Withdrawing from Classes

Download these tips in a pdf here.

Students at New Mexico Tech have many opportunities when it comes to their classes. With such a large selection of available classes, there is enough to offer to almost any hungry mind.  However, with such a large selection of classes, there is often the circumstance that a student will need to drop a class. Whether it is due to issues within the class, change of circumstances, or any  other reason, the process of dropping a class is going to be the same for almost every student. 

When and How to Withdraw from Classes

• First things first: discuss any decisions about changing your course schedule with your advisor. 
  • They will be able to help you through the process as well as offer alternatives or tips for passing your class without withdrawing. 
• If you and your advisor have agreed that the best course of action is to withdraw from a class, then you need to completely fill out a Withdrawal Form and turn it into the Office of the Registrar (Fidel 285). 
  • You will need to gather signatures from the course instructor, your advisor, the Financial Aid Office, and the Cashier’s Office.  
• It's critically important to start this process early, not the day before the deadline as things take time.
• If you live on campus, you must receive a signature from the Residential Life Office as well.
• Under extremely unusual circumstances, a student may petition for a withdrawal without prejudice. Students may not withdraw without prejudice from a course they are failing due to plagiarism, cheating, or other disciplinary issues. Charges for tuition and fees are not altered by such a withdrawal. For more information, get in touch with Jenn Chapman, who is the Dean of Students.
• Click here to complete the Withdrawal Without Prejudice Form.

Deadlines

• Students have the ability to withdraw from classes without penalty up to about the tenth week of the Fall and Spring semesters (fifth week of the semester during the Summer semester). 
  • Check the Academic Calendar for exact dates!
• The deadline for registering for new classes is the end of the third week of the semester.
  • Check the Academic Calendar for exact dates! 
• If you withdraw after the registration deadline, you are given a score of W, which does not affect your GPA but appears on your transcript as a W. 
• Keep in mind that if you wish to withdraw from a course, you will lose the credits you were earning towards that course. 
  • This means that if you wish to keep a certain number of credit hours per semester, you may need to take intersession courses to recover the credits lost. 
    • Intersession classes are short classes offered between the end of one semester and the start of another.
    • They count toward the number of credits taken in the previous semester and are a great way to maintain scholarship status.  
    • They are short intense classes that generally last 1-2 weeks and meet every day.  
    • Talk with your advisor if they are the right choice for you! 
• For more information on how to withdraw from a course or another similar topic, visit the  NMT Registrar website.

Courtesy of NMT Mechanical Engineering Department TAs.