Committee on Academic Exceptions

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 Exceptions (CAE) 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 Exceptions (CAE) below. These petitions are rarely approved if submitted more than two weeks past the add/drop deadline.

A petition may be made requesting a late withdrawal from one or more courses in the current semester after the deadline to withdraw has passed or from a previous semester.

Retroactive withdrawals are rarely granted.

Students wishing to withdraw from all classes should contact our office for an appointment.

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 Exceptions (CAE) below.

Request a course substitution for equivalent credit for a transfer course, a COLL requirement, or proficiency requirement.

Course Substitution Transfer Credit Evaluator (Department Chair) Signatory Guide

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 Exceptions (CAE) 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 Exceptions (CAE) below.

Please ensure you read the acknolwedgements on the form and ask us if you have any questions. There are implications to Housing, Financial Aid, Dining, Parking and more that you need to be aware of prior to submiting the form as these are not reviewed by a committee, they are automatically approved.

Undergraduate students who request a withdrawal from the university from the current or future semester must submit an online form. 

Do not submit this form if you are:

• A new student who has not yet come to campus and participated in orientation for their first semester. Contact: admissions@wm.edu 
• Participating in a study abroad program with the Reves Center, you don't need to complete the online withdrawal form. 
• A graduate students who wish to pursue a withdrawal should contact the appropriate resource in their graduate school program.
• Academically (advising@wm.edu) or disciplinarily (sarp@wm.edu) suspended.

If requesting a current semester withdrawal, students will have their current registration noted on their transcript with a “W” beside each registered course.

Taking Courses Away 

If you enroll in courses at another institution as a degree-seeking student during your withdrawal, you must go through Transfer Admissions to return to William & Mary. 

Any student intending to take coursework while withdrawing from William & Mary must have written permission from the University Registrar to ensure that credit will be transferred. Students are advised to register as non-degree-seeking students if they elect to take classes elsewhere; otherwise, they must re-apply to William & Mary as a transfer student. No retroactive transfer of such credit is permitted. Forms are available on the Registrar’s website. Students who have been academically suspended from the university are no longer in good standing and cannot transfer credits to William & Mary from their time away. 

Reenrollment 
Please see important steps for reenrollment in the below tab. 

Other Factors  
Postal Services: Fill out a Forwarding Card and submit it to Postal Services before you leave campus. Your address will appear in banner as FW and your mail will be forwarded for up to one year. In that time please make sure to update your address with any person/company that may have your old address. 

Residence Hall Housing: Withdrawing students currently living in W&M campus housing are required to: 

- Move out within 48 hours from the date of the withdrawal unless otherwise approved by Residence Life 
- Remove all personal belongings from the university premises  
- Return your room key(s) to the Residence Life office during business hours or place the key(s) in an express check-out envelope and place it in the key drop box outside your residence hall duty office  

Tuition and Fees: When students withdraw from the university, they may be eligible for tuition and fee refunds based upon published deadlines. Housing and meal plan refunds are pro-rated. Students who wish to receive a refund of money on their Express account must fill out the appropriate form at the Tribe Card Services Office. Please contact the Bursar’s Office/Student Accounts for any questions related to billing (757-221- 1217). Failure to address financial holds could result in an inability to acquire transcripts. 

Parking Permits: Students should return on-campus parking permits to the Parking Services office and may apply for a pro-rated refund. 

Withdrawal Information for Honor or Conduct Reasons 
Please work with Student Accountability & Restorative Practices (SARP) and follow their instructions. For more information, please consult versions of the Student Handbook and the Undergraduate Course Catalog or contact our office. 

Note 
A Withdrawal is not official until the Advising Center has approved the Withdrawal form and it has been processed by the Registrar's Office.

Please ensure you read the acknolwedgements on the form and ask us if you have any questions. There are implications to Housing, Financial Aid, Dining, Parking and more that you need to be aware of prior to submiting the form as these are not reviewed by a committee, they are automatically approved.

Undergraduate students who request a withdrawal from the university from the current or future semester must submit an online form. 

Do not submit this form if you are:

• A new student who has not yet come to campus and participated in orientation for their first semester. Contact: admissions@wm.edu 
• Participating in a study abroad program with the Reves Center, you don't need to complete the online withdrawal form. 
• A graduate students who wish to pursue a withdrawal should contact the appropriate resource in their graduate school program.
• Academically (advising@wm.edu) or disciplinarily (sarp@wm.edu) suspended.

When a student has completed the process for a withdrawal for the upcoming semester, the student will receive grades for the current semester with no notation on the transcript, future registration and housing are canceled.

If the student has been academically suspended, the student is no longer in “good standing” with the university and must complete specific requirements to be reinstated. 

Taking Courses Away 

If you enroll in courses at another institution as a degree-seeking student during your withdrawal, you must go through Transfer Admissions to return to William & Mary. 

Any student intending to take coursework while withdrawing from William & Mary must have written permission from the University Registrar to ensure that credit will be transferred. Students are advised to register as non-degree-seeking students if they elect to take classes elsewhere; otherwise, they must re-apply to William & Mary as a transfer student. No retroactive transfer of such credit is permitted. Forms are available on the Registrar’s website. Students who have been academically suspended from the university are no longer in good standing and cannot transfer credits to William & Mary from their time away. 

Reenrollment 
Please see important steps for reenrollment in the below tab. 

Note 
A Withdrawal is not official until the Advising Center has approved the Withdrawal form and it has been processed by the Registrar's Office.

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.

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 Exceptions (CAE).

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 help you do this we encourage you to:
  • 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

The reinstatement and reenrollment form are one in the same! Questions? Email the Advising Center: advising@wm.edu.

The reenrollment form is used by students who wish to return to William & Mary and who have not enrolled as a degree-seeking student at another institution since last attending the university.

Students should apply for reenrollment as soon as possible after making the decision to resume their studies at William & Mary.

Things to keep in mind after you reenroll at William & Mary:

• Check the Registrar's website for information regarding registration and domicile 
• Update your information in MyW&M 
• Contact Student Accounts and Financial Aid with questions regarding tuition and aid 
• Apply for housing through Residence Life if you wish to live on-campus 
• The Advising Center can help ensure you are up to date on your requirements for your degree 

Students who have been academically suspended may also use this form to request academic reinstatement alongside their request for reenrollment.