Academic Procedures

Procedures, Regulations, and Forms

The Course Catalog includes all of the academic procedures and regulations, and the Registrar's website has the necessary forms and help for students.

Academic Procedures FAQ

How do I change my major or advisor?

Submit a Declaration of Majors, Minors, or IAs and/or a Change of Advisor form at the Registrar's Office.  You can change your major or advisor at any time by submitting a new form.  You must have a major and advisor in that major by the start of the junior year.

How can I satisfy the language competency GER (in a language other than English)?

If you would like to satisfy the language GER with a language not taught at Lawrence, read "Completion of the language competency requirement" under Academic Procedures and Regulations in the Course Catalog and contact the chair of the Language Coalition to arrange for testing or documentation.

How do I transfer credit from another university?

Click here for more information, found on the Registrar's website.

How do I drop a course?

Although the term "drop a course" is usually used to mean "cancel a course," students sometimes use "drop a course" when meaning they wish to "withdraw from a course." Note that canceling and withdrawing are two different processes and have different results as noted below.

In the first week of the term, while registration is still open, you may use Voyager to cancel a class from your schedule.  A cancelled course is removed from your schedule and will not appear on future transcripts of your work.  You may not cancel a course if you have attended the class after the first week. If you did not attend the course past the first week, and you did not cancel it from your schedule in Voyager, you must petition to cancel the course.

You may withdraw from a class you have attended after the first week of the term up to the published deadline, which is usually the second Friday after the mid-term reading period.  If you attend the class after the withdrawal deadline, you have committed to completing the course.  Withdrawal forms can be found on the Registrar's web page under Forms.  Your instructor must report your last date of attendance and your academic advisor must also sign the withdrawal form.  The course will appear on your transcript with a grade of "W".  No credit will be earned and the "W" will not affect your grade point averages.   

Withdrawing from a class will reduce your course load for the term as of the date you last attended class.  For some students, a reduced load will affect international student visas, athletic eligibility, V.A. benefits, some scholarships, and possibly insurance.  You should investigate the consequences of withdrawing from a class carefully (International Students Services, Office of Financial Aid, parents) before withdrawing.  

You must petition the Faculty Subcommittee on Administration to withdraw if any of the following apply:

• you are withdrawing from more than one class in the term, or
• you have already withdrawn from three classes during your time at Lawrence, or
• you are on probation, or
• you find you are unable to complete the class after the withdrawal deadline has passed.

Petition forms can be found on the Registrar's web page under Forms.

How can I take an incomplete?

Students are expected to complete the work in each course by the deadlines established by the instructor; the final deadline for any work is the scheduled exam time. However, a grade of incomplete may be awarded at the discretion of the Dean of Academic Success, working in partnership with the instructor, if requested by the student, under the following guidelines:

1. approximately 70% or more of all course requirements have been completed (even if not yet graded); and
2. unforeseen circumstances beyond the student's control (usually restricted to serious and sudden physical or mental illness, family emergency, or unpreventable lab or practicum issues) impede completion of the remaining work for the course by the term deadline.

Please note that poor planning, having a significant amount of work to complete at the end of the term, desiring extra time to do higher quality work, or failing to back up work is not, in fairness to other students, considered circumstances beyond a student's control. Instructors and students with questions about whether the conditions for an incomplete are met should consult with the Dean of Academic Success.

Incompletes are normally granted at or near the end of the term. Students must initiate the process to request an incomplete by completing the incomplete request form and following up with a meeting with the Dean of Academic Success. All steps must be completed before the scheduled final exam time. If the course does not have a scheduled exam time, the student must meet with the dean before the last exam time of the term. (Emergency situations are at the discretion of the dean, so if you have an emergency at your final exam time, reach out to the dean.) If the conditions for an incomplete are met, the Dean of Academic Success will send the instructor an Incomplete Information Form to specify the work to be completed.

For fall, winter, spring and summer terms, students have four weeks after the last day of classes to complete an incomplete. For D-term, students have 1 week after the last day of classes to complete an incomplete. Extensions are granted only in rare cases with extraordinary extenuating circumstances, such as significant medical issues or family emergencies. Documentation must be provided to the Dean of Academic Success before a decision is made. Extensions require the approval of both the course instructor and the Dean of Academic Success.

If the student does not submit the remaining work by the incomplete deadline, the student will receive a course grade based on completed work with zero credit for any missing work.

Exceptions to the above guidelines are at the discretion of the Dean of Academic Success.

If you plan to request an incomplete, please continue reading below for additional information.

Requesting an Incomplete

• An incomplete must be requested before the final examination or assignment. A student may not request an incomplete after completing all course requirements.
• A student may request an incomplete if the following conditions apply:
  • the student has demonstrated a commitment to the course by attending class and completing assignments, and has completed most of the requirements to earn course credit; and
  • the student has experienced a sudden accident, physical or mental illness, or other emergency late in the term and requires additional time to satisfy the remaining course requirements.

Incompletes are issued for circumstances beyond a student’s control that prevent timely course completion, not to allow extra time to manage workload or to complete higher quality work. (A student who has stopped attending or submitting course work more than two weeks before the end of term may consider withdrawing from the course, which could affect full-time student status.)

• A student must request an incomplete from the Dean of Academic Success. The student must first complete the incomplete request form and then also meet with the dean. The student can attend walk-in hours at the end of the term (held daily Week 8-Finals: Mon-Fri, 1:30-3:00pm - the CAS is located on the 2nd floor of the library) or make an appointment to meet with the dean (or, at the dean’s discretion, with the associate dean) by contacting the Center for Academic Success (Library 2nd floor, 920-832-6530, cas@lawrence.edu). The dean will consult with the course instructor to determine whether the student has been active in the course, what work remains to be completed, and whether the work could reasonably be completed in the month following the end of term.
• If the incomplete is approved, the dean will enter it into the Voyager system. This will create a record of the work to be completed and the deadlines for submission and grading. A temporary course grade of ‘I’ will appear in the student’s academic record and will be replaced by the actual course grade after the work has been submitted or the incomplete deadline has passed.
• A student who receives an incomplete normally has up to a month after the end of the term to submit the remaining work. Alternative deadlines are at the discretion of the Dean of Academic Success. If the work is not submitted by the deadline, the student will receive a course grade with zero credit for the missing work, which may result in a grade of ‘F’ for the course. (If the student receives an ‘F’, the student can retake the course in a future term and complete a Course Repeat Form to have the new grade replace the ‘F’ in the student’s grade point average.)

What can I do about changing an exam?

If you wish to change a midterm examination, you should follow the procedure for requesting an extension (see above).

If you wish to change the time for a final examination, you must petition the Faculty Subcommittee on Administration. Please click here to find the petition deadline for each term. Petitions are approved for students who have three exams in a row or have exceptional circumstances. Petitions are not approved to space exams for study or to allow early departure from campus. The committee will deny any petition based on travel arrangements, even if the student must forfeit a purchased ticket for international travel. For exceptional circumstances, you should petition first and receive approval before making any nonrefundable travel arrangements.

How do I request a leave of absence?

Are you looking to take some time off from Lawrence? If you want to take a leave of absence, we ask that you not initiate the process until the term before you plan to leave. If you need to leave campus during the term, please reach out to the CAS and start this process as soon as you're able. You should start the process by logging in to your Voyager account, clicking on the Center for Academic Success tab, and then clicking Leave of Absence/Withdrawal Form. To create a new request:

• Choose your type of leave.
• Select the last term you were taking classes (if this is a future leave, choose the term you will be completing before being on leave.)
• Click the submit button. 

After completing the leave of absence form on Voyager, you will also need to schedule a brief exit interview with Dean Monita Gray or Associate Dean Kate Zoromski.  They will review the request, and upon its approval, will notify all appropriate university offices.  Your status will not be changed with the university until after the exit interview has been completed.  Please schedule an interview with one of them via the links below:

• Dean of Academic Success, Monita Mohammadian Gray (or email the CAS to find a time)
• Associate Dean of Academic Success, Kate Zoromski

If your leave is approved, you may return early or request an extension before the end of the leave; otherwise, you are expected to return when the leave expires. If you do not, you will be withdrawn from the university. If you have not requested a leave of absence and end your enrollment at Lawrence or in a Lawrence-sponsored program, you will likewise be withdrawn.

How do I withdraw?

If you want to withdraw from Lawrence, you should start the process by logging in to your Voyager account, clicking on the Center for Academic Success tab, and then clicking Leave of Absence/Withdrawal Form. To create a new request:

• Choose withdraw.
• Select the last term you were taking classes (if this is a future leave, choose the term you will be completing before withdrawing.)
• Click the submit button.
• Answer the survey questions that appear and submit.

After completing the withdrawal form on Voyager, you will also need to schedule a brief exit interview with Dean Monita Gray or Associate Dean Kate Zoromski.  They will review the request, and upon its approval, will notify all appropriate university offices.  Your status will not be changed with the university until after the exit interview has been completed.  Please schedule an interview with one of them via the links below:

• Dean of Academic Success, Monita Mohammadian Gray (or email the CAS to find a time)
• Associate Dean of Academic Success, Kate Zoromski

How do I request to return after I've Withdrawn?

Please note: if you were required to leave or withdraw per the university, please click here to read the process to return.

If you wish to return and you were in good academic standing when you left:

If you have withdrawn and wish to return, you must complete the Intent to Return web form. The Faculty Subcommittee on Administration will review your request for readmission. Please contact the Center for Academic Success for details or questions about this process.  Request for readmission deadlines are as follows:

• July 31 to return fall term
• November 30 to return winter term
• February 15 to return spring term

If you wish to return and you were not in good academic standing when you left:

If you have withdrawn and wish to return, you must petition the Faculty Subcommittee on Administration for readmission by completing this petition form and providing the following information: 

1. Please include a personal statement which addresses:
   1. An explanation for past problems and the measures you have taken to address them fully.
   2. A proposal for handling any academic difficulties if they arise upon your return.
2. Any additional relevant documentation and support, such as letters of recommendation from an employer, an instructor, a tutor, or a counselor who can address your readiness to return.
3. Your faculty advisor will be required to submit comments about the request for readmission.

Important information:
If you withdrew from Lawrence when not in good standing and are readmitted, you will return to Lawrence with an academic standing of probation. Please consult the Academic Standing Policy to understand the academic expectations and the importance of achieving a term GPA above a 2.000.

THE DEADLINES TO RECEIVE YOUR PETITION FOR READMISSION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

JULY 31 for Fall Term
NOVEMBER 30 for Winter Term
FEBRUARY 15 for Spring Term

All petitions should be submitted to the Registrar’s Office at registrar@lawrence.edu.

How can I request readmission after being required to leave or withdraw from the university?

Students who have been required to withdraw for academic reasons must petition the Faculty Subcommittee on Administration for readmission by completing this petition form and the following information: 

1. Please include a personal statement which addresses:
   1. An explanation for past problems and the measures you have taken to address them fully.
   2. A proposal for handling any academic difficulties if they arise upon your return.
2. Please submit an official transcript from another institution to show that you have been successful elsewhere.
3. Any additional relevant documentation and support, such as letters of recommendation from an employer, an instructor, a tutor, or a counselor who can address your readiness to return.
4. Your faculty advisor will be required to submit comments about the request for readmission.

Important information for students:
If you were required to withdraw from Lawrence for academic reasons and are readmitted, you will return to Lawrence with an academic standing of probation. Please consult the Academic Standing Policy to understand the academic expectations.

A student who is required to withdraw may only petition for readmission one time. If the student is required to withdraw a second time, petitioning for readmission is no longer an option.

Additional considerations:
If you have been required to leave for medical or psychological reasons, you must request readmission by contacting the Dean of Students, VP for Student Life or the Associate Dean for Health and Wellness who will explain the documentation required for such a request.

If you were required to leave by an action of the Honor Council, you should contact the Honor Council Advisor to discuss your options.

If you have been put on administrative leave for financial reasons, you must contact the Student Accounts office to discuss your options.

THE DEADLINES TO RECEIVE YOUR PETITION FOR READMISSION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

JULY 31 for Fall Term
NOVEMBER 30 for Winter Term
FEBRUARY 15 for Spring Term

All petitions should be turned into the Registrar's Office at registrar@lawrence.edu.