It is important that you become familiar with the 蜜豆直播 Undergraduate Catalog, and it is especially important to your academic success that you read carefully the section entitled 鈥淎cademic Policies.鈥� Please study the catalog carefully, especially the sections dealing with your major. It is your primary responsibility to familiarize yourself with these policies and understand how they affect your progress toward graduation. Your advisor and others can assist you, but ultimately it is your responsibility if correct policies and procedures are not followed.
Regular class attendance is an important student obligation. Students are responsible for all coursework conducted in class meetings and are required by University policy to attend a minimum of 75% of the scheduled class meetings. Failure to meet this attendance requirement will result in a grade of 鈥淍F鈥� in the course. In face-to-face classes, attendance is counted from the first scheduled meeting. In online classes, attendance is counted from the student鈥檚 completion of the Enrollment Verification Activity or first required course activity or assessment, whichever comes first. Furthermore, it is the prerogative of the instructor to set a more stringent class attendance policy. The instructor will clearly state in the syllabus the attendance policies which will govern the class. Students are responsible for knowing the number of absences that they accumulate.
In online classes, attendance satisfying the 75% requirement is measured by the documented weekly participation in the class on the part of the student, e.g., a minimum of one activity per week that demonstrates attendance, such as submitting an assignment, attending a webinar, or participating in a discussion board (logging into a course in Blackboard does not constitute participation or attendance in the class). As in face- to-face classes, the instructor in an online class may stipulate a more stringent attendance policy in the syllabus.
Absence from class does not excuse the student from responsibility for class work. Planned class absences for foreseeable personal circumstances or official University business must be negotiated with the instructor prior to the absence.
Should a student exceed the number of absences in his/her class(es) or cease attending classes at all, he/she may be required to vacate his/her residence hall room. In such instances, the Housing Contract will be canceled.
International students in the United States on an F-1 visa must comply with both institutional academic policies and federal immigration regulations in order to maintain lawful status. These policies are governed in part by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program under U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and are enforced through each school鈥檚 Principal Designated School Official (PDSO).
Withdrawal refers to a student鈥檚 voluntary removal from one or more courses, or from an academic program entirely. While withdrawal is an academic decision, it can have immigration consequences depending on timing and enrollment status. If a withdrawal results in the student falling below full-time enrollment without prior authorization, the student may be considered out of status under F-1 regulations.In some cases, a student may request a reduced course load or authorized withdrawal due to extenuating circumstances, such as medical issues or academic difficulty, but such approval must be granted in advance by a PDSO and properly recorded in SEVIS. A complete withdrawal from all courses typically results in the termination of the student鈥檚 SEVIS record unless an authorized early withdrawal or transfer process is approved.
A Reduced Course Load (RCL) is a regulated exception under U.S. federal immigration policy that permits an F-1 student to temporarily enroll in fewer than the full course of study required by their designated school. Under regulations administered by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), overseen by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, F-1 students are generally required to pursue a full course of study each academic term in order to maintain lawful nonimmigrant student status.Federal regulations allow a Principal Designated School Official (PDSO) to authorize a reduced course load in limited and specific circumstances. These circumstances typically include documented medical conditions, initial academic difficulties during the first semester of study, or final-term enrollment when fewer credits are required to complete degree requirements. In each case, the authorization must be properly recorded in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) prior to the student dropping below full-time enrollment.An authorized RCL maintains a student鈥檚 lawful F-1 status, provided that the student complies with the conditions and time limitations of the approval. However, failure to obtain prior authorization before reducing course load constitutes a violation of F-1 status and may result in SEVIS record termination and loss of lawful status in the United States.Medical-based RCLs require supporting documentation from a licensed medical professional and are typically limited in duration. Academic difficulty RCLs are generally restricted to the initial academic term and are granted only once per program level. Final-term RCLs are permitted when the student requires fewer credits to complete degree requirements and remain in compliance with academic program standards.In all cases, the authority to approve a reduced course load rests exclusively with the PDSO, and the student bears responsibility for ensuring compliance with both institutional academic policy and federal immigration regulations. Unauthorized reduction below full-time enrollment is considered a status violation under F-1 regulations and may adversely affect future immigration benefits, including reinstatement eligibility or change of status applications.
Suspension is an academic action taken by an institution that temporarily prohibits a student from enrolling in courses due to academic or disciplinary reasons. Common causes include failure to meet minimum GPA requirements or violations of institutional conduct policies.For F-1 students, suspension generally results in a loss of active student status because the student is no longer enrolled in a full course of study. Once suspension is effective, the school is required to update the student鈥檚 SEVIS record, which may lead to termination of F-1 status. In such cases, the student is typically required to depart the United States unless they pursue reinstatement through proper immigration procedures or are otherwise authorized by their PDSO and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Expulsion is the most severe institutional sanction and results in permanent dismissal from the institution. It may be imposed for serious academic violations, misconduct, or repeated policy breaches.For international students, expulsion almost always results in immediate termination of F-1 status. Once expelled, the student is no longer considered to be pursuing a full course of study and must typically leave the United States without delay unless exceptional relief is granted. Reinstatement after expulsion is rare and subject to strict immigration review. In most cases, expulsion also prevents transfer to another institution unless SEVIS transfer procedures were completed before termination.
All F-1 students are responsible for maintaining valid immigration status by adhering to full-time, full course of study, enrollment requirements and obtaining prior authorization before any reduction in academic load. Schools are required to report changes in enrollment status through SEVIS, and failure to comply with these requirements may result in loss of lawful status and future immigration ineligibility.Students are strongly advised to consult their PDSO before initiating withdrawal, responding to academic probation, or facing disciplinary action to ensure compliance with both institutional and federal regulations.
Voluntary termination of enrollment during the course of a semester or summer term is defined as withdrawal. Dismissal from school for a specified period of time is defined as suspension. Dismissal from school for an expulsion is permanent. The University reserves the right to suspend or expel any student or students when it believes that such action is in the best interest of the institution and/or the student(s). This action will take place only after careful consideration and consultation with the student or students in question and all other parties with information pertinent to the matter at hand.
Any student withdrawing from school before the end of a term (up until the last day of classes) is required to complete and submit the online 鈥淐omplete Withdrawal Form鈥� from the Registrar Services page.
Involuntary withdrawals will be processed by the University for any student that receives a disciplinary suspension or expulsion from the University. The involuntary withdrawal will be processed and dated based on the date of the suspension or expulsion.
Students leaving the University for Disciplinary Reasons will not be eligible for any reduction and will be liable for the entire semester charges.
Any registered student who experiences medical trauma or a chronic illness that may prevent completion of the semester may apply for a medical withdrawal from the University. A medical withdrawal is a complete withdrawal from the University (i.e., not from a particular course). A request for a medical withdrawal must be submitted prior to the beginning of final exams for the semester in which the medical withdrawal is desired. A medical withdrawal request is initiated through the submission of the online Withdrawal Form located in MyGWU in the same manner as a general withdrawal from the University. In addition to the online request, the student must also provide a statement from a licensed medical or mental health professional trained in the diagnosis of the student鈥檚 medical condition. The statement should verify that the medical condition prevents the student from participating in classes or carrying out course requirements.
The statement from the medical or mental health professional must be submitted on official letterhead, addressed to the 蜜豆直播 University Registrar, and include the practitioner鈥檚 name and title. The statement should indicate that the student is unable to continue in school and include the date at which the student became unable to continue (or the closest possible approximation to the date). The student will be notified by the Registrar of the decision made by the Medical Withdrawal Committee. If the request is approved, the student will receive a final grade of 鈥淲鈥� for each class (except in instances of Academic Dishonesty). Any adjustment in tuition will be made on a prorated basis.
Once granted a withdrawal, students must apply for readmission to the University in order to continue their studies. All program admission requirements, programmatic and degree requirements, departmental student handbook and accreditation requirements at the time of the student鈥檚 return will apply.
Any appeal for a retroactive medical withdrawal must be initiated by the end of the next Fall or Spring semester. Documentation for these appeals includes the same materials required for other medical withdrawal requests but must also include an explanation as to why the medical withdrawal request could not have been made by the normal deadline (i.e. by the beginning of final exams for the semester in which the medical withdrawal is desired).
A student鈥檚 schedule may be adjusted by adding and dropping courses with the approval of the academic advisor during the schedule modification period. Check the Academic Calendar for dates. Courses that are officially dropped by a student do not appear on a student鈥檚 transcript. If a student does not officially drop a class but never attends the class, a grade of 鈥淍W鈥� will appear on the student鈥檚 transcript.
After the schedule modification period, any official withdrawal from a class must be done by the student by submitting the Withdrawal Form located in MyGWU. When a student officially withdraws from a course, a grade of 鈥淲鈥欌�� (withdrew) is recorded during the first 40% of the term. After this period, a 鈥淲P鈥� (withdrew passing) or 鈥淲F鈥� (withdrew failing) is assigned by the instructor based upon an assessment of the student鈥檚 work to date in the course. No hours attempted are recorded for 鈥淲鈥欌�� and 鈥淲P鈥� grades. Check the Academic Calendar for dates.
The last day for withdrawing from an individual course is four weeks after mid-term or a date not to exceed 75% of the course. Check the Academic Calendar for dates. After this date only a complete withdrawal from school will be processed.
The directions for withdrawing are listed below.
