days.

Please note that submitting a Withdrawal Request webform is the first step of the withdrawal process. Submitting a request form will not result in an automatic withdrawal, and withdrawals are not guaranteed. You will need to work with the Office of the Dean of Students staff to complete the process after submitting your form. 

Please be aware that you will need to provide an explanation of your extenuating circumstances and possibly additional documentation. If your current circumstances prevent you from completing the form as the first step in the process, please schedule an appointment with the Dean of Students office by emailing dos@uccs.edu or calling 719-255-3091. 

Course Drop/Partial Withdrawal (Current Semester)

If you are withdrawing from some, but not all, of your current courses, you will need to obtain permission through the Academic College that offers the course. This process generally involves getting permission from your instructor and a designated administrator from the college, such as the Associate Dean, Department Chair, or Academic Director. 

To initiate the process, complete the Add/Drop form. Next, seek permission from your faculty, and then the appropriate college administrator. If you are unsure who to contact for administrator approval, your instructor can likely direct you to the right person. Please ask them who you should talk to next. In some cases, your faculty may refer you to a specific college process. You may also contact the Office of the Registrar for additional information on course drops. 

If you are withdrawing from some, but not all of your current courses and you have extenuating circumstances (personal emergency, medical emergency, mental health impacting academics, etc.), please complete the Withdrawal Request Webform. It is in your best interest to submit documentation with your webform. After you submit the form, you will be contacted by the Office of the Dean of Students to schedule an appointment to review your situation and discuss next steps and supports. 

Retroactive Drop/Withdrawal (Current or Previous Semesters)

Retroactive drops or withdrawals occur after the term end-date. Typically, these withdrawals are only eligible in the case of unforeseen extenuating circumstances that prevented you from withdrawing during the semester; examples are debilitating health problems (mental or physical), a family emergency (such as the death of a guardian), and unexpected financial difficulties (such as a job loss). 

Similar to withdrawals after the drop deadline, the following are typically not acceptable stand-alone reasons for petitioning: 

  • Poor performance in class
  • GPA protection
  • Failure to verify class schedule 
  • Failure to monitor waitlist position
  • Change of major or program that results in a course no longer being a requirement
  • Failure to attend/participate in class on a regular basis
  • Failure to abide by withdrawal deadlines

To initiate a retroactive withdrawal or drop, the first step is to review the General Information above and complete the Withdrawal Request webform. After you submit the form, you will be contacted by the Office of the Dean of Students to schedule an appointment to review your situation. Because retroactive withdrawals occur after the semester end date and are less time-sensitive, it may take up to one week to schedule an appointment during busy seasons. 

Please note that submitting a Withdrawal Request webform is the first step of the retroactive withdrawal process. Submitting a request form will not result in an automatic retroactive withdrawal, and retroactive withdrawals are not guaranteed. You will need to work with the Office of the Dean of Students staff to complete the process after submitting your form. 

Please contact the Office of the Dean of Students for support, if your circumstances (such as severe illness, hospitalization, etc.) prevent you from seeking the appropriate approvals or if you would like to be connected to additional support services for your extenuating circumstances.