Adding, Dropping & Withdrawing
Approvals Needed
The following approvals are needed for:
- Dropping a class
- Curricular Students--advisor's signature
- Non-Curricular Students--counselor's signature
- Withdrawing from a class
- Curricular Students--advisor's signature
- Non-Curricular Students--counselor's signature
- Financial Aid Officer's signature for all curricular students
- Complete withdrawal from College
- Curricular Students--advisor's signature and counselor's signature
- Non-Curricular Students--counselor's signature
- Financial Aid Officer's signature required for all curricular students
Having secured the proper signatures, students report to the Admissions and Records Office to process schedule changes. The date the form is processed by the Admissions and Records Office personnel is the official date of drop or withdrawal.
The deadlines for the above procedures can be found in the Academic Calendar. Non-standard courses have deadlines unique to their length. For additional information, contact the WCC Admissions and Records Office. Off-campus students should contact the regional site coordinator for instructions for properly adding, dropping, or withdrawing from an off-campus class.
Off-campus evening students should contact the site coordinator for instructions for properly adding, dropping or withdrawing from an off-campus class. Site coordinators are located on the WCC campus, at the Crossroads Institute, and the Smyth County Education Center.
Adding Classes Late
Students are permitted to register for classes after the first official day of class for ten calendar days in the regular semester or the day which represents the completion of fifteen percent (15%) of the term for nonstandard scheduling. This date is marked on the Academic Calendar.
Dropping Classes
The drop period for classes in the fifteen-week session terminates at the close of the fourteenth calendar day of the academic semester or the day which represents the completion of fifteen percent (15%) of the term for nonstandard scheduling. This date is marked on the Academic Calendar.
Students may NOT receive a refund after this date unless there are extraordinary circumstances requiring the student to withdraw. Students requesting a refund after the last day to drop must put their request in writing, with sufficient documentation, to the Vice President of Instruction and Student Development. Each student request will be considered individually.
Approvals needed:
- Curricular Students--advisor's signature
- Non-Curricular Students--counselor's signature
Withdrawing from Class
Students may withdraw from a course without academic penalty during the first 60% of that course's term and receive a grade of "W." The latest date that a student can withdraw from a class is called "last date to withdraw without academic penalty." This date is marked on the Academic Calendar.
After this date, the student who withdraws will receive a grade of "F" or "U" except under mitigating circumstances. Requests for late withdrawals involving mitigating circumstances must be put in writing to the Vice President of Instruction and Student Development, with sufficient documentation. Should the request be approved, a copy of the approval and documentation will be placed in the student's academic file.
Approvals needed:
- Curricular Students--advisor's signature
- Non-Curricular Students--counselor's signature
- Financial Aid Officer's signature for all curricular students
Instructor Initiated Withdrawal Policy
The instructor will withdraw a student from a course without academic penalty (“W” grade) during the withdrawal period for that course when the following conditions are met:
- the number of student absences equals twice the number of weekly meetings of the class, and
- the student grade at the time of the last absence is “D,” “F,” or “U.”
A student who adds a class or registers after the first week of class is counted absent from all class meetings missed beginning with the second week.
A student who has not attended any classes during the add period and/or who meets the conditions described above will be withdrawn after the last date to drop (usually 14 calendar days in a normal session.)
The student may appeal the withdrawal to the instructor. This instructor’s decision to reinstate or not will be based on the circumstances and the student’s status in the class.
Repeating a Class
Students are limited to two (2) enrollments in the same course. Should a student desire to take a course at third time, he/she must get written approval from the academic dean who oversees the course prior to registering for that course. No student will be allowed to take a course more than three (3) times. This limitation does not apply to general use courses such as internships, seminar and supervised study.
When a student does repeat a course, the most recent grade earned will be the grade used in computing the grade point average for graduation. The most recent grade will also be the grade used to determine if the course has been passed. For example, if the most recent grade in a given course is an “F,” that course can not be used to satisfy a graduation requirement, regardless of any grade that may have been earned in that course in a previous enrollment.
While previous grades in repeated courses will not be used in computing grade point average for graduation, the previous grades will be included with the repeated grades in computer the cumulative grade point average.
Auditing a Course
Under certain circumstances, a student may register to audit a course. One who audits a course attends classes but is not required to take examinations and, therefore, receives no credit. To register as an auditing student, one must get permission from the appropriate academic dean and must pay the normal tuition for the course. Students are allowed to audit classes only on a space-available basis and for reasons acceptable to the instructor and appropriate academic dean. Auditing a course is permitted only when it is in the best interest of the requesting student, other students, and the College. Since audited courses carry no credit, they do not count as a part of the student's course load. Students who register to audit a course, but then decide to take it for credit, must make that change within the "add" period. Changes from "credit" to "audit" must be made by the last day for withdrawal without penalty.