Appendix J

Hardship Withdrawal Policy

1. Students may request a hardship withdrawal after the official withdrawal (“W” date) deadline published in the schedule of classes until the day before the scheduled Reading Day of the term. A hardship withdrawal is an exception based on unusual or emergency circumstances beyond the student’s control.

2. A hardship withdrawal may be granted based upon special circumstances. The following conditions apply:

• The student must initiate a hardship withdrawal through the Assistant/Associate Dean of the College to which the student belongs. The student should be prepared to present documented evidence to substantiate the hardship being claimed. See rule 3 below for examples of documentation. If a psychological assessment is required, the Assistant/Associate Dean may require the student to meet with the Director of Student Development (in Room 137, Parker Hall).

• The student must withdraw from all classes during the current term. He or she may not select only certain classes from which to withdraw. See rule 4 below for exceptions.

• If recommended for hardship withdrawal by the Director of Student Development and approved by the student’s Associate/Assistant Dean, for each course a student will receive a W.

• Hardship withdrawals requested on or after the scheduled Reading Day will be treated as a retroactive hardship withdrawal. Retroactive hardship withdrawals will not be allowed if the student has completed all course requirements such as a final examination and/or a final project. Students seeking a retroactive hardship withdrawal must initiate the withdrawal through the student’s Assistant/Associate Dean. If recommended for a hardship withdrawal, the grade will be changed to W through the official Grade Appeal process for each course taken. (See Grade Appeal process involving a Change of Grade form, http://www.westga.edu/~handbook/ or Student Handbook Appendix E.)

3. Documentation for a hardship withdrawal is based upon the category of hardship being claimed by the student. Examples of documentation might include the following:

• Medical: Physician’s report, including name, address, phone, nature of illness or accidents, dates of treatment, prognosis, and recommendation.

• Psychological: Memo from a Student Development Center counselor, letter from private psychological or psychiatric service, illness, dates.

• Personal/Familial: Copy of divorce papers, police reports, obituaries, other as relevant.

4. Under unusual circumstances, a student may be granted a hardship withdrawal from only one class, while being allowed to remain in others. An example would be a student who is passing an applied piano course and injures a finger, thus being unable to play the piano the rest of the semester. A student would be allowed to complete other courses being taken concurrently. The student requesting a hardship withdrawal from one course must take all documentation to the Assistant/Associate Dean of the college offering the course.

5. The following do not constitute valid reasons for a hardship withdrawal:

• Poor performance in one or more courses.

• Registration for the wrong course.

• Preference for a different professor or class section.

• Failure to drop course during the drop/add period.

• Failure to withdraw by the published deadline using normal procedures.