Withdrawing from Courses
Withdrawing with a Grade of W
A grade of W indicates that the student withdrew from a class with no effect to the student’s GPA. To withdraw from a course with a grade of W, students must complete, sign, and submit a withdrawal form before the last day to withdraw with a W, with the signature of the academic advisor, and, if the student has attended the course at least once, the signature of the instructor of the course. Students wishing to withdraw from the university altogether must obtain the signatures of the instructors for each course from which they wish to withdraw. The deadline to withdraw is set at the two-thirds mark of the quarter.
The only circumstance in which the student will not be charged for a course is if the student never attends a class session. If the student attends one class session or more, the student will be charged a determined percentage of the course’s tuition cost. The percentage applied to the student’s account depends on how many classes the student attends and the withdrawal date. For further information, please contact either the Office of Student Financial Services or the Office of Academic Services.
Note: A student who is a first responder may elect to withdraw from a course with a grade of W at any time during the term if documentation is provided verifying that the student’s first responder duties were the cause of absences exceeding the number of allowable excused absences. This policy applies to academic withdrawal only.
Late Withdrawals
Late withdrawals will be approved only under extreme, documented circumstances. Requesting a late withdrawal due to a low grade in the class, lack of interest in the subject matter, a different learning style from that of the classroom professor, or a change of major/requirements are not reasons that will be honored.
If a student believes that extraordinary circumstances require withdrawing from a class after the deadline, the student must complete the following steps:
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Write a letter fully specifying the reasons for the withdrawal.
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Gather supporting documentation (physical report, court documents, hospital documents, etc.)
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Meet with the academic advisor who will complete and sign a Late Withdrawal request form.
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Meet with the dean of the school for a signature on the request form.
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Submit the signed form, along with the letter and documentation, to the associate provost.
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If approved for a late withdrawal, the student will receive a W.
Notes: (1) In addition, students are not permitted to withdraw from a cluster to attend another cluster if that cluster has already had two class meetings.
(2) A student who is a first responder may elect to withdraw from a cluster with a grade of W at any time during the term if documentation is provided verifying that the student’s first responder duties were the cause of absences exceeding the number of allowable excused absences. This policy applies to academic withdrawal only.
(3) Calculation of the return of Title IV aid will be based on the last date of attendance for the term. This may result in a balance due to the university for which the student will be responsible.
(4) Petition for Late Withdrawal may be denied based on implications of the financial aid cycle.
Administrative Withdrawal
When it is in the best interest of a student or of Lindenwood University for a student to withdraw, a student may be given a W and put on administrative hold. This action of administrative withdrawal results in removal of all credits associated with the affected classes and places the student on administrative suspension. Before re-enrolling at the university, the student on administrative suspension must write a letter of appeal to the dean of students. An Administrative Withdrawal does not affect the student’s grade point average.
Repeating a Course or Cluster
An undergraduate student who earned a grade of C or lower in any part(s) of a cluster may repeat the entire cluster. Only the highest grade(s) earned will be used in the calculation of the grade point average. Repeating a course does not remove the previous grade from the transcript. Additional credit hours are not earned when a student repeats a course or cluster. A student's eligibility for federal financial aid may be affected if they choose to repeat a course. The university is under no obligation to offer a course aside from its usual schedule to accommodate a student repeating a course.