Course Withdrawals
COURSE WITHDRAWAL DUE TO ABSENCES (first two class sessions)
A student who has been absent the first two class sessions of a course—regardless of the length of the course and the reason(s) for the absences—will be automatically withdrawn from the course at the point of the second absence and issued a grade of "W" (withdrawal). The student will also receive a 100% refund of all applicable tuition and fees and will be charged for the course when it is rescheduled, using the appropriate tuition rate that is in effect at the point of registration.
COURSE WITHDRAWAL DUE TO EXCESSIVE ABSENCES
Exceeding the number of allowed absences for a particular course will be addressed in the following manner:
| Number of Absences |
|
Resulting Action |
| 1 absence in a 1-4 week course |
= |
withdrawal from the course at point of 1st absence -AND- issuance of an "X" (non-passing) grade |
| 2 absences in a 5-6 week course |
= |
withdrawal from the course at point of 2nd absence -AND- issuance of an "X" (non-passing) grade |
| 3 absences in a 7-12 week course |
= |
withdrawal from the course at point of 3rd absence -AND- issuance of an "X" (non-passing) grade |
| 4 absences in a 15 week course |
= |
withdrawal from the course at point of 4th absence -AND- issuance of an "X" (non-passing) grade |
| 5 absences in a 21 week course |
= |
withdrawal from the course at point of 5th absence -AND- issuance of an "X" (non-passing) grade |
Students should be advised that an "X" (non-passing) grade will only be issued in situations involving excessive absences as outlined above. Should this occur—and the course must be repeated in order to satisfy program requirements—the student will have to pay for the course again when it is rescheduled, using the appropriate tuition rate that is in effect at the time of the retake. A student who does not attend a course in its entirety, but within the parameters established for the total number of allowed absences, will receive a final letter grade (A-F) based upon the degree to which s/he has successfully completed the stated learning objectives for that course.
In order to appeal receipt of an "X" grade and request that it be changed to a "W" (withdrawal), a student must provide at least one of the following forms of documentation to the GPS Academic Advisor within twenty (20) days of receipt of the "X" grade:
- written verification from an accepted medical source (as determined by the Dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies) that a personal medical situation (e.g., hospitalization) was the cause of all absences
- written verification from an official military source that required military duty was the cause of all absences
- written verification from the student’s employer that a work conflict was the cause of all absences
If the student’s appeal is granted and the grade is changed from an "X" to a "W" (withdrawal), the student will receive a refund of all applicable tuition and fees, and will be charged for the course when it is rescheduled, using the appropriate tuition rate that is in effect at the time of registration. The student must also repeat the course in its entirety, in accordance with the attendance policies outlined above.
RAMIFICATIONS OF COURSE WITHDRAWALS
Because the awarding of financial aid may be adversely affected by withdrawal from a course, a student should contact Student Financial Services Office prior to dropping a course or as soon as possible after having been withdrawn from a course.
A student’s GPA may also be adversely affected by withdrawal from a course. While a grade of "W" (withdrawal) has no impact when calculating a student’s GPA, an "X" (non-passing) grade holds the same numeric value as an "F" (failure). In addition, an "X" grade remains permanently on a student’s transcript, even though the student’s GPA is recalculated after the "X" grade has been replaced by a different letter grade.