I've been dropped for low scholarship and I want to petition for reinstatement. 

It is in your best interest to begin working with an adviser as soon as possible, as there may be multiple steps that must be completed before your petition is given to the Reinstatement Committee for consideration. Note: This process is only for students declared in the College of Arts & Sciences, or in pre-majors. If your major is in a different school or college, you will need to contact your college or school to learn more about your next steps. 

Step 1 : Self-reflection

• The Reinstatement Committee will be looking for evidence that you have identified the causes that led to your academic difficulties.  A petition which demonstrates a mature assessment of problems and concrete changes in behavior has a better chance of being considered seriously. 
• You also need to reflect on the major(s) that you are in or working towards, so that you can show an understanding of the issues specific to that pathway which will need to be changed or improved. 
• Finally, reflect on whether or not this is the best time to return to the University.  Some students are more successful academically after having addressed and resolved issues like: health, work/life balance, finances, family issues, and maturity.

Step 2: Contact reinstatement advisers

• If you have not yet declared a major or have a major in a program located in the College of Arts & Sciences:
  • Contact an adviser in UAA Advising, an adviser for the major you wish to declare, or an adviser for the major in which you are currently declared. 
  • If you have not yet declared a major and are affiliated with EOP, SSS, or CAMP:
    Contact the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity Counseling Services.
  • If you have a major outside the College of Arts & Sciences:
    Contact your departmental adviser to find out the process for your college or school.

Step 3: Your reinstatement advising meeting

• Discuss the process of reinstatement, what you are required to prepare, and what steps have to be taken.
• Determine if this is a reasonable time for your reinstatement, or if it is better to wait for a quarter or so before petitioning.
• Talk through your plans for the personal statement.
• Identify administrative or financial issues that may have to be addressed before you can be reinstated or re-enrolled (e.g. Hardship Withdrawal, financial aid, registration holds, visa issues, residency issues, etc.  See Below.)
• Discuss whether or not you will need to meet multiple times with an adviser or advisers to create a more successful petition.

Step 4: Major and course-plan advising with departmental or general adviser

*Note: This may involve meeting a second time with the same adviser in Step 3, or meeting with an additional adviser in your intended department.

• Develop a course plan for your primary interest major.
• If your intended major is capacity-constrained, develop a realistic back-up course plan for a non-capacity-constrained major. 
• Get the approval signature of the adviser on your course plan or plans.

Step 5: Write your personal statement

• Prepare a printed statements in 750 words or less. Your statement should include answers to each of the following questions: 
  • Identify the barriers to your academic success.  Be specific. 
  • What are the behaviors and circumstances that you have already changed or that you plan to change so that your academic success improves? Be specific. For example, "trying harder" is not a behavior change. 
  • What are at least three things you can do that will specifically improve your course work and/or study habits?
  • Discuss the course of study you would like to take in a College of Arts & Sciences major when you return to the UW. This is not asking about your career goals, but rather about how you will proceed in a major that will provide you with a reasonable chance of admission and of successful completion.  If you are interested in a capacity-constrained major, it will be harder for the Committee to consider your readmission unless you also outline a back-up major.  If you are already in a major, then you should be focusing on what are a reasonable set of courses that you can successfully complete in your specific circumstances.
  • If you have applied for a Hardship Withdrawal please state that in the petition along with the quarters or classes for which you are applying.

Step 6: Forward Petition Materials to your Adviser

• Check with your adviser before including any additional pieces of documentation beyond what is required. A completed petition includes: 
  • Completed petition cover form.
  • A personal statement that answers all of the prompts and questions.
  • Complete course plan(s) that are feasible and realistic to your current situation, signed off on by an adviser. 
  • Copies of all transcripts from college-level coursework taken elsewhere since you were dropped from the UW.
    • If you are currently attending another college, submit a copy of your current class schedule.
• Send petition materials to your adviser by email. They will then need to collate and forward those materials on to the Reinstatement Committee to complete the submission process. 

N.B.: Petitions must be submitted to the Reinstatement committee by academic staff; students cannot submit petitions directly. Advisers, please see here for next steps on submitting student materials or consult the adviser information file (AIF). 

 

Step 7: Complete the Returning Student Process (if needed)

• This applies to you if your reinstatement petition was successful and you have been absent from the University for more than one quarter (Summer Quarter is not included in this count). If you are unsure whether you need to complete the Returning Student Process, please check with your adviser. More information is available here.
• Review the Returning Student Process website for submission deadlines, re-enrollment process, and readmission criteria.
• Note that the re-enrollment process takes about two months to complete and this may impact the quarter you hope to be reinstated. Carefully review the re-enrollment deadlines for specific quarters as well as the Checklist to Re-Enroll.
• Complete and submit the Returning Student Form found on the Returning Student Process website.

 

If you are reinstated, you must get a quarterly grade point average of at least 2.0 in each quarter until your overall cumulative UW GPA is above 2.0.  Failure to maintain the 2.0 quarterly GPA will result in being dropped again.  You will remain on academic warning for each quarter that your UW cumulative GPA stays below 2.0.

Pre-majors, College of Arts & Sciences majors, and EOP, SSS, and CAMP affiliates all use the same petition form.

Petition Form

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the deadline for advisers to submit completed petitions?

Completed reinstatement petitions can be submitted by advisers to the committee for consideration at any time of the year. However, if a student wants to be reinstated before the start of a specific quarter, realistically, there are deadlines for the last possible time to have your reinstatement considered in order to have reinstatement processed by the registrar’s office in time to allow registration. EARLY SUBMISSION WELL IN ADVANCE OF YOUR TARGET RETURN QUARTER IS STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to facilitate a smooth reinstatement process. 

• In order to be considered at a given reinstatement committee meeting, complete petitions must be submitted by advisers via email to the reinstatement committee’s UAA contact point by 10:00 a.m. the day before a scheduled committee meeting. This deadline ensures that the committee has sufficient time to fairly and completely evaluate each petition on its individual merits.
• Advisers and students should refer to the reinstatement committee meeting schedule (listed below) and check UW’s academic calendar to confirm which reinstatement meeting will be the best fit for their targeted return quarter.

All students who have a petition submitted by their advisers will be notified of the committee’s decision within one week of the meeting where their petition was considered. Petition result notifications will be sent to both a student’s official UW email account and the personal email specified in their petition cover sheet. Students are encouraged to check in with their advisers if they have questions.  

When are reinstatement committee meetings scheduled for this academic year?

All reinstatement committee meetings are due to run from 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. unless otherwise stated. Complete petitions must be submitted by advisers by email to the reinstatement committee’s designated UAA contact point no later than 10:00 a.m. the day before a scheduled committee meeting. 

For academic year 2024-2025, the following meeting dates are confirmed:

• Thursday, September 12th, 2024
• Wednesday, September 18th, 2024
• Thursday, October 17th, 2024
• Thursday, November 21st,  2024
• Thursday, January 2nd, 2025
• Thursday, February 20th, 2025
• Thursday, March 20th, 2025
• Wednesday, April 2nd, 2025
• Thursday May 15th, 2025
• Thursday June 5th, 2025
• Tuesday, June 24th, 2025
• Thursday, July 10th, 2025
• Thursday, August 14th, 2025
• Thursday, September 11th, 2025
• Wednesday September 17th, 2025

What else do I need to consider if approved for reinstatement?

Being successfully reinstated to the University may be only one part of the overall process a student needs to complete before they can re-enroll and register for classes. Because these additional processes can take time, students are encouraged to submit petitions well in advance of their target return quarter’s first day. Other required steps to consider can include: 

• Submitting a returning student request form: This additional step is required by UW for students who have been away from the University for more than one quarter. More information and instructions are available here.
• Submitting official transcripts from all other institutions attended since you were last at UW: This allows the Office of Admissions to apply any eligible additional credit earned to your UW profile. 
• Resolving any “I” (Incomplete) or “X” grades: Students may need to work with advisers and faculty to resolve any outstanding I or X grades on their transcripts. This ensures a complete and accurate assessment of the credits required for graduation. 
• Submitting any Former Quarter Drop Petitions where appropriate: This process lets students petition to have a grade earned in a former quarter be removed due to extenuating circumstances. More information on eligibility is available here.
• Consulting with counsellors at the Financial Aid Office where appropriate: For students who may be using financial aid to complete their studies at UW.   
• Clear any registration holds still listed on your student account: These can include satisfactory academic progress holds or financial holds. See the relevant section here for more details. 
• Submit the Residency Questionnaire to the Office of the University Registrar: This is for students who wish to be considered for the in-state, or resident, tuition rate. Please note, this process can take 4-6 weeks for a full review.
• Update your address and contact information with the Office of the University Registrar: For students who may have moved since they last attended UW. 
• For International Students: Consulting with your assigned adviser at International Student Services to make sure your student visa status is in order.