Retroactive Withdrawal

Spring 2022: Completed Petition Review Dates
Submission Deadline

Review Date
January 21 January 28
February 11 February 18
March 11 March 18
April 15 April 22
May 6 May 13
  • Completed petitions include all required documents, as detailed on the Retroactive Withdrawal Petition form.
  • Review Dates may change due to unforeseen circumstances. 

In the event of circumstances that preclude a student from successfully completing a class, it is the student’s responsibility to submit a withdrawal request before the end of the semester. It is against normal college policy to allow a student to withdraw from a course after the completion of the semester for which grades are already posted.

In the event of a documented extenuating circumstance that prevented a student with a College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) major from withdrawing, a petition for a Retroactive Withdrawal may be submitted to the CLAS Academic Standards Committee. 

Prior to submitting a request for a Retroactive Withdrawal, we encourage you to:

  • Review the Medical Withdrawal process to determine if it is a more appropriate request

  • Connect with your assigned CLAS advisor to discuss the possible impact on progress for your degree

Retroactive Withdrawal Petition Form (PDF)

Frequently Asked Questions

There are many considerations for any petition.  Students should connect with their assigned CLAS advisor to discuss petitions and policies. 

A Medical Withdrawal request must include all courses for the requested semester - partial withdrawals are not allowed.  As detailed on the Case Management website, a Medical Withdrawal is specifically for: Students diagnosed with either physical or psychological medical conditions that significantly impact their safety or ability to be academically successful.  If accepted for review, the Medical Withdrawal request process also includes a Tuition Appeal review.  For questions about the Medical Withdrawal request, please review the details on the Case Management website and connect with a representative from Case Management (CSM@ucdenver.edu) if you have questions about that process.

No.  Unlike a Medical Withdrawal request, the CLAS Retroactive Withdrawal process does not include an appeal for tuition and fees.  If you would like more information on the Tuition Appeals process, please visit the university's Tuition Appeals page.

Courses must have occurred no more than seven years prior to the date of the Retroactive Withdrawal Petition to be eligible.  Courses used for a degree completed at CU Denver are not eligible.

A completed petition requires an instructor statement for any courses that are part of the request.  If you have used the CU Denver Directory to confirm that you have the appropriate email address and it has been five university operating days without a reply, please message the instructor again.  If after 10 operating days you have not received a reply, please connect with the chair/program director of the subject area.  Please update that contact about your request and inquire if there is a more appropriate way to connect with the instructor.  In certain situations, the chair/program director may submit a statement on behalf of the instructor.

After a completed petition has been submitted to the Academic Standards Committee, an email will be sent to the student's campus email account confirming the completed petition has been received and the expected review date for the petition.  After the Academic Standards Committee has reviewed a completed petition, an email will be sent to the student's campus email address within 5-10 university operating days.  In addition to the decision, next steps/actions will be detailed in the message.  Assigned academic advisors (and other offices as appropriate) may be included on the message.  All messages will be sent to students' campus email address and be sent from: clas.academic.standards @ ucdenver.edu.