Late Drop Petition

Petitioning for late withdrawal

On rare occasions Students in Transition students are faced with urgent reasons related to extended illness or equivalent distress that make it extremely difficult to drop a class by the Auto-W Deadline or that impede success in a class after the Auto-W deadline. In these rare situations a student may petition for approval for a late withdrawal from the course.

Poor performance in a course does not qualify as an urgent reason for requesting a late withdrawal.

The petition for approval for a late withdrawal is the first step in the process of dropping a course after the Auto-W Deadline. Before a Students in Transition student can officially withdraw from a course after this deadline, they must receive the approval of the Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, the course instructor, and the chairperson of the department in which the course is offered.

Post-Auto-W Deadline Late Drop Petition Form

When:

From the Auto-W Deadline to the last day of classes (the Friday before Final Exam Week). Note that each session (Full Term, 1stEight Weeks, and 2ndEight Weeks) has its own Dean's deadline. View these deadlines on the Official IU Calendar.

*Note: After the Dean's Deadline, it can be more difficult to get late withdrawals approved, and you may have less time to complete the withdrawal if approved. We strongly recommend submitting your petition before the Dean's Deadline, if possible.

How:

  1. Contact your Students in Transition advisor and instructor(s) to discuss the dire circumstances that have led you to consider asking for a late drop. In many cases, an incomplete in the course may be a better option than seeking a late withdrawal from the course, so be sure to discuss this option with both your advisor and instructor(s).

  2. After discussing the possibility of a late withdrawal from the course(s) with your advisor and instructor(s), you may initiate the late drop process if you believe your situation meets the criterion outlined above. This is accomplished by completing and submitting the Post-Auto-W Deadline Late Drop Petition form. It is imperative that you describe in as much detail as possible how the extended illness or equivalent distress made it extremely difficult to drop a class by the Auto-W Deadline or has impeded success in a class after the Auto-W deadline.

  3. If you are unable to complete and submit the online form, you may email the Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, C. Kurt Zorn (zorn@indiana.edu) with the details of the urgent reasons that warrant consideration of a rare exception to the deadline. In your email make sure to include:
    • Your first and last name
    • Your ID#
    • Course subject code, number and title of the course you wish to drop

  4. Provide documentation to support your petition. Official documentation describing and substantiating the particulars of your specific circumstances will greatly strengthen your appeal. Supporting documentation can be emailed to C. Kurt Zorn (zorn@indiana.edu) or faxed to (812)855-7623 ATTENTION: C. Kurt Zorn (Post-Auto-W Deadline Request), or delivered to 625 N. Eagleson Ave., 200.

  5. Provide evidence that your instructor(s) intends to grant a grade of W instead of a grade of F for the course(s) you are petitioning to drop. An email to that effect from your instructor is required. You may either forward this email or have the instructor(s) directly send the email.The email should be sent to the Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, C. Kurt Zorn (zorn@indiana.edu).

  6. If you submit the petition online you will receive a confirmation email via your IU email account.The decision regarding your petition also will be communicated to you via your IU email account.

Please Note: If your petition for a withdrawal after the Auto-W Deadline is approved by the Associate Vice Provost you will receive a Late Drop/Add Form containing the signature of the Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education. You will have ten days from the date on this form to obtain the signatures of the course instructor and the chairperson of the department offering the course. Their approval is not guaranteed; they may decide not to sign the form, therefore denying your request for a late withdrawal. Even if the instructor decides to grant your request for a late withdrawal, they will assign a grade for the course. Their options consist of a grade of W or a grade of F and will be dependent on their assessment of your performance in the course at the time of your request to withdraw. Finally, if you fail to obtain the necessary signatures and/or fail to submit the form to the Student Central within the aforementioned ten day period, the form will become invalid. A new form will not be reissued nor will the current form be re-dated to make it valid.

*The Office of the Registrar will accept Late Drop/Add Forms through the end of finals week. If you petition especially late in the term, you may not have the full ten days to obtain signatures and submit the form.