UNC Charlotte Academic Policy: Withdrawal and Cancellation of Enrollment Policy

I. Executive Summary

Once a student has registered for classes and it becomes necessary to terminate the registration, there are two possible courses of action: (1) withdrawal from classes and/or from the University, or (2) Cancellation of Enrollment. This policy sets forth the academic effects of cancelling enrollment and/or withdrawal from courses and determines the limitations of hours from which certain students can withdraw with a grade of “W”.

II. Policy Statement

Students are expected to complete all courses for which they are registered at the close of the Add/Drop Period. These courses will appear on the transcript, count as attempted hours, and except for withdrawals allowed under this policy, receive grades used in the GPA calculation. All types of termination, including withdrawal, withdrawal for extenuating circumstances, and Cancellation of Enrollment are subject to all financial aid and satisfactory academic progress rules.

WITHDRAWALS (WITHOUT EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES)

Students are allowed opportunities to withdraw from classes and receive a grade of W, subject to the following conditions:

Deadline
The deadline to withdraw from one or more courses (including withdrawal from all courses) is at the 60% completion point of the term. The precise date for each term will be published in the Academic Calendar. After this deadline, late withdrawal will only be allowed for approved extenuating circumstances.

Grade of W
A grade of W will be recorded for each withdrawal without extenuating circumstances. Courses marked W do not count in GPA calculations, but do count in attempted hour calculations for all undergraduate and graduate students.

W-Limit Hours (Undergraduate Students Only)
Undergraduate students may receive a grade of W for no more than 16 credit hours over the course of their Academic Careers. Students may only withdraw from a course if they have enough remaining “W-Limit Hours,” as shown in the following examples:

  • A student has already received W grades for 14 credit hours and thus has only 2 W-Limit Hours left. The student may not withdraw from a 3-credit course, but could withdraw from a 1- or 2-credit course.
  • Another student has 12 remaining W-Limit Hours and is currently taking five 3-credit courses. The student would like to withdraw from all courses but lacks approved extenuating circumstances, and thus must choose at least one course in which to stay enrolled.

Students who are unable to withdraw from a course but stop attending the course will be assigned a grade by the instructor for partial work.

WITHDRAWAL FOR EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES

Students who experience serious extenuating circumstances (personal or medical crisis or military deployment) may request a withdrawal for extenuating circumstances. The Dean of Students Office is responsible for developing and communicating standards and procedures in conjunction with the Colleges that govern these decisions (see UNC Charlotte Academic Procedure: Cancellation of Enrollment and Effects of Withdrawal from Courses). The student must submit the request during the term the crisis begins. If approved, a grade of WE will be recorded for each course. Courses marked WE do not count in GPA calculations, but do count in attempted hour calculations. If not approved, the student may appeal to the appropriate office (see UNC Charlotte Academic Procedure: Cancellation of Enrollment and Effects of Withdrawal from Courses).

Undergraduate Students Only: Undergraduate students who withdraw under approved extenuating circumstances will receive “WE” grades that do not count against their 16-hour limit.

CANCELLATION OF ENROLLMENT
A Cancellation of Enrollment results in removal of all enrollments from all courses for the term. Under Cancellation of Enrollment, courses do not appear on the transcript, count as attempted hours, or receive grades used in the GPA calculation.

Cancellation of Enrollment may occur at the approved request of a student, or through the removal of a student by the University for reasons that include but are not limited to: academic ineligibility, failure to pay tuition and fees, student conduct sanctions, documented emergency, or military deployment. A student may also choose to cancel his/her own enrollment prior to the first day of classes in accordance with UNC Charlotte Academic Procedure: Cancellation of Enrollment and Effects of Withdrawal from Courses.

III. Definitions

  • Academic career – the period during which a student is working at this institution toward completion of one or more degrees.
  • Add/Drop Period – the time during which students may add or drop courses without a record or academic penalty, also called the “course adjustment period”
  • Course – a specific subject studied within a limited period of time. Courses may utilize lectures, discussion, laboratory, seminar, workshop, studio, independent study, internship, or other similar teaching formats to facilitate learning.
  • Drop – cancel enrollment in a course before the published add/drop deadline (the 6th business day of the Fall and Spring semesters, and the 2nd business day for the first and second Summer sessions).
  • Extenuating circumstances – personal situations that, upon administrative approval, allow students to withdraw late (if necessary) and to receive “WE” grades that do not count against their W-limit hours
  • Withdraw – cancel enrollment in a course after the add/drop period but before the published withdrawal deadline (during the 9th week of fall or spring semesters) and receive a grade of W
  • W-limit hours – the maximum number of credit hours (currently 16) for which students are allowed to receive a grade of W over their academic careers

IV. Policy Contact(s)

V. History

  • September 26, 2013: Approved
  • March 17, 2016: Revised [Add/Drop period changed from 8 instructional days to 8 calendar days for Fall & Spring semesters, effective Fall 2016]
  • October 6, 2016: Revised [FAPSC rewrote policy to include graduate students as well as undergraduate students, and added “Cancellation of Enrollment” to policy and title]
  • July 1, 2019: Revised [removed Tuition Surcharge after state repealed it]

VI. Related Policies, Procedures, and Resources

VII. Frequently Asked Questions

  • Where is this policy referenced?
    The policy is published on the Academic Policies & Procedures webpage of the Provost website and in the Degree Requirements & Academic Policies section of the Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs.
  • Which students are covered under this policy?
    This policy applies to undergraduate and graduate students (except where noted) at UNC Charlotte for grades recorded for Fall 2014 or later.
  • Can students request a retroactive WE for a grade that was awarded prior to Fall 2014? No, WEs cannot be applied to a term prior to when they first were effective (Fall 2014).
  • For additional FAQs, please visit the Withdrawal Services website.