Students who wish to revise their class schedules must follow the procedure appropriate for the period of time in the semester (see section 1314.10 below). During the published registration periods for each semester, students may revise their schedules by accessing PAWS. Schedule revisions are defined as any changes to a student's schedule and include dropping and/or adding classes.
To remove a course from a class schedule during the published registration period is referred to by the University community as "dropping" a course. Dropped courses do not appear on the student's official record. After the last day to add/drop a course, students may "withdraw" from a course when they decide to stop attending. Withdrawn courses appear on the student’s official record. Withdrawing from a course prior to the midpoint of the term makes the student eligible for a grade of W if the withdrawal limit has not been exceeded. This grade is reflected on the student's official record. After midpoint, the student will receive the grade the instructor assigns.
All schedule adjustments must be completed by the official last day to register for course credit as published in the online Semester Calendars at paws.gsu.edu. Printable calendars can also be found on gsu.edu under the Registrar’s page. If an institutional error has occurred, and a student wishes to be allowed to register for a course after the deadline, the student, should contact the department offering the course.
Students are responsible for formally dropping or withdrawing from courses using the online registration system, PAWS at paws.gsu.edu. Students should not simply stop attending. Students should be aware of the financial and academic consequences of dropping and withdrawing from courses by consulting with an academic advisor and referring to information concerning the tuition refund schedule found on the Office of Student Accounts’ web page and by referring to information on the Office of Financial Aid’s web page, which are located on the gsu.edu web site.
Georgia State University reserves the right, at any time during the semester, to drop any student from classes for failure to pay tuition and fees. However, students should not assume that Georgia State will drop them from classes for failure to pay tuition and fees.
Registration Time Period:
Students are responsible for consulting the course syllabus for specific instructor policies regarding such matters as penalties for missing the first class, an exam, an assignment, or a project. These may include, among other things, being dropped or withdrawn from a course.
In general, if a student voluntarily withdraws from an off-campus course, then the normal withdrawal policy applies (see section 1314.10). If the off-campus course's schedule does not match a Georgia State University term, then the mid-point of the course will be the mid-point of the period from the first off-campus meeting of the course to the last meeting of the course.
If a course is cancelled by Georgia State after the first week of classes, then the student may choose between the following options:
Students are expected to observe all policies governing the class. Faculty must clearly state these policies in the course syllabus. When a faculty member determines that a student is in violation of one of the class policies (for example, has missed a required assignment or has excessive absences), that faculty member may withdraw the student from the course. Students involuntarily withdrawn prior to the midpoint of the course will be assigned a grade of W. Students involuntarily withdrawn after the midpoint of the course will be assigned a grade of WF. Note that a WF is treated as an F for GPA calculation purposes. Using the official Georgia State University email system, the instructor will notify a student who is involuntarily withdrawn, and within ten days of this notification, the student may petition to the department chair for reinstatement in the course.
Students involuntarily withdrawn from all classes may be entitled to a partial refund of their fees (see Section 1210).
Students may be granted hardship withdrawals when non-academic emergency situations occur which prevent them from completing their coursework (e.g. - severe medical problems, traumatic events/circumstances that cause them to miss numerous classes). Hardship withdrawals are subject to the following restrictions:
Hardship status normally applies to all of your courses for the semester but in some cases may be granted for some and not others. Students requesting a hardship withdrawal in some but not all of their courses must provide documentation to justify such a partial withdrawal. If a student is granted a hardship withdrawal (full or partial), the instructors of the courses from which the student is withdrawing must award a grade of "W" or "WF," depending on whether the student was doing passing work as of the effective date of the hardship.
For further information on hardship withdrawals, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at www.gsu.edu/deanofstudents.
A student who is on active duty or is a military reservist (including members of the National Guard and United States Army Reserve) may withdraw from the University if called for active duty or reassignment. The student must officially withdraw and submit Official Orders to Active Duty to the Office of the Registrar, Sparks Hall 225. The student is not eligible for a military withdrawal in any course in which the student has completed the course requirements (for example, taking the final exam or submitting the final paper) and/or a grade has been assigned. Elective fees are to be prorated according to the date on which the student officially withdraws. Students who withdraw and receive a full tuition refund will receive a grade of "WM" (military withdrawal) for all courses from which the student has withdrawn.
In the judgment of the Dean of Students, a student may be withdrawn from the university for non-academic reasons when it is determined that the student has demonstrated behavior that: (a) poses a significant danger or threat of physical harm to self or to the person or property of others; or (b) interferes with the rights of other members of the university community or with the exercise of any proper activities or functions of the university or its personnel. Except in situations where the student is believed to be an imminent threat to self or others, as determined at the sole discretion of the University, a student shall, upon request, be accorded an appropriate hearing prior to the final decision concerning his or her continued enrollment at the university. In situations involving an imminent threat, the student will be provided a hearing as soon as possible after the withdrawal occurs. The instructor will assign students who are non-academically withdrawn a grade of W or WF if they are withdrawn before the semester midpoint and a WF if they are withdrawn after the semester midpoint.