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- Academic Struggles: What are my Options?
If you are worried about not being able to complete a course (or all courses), you have options!
Before the end of Week 6, students can drop a class or withdraw from the quarter.
From Week 7 until the end of finals, you still have options. Please see below for considerations.
Request an Incomplete
- An incomplete grade is an option for students who are unable to finish part or all of a quarter due to circ*mstances beyond their control.
- To qualify for an incomplete, you must be passing the course, and the professor needs to agree to the incomplete.
- Reach out to your professor directly before the end of finals week to request this. If they agree, it would be between you and the professor to agree on what work still needs to be done in the class, as well as a timeline to complete it. The work for the incomplete must be finished by the end of the following quarter, although the professor or student can set an earlier deadline. There is no official paperwork to request an Incomplete, although some professors or departments may ask you to submit the Incomplete form.
- For more information about incomplete grades, refer to TritonLink.Your instructor mayrequire the submission of anIncomplete Form.
Petition to Retroactively Withdraw from Individual Course(s)
A petition to retroactively withdraw from a class would be an option for students who have extenuating circ*mstances that prevented them from dropping the class(es) by the deadline (Friday of Week 6) or that happened after the drop deadline. The result would be a “W” grade on your transcript.
If you choose to move forward with the petition process, you will need to complete an Undergraduate Student Petition. Choose “University Exception” and the request will be “retroactive drop with W grade”.
- You must include documentation* of any extenuating circ*mstances that prevented you from withdrawing prior to the deadline or explain the emergency reason after the deadline.
- You must provide a personal statement addressing what’s been happening. If you are petitioning to withdraw from just one class (and not the whole quarter) you need to explain why this one class was impacted and not all.
- You will need signatures from the professor and academic department chair. Send the petition to the department advisors and they can help route the petition. If the instructor and department chair both approve the petition, it will come to Revelle College for review. If you submit the petition after the end of the quarter, the Academic Senate Educational Policy Committee will also need to review the petition.
These petitions are not guaranteed to be approved and can be denied at any step. If you have questions about the likelihood of your petition being approved, please consult Revelle Advising - we are committed to being transparent about this process!
*Documentation varies by situation. It might include a medical visit summary, CAPS after-visit history, hospitalization dates, or a letter from your provider. It might be a death notice, obituary, funeral program, or letter from a family member’s medical provider or social worker. It might be a pay stub, employment termination, flight itinerary, or travel documents.
Petition to Retroactively Withdraw from the Quarter (All Courses)
A petition to retroactively withdraw from the full quarter may be an option for students who have extenuating circ*mstances that prevented them from withdrawing by the deadline (Friday of Week 6) or that happened after the drop deadline. The result would be a “W” grade in all courses.
If you choose to move forward with the petition process, you will need to complete an Undergraduate Student Petition for every class. Choose “University Exception” and the request will be “retroactive drop with W grade”.
- You must include documentation* of any extenuating circ*mstances that prevented you from withdrawing prior to the deadline or explain the emergency reason after the deadline.
- You must provide a personal statement addressing what’s been happening. This does not need to be lengthy - just tell us why you can’t complete the quarter.
- Send the petitions, statement, and documentation to Revelle College at readvising@ucsd.edu. If you submit the petition after the end of the quarter, the Academic Senate Educational Policy Committee will also need to review the petition.
These petitions are not guaranteed to be approved. If you have questions about the likelihood of your petitions being approved, please consult Revelle Advising - we are committed to being transparent about this process!
*Documentation varies by situation. It might include a medical visit summary, CAPS after-visit history, hospitalization dates, or a letter from your provider. It might be a death notice, obituary, funeral program, or letter from a family member’s medical provider or social worker. It might be a pay stub, employment termination, flight itinerary, or travel documents.
Fail the Course and Repeat it
If you do not qualify for an Incomplete or a petition to retroactively withdraw, your final grade will be posted. If you fail the course, you can retake it.* For the first 16 units of D, F, or NP grade that a student earns and then repeats, the original grade is removed from the GPA calculation when you repeat the class. In other words, if you fail the class then the F grade would remain on your transcript but be removed from your GPA when you retake the class. See the How to Repeat a Class webpage for full details.
If you are concerned about the impact of failing grades on your GPA and academic standing, please contact Revelle Advising to discuss your particular situation.
*To take a course for a third or more time, you need approval (not guaranteed) from the Revelle College Dean of Academic Advising.
