Petition the Committee on Academic Status

Petition to Late-Drop / Late-Add

Late-Drop

If a student wishes to drop a class after the add/drop deadline, the student must petition the Committee on Academic Status (CAS) below. Petitions to drop classes are rarely approved except under circumstances beyond a student's control.

Late-Add

The Office of the University Registrar may review requests from students who wish to late add a course after the add/drop deadline as long as their request meets the following criteria

• The instructor approves of the late add
• The requested course is NOT a MUSC applied music lesson
• Submission for the request occurs during the current semester (no later than the last day of classes)
• The course has available seats.
• Adding the course does not result in an overload above 19 credit hours (incompletes count toward the current number of in-progress credit hours)
  • Additional eligibility criteria applies for students requesting an overload to 19 credit hours (see Request to Overload to 19 Credit Hours below.

Students who do not meet the above criteria but wish to late add a course may petition the Committee on Academic Status (CAS) below.  

Late-starting courses have their own specific add, drop, and withdrawal deadlines. Students seeking to add a short-term course that has not started do not need to petition. However, if the add/drop deadline has passed for the course, then they should complete the late add petition. Students can contact registrar@wm.edu to inquire about adding a late-starting short-term course, especially if they are unsure if they need to complete the petition form for a late add.

Petition for a Late Withdrawal (current semester)

A petition may be made requesting (1) a late withdrawal from a class or (2) a withdrawal from all classes after the deadline to withdraw has passed and before the last day of classes. Students wishing to withdraw from all classes should contact our office for an appointment. 

Petition for a Retroactive Withdrawal (previous semester)

Students may petition for a retroactive withdrawal relating to a previous academic semester (past the last day of classes) due to an extenuating circumstance. An extenuating circumstance is an unforeseen, uncontrollable, and unavoidable event that prevents a student from completing their academic responsibilities or follow standard withdrawal procedures during a specific term.

Some examples may include: significant physical injury or illness, mental health challenges, or severe substance use that impair the student’s ability to participate in coursework or meet academic deadlines.

This process ensures that students who were unable to complete the semester due to a significant life-altering event have an opportunity to seek withdrawal after the fact. If approved, all letter grades will be replaced with a W grade.

A personal statement is required (please review the resource guide and instructions below), however, no medical documentation is necessary for this request.

Petition to Overload

Students may request to overload to 19 credit hours through the Office of the University Registrar. The request form will open two weeks prior to the start of the semester, however, changes to maximum credit hour limits will be processed no sooner than the day before classes begin. The form will remain open through the last day of classes.

Eligibility Criteria for University Registrar Office Review

The Office of the University Registrar may review requests from students who wish to overload to 19 credit hours as long as the student meets the following criteria:

• The student is not in their first semester as a degree-seeking student
• The student is not carrying any incompletes
• The student is in good standing and has a 3.00 or above cumulative GPA

Students who do not meet the above criteria but wish to overload, or those students who wish to request an overload for more than 19 credit hours, may petition the Committee on Academic Status (CAS) below. 

Overload for summer school: Students may register for up to 16 credits per summer. However, they are advised not to take more than two intensive, five-week courses in the same session. Students who wish to request an overload for more than 16 credit hours, may petition the Committee on Academic Status (CAS) below. 

Petition to Underload

Petitions to underload are facilitated through various campus offices. Those offices and conditions are listed below.

1. Final Semester Underload request through the Registrar's Office. Students who are in their final undergraduate term and have applied for graduation may enroll in fewer than 12 credits as long as they are enrolled in all courses required for their degree. 
2. Underload accommodation through Student Accessibility Services (SAS). Students that have a documented disability that interferes with their ability to succeed academically can work directly with SAS before or during a regular semester to determine if an underload accommodation is appropriate.
3. Students that do not meet the requirements in 1 & 2 may petition the Committee on Academic Status (CAS) for an underload. Underload requests (to take fewer than 12 credit hours) will normally be considered if there is a personal hardship of such an extraordinary nature that an underload is absolutely necessary. 

Important Underload Information

• Full-time undergraduate candidates who are permitted underloads will receive a reduction in tuition (in proportion to the reduced load) if the underload is granted prior to the end of the Add/Drop deadline. No tuition refunds are granted after this date. However, all students are charged the standard student fee that supports fee-bearing facilities and services.
• A student seeking an underload is responsible for determining if this will affect any financial aid by contacting their Financial Aid Counselor. Underloads are seen as part-time enrollment by most financial institutions. In most cases, your financial aid will be reduced by the amount of your tuition reduction.
• We advise all students seeking an underload to contact Financial Aid, the Bursar's Office, the Reves Center (international students), Athletics (student-athletes), student medical insurance, and other offices as appropriate to see how an underload would affect them before submitting their petition.

Petition to Change Registered Course Hours

If you register for a course that is variable credit (ex. from 1.00 to 3.00 credit hours) you may select the number of credit hours you want. If you select a variable credit course, the system will automatically register you for the minimum number of credit hours allowed for this course. To make changes, use the Schedule and Options tab in Banner 9 Register for Classes. 

Please note that updating the credit hours for a variable credit course is only available through the add/drop window. You only need to complete these steps if you are taking the course for more than the minimum number of credit hours allowed.

If you are trying to change the credit hours after the add/drop window, the Office of the University Registrar may review requests from students who wish to make a change to the credit hours for their variable credit course after the add/drop deadline as long as their request meets the following criteria:

• The instructor approves of the change in course hours
• Submission for the request occurs during the current semester (no later than the last day of classes)
• The requested change does not result in an unapproved underload
• Changing the course hours does not result in an overload above 19 credit hours (incompletes count toward the current number of in-progress credit hours)
  • Additional eligibility criteria applies for students requesting an overload to 19 credit hours (see Request to Overload to 19 Credit Hours below)

Students who do not meet the above criteria but wish to make a late change to the credit hours for their variable credit course may petition the Committee on Academic Status (CAS) below.  

Petition for Academic Reinstatement

Recommendations after a First Academic Suspension
To be reinstated, a student who has been suspended for academic reasons must present convincing evidence that the barriers to academic success have been corrected or eliminated. There are various ways in which a student can prepare themselves for re-enrollment, including:

• Students should consider completing at least two courses at another institution. These courses must be comparable to courses offered at W&M. Credits earned while a student is not in good standing at William & Mary will not transfer and do not count toward a William & Mary degree. These courses, however, may help the student strengthen a weak background and will demonstrate academic responsibility to the Committee on Academic Status. While taking course(s) away from W&M, students should make sure to not register as a "degree-seeking student" at the other institution.
• Students may also consider employment averaging at least 20 hours per week, during the period of suspension. This work is viewed as an indication of maturity and seriousness of purpose. Many work skills are also skills related to successful academic achievement. Comparable volunteer work with a non-profit agency should also be considered.
• Students also may benefit from professional help if they are dealing with medical issues, mental health concerns, family circumstances, financial difficulties, deficiencies in academic skills, or other personal matters.

Important Dates
Reinstatement and reenrollment are not automatic.

• A student who has been academically suspended in May is eligible to apply after October 1st for review for reinstatement. If a student's intention is to return for the spring semester, all the Committee expectations must be met, and the application submitted no later than November 15th.
• A student who has been academically suspended in January is eligible to apply after May 1 for review for reinstatement. If a student's intention is to return for the fall semester, all the Committee expectations must be met, and the application submitted no later than July 15th.

Reinstatement Process
To apply for reinstatement, a student must do the following:

1. Petition the Committee on Academic Status in writing, including:

• A detailed account of activities the student participated in during the period of academic suspension from William & Mary.
• A discussion of the factors that were barriers to academic success and the manner in which those factors have been overcome.
• An explanation of current academic goals and a specific plan to achieve them.
  • This includes an academic plan developed in conjunction with an academic advisor in the Office of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.
  • This includes an explanation of academic success strategies developed in conjunction with a member of Academic Wellbeing.
• Up to date contact information.

Students may opt to submit a transcript (if they took courses elsewhere) and a letter of recommendation with the petition.

If a student took courses elsewhere, they should arrange for transcripts (unofficial are permissible) of all courses taken while on suspension (or letters from professors of courses in progress). This can be submitted as files with your petition, or sent to academicaffairs@wm.edu. 

Students may choose to provide a letter of recommendation from an employer/volunteer supervisor/mentor (not next of kin), to highlight the student’s accomplishments during suspension. These can be submitted as files with your petition, or sent to academicaffairs@wm.edu. 

Reenrollment
After a student receives notification of reinstatement, the student must submit an application for reenrollment if the student wishes to return to William & Mary and has not enrolled as a degree-seeking student at another institution since last attending William & Mary.

Second Academic Suspension
It is extremely unlikely that a student who is suspended twice from William & Mary for academic reasons by the Committee on Academic Status will ever be reinstated.

Further Information
Questions concerning these policies should be addressed to the Office of Undergraduate Academic Affairs by emailing academicaffairs@wm.edu.

Petition for FlexTrack Status

FlexTrack is a program for non-traditional students with significant time constraints outside of the classroom, an example being family commitments, full-time employment, etc. FlexTrack students can take anywhere between 3 to 18 credits per semester, however, many FlexTrack students, do take a full course load (taking up to 12 credits or more). To request FlexTrack status, please file a petition with the Committee on Academic Status.