The Office of the University Registrar changed the deadline for students to withdraw from individual courses to March 19 after facing criticism that the original date was scheduled over Spring Break. The new course withdrawal date, changed Jan. 30, is scheduled for after break. This will provide students with more time to make the decision to withdraw from courses, and is in closer alignment with the withdrawal dates of other Virginia universities.
The course withdrawal date is the last day a student can remove a class from their schedule and receive a final grade of ‘W’ on their official transcript. After the original withdrawal date of March 10 was postponed by the Registrar, students now have until 11:59 p.m. March 19 to remove a course in SIS, the online record system for all student-related information. The Registrar office is generally responsible for setting the semester schedule and ensuring the accuracy of academic records.
According to University Spokesperson Bethanie Glover, the withdrawal deadline is usually set exactly eight weeks after the first day of classes in both the fall and spring semesters. However, due to courses beginning several days earlier this semester — starting Jan. 13 compared to Jan. 17 in 2024 — the withdrawal date fell in the middle of Spring Break, March 8 to March 16.
“Concerns shared by the schools and students this year prompted further review,” Glover said. “Moving forward, in cases where the deadline overlaps with a holiday or break, the Registar will review and adjust the deadline as needed.”
Theresa Caroll, senior assistant dean for academic and student services, stated that she was added to an email chain discussing the implications of the original course withdrawal date amongst University professors and staff. According to Carroll, the original date posed conflicts for both University students and professors as professors should not have to worry about their students’ academic standing over break and students should be encouraged to relax while on break.
“My assumption is that when they were plugging dates … they just put [the deadline] in where it normally would have fallen” Carroll said. “Now that we're in the semester … folks started noticing this might not be a great idea, and it may not be serving students well if we expect them to be paying attention to something like this on a break.”
Withdrawal dates are an important tool for students who have fallen ill or are struggling to balance their academic schedules. According to an anonymous statement from a University professor, the March 10 deadline created a barrier for students. This professor noted that failure to withdraw may result in poor course performance and in turn, could lead to academic suspension or removal from a major.
“The current deadline is just wrong and does not serve anyone,” the anonymous faculty member said. “If U.Va. is seeking to be ‘great and good’, the calendar committee really needs to pay better attention to these important details and make changes for the good of all.”
Prior to the date change, this professor stated that they — along with several other University faculty — campaigned the UREG for the date to be extended to a scheduled school day to allow students to meet with professors and advisors to assist in making this decision. According to this professor, all academic deadlines should be placed on days when classes are in session so that University faculty is available to help students in need of assistance.
Carroll stated she supported UREG’s decision to extend the withdrawal date to give students more time to make a better informed decision based on their standing in each class. Caroll also said that she appreciated the UREG’s willingness to respond to public concern and adjust the academic calendar accordingly.
“I think we should just be grateful for the people who are willing to say, ‘You're right. This is probably not a great thing, let's think about this’,” Carroll said. “[I hope] these people know that we're grateful that they were willing to listen to our concerns and then act on it. That encourages people to do it again.”
The new course withdrawal date more closely aligns with the Spring 2025 academic calendars of other Virginia universities. The course withdrawal date for William & Mary is scheduled for March 24 and the last day to “resign” from a course at Virginia Tech is April 1. Both of these universities have the same spring break schedule as the University. However, William & Mary and Virginia Tech began spring courses Jan. 22 and Jan. 21, respectively. The two universities will finish exams May 14, while the University’s exams will conclude May 9.
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