Deferrals, Withdrawals and Leaves

Things can, and do, go wrong during term. Below is information about the situations that we see the most frequently regarding registration. Please consult the calendar for more information, or contact us (grad.studies@uregina.ca) for clarification. Below is a summary of what options you have if you have a medical or personal emergency that causes an interruption in your studies. For any situation, take action quickly, inform your supervisors or professor and get documentation.

Deferrals

Deferral of course work or final exams.

For a sudden short term illness or other problem that prevents you from completing specific course work or a test, you can request a deferral of the course work or final exams. Deferrals need to be requested immediately and the process is different depending on if it is term work that is being deferred or a final exam.  

Deferral of course work and term exams during term

For deferrals of term work or term exams you should speak with the course instructor. This should be done before the work is due or the day of the exam. Deferred course work should be completed within 5 days of the last day of term.

Deferral of course work and term exams after the end of term

Requests for deferrals after the end of term are subject to the approval of the Dean (or designee). Students must submit an Application for Deferral of Course Work and/or Final Exam with supporting documentation within 3 days of the end of term.

Deferral of final exam

If you are unable to write a final exam you need to contact your instructor or department right away. You will need to submit an Application for Deferral of Course Work and/or Final Exam with supporting documentation within three days of the scheduled exam.

Aegrotat Standing

This is a very rare grade, it is only given by the Dean of FGSR when a student has a sudden illness or a situation that is so serious that a deferral is not feasible. The student must have completed at least 50% of coursework and demonstrated an understanding of the course. Students cannot apply for this.  

Withdrawals

Withdrawal from a Class During Term

If a course is going badly, or is just not what you expected, you may withdraw from the course. There are deadlines to withdraw from classes. There is a schedule of financial and academic consequences. It is to your advantage to take the necessary actions as soon as you have made your decision to withdraw from a course.

If you do not withdraw early enough, you will receive a grade of W on your transcript. This is a neutral grade, so neither a pass nor a fail. If you are an international student, you should consult with UR International to find out how withdrawing from a course may affect your status. After the deadline to withdraw requesting to remove yourself from a course will result in a failing grade.

You may withdraw from a class using the University of Regina Self-Service following the steps below.

• From the main Student Services menu, click on the Registration link.
• Click on the Add/Drop/Search for Classes link.
• You will see the list of classes you are registered for in a table underneath the introductory text.
• Go to the row that lists the class you wish to drop.
• In the drop down menu, choose “Drop Self Serve.”  The menu item will also list how much of a refund you will receive, and any impact dropping the class will have on your grades.
• Click on the “Submit Changes” button at the bottom of the page.

Medical or Compassionate Withdrawal

If you have a very serious medical concern or a personal problem that prevents you from completing a course, or an entire term, you can apply for a medical or compassionate withdrawal. This is different from a standard withdraw because: 

• you need official documentation (a Student Medical Certificate),
• you can get a refund for tuition paid, and
• you may be eligible to do this past the deadlines for withdrawals.    

To do this you need to complete an Application for Grade Adjustment form. You may get a refund for tuition paid if you have some unexpected event that prevents you from completing the term or a course. All decisions regarding tuition refunds are made by the Registrar’s Office and are submitting using the Application for Tuition Adjustment form. Grade adjustements are the purview of FGSR; you may be given a W for a course past the normal drop deadline, as opposed to a failing grade.

The deadline for application is one calendar year from the end of the term for which the adjustment is requested. If you apply for a Medical or Compassionate Withdrawal after the term is over, you must withdraw from all the courses in the term.

Leaves from Program 

Leave of Absence

If you have a foreseeable serious medical or personal concern that will interrupt your studies, you may apply for a Leave of Absence (LOA). For example, if you have a baby, need to care for a seriously ill family member or have a significant medical concern you could take a leave of absence. A leave of absence is not given so that a student can accept employment or pursue another degree (in these cases a Voluntary Withdrawal is the appropriate action).

The standard length of a leave of absence is one year, but you may request to return sooner. Students can only take one leave of absence in their program (an exception is made for maternity and parental leaves.)

For a leave of absence, please apply through UR Self-Service. This application must be submitted a month before the term in which you want the LOA to start. You will need to provide official documentation of the situation that is interrupting your studies.  A leave of absence will not be granted retroactively.

Voluntary Withdrawal

You may take a Voluntary Withdrawal from your program at any time. A Voluntary Withdrawal is the appropriate action if you will be absent from your program for an extended period of time.

If you wish to continue with your program after a Voluntary Withdrawal you need to apply for reinstatement. Reinstatement is not guaranteed, the decision whether or not to reinstate a student is made by the student’s unit and FGSR.

Voluntary Withdrawal requests should be made through the UR Self-Service. Voluntary Withdrawals will not be granted retroactively. 

When you want to return to your program, you must apply for reinstatement. To do this, submit the request through UR Self-Service -> Students -> Graduate Student Requests. The request must contain an outline of what needs to be completed and the schedule for completion. More details can be found in the calendar.