Withdrawal from a Course

Academic expectations

During the semester, you have two opportunities to drop a course from your transcript before you have to petition it. They are outlined below:

1) Drop a course without academic penalty by the deadline.

This means that you are able to drop the course on ACORN, and have it removed from your transcript.  It is expected that your instructors return a minimum of 20% of your total grade by the drop date deadline; oftentimes, instructors provide more than the minimum. You are expected to make an informed decision, and take action accordingly. There are a variety of reasons for wanting to drop a course that are acceptable before the drop deadlines, such as:

• You will not pass the course
• You no longer need the course
• You are concerned about fees you paid for the course
• You do not expect to get the mark you need to get into professional or graduate school

2) Request a late withdrawal on eService during the declaration period. There is no need to submit a petition during the declaration period; your request will be approved within 2 business days.
 

Requesting a late withdrawal:

1. Login to eService using your UTORid and password 
2. Using the menu, find "COURSES" and select "Late Withdrawal"
3. Click "Submit New" from the menu on the left hand side.
4. Follow the prompts and instructions on the screen. 

Withdrawal from a course after the late withdrawal deadline has passed (WDR) : Petition Required

If you have compelling reasons for requesting to drop a course after the late withdrawal deadline, or if you have extenuating circumstances outside of your control that is preventing you from completing the course, you may submit a petition. Strong documentation is required to support such petition requests and all options must be carefully considered.

If your petition is granted:

• The course will appear on your transcript, but with a 'WDR' notation that will take the place of a numeric grade. This is a neutral designation that will not impact your GPA.
• You will not receive a refund for the course, nor may you petition to request a refund. By accepting your request to withdraw from a course via petition, you are being granted an academic exception. Tuition refunds are determined by the refund schedule only; your fees are a financial responsibility that you accepted when you enrolled in the course.

We strongly recommend meeting with an Academic & Learning Strategist at the Academic Advising & Career Centre to help you assess your academic situation and consider your options. If you are registered with AccessAbility Services, contact your Disability Consultant to seek support and advice. For personal health, you may visit the Health & Wellness Centre.