Administrative Withdrawal Process

Deadline to Submit Administrative Emergency Withdrawal

SPRING 2025 Deadline - April 23, 2025

It is always KSU's goal that students guide their own educational process, and when difficulties arise along the way we are here to help. When students experience an emergency situation that impedes on their ability to successfully remain enrolled at KSU, an Administrative Emergency Withdrawal can help students focus on healing without harming their academic record.

We recommend that students speak with the following offices, if applicable, to determine what impact withdrawing from classes may have on their individual situation:

 

Additional considerations when making the decision to complete an Administrative Emergency Withdrawal:

Please refer to the below flowchart to determine if an administrative emergency withdraw is best for the situation:

Flowchart

Students are encouraged to submit requests immediately after the need arises for an Administrative Emergency Withdrawal to ensure we have received all the documentation needed to best support the request. It is highly recommended that students self-withdraw online through Owl Express prior to the deadline to withdraw without penalty. Directions to self-withdraw from class can be found on the Registrar’s website. If a request

cannot be approved, or is submitted after the submission deadline, another option is to submit an Academic Standing Appeal through the Registrar's office. 

Directions to apply for an Administrative Emergency Withdrawal

  1. Review Administrative Emergency Withdrawal policy. After you have discussed the impact of withdrawal with other relevant KSU departments, and before submitting an application, please review the Administrative Emergency Withdrawal Policy.
  2. Gather supporting documentation
    • Examples of appropriate documentation include:
    • correspondence on official letterhead from a licensed healthcare professional,
    • official and/or notarized forms or documents from a state agency or government entity,
    • official death certificate, funeral program, and/or obituary,
  3. Fill out application
    • Once you have all supporting documentation, you will need to complete the Administrative Emergency Withdrawal Request Form.
    • Please be mindful of the deadline for submissions. It can be found at the top of this webpage and is typically during the week before the last day of classes and before finals begin.

Questions? For questions regarding this process, you can:

Re-Entry Process

When students are ready to return to campus life, we want to help with that transition as much as possible. Students are encouraged to schedule a time to meet with a representative from the Dean of Students Office. In this meeting, the representative will help students build the necessary connections to on-campus resources establishing the student’s successful return to campus. Both virtual and in-person meetings are available.  

Before scheduling to meet with our office, please complete the re-entry form.

Then follow the link below to schedule a meeting: Schedule a meeting

Frequently Asked Questions:

  • Our office handles what is called an Administrative Emergency Withdrawal, (AEW). That means if you are experiencing an emergency and cannot continue going to all classes due to hospitalization, treatment, etc., then this process may be for you.
  • Unfortunately, an Administrative Emergency Withdrawal (AEW) can only be submitted before the current semester’s deadline, which is typically the last full week of classes before finals. After classes are over, or a grade has been assigned, an Administrative Emergency Withdrawal cannot be processed, and you would need to complete an Academic Standing Appeal through the Registrar’s Office. You can find that process here:  Academic Standing Appeals.
  • If you have stopped attending classes and have no intention to return for the semester, we recommend that you withdraw in Owl Express. Withdrawing removes the expectation from your professor that you are still participating in your class.
  • Yes! It’s typically the last week of classes before final exams begin. You can find the exact deadline on our webpage: Administrative Emergency Withdrawals.
  • Unfortunately, there is no way for us to tell you if your request will be approved or not since it is a committee decision. Your best option is to complete the online submission form in its entirety and accompany it with as much supporting documentation that is available for you to share.
  • After the committee has reviewed the submission, the student will receive an email to their KSU student email with a letter detailing the decision. Please read the letter completely because it also entails next steps or alternative steps depending on the decision.
  • Please follow the Re-entry Process when you are ready to return to classes. Since it does take time to review a re-entry, it’s best not to request a meeting right before the semester you plan to attend. If the re-entry is approved, the hold will be removed and then registration for classes can be completed.
  • If you are approved for an Administrative Emergency Withdrawal, a “MW” hold is placed on your account to let other offices know that you have received an Administrative Emergency Withdrawal. While it does prevent you from registering for future terms, it does not impact your academic record. To have it removed, you must complete the Re-entry Request Form and be approved. Once the re-entry is approved, we then remove the hold so that you can register.
  • If you have already registered for a future term, do know that you cannot actually return to attend those classes until a re-entry has been approved. Depending on the time between approval and the future term, your schedule may remain as is in the event you are able to complete a re-entry in time. If there is not sufficient time, the University reserves the right to drop your future schedule. If you know you are registered and want assistance in having your classes dropped, please let us know as soon as possible. 
Protocols for Medical and/or Psychological Withdrawal