A retroactive withdrawal (RWD) may be an option for students who were unable to complete a leave of absence during a semester at MSU in which their performance was affected by extenuating circumstances such as a injury or illness, family emergancy, or other personal hardship.

*The RWD is a withdrawal from all courses from any previous semester and is not easily granted. It is not intended to clean up a transcript for Financial Aid or GPA purposes.  Additionally, it is not applicable to students who face academic suspension and did not withdraw before the semester’s deadline.  Such students must go through the suspension appeal process.

If you are a graduate student looking to complete a retroactive university withdrawal (RUWD), please use the Graduate School Retroactive Withdrawal application.

Retroactive University Withdrawal Policy

 Retroactive University Withdrawal Procedure

  1. Extenuating circumstance* occurs, prohibiting the student from academic success and/or applying for a withdrawal in a timely manner during the semester in question
  2. Student can apply for a Retroactive Withdrawal (RWD) by scheduling an appointment with the Office of the Dean of Students at (406) 994-2826.
  3. After student meets with a dean and accesses application, they will need to upload both a personal narrative and clinical/official documentation
  4. Completed RWD applications are reviewed
    • Student receives decision letter within 4-6 weeks of application to the email student attached to their application. This email may go to spam; look for the subject line of “Correspondence from the Office of the Dean of Students”
  5. Three possible outcomes
    1. Approved with W’s
      • Student will receive W’s for all classes during the applicable semester. Student’s RUWD is put into effect; a temporary hold is placed on the student account to allow for record amendments
    2. Approved without W’s
      • Student receives a clean slate for the applicable semester. This is very rare. Student’s RUWD is put into effect; a temporary hold is placed on the student account to allow for record amendments
    3. Denied
      • No change is made to the students record. Student has the ability to appeal within 5 business days with new information if applicable.

 

The preceding procedure is also available as a flowchart image.

What is an extenuating circumstance?

Extenuating circumstances are those which significantly limit a students' ability to function successfully or safely in their role at MSU. For a retroactive withdrawal, these can be situations that either forced the student to leave the University abruptly without completing a leave of absence due to health, safety, or personal/family emergency; or a physical or mental illness or injury that significantly limited their capacity to withdraw in a timely manner. These can include:

  • Significant mental or physical illness, injury, or other extraordinary circumstance that significantly limits their capacity to function successfully or safely in their role as a student (this extraordinary circumstance may include the birth/adoption of a child)
  • Family emergency such as severe illness or death within their immediate family including an individual whose close association with the student is the equivalent of a family relationship

What are the requirements for documentation & narrative?

  • Narrative: A detailed letter explaining the extraordinary circumstances you faced as a student during the semester for which you are seeking a RUWD, including the timeline of those circumstances and how those circumstances prevented you from being successful
  • Documentation: Objective, third-party documentation verifying the extraordinary circumstances you experienced. Letters from parents or other family members will not constitute the required documents. Common forms of documentation include doctor’s notes on letterhead, travel receipts, communications from University officials, employers, or obituaries.

Narrative and documentation attachments need to be in PDF format or a Word document to be accessible for review

What do we consider when evaluating a RWD request?

  • Semester before and after the semester in question.  While this may not always be possible, it is important that there is a clear separation between the performances of semesters that precede and follow the semester for which you are requesting a withdrawal.
  • Could the student have withdrawn within the timeline?  It is the student’s responsibility to understand the options available to them or to approach faculty or staff to inquire about how to remedy a situation.  Claiming that you did not know about a policy is not grounds for a RWD.
  • Information from faculty and staff.  After receiving a request, we check in with a student’s college. We may also gather information from academic advisors, instructors, residence hall staff, and others to determine last dates of attendance and if any individuals can verify a student’s circumstances.  If a faculty or staff member can attest that you communicated with them, it becomes easier to grant a RWD.
  • Habitual withdrawing.  A student who is granted a RWD will most likely not be granted another RWD for the same reasons.
  • Severity of extraordinary circumstances.  While we do not claim to be medical or counseling professionals, our staff does our best to evaluate how the circumstances you encountered impacted your ability to be successful.