Student-Initiated Withdrawals

Contact Information

Admissions, Registration, and Records
registration@durhamtech.edu
919-536-7200, ext. 1800

Purpose

The purpose of this procedure is to provide a clear and coherent process for students to withdraw from curriculum and continuing education courses at Durham Technical Community College (Durham Tech).

Procedure

Please Note: For the purposes of this procedure, the term “withdrawal” is both specific and general (i.e., a “drop” and a “withdrawal” are each a type of withdrawal).

Continuing Education Courses

Students may officially drop one or more continuing education (non-credit-bearing) courses prior to the course’s seventy-five percent (75%) tuition refund deadline without the course(s) appearing on their transcript. If a student officially drops a course prior to the first class meeting, they will receive a one hundred percent (100%) refund. If a student officially drops a course after it has met but prior to the ten percent (10%) point in the course, they will receive a seventy-five percent (75%) refund. The deadline for students to drop with a refund is the individual course census date; census dates may be obtained from course instructors.

To initiate an official drop from a continuing education (non-credit-bearing) course, students must submit a completed Continuing Education Course Drop/Withdrawal/Refund Request Form to Admissions, Registration, and Records by the course census date.

If approved, refunds will be disbursed within 21 business days. Students who have entered banking information into Self-Service will receive their refund via direct deposit. All others will receive their refund via a check mailed to the address they have on record with the College.

After the close of the drop period and prior to the last day of a course, students may officially withdraw from one or more continuing education (non-credit-bearing) courses with a grade of “W”. To initiate a withdrawal, students must submit a completed Continuing Education Course Drop/Withdrawal/Request Form to Admissions, Registration, and Records. Students who withdraw from courses after the census date are not eligible for refunds.

Admissions, Registration, and Records will process forms within five (5) working days. Students will receive notification of the final decision via email. Refer to the Course Cancellations and Refunds procedure for additional information, or contact the Business Office/Cashier at 919-536-7201.

Curriculum (Credit-Bearing) Courses

Students may officially drop one or more courses prior to the applicable term’s seventy-five percent (75%) tuition refund deadline without the course(s) appearing on their transcript. The deadlines for students to withdraw with a refund and initiate a grade of “W” are published on the Drop, Withdrawal, and Refund Deadlines webpage.  

For irregular length courses, students should consult the syllabus for the last day they may withdraw with a grade of “W”. Refunds are automatically generated for students who make registration changes prior to the seventy-five percent (75%) tuition refund deadline. Refunds are disbursed after the seventy-five percent (75%) refund period has concluded, typically approximately three (3) weeks into the term. Students who have entered banking information into Self-Service will receive their refund via direct deposit. All others will receive their refund via a check mailed to the address they have on record with the College. Refer to the Course Cancellations and Refunds procedure for additional information, or contact the Business Office/Cashier at 919-536-7201.    

After the close of the drop period and prior to the sixty percent (60%) date in the semester, students may officially withdraw from one or more courses with a grade of “W”. During the traditional sixteen-week fall and spring semesters, the sixty percent (60%) date is ordinarily near the end of the tenth week of class, and for an eight-week term, the sixty percent (60%) date is near the end of the fifth week.  

To initiate an official withdrawal from a curriculum (credit-bearing) course, students must submit a completed withdrawal form to Admissions, Registration, and Records by completing the following steps:

1. Access the Student Withdrawal Request form.
2. Complete and submit the form.
    

Admissions, Registration, and Records will process submissions within five (5) working days. Students who fail to officially withdraw from a course, but no longer meet course attendance requirements, may receive a grade of “F2”. Students should refer to the Class Attendance – Credit-Bearing Courses policy and course syllabi and consult with their instructors regarding any questions or concerns about attendance guidelines and requirements. 

Medical Withdrawals

A student may request a medical withdrawal from all curriculum courses if one or more of the following circumstances arises after the established withdrawal deadline for the applicable term:

• The student experiences an adverse medical event; and/or
• An individual for which the student has caretaker responsibilities experiences an adverse medical event.
   

In accordance with the Grade Change Request and Approval procedure, a medical withdrawal must be requested between the date of the adverse medical event and one calendar year after the original grade was assigned.  

An adverse medical event is any medical situation that adversely impacts the student or an individual under their care, resulting in symptoms or requiring treatment that interferes with the student’s ability to meet course requirements. These situations include, but are not limited to, an accident that results in physical injury, a change in medication, an exacerbation of symptoms associated with a pre-existing condition, presentation of new symptoms resulting in a new diagnosis, and involuntary hospitalization. These situations do not include documented disabilities for which the student has or could receive an accommodation plan, with the exception of a change in the severity of or way in which a disability presents.

The medical withdrawal process is as follows:

Step 1. The student must complete the Request for Medical Withdrawal Form and obtain documentation from an appropriate medical or mental health provider. The documentation must include all of the following:

1. A specific recommendation from the medical professional for the student to withdraw from all courses due to medical reasons, including mental health considerations. If the student’s request is due to an adverse medical event affecting an individual for whom they have caretaker responsibilities, the recommendation must specifically indicate that the student should withdraw from all courses to provide care for the impacted individual.

   The only exceptions are when the adverse medical event prevents the student from completing some courses, but not others. These exceptions include circumstances when the student has already completed at least one course, when the student has already completed enough of the course to receive a passing grade without engaging in any additional coursework, or when the course has a different delivery method that allows for successful completion of the course despite the medical event (e.g., an online course for a student whose mobility has been impaired). If one of these exceptions is applicable, the documentation must state that and must provide a specific rationale as to why the condition does not require a complete withdrawal.
    

2. Verification that the dates of the medical condition correspond to the term in which the student is requesting the medical withdrawal.
    
3. The medical professional’s official signature.  
    

Step 2. If the student received any financial aid for the term in which they are requesting the medical withdrawal, the student must contact their assigned Financial Aid Advisor. The purpose of this contact is to determine how an approved medical withdrawal would impact the student’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) status, and whether it would result in a return of funds. Once the student has spoken with their assigned Financial Aid Advisor, the student must note that on their Request for Medical Withdrawal form.  

If the student did not receive any financial aid for the term in which they are requesting the medical withdrawal, the student must note that on their Request for Medical Withdrawal form.  

Step 3. The student must submit the completed form and supporting documentation to Counseling Services for review. If the student prefers not to submit the paperwork via email, they may fax it to 919-686-3669 or deliver it in hard copy to Counseling, Accessibility, and Resources (Phail Wynn, Jr. Student Services Center (Building 10), room 10-209). If there are any concerns with the form or supporting documentation, a Counseling Services staff member will notify the student and provide assistance with any necessary adjustments.  

Once the submission is ready for review, a Counseling Services staff member will route the form and supporting documentation to the Dean of Student Services. Within ten (10) working days of receipt of the form and supporting documentation, the Dean will log the request, review the submission, and consult with instructional deans as needed. If no additional information or documentation is needed, the student will be notified of the outcome via student email (or other email accounts, if the student email is no longer active). If additional information or documentation is needed, the student will instead be notified of what should be provided and the date by which it must be submitted. This notification will be made via email and phone/voicemail.  

Step 4. If the student is notified that additional information or documentation is needed as part of Step 3, the student must submit it within ten (10) working days of receipt of the notification. Please Note: The notification is considered received on the day of the email and phone contact from Counseling Services.

Within ten (10) working days of receipt of any additional information or documentation, the Dean of Student Services will review the submission and consult with instructional deans as needed. The student will then be notified of the outcome via email.  

If the request is approved, the signed Request for Medical Withdrawal form will be forwarded to Admissions, Registration, and Records. An Admissions, Registration and Records staff member will officially document the withdrawal and change of grade. The medical withdrawal will appear as a grade of “W” on the student’s transcript; there is no distinction made between the medical withdrawal and the other types of withdrawals. Medical withdrawals also do not result in any refund of tuition or fees paid to the College. All supporting documentation will remain on file with the Dean.

If the request is denied, the signed Request for Medical Withdrawal form and all supporting documentation will remain on file with the Dean. 

Medical Withdrawal Appeals

If the student believes that circumstances justify reconsideration of the decision made by the Dean of Student Services, the student may file an appeal. The following are allowable circumstances for reconsideration of the Dean’s decision:

• The attainment of new documentation not initially presented;  
• An allegation of bias or discrimination at any point in the medical withdrawal process; and
• The presentation of documentation showing that the medical withdrawal procedure was not properly followed by the College.
   

The student should not pursue an appeal if they simply disagree with the decision made during the medical withdrawal process.  

The appeal process is as follows:

Step 1. Within ten (10) working days of notification of the medical withdrawal outcome, the student must file a written appeal with the assistance of a Counseling Services staff member. Please Note: The outcome notification is considered received on the day of the email and phone contact from Counseling Services. The appeal is sent to the Dean of Student Services, who routes the form to the Vice President, Chief Student Services Officer.

The student must work with a Counseling Services staff member to provide a clear explanation of what, according to the College, qualifies the request for medical withdrawal for an appeal. The student should be as specific as possible and attach documentation to support the appeal request. The name of the staff member assisting the student is required on the Medical Withdrawal Appeal form, which is provided by Counseling Services.

Step 2. Upon receipt of the appeal, the Vice President, Chief Student Services Officer will review the appeal based on the allowable circumstance(s) cited. If the Vice President determines that the medical withdrawal decision is not eligible for appeal, they will communicate their decision in writing to the student and the Dean of Student Services within ten (10) working days. If they determine that the medical withdrawal decision is eligible for appeal, they will conduct an appeal investigation and render a final decision within ten (10) working days of receiving the appeal. During this time, the Vice President has the option of requesting additional information or documentation from any party involved in the medical withdrawal decision if they feel that the information or documentation will aid in their ability to reach a final decision. The Vice President will communicate their decision in writing to the student and the Dean. If the appeal is approved, a copy of the decision will also be sent to Admissions, Registration, and Records. The Vice President’s decision is final; no further appeal is allowed. The Vice President documents and maintains all records related to the appeal. 

Military Withdrawal

Students who need to withdraw due to active military service should contact Admissions, Registration, and Records for assistance. Refer to the Class Attendance – Credit-Bearing Courses policy for additional information.

Definition

Census Date – The point in a term when ten percent (10%) of a course’s instructional time has elapsed. Course census dates are available via Self-Service (instructors) and course syllabi (students).

Working Days – Days when the College is open and operating under a normal schedule. This excludes weekends, closings due to adverse conditions, and holidays.