Registration, Leave of Absence, and Withdrawal

Registration and Withdrawal

Registration is carried out as part of the orientation program for first-year and transfer students. For students currently attending John Carroll, registration for the following semester begins approximately six weeks prior to the close of the fall and spring semesters. It is a period of approximately 4 weeks in which current students are given a date and time to register based on their earned hours (not including hours in progress). This period is designed to allow students closer to graduation to have priority when registering for their final courses. Registration is divided over 4 weeks, with week 1 dedicated to Graduate and Post-baccalaureate students; week 2 dedicated to students who have earned 70+ credits; week 3 dedicated to those who have earned between 31-69 credits; and week 4 dedicated to those who have earned between 0-30 credits.

Priority registration enables students with special circumstances or curriculum requirements that require early registration access to the classes they need to maintain satisfactory progress toward the completion of their degree. Students eligible for priority registration must maintain good academic standing (2.0 cumulative GPA). Students with priority registration will register within the credit hour structure described under Registration, but on the day before the rest of their cohort.

Students who receive priority registration fall into the following groups:

Group 1
Selected students who are registered with Student Accessibility Services (SAS) because they would otherwise not achieve their academic goals within a reasonable period of time due to an on-going disability. The Director of SAS determines eligibility for priority registration status and appropriate registration group depending on the level of accommodation needed.

Group 2
Students who participate in an ongoing, mission-based academic program with significant curricular demands and scheduling constraints, including the Honors Program, the Arrupe Scholars Program, Borromeo Seminarians, and ROTC and Veteran students. Programs in Group 2 will be periodically reviewed by the Office of the Provost for continued inclusion. 
Registration guidelines, dates, and deadlines for part-term and full-term courses are posted on the Office of the Registrar’s webpage.

Late course adds will not be permitted without providing documentation to, and obtaining approval from, the appropriate academic dean, department chair, and instructor, and then only for serious reasons.

Changes in enrollment or registration after initial registration for classes will be permitted only through the formal procedures prescribed by the Office of the Registrar. Students should be aware of possible financial aid implications when making changes in registration, and consult the Office of Student Enrollment and Financial Services as necessary.

Course Drop and Course Withdrawal

The terms “drop” and “withdrawal” are not interchangeable at John Carroll.  A student drops, or removes a registered course from their schedule, during the Add/Drop period specified by the Office of the Registrar.  Dropping a course leaves no record of registration on the transcript. After the Add/Drop period ends, a student withdraws from a course to remove it from their schedule. A course withdrawal is noted as a W on the transcript and does not impact a student’s grade point average. Students are considered enrolled in a course until they have completed formal drop and/or withdrawal procedures. Students who never attend or stop attending a course without following proper drop and/or withdrawal procedures automatically receive a WF, which is a failing grade and is computed in the cumulative average.

New, first-year and transfer students in their first term of enrollment who wish to drop or withdraw from a course must first consult with their advisor. The advisor will provide a signed Academic Program Recommendation (APR) form, which is to be submitted to Student Enrollment and Financial Services in order to complete the drop or withdrawal. All other continuing students are not required to use an APR, but must still visit Student Enrollment and Financial Services to process the drop or withdrawal.

Registration guidelines, dates, and deadlines for part-term and full-term courses are posted on the Office of the Registrar’s webpage.

Permanent Withdrawal and Leave of Absence from the University

Withdrawal from John Carroll University requires completion of the Withdrawal/Leave of Absence Form, which must be submitted to Student Enrollment and Financial Services.  Students may initiate a withdrawal from all courses with no intent to return (“Permanent Withdrawal”) or a withdrawal with the intent to return (“Leave of Absence”). Students who do not complete and submit Leave of Absence paperwork and who do not register and/or attend any of the classes they are registered for at John Carroll by the end of add/drop week will be recorded as ‘failed to return’ by the Registrar’s Office. Additionally, a student may be marked as ‘Withdrawn’ due to lack of payment, enrollment in a payment plan and/or resolution of outstanding financial aid requirements.

A withdrawal initiated by a student will be superseded by appropriate University action in the event of dismissal or suspension.

For additional information on the Permanent Withdrawal and Leave of Absence Policy and the appropriate forms, please visit the Withdrawal section on the Registrar's webpage.