Administrative Withdrawal

Piedmont University expects students to take an active role in their academic success. Examples of active engagement in learning include attending every class meeting and diligently completing all learning activities (daily assignments, quizzes, papers, problem-sets, etc.).

The administrative withdrawal policy was created to assist students in establishing good academic engagement and attendance habits. Failure to routinely complete daily and major assignments or attend class places students in jeopardy of being administratively withdrawn from any or all courses at any time during a semester or term. Undergraduate students may be administratively withdrawn regardless of class level.

Administrative withdrawals may affect a student’s financial aid awards, campus residential status, athletic eligibility and/or student visa status as the withdrawal from courses impacts enrolled credit hours.

The policy will be applied in a student-friendly manner holding students accountable for appropriate attitudes and actions demonstrating a seriousness of purpose about academic engagement and learning. The University administration has the authority to withdraw a student from a single course, multiple courses, or the University, and to revoke that student’s registration at any time during a semester or term for failure to comply with academic requirements including, but not limited, to:

• being absent from any course for the first two days of the class in a term or semester without prior written approval. Written approval, generally via email, may be granted by individual faculty members or the academic dean for the college in which the student resides.
• demonstrating unsatisfactory academic and course engagement at any point in the semester/ term defined by one or more of the following as:
  • having missed an excessive amount of scheduled class time as defined by individual faculty members’ syllabi, excluding absences for University-related activities for which the student has communicated appropriately with each faculty member involved prior to the absence, arranged for the missed class time/assignments, etc. Students involved in University-related activities (i.e. athletics competitions, fieldtrips, etc.) are advised to carefully monitor the number of missed classes in a given semester.
  • failing to maintain routine log-in and academic engagement activity during each week for online courses.
  • violating learning or behavioral contracts if applicable

Students who do not fulfill their obligations through appropriate academic engagement risk being administratively withdrawn from any, or all, courses in which this failure to engage occurs. Withdrawals will not occur without sufficient warning and due notice to students. Students who are administratively withdrawn from a single course or all courses in a semester/term:

• are responsible for all debts and other charges related with the course(s)
• are not eligible for a tuition refund for the course(s)
• receive a “W” grade notation if the withdrawal occurs prior to the final date for withdrawal in a term/semester without academic penalty. The “W” grade does not affect a student’s grade point average. Administrative withdrawals after the final date for withdrawal in a term/semester without academic penalty will be recorded as “WF.” No other grades, such as NR, I or IP, may be assigned.
• may lose their eligibility for campus residential status and will not be eligible for a proration of housing or meal plan expenses. Athletic competition eligibility may also be impacted if the withdrawal drops them below full-time status.
• may experience changes in financial aid eligibility as a result of the withdrawal. Because financial aid eligibility is based on many factors, financial aid changes related to a withdrawal will vary. Students are responsible to know the effects poor choices related to their academic engagement may have on their financial aid eligibility and status.

If faculty members have reason to inquire about specific cases of administrative withdrawal, they may inquire with the registrar or academic dean for the college in which the student resides. In certain cases, the student’s right to confidentiality may not permit full disclosure of the circumstances.

Because the University affords students the right to appeal academic decisions, it is essential that instructors maintain accurate and consistent records of academic engagement from students throughout the semester/term.

Extenuating circumstances such as family emergencies and serious illness must be documented and may be taken into account. Students participating in intercollegiate athletics and academic field trips are advised to complete all assignments in an appropriate manner for each class, monitoring any absences in addition to these events carefully.