Petition the Committee on Academic Status

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 course has seats available (it is not closed / full)
• 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)
• 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 by the last day of classes in the current semester.  

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.

If a student wishes to drop a class after the add/drop deadline, the student must petition the Committee on Academic Status (CAS) below. These petitions are rarely approved.

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. 

The Medical Review Committee (MRC), a subcommittee of the Committee on Academic Status, that previously handled requests for medical withdrawals with medical documentation has been dissolved. These changes aim to simplify the withdrawal process and protect student privacy. 

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.

The Medical Review Committee (MRC), a subcommittee of the Committee on Academic Status, that previously handled requests for medical withdrawals with medical documentation has been dissolved. These changes aim to simplify the withdrawal process and protect student privacy. 

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. 

Please note that updating the credit hours for a variable credit course is only available through the add/drop window in PATH. 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.

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 prior to the end of the add/drop deadline will receive a reduction in tuition (in proportion to the reduced load). No tuition refunds are granted after this date. 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.

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 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.

After the Withdrawal Deadline and Up to the Last Day of Classes: Students must petition the Committee on Academic Status for a full semester withdrawal or individual course withdrawal. A personal statement is required (please review the resource guide and instructions below), however, to protect student privacy no medical documentation is necessary for this request.

Between Semesters and Up to the Withdrawal Deadline: Students submit a form to Academic Wellbeing to initiate the full semester withdrawal process.

The Medical Review Committee (MRC), a subcommittee of the Committee on Academic Status, that previously handled requests for medical withdrawals with medical documentation has been dissolved. These changes aim to simplify the withdrawal process and protect student privacy. 

After the Withdrawal Deadline and Up to the Last Day of Classes: Students must petition the Committee on Academic Status for a full semester withdrawal or individual course withdrawal. A personal statement is required (please review the resource guide and instructions below), however, to protect student privacy no medical documentation is necessary for this request.

Between Semesters and Up to the Withdrawal Deadline: Students submit a form to Academic Wellbeing to initiate the full semester withdrawal process.

The Medical Review Committee (MRC), a subcommittee of the Committee on Academic Status, that previously handled requests for medical withdrawals with medical documentation has been dissolved. These changes aim to simplify the withdrawal process and protect student privacy. 

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.

Important Dates

Reinstatement and reenrollment are not automatic. Reinstatement petitions must be submitted two weeks prior to the reenrollment deadline to allow time for Committee review and reenrollment processing. Reenrollment cannot be processed without approval of reinstatement by the Committee. Do not wait until the last minute!

• Students who were academically suspended in May may apply for reinstatement starting October 1. To return for the following spring semester your completed petition must be submitted by November 1. All other future semesters must be submitted two weeks prior to the reenrollment deadline.

•  Students who were academically suspended in January may apply for reinstatement after May 1. To return for the following fall semester, your completed petition must be submitted by July 1. All other future semesters must be submitted two weeks prior to the reenrollment deadline.

Reinstatement Process

To apply for reinstatement, a student must petition the Committee on Academic Status.

Submit petition with a personal statement that includes:

• 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.
• Current academic goals and a specific plan to achieve them. To do this:
  • Meet with an academic advisor at the Advising Center or your major advisor. Create an academic plan developed in conjunction with an academic advisor in the Advising Center. To make an appointment with an academic advisor, email advising@wm.edu 
  • Meet with a member of Academic Wellbeing to create a plan to utilize academic success strategies. To make an appointment with a member of Academic Wellbeing, email academicwellbeing@wm.edu

Optional:

• If a student took courses elsewhere, they could arrange for unofficial transcripts or letters from professors of courses in progress. This can be submitted as files with your petition, or sent to advising@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 advising@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.

Questions? Email the Advising Center: advising@wm.edu.