4.03 – Course Registration Deadline Waiver

PART 1:  PURPOSE

This rule establishes the criteria which justify the grant of a waiver of the administrative deadline for requesting a course registration change (e.g. drop/add or withdrawal), and establishes the review and approval process required before the waiver may be effectuated.

PART 2:  CRITERIA

A student may petition for a waiver of the administrative deadline for course registration changes, including drop/withdraw from a course, after the administrative deadlines for the relevant enrollment term has passed, if any of the following criteria are met:

1. The student was prevented from dropping or withdrawing due to illness, injury, or personal emergency of the student or a member of the immediate family;
2. The student was given misinformation as to the correct deadline for dropping a course or withdrawing from the university;
3. The student never attended the class, nor submitted assignments, nor completed examinations;
4. The student did not attend class beyond the deadline to drop/withdraw;
5. Administrative errors were made in handling the withdrawal/drop process;
6. The student was performing military duties, including but not limited to a scheduled deployment;
7. Other circumstances beyond the control of the student prevented the student from meeting the drop/withdrawal standard administrative deadline.

PART 3:  DECISION MAKING AUTHORITY

1. A petition for a waiver is granted only when both recommended for approval by the associate dean for academics of the college of the student’s major, or the community college vice president of academic affairs, as appropriate (College Academic Officer), and accepted by the Director of University Student Records Office (Registrar).
2. Any petition which does not receive approval from both the College Academic Officer and acceptance by the Registrar is denied, subject to appeal to the Office of the provost and chief academic officer.
3. Petitions for deadline waivers submitted more than one year from the end of the relevant academic term will be denied, except in extraordinary situations, and only after heightened scrutiny to ensure compliance with state and federal reporting, budget and other legal requirements.

PART 4:  PROCEDURES

1. Form of Petition: The form of petition (approved by the Registrar and the Associate Deans Academic Council), must provide notice to students that a possible consequence of a retroactive withdrawal is a requirement to repay the university the amount of any disbursement of financial aid for the pertinent enrollment period, in accordance with federal US Department of Education regulations.  The form for Petition for Waiver of Course Registration Change Deadline is available on the website of the University Student Records Office.
2. Notifications: The petition form will also include the student’s official NMSU email address, or if no longer active, another current email address. All written notifications required under this rule will be given in person using an official NMSU email address, or in the case of the student, if no longer active, the email address provided in the Petition, and will be deemed received on the first business day after dispatch.
3. Initiation of Request: A waiver request is initiated when the student, or person authorized to act on behalf of the student, submits the completed and signed petition form with an explanation of the circumstances justifying the waiver request, to the office of the College Academic Officer.
4. Review and Decision by College and Registrar:
   1. The College Academic Officer will consider the facts outlined in the petition, review the student’s academic records and other relevant information, and issue a written recommendation. The recommendation will indicate whether or not the request justifies a late course registration change, in accordance with the criteria set forth above.  Issues to be considered when determining whether to approve the petition include whether the circumstances prevented the student from dropping the course(s) within the drop/withdrawal deadline, and inconsistencies, if any, relating to which courses were requested to be dropped.
   2. The College Academic Officer will forward the petition with their recommendation to both the student and to the Registrar. Where the College Academic Officer disapproves a petition, this is the notification to the student of the decision, which may be appealed as set forth below.
   3. In instances where the College Academic Officer recommends in favor of the waiver, the Registrar will then accept or decline the recommendation within no more than 30 days (if additional time is needed, an extension may be granted upon request to the relevant major dean or community college president).
   4. Upon approval of a waiver request, the Registrar will process the registration change and provide written notification to the student, Financial Aid, and University Accounts Receivable.
   5. Upon disapproval of a waiver request, the Registrar will provide written notification to the student, the University Student Records Office, University Financial Aid and Scholarship Services, and University Accounts Receivable.
5. Appeal to Provost for Final Review:
   1. If the petition for a waiver of the deadline is declined by either the College Academic Officer or the Registrar, the student may seek a final review of the matter by submitting a written appeal within thirty (30) calendar days from receipt of the decision. The written appeal will include the student’s position statement regarding why the waiver request was improperly denied.
   2. The student, or a person authorized to act on behalf of student, must submit the written appeal to the relevant College Academic Officer, who will forward the appeal to the Office of the Provost, including all documentation relating to the decision. The College Academic Officer and the Registrar each have the option to also submit a response to the appeal, with a copy delivered to the student.
   3. The provost or designee will consider the points made in the appeal, the documentation relating to the decision being appealed and any response to the appeal and will then issue a final decision to the parties within 30 days after receipt of the appeal upholding, modifying or reversing the decision. The student, the relevant College Academic Officer, Registrar, University Financial Aid and Scholarship Services, and University Accounts Receivable will be notified of the decision, and in the case of a modification or reversal, the Registrar will process any course registration change mandated by the decision.
6. Amendment of Student Educational Record: Upon approval of a waiver of the deadline and the processing of a post-deadline registration change, in those cases where the students record is amended to provide a course withdrawal (rather than a drop), the student will receive a “W” grade unless the course instructor and the College Academic Officer recommend an “I” grade as more appropriate.