Student Services

Students who experience a significant and unforeseeable medical or mental health condition, compromising the student's ability to effectively participate in their educational program, may request a complete withdrawal or a reduction (one or more, but not all courses for a semester) in their course loads without unnecessary academic penalty. All requests will require documentation from a medical/mental health professional. 

The complete policy can be found in the University's Handbook of Operating Procedures section 7.14.

Eligibility:

• Students will be limited to one medical withdrawal/ course load reduction during their academic program at UT Tyler.  
• A medical withdrawal/course load reduction from the university can be granted only for the current semester. The request must be presented to the committee prior to Monday of final exam week.
• A student who wishes to appeal for extenuating circumstances related to more than one request for a medical withdrawal or a late application for a medical withdrawal should complete an application to appeal form. These appeals will be reviewed by the Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students or designee.  If approved, the application will be sent to the Medical Withdrawal Committee for Review.

Students who do not meet the requirements for a medical withdrawal (e.g. caretakers, death in the family) may apply through the Student Appeals Committee www.uttyler.edu/registrar/policies/appeals. 

Dropping or withdrawing from classes may affect financial aid eligibility, veteran's benefits, athletic eligibility, housing, international student status, or graduate program status. Students should consult with those departments prior to dropping or withdrawing.  Depending on the program, a graduate student may be required to consult with their advisor prior to withdrawal so any impact on research or other projects may be minimized. Requests for refunds, financial aid appeals and grade appeals are not handled via this process.  

All drops or withdrawals approved for undergraduate students will result in grades of “Q” that are exempt from the 6-Drop Rule.  All drops or withdrawals approved for graduate or pharmacy students will result in grades of “W”.

Request Procedures

To request a medical withdrawal/course load reduction a student will submit an online  Application for Medical Withdrawal/ Course Load Reduction. If a student does not meet the eligibility criteria and has extenuating circumstances to appeal, they may submit an Appeal to Apply for Medical Withdrawal/Course Load Reduction.

All applications must include provider documentation to support their request from a licensed doctor, physician, medical provider (e.g., physicians assistant), or mental health professional who has provided significant care to the student.  Documentation must include a signed, completed Medical Withdrawal Documentation Form or a signed letter on letterhead from the provider including:

• Diagnosis or Condition
• Date of Onset of the Condition
• Dates of Treatment
• Prognosis
• How the Condition Impacted the Student's Ability to Complete the Semester
• Accommodation Needs for Returning Semester.
  

If a student is unable to upload supporting documentation through the application, it may be emailed to meddrop@uttyler.edu. For assistance in scanning requested documents or questions regarding the medical withdrawal process, students may visit the Student Assistance and Advocacy Center in UC 3440 (Dean of Student's Suite) or call 903.565.5946. 

 

Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

The committee will review the request and any supporting documentation provided by the student to determine whether the medical or mental health issues adversely affecting the student’s ability to function academically are/were substantial enough to warrant the student’s withdrawal under this policy. Upon that review, and not later than one month after receiving a completed petition, the committee will provide a written decision through the student’s Patriot email.  Students may also be contacted by the Committee to request additional documentation or information prior to a decision being rendered.

Students whose requests are not approved by the Committee may appeal the decision to the AVP of Student Success and Dean of Students or their designee by completing the Appeal a Denied Medical Withdrawal/Course Load Reduction form. 

 

Confidentiality

Any supporting documentation will be considered confidential and treated as such by the Committee and will not be shared outside the Committee unless a special request has been made by the Provost or Provost’s designee on a need-to-know basis. The student’s written request for the withdrawal, all supporting documentation, and the committee’s recommendation will remain the responsibility of the Associate Dean of Students and will be stored in a secure database. For each approved application, the final recommendation will be forwarded to each office that must be involved in its processing, where related records will be retained as necessary. These offices may include the Office of the Registrar, Financial Aid, Enrollment Services, Student Business Services, International Programs, The Military and Veteran’s Success Center, and the academic department of the student’s major. If false information or documentation is provided as part of the application process the documentation will be provided to appropriate University officials.