Administrative Adjustment for Extenuating Circumstances

The purpose of the policy is to provide students who experience unavoidable, extenuating circumstances or catastrophic illness the opportunity to petition the University for an administrative adjustment. This policy is for extenuating circumstances and does not supersede the missed class policy.

Extenuating circumstances are defined as situations that significantly interfere with the student’s academic work and/or ability to attend classes that arise during the semester, and are beyond the student’s control. Serious injuries or illnesses, death of an immediate family member or a military call to active duty are examples of circumstances that might be regarded as extenuating.

This policy applies to all undergraduate students. Each college may publish detailed implementation strategies specific to that college.

Regardless of the circumstances, a student withdrawal from most or all classes may affect the student’s financial aid and/or satisfactory academic progress.

An official withdrawal results in a grade of “W” recorded on the student’s transcript for courses in session on the date of withdrawal. No credit is earned. The student’s grade-point average is not affected.

The date used to determine eligibility for financial adjustments shall be the date the student stopped attending as verified by the instructors as a result of the extenuating circumstances. The financial adjustments are based on the policies of The University of Toledo. It is the student’s responsibility to read and understand the policies on student fees and accounts as published and posted at http://www.utoledo.edu/offices/treasurer/finance_brochures.html and important registration dates for each semester as published and posted at  https://www.utoledo.edu/offices/registrar/registration-dates.html.

This comprehensive policy will cover petitions based on both academic and medical circumstances. Financial adjustments may be granted in certain situations.

  1. Academic adjustment refers to discretionary drop/withdrawal/schedule adjustments due to extenuating circumstances. A course “drop” will only be considered in the first 15 calendar days of the term pro-rated for summer and parts of term less than full term. After the fifteenth calendar day (pro-rated for summer and parts of term less than full term), a withdrawal may be processed.
  2. Medical adjustment refers to medical circumstances that interfere with the student’s ability to participate in academic activities. A medical adjustment approval can be made for all or some of the courses in the term for which the adjustment is requested. Medical requests must indicate when and how the student’s condition prevented class attendance and include documentation from a licensed health-care provider. It is important to note that if a medical adjustment is approved, a medical registration hold is placed on the student’s record by the registrar’s office, and the student will be blocked from all future registration until the hold is removed. The removal of the medical hold will only be processed after the student’s documented health-care provider supplies verification that the student’s condition is resolved with a minimum of a good prognosis to return to the University. In addition to a medical hold, any other registration holds must be resolved through the appropriate offices prior to registering for subsequent terms. If the student is registered for future terms, those courses will be dropped by the registrar’s office.

The Petition for Administrative Adjustment is found on the web at http://www.utoledo.edu/offices/registrar/forms.html in the registrar’s office.

Students must complete the petition for administrative adjustment and attach their written statement and supporting documentation or the petition will be denied. A student must submit all the appropriate documents/forms to the registrar’s office within 12 calendar months of the last day of classes for the term for which the adjustment is requested.

Student responsibilities:

  1. Consider alternatives to an administrative adjustment (i.e., schedule adjustment, incomplete grade, support services, GPA Recalculation Policy for Repeated Courses: http://www.utoledo.edu/offices/registrar/student_records/gpa_recalculation.html
    1. Students with a diagnosis/disability requiring accommodations are encouraged to notify Office Of Accessibility and Disability Resources at 419.530.4981 or https://www.utoledo.edu/offices/accessibility-disability.
  2. Consult with instructors, your academic advisor and/or the financial aid office to explore your options and the consequences of an approved or denied Petition for Administrative Adjustment.
    1. Financial aid recipients who subsequently withdraw or change enrollment status may jeopardize their financial aid, depending on the withdrawal date and the type of aid. An approved adjustment can result in federal grants and/or loans being returned to the Department of Education. A reduction of the load obligation could cause a balance due on The University of Toledo student account.
    2. Fee adjustments to parking, meal plan, residence life or health insurance must be made by student-initiated contact with the appropriate office.
  3. Complete the Petition for Administrative Adjustment – including all of the following:
    1. A written “reason/explanation” statement detailing the extenuating circumstances, how the unavoidable circumstances interfered with academic progress, the action that is being requested and the reason why the petition for an administrative adjustment should be granted.
    2. Indicate the term for the request, including the dates of attendance and/or the last date attended. Medical requests must also list the date of the onset of the illness, when and how the impairment interfered with academic progress, the date(s) professional care was obtained for the medical request and the date(s) of hospitalization (if appropriate).
    3. Attach supporting documentation and/or verification documents on official letterhead pertaining to the extenuating circumstances. Students petitioning for medical requests must contact the registrar’s office (registrar@utoledo.edu or 419.530.4845) for an initial consult and to obtain additional application materials to be included with the Petition for Administrative Adjustment, including a signed “Physicians’ Verification of Medical Circumstances” form.
      3364-71-16 Administrative Adjustment for Extenuating Circumstances
    4. Sign and date the petition.
    5. Submit the completed petition to the registrar’s office within 12 calendar months of the last day of classes for the term for which the adjustment is requested. Petitions for administrative adjustment will not be accepted during final exam week or later.
  4. Students will be notified in writing of the decision of the request for an adjustment. Do not assume the petition for extenuating circumstances has automatically been approved. Students should monitor their student account for fee adjustments at http://myut.utoledo.edu.
  5. In the event of a denied petition for an administrative adjustment, the student has the right to appeal, with the final authority being the Administrative Adjustment Review Committee. Appeals are limited to those situations where additional relevant information is provided by the student that was not included in the original Petition for Administrative Adjustment. Appeals must be submitted to the registrar’s office in written format within 30 calendar days of the denial letter. Petitions submitted late are not appealable decisions.

Petition for Administrative Adjustment

In certain extenuating circumstances that occur outside the normal policies and deadlines of the University, discretionary drop/withdrawal/schedule adjustments may be granted. A student must petition the Office of the Registrar within one year of the term for which the adjustment is requested and must provide a written statement explaining why an administrative adjustment is requested. This written statement must include dates, details, any financial request, documentation supporting the explanation, and a completed Course Request Form or Withdrawal Form as appropriate. Students with medical requests to drop classes for personal illness or injury should contact the Student Medical Center at 419.530.3493.

Petition for Administrative Adjustment Policy