Withdrawing from the College

Students who decide to withdraw from the college, either during or at the end of the semester, must complete the Withdrawal Process available through myWofford. The online process requires the student to submit an effective withdrawal date (or last date of attendance) and to complete a brief exit survey. The student should contact the Office of the Registrar in order to request official transcripts, meet with Financial Aid Office to review the implications of stopping out or transferring to another institution, and communicate with Student Affairs regarding final departure and room checkout. Students who decide to return to the College after having withdrawn must apply for readmission.  

Medical Withdrawal

Students who withdraw from the college due to physical illness or injury must submit a written request to the Associate Vice President of Student Affairs and Director of Health Services and are eligible to return once they fully recover. Likewise, a student who needs to withdraw to seek treatment for chemical dependency, depression or other psychological condition must meet with the Associate Vice President and is generally eligible to return to campus after one full semester beyond the semester of withdrawal. Medical withdrawal requests must be submitted by the last day of class of the semester in question. They will not be retroactively considered or applied. The Associate Vice President may confer with the appropriate campus offices in evaluating the student’s request. This may include, but is not limited to: medical or psychological professionals, current course instructors and advisers, Dean of Students, Director of Residence Life, Registrar, and/or Provost. If the student received treatment off-campus, the Associate Vice President also may request that the student provide supporting documentation from the attending clinician. Students who are granted a medical withdrawal will receive a grade of 'W' for ALL courses attempted during the semester or term in question. A 'W' does not affect the student’s GPA nor hours earned, but will be noted on the transcript.

Students granted a medical withdrawal will have a hold placed on their record pending readmission to the college. The college expects the medical leave to be of sufficient duration to allow the student to address the issues that necessitated the withdrawal and thus enhance the likelihood of success upon return. Students wishing to return after a medical withdrawal must complete the following steps:

1. Notify the college of their desire to return by completing the Readmission Application available online and through the Registrar’s Office.
2. Submit documentation from the treating clinician to the Associate Vice President of Student Affairs and Director of Health Services attesting to the student’s ability to resume studies with a reasonable likelihood of success. The statement must provide a description of the student’s illness and the treatment rendered. It must outline, as appropriate, a plan of treatment to be followed upon return. (All documentation will be maintained in strict confidence as part of the student’s medical record in compliance with HIPPA regulations . It will NOT become part of the student’s academic record).
3. Documentation must be submitted at least one month prior to the beginning of the semester the student wishes to return.

The Associate Vice President and Director of Health Services will evaluate the documentation and make the final determination regarding the student’s request for readmission and communicate that decision to the student, Dean of Students, and Registrar. Upon readmission, students are expected to follow their treatment plan as established by their treating clinician. Students also will be required to meet with a staff member in the Wellness Center in order to establish a plan of action for the initial semester of re-enrollment. The plan may include regular meetings with that staff member and/or confirmation that the treatment plan is being consistently followed. Failure to do so may constitute grounds for the college to exclude, suspend or withdraw the student administratively.