A student may petition for Retroactive Withdrawal from a course(s)or from the university (all courses taken during that semester), if circumstances of a serious and compelling nature prevented the completion of course work and extenuating circumstances prevented submission of a regular withdrawal petition by the deadline on the Academic Calendar. In filing a Petition for Retroactive Withdrawal, withdrawal from all courses taken during the term in question is normally expected since 'extenuating circumstances' are not course-specific.

Petitions must be submitted to the School or College (academic unit) where the student’s current major is housed. Each academic unit will assemble a retroactive withdrawal committee that will make decisions on all retroactive withdrawal petitions. Approved retroactive withdrawal petitions which require a change of grade will follow standard change of grade procedures. A copy of the approved petition and supporting documentation should be attached to the grade change form when it is submitted to the Registration and Records office.

Petitions that are approved by the home academic unit for courses that reside outside of the home academic unit will be forwarded to the host academic unit retroactive withdrawal committee along with all supporting documentation. The host retroactive withdrawal committee will forward their decision back to the home academic unit.

If the petition for retroactive withdrawal is denied by either home or host retroactive withdrawal committee, the student has the right to appeal the decision to their home academic unit Dean. The decision of the home Dean is final.

If the home academic unit Dean approves a petition for coursework that is housed in a host academic unit, the paperwork will be forward to the host academic unit Dean for a decision. The host dean will forward their decision back to the home academic unit. The decision of the host Dean is final.

Students who submit a retroactive withdrawal are not typically candidates for fee refunds.

For courses taken while enrolled in the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. program in the School of Graduate Studies and the Schools of Dentistry, Law, Medicine, and Pharmacy, students should refer to the retroactive withdrawals policies and procedures of these schools as they may have more stringent requirements.

Students are not a candidate for retroactive withdrawal if any of the following conditions are true:

You are applying because you are not satisfied with the grade you earned.

You are applying because you neglected to formally withdraw from the course(s) in question.

You were not aware of the withdrawal deadlines.

You changed your major and are now working towards a major or degree which does not require this course.

You assumed non-academic activities which restricted your time for academic pursuit.

You were ill or you suffered stress as the result of an accident, death, family crisis, or other crisis early enough in the semester to have withdrawn during the semester.

You have already received a UMKC degree for which the course(s) in question were applied towards degree requirements and/or your UM GPA.

If any of the above are found to be true of your case, your request for retroactive withdrawal will be denied.

Students may be candidates for retroactive withdrawal if any of the following conditions are true:

There was a documented administrative error that affected your enrollment in one or more courses.

You have documentation of a serious illness that affected your ability to complete all of your coursework after the withdrawal date.

You encountered documented extreme and unusual circumstances which a) were beyond your control, b) occurred after the withdrawal date, and c) could not have been addressed during the term in which the course(s) was taken.

Process for submitting a Retroactive Withdrawal Petition:

1. To withdraw retroactively from the university or specific courses, the student must present official supporting documents which demonstrate serious and compelling reasons (usually due to serious accident or illness) justifying the withdrawal and extenuating circumstances justifying its 'retro' nature.
2. The student collects supporting documentation submits the entire package (Retroactive Withdrawal form and official supporting documentation) to the School or College where their major is housed.
3. All decisions will be made by each School or College Retroactive Withdrawal or Petition for Exception Committee.
4. Individual instructor’s feedback should be considered with all petitions.
5. Once a decision is made the home School or College will send all documentation to the Registration & Records Office.

The retroactive withdrawal policy is effective as of Summer 2010 and applies to all students, regardless of the catalog year the student entered the University