Extenuating Circumstance Withdrawals

If you have extenuating circumstances and need to withdraw due to these, such as a medical emergency or death of immediate family member, appropriate documentation of the circumstances should be brought to the MT One Stop. You may also email withdraw@mtsu.edu to inquire about the possibility of an extenuating circumstance withdrawal. 

If you have extenuating circumstances causing an extended absence from class, please alert your instructors immediately. If you are unable to contact them yourself, you can email withdraw@mtsu.edu and we will initiate notification for you. Please be advised- each instructor deems excused/not excused absences for their classes and may ask for documentation. The MT One Stop CANNOT guarantee an absence will be excused.

 

Backdated Withdrawals

Students can submit dated documentation (with specific dates of appointments, visits, etc.) of an extenuating circumstance at any point prior to the last day of finals in a semester to request a backdated withdrawal. This means, based on the dates provided, we may be able to back up a drop/withdrawal to an earlier date and/or fee adjustment period within the semester. Any documentation must be submitted to MT One Stop and the student must request the backdated action. Only the student can initiate a withdrawal. Review acceptable documentation information listed below.

Retroactive Withdrawals

Retroactive withdrawal refers to withdrawals requested after the semester has ended. Any student wishing to withdraw from individual or all classes after the last day of finals must initiate a retroactive withdrawal. The student will need to provide dated documentation of the extenuating circumstance dated prior to the semester’s deadline to withdraw from classes with a grade of W. Once the documentation is received, our office will request permission from each instructor to allow the change of grade to a W. It is inevitably at the discretion of the instructor to allow the change or to leave the grade as earned.

Please note the following:

  • Retroactive withdrawals may be requested up to one (1) calendar year from the end of the term in question.
  • In accordance with our Academic Standards, academic standing will not be recalculated in the event of a retroactive withdrawal once a new semester has started.
  • Sufficient documentation must be provided and meet the following guidelines:
    • Dates must be within the term in question or within 14 calendar days prior to the beginning of the term.
    • Documentation must include dates of appointments, visits, etc. that impacted the student’s ability to complete the term.
  • Documentation must be official and include any dates of appointments, visits, treatments, etc. and must date the incident leading to the withdrawal.
    • No screenshots.
    • No Word or other editable documents.
    • Provider letters must be signed.
    • Any emails used as support must come straight from the provider's official email to withdraw@mtsu.edu. 
    • It is up to you, the student, to provide adequate documentation to support your request based on the situation that has impacted you specifically. Some examples of common documentation include, but are not limited to:
      • Doctor’s statements with specific dates (diagnosis/treatment not needed), signed, from provider
      • Counselor/therapist letters with specific dates (diagnosis/treatment not needed), signed, from provider
      • Hospital admission/discharge paperwork
      • Death certificate/obituaries if immediate family member
      • Police reports
      • Travel itineraries
      • Documentation of family emergency
      • Other documents to support your specific request.
      • Documentation can be uploaded securely to our Drop Box, emailed to withdraw@mtsu.edu (if no personally identifiable information like social security numbers), or brought in person to the MT One Stop- SSAC 210.
    •  

Withdrawal Appeals

Students who are denied a backdated or retroactive withdrawal have the option to appeal that decision. The MT One Stop will provide students who are denied a Withdrawal Appeal Form and provide further instructions at that point. You must first initiate a withdrawal request by emailing withdraw@mtsu.edu and be denied in order to appeal. The decision of the Withdrawal Appeal Committee is final.