Graduate Withdrawal Policy
Official Withdrawal
A student who wishes to withdraw from a graduate program at Hartwick College must complete, sign and submit an official withdrawal form to the Office of the Registrar. Students who leave the graduate program without submitting a completed official withdrawal form will be considered to have unofficially withdrawn and will have such a notation posted on their academic record. See the policy on Unofficial Withdrawal for more information. If a student officially withdraws and later wishes to resume study, an Application for Readmission must be made to the Office of the Registrar.
A student may officially withdraw from a graduate course up to week five (5) of the term. A Course Add/Drop Form must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar and the student will receive a grade of “W”on their transcript. NOTE: Graduate courses are offered once per year on a set schedule, so a student who withdraws from a graduate course may need to wait until the following academic year to retake the course. Withdrawal from a graduate course may also prevent a student from taking subsequent courses for which the withdrawn course is a prerequisite.
A student's decision not to be consistently present in class does not result in an automatic withdrawal from a course.
Unofficial Withdrawal
Students are considered unofficial withdrawals by the College if (1) they have not returned to the College when the approved period of a leave of absence has expired, (2) they have stopped engaging with their graduate courses and instructor while a term is in session with no intention of returning and have not filed appropriate leave or withdrawal paperwork, (3) they have not completed all degree requirements by their stated graduation date. Note that outstanding Incomplete (“I”) grades are converted to “F” when a student is unofficially withdrawn. If a student is unofficially withdrawn and later wishes to resume study, an Application for Readmission must be made to the Office of the Registrar. Notice of unofficial withdrawal is posted on a student’s academic record. The posted date of an unofficial withdrawal is at the discretion of the College and usually reflects the last date of attendance.
CONSIDERATIONS FOR CHANGES TO THE ABOVE
Following the add/drop period at the start of each term, a student may withdraw from a full term course through the fifth week of fall and spring term and the third week of January term. A grade of ‘W’ is issued for all course withdrawals. Students should contact Financial Aid regarding any financial implications that may result. A student who wishes to withdraw from a course must notify the Registrar’s Office, using a Course Add/Drop Form, by the deadline.