Continuous Enrollment Status
An undergraduate student who needs to interrupt his, her, or their full- or part-time status for personal or medical reasons may petition for continuous enrollment status with the Office of Academic Advising. This status can be approved for one or two semesters. When students approved for continuous enrollment status wish to resume full- or part-time status, they must submit a notification to this effect to the Office of Academic Advising and any other information required by the Committee on Academic Affairs. See Resumption of Full- or Part-time Status for more details.
In the case of change to continuous enrollment status granted during an academic term for medical reasons, the student may request that no grades be recorded for that semester. Such requests require the formal support of either the Deacon Health or the University Counseling Center, and the student’s standing in courses at the time of departure may be taken into consideration. The Committee on Academic Affairs has final authority on such requests.
Residence hall keys (if applicable), mailbox keys, the Wake Forest University ID card, along with any other University property in the student's possession, must be returned to the appropriate offices. The student retains active enrollment status with the University and retains email and registration privileges, and all applicable University policies will continue to apply. Wake Forest University’s policy on Continuous Enrollment Status does not exempt any student from the requirements of the Return of Title IV Funds policy; nor does it extend federal student loan deferment benefits.
A continuous enrollment fee will be assessed.
Please note that at the discretion of Wake Forest, students on CES who have ongoing conduct matters may still be subject to university conduct or grievance processes and should consult the office(s) that oversee such processes for further information.
Withdrawal
A student who intends to interrupt full- or part-time status for more than two consecutive semesters on a voluntary basis, for whatever reason, and is not granted continuous enrollment status (see above), or any student who is suspended for academic or judicial reasons, is deemed to have withdrawn from the University.
A student who has been granted continuous enrollment status and has exhausted eligibility to remain in such status (more than two consecutive semesters or one year), will be re-classified as withdrawn, will no longer have registration privileges and an email account, and must return all university property to the appropriate office(s). In addition, any student who discontinues class attendance or does not properly resume full- or part-time status, but who has not properly requested continuous enrollment status in advance, will also be deemed to have withdrawn.
A student who discontinues class attendance during an academic term from the College or the School of Business without officially applying for continuous enrollment status or withdrawal is assigned failing grades in all current courses and is deemed to have withdrawn. All university property must be returned to the appropriate offices. Holds may be placed on the record of a student who does not return university property or those who have outstanding financial obligations to the university.
Withdrawn students do not retain email and registration privileges. Return of Title IV funds will be handled in accordance with federal law.
Withdrawing or graduating students with ongoing conduct or grievance processes may still be subject to university action and should consult conduct and grievance procedures and the offices responsible for those processes for further information.
Probation/Suspension
The Committee on Academic Affairs may at any time suspend or place on probation any student who, in the opinion of the Committee on Academic Affairs, has engaged in academic irresponsibility, such as but not limited to: failing to attend class regularly, disrupting academic instruction or the learning of other students, failing to complete papers, examinations, or other work on time, failure to earn more than six grade points in any semester, or failing to maintain a minimum GPA (see Requirements for Continuation). Students who fail to meet the Requirements for Continuation may be suspended or placed on probation. Any student who is placed on probation because of honor code or conduct code violations may also be placed on academic probation by the Committee on Academic Affairs. A student suspended from Wake Forest is ineligible to represent the University in any way until the period of suspension is completed and the student is returned to good standing.
If poor academic performance is attributable to circumstances over which the student clearly had no control (e.g., serious injury or illness), the student may, after consultation with an academic counselor or dean in the Office of Academic Advising, petition the Committee on Academic Affairs for further consideration of the student's status. It is within the discretion of the Committee on Academic Affairs to determine whether such compelling circumstances exist that would support further consideration of the student's status.
In deciding whether to permit exceptions and modify consequences for a student's failure to comply with academic rules, including decisions to place students on probation and suspension, the Committee on Academic Affairs will take into account such factors as violations of the Honor Code or Student Code of Conduct, violations of the law, or any disruption of the academic classroom, the learning of other students, or the ability of the Faculty to teach or otherwise deliver academic instruction.
Any student found responsible for violating the honor code and, as a result, suspended from the University or assigned the penalty of “activities suspension” is ineligible to represent the University in any way until the period of suspension is completed and the student is returned to good standing. Such students also may not be initiated into any fraternity or sorority during the time of the sanction.
No student suspended from Wake Forest may take coursework at another institution and have that work transferred to Wake Forest for credit.
Requirements for Continuation
A student’s academic eligibility to continue is determined by the number of hours passed and the grade point average. The number of hours passed is the sum of the hours transferred from other institutions and the hours earned in the undergraduate schools of the University. The grade point average is computed only on work attempted in the undergraduate schools of the University and excludes both non-credit and pass/fail courses.
Students are expected to make reasonable and systematic progress toward the accomplishment of their degree programs. To be eligible to continue in the College, students must maintain:
| For Hours Passed | A Minimum Cumulative GPA of |
|---|---|
| fewer than 30 | 1.60 |
| at least 30, fewer than 60 | 1.70 |
| at least 60, fewer than 90 | 1.80 |
| 90 and above | 1.90 |
Students are responsible for knowing their academic standing at all times. Any student whose GPA falls below the required minimum will have a grace period of one semester's probation to raise the average to the required level. Students also have the option of attending summer school at Wake Forest in an effort to raise the average.
The Committee on Academic Affairs will suspend students who earn six or fewer grade points in any given semester in courses other than CNS 353; military science courses; MSC 140-MSC 147, MSC 150, MSC 175A-MSC 175H, MSC 185 (ensemble courses); DCE 128; and elective 100-level courses in health and exercise science. In cases where failure was due to circumstances beyond the student’s control, he or she may appeal to the Committee to be reinstated.
Any student who is experiencing academic difficulty is urged to seek advice and counsel from his, her, or their academic advisor, from the Office of Academic Advising, from the Center for Learning, Access, and Student Success, and from the University Counseling Center.
A student who has or develops a health condition which, in the judgment of the Director of Deacon Health, creates a danger to the health and well-being of the student or others may be required to withdraw or convert to continuous enrollment status until the Director of Deacon Health determines that the health condition no longer creates a danger to the health and well-being of others.
Resumption of Full- or Part-Time Status
The Committee on Academic Affairs oversees matters affecting students who have been granted continuous enrollment status. A student who has been granted continuous enrollment status for medical or psychological reasons must submit documentation from his or her physician or therapist to either the director of the Deacon Health or the director of the University Counseling Center attesting to his, her, or their readiness to resume a full academic program. Resumption of full- or part-time status generally can be accomplished only after an appropriate recovery period. The physician or therapist should also provide professional guidance to these directors as to the nature of the student’s ongoing care once a resumption of full- or part-time status has been approved.
In all instances, the student's resumption of full- or part-time status is contingent upon the Committee on Academic Affairs' determination that the student can resume a full academic program. This does not and must not presume an online or remote academic program or experience. Limits on online work apply. (Refer to the Requirements for Degrees for more details.)
Any student who has been granted continuous enrollment status and who hopes to receive transfer consideration for work done elsewhere must provide the University with a properly documented statement attesting to his, her, or their good standing at the institution from which the transfer credit would come. (See Transfer Credit rules.) Additionally, an official copy of the student’s transcript must be made available to the Office of the University Registrar.
Should a student, upon interruption of full- or part-time status, fail to comply with procedures for a change to withdrawn or continuous enrollment status, “holds” may be placed upon his, her, or their record that will prevent consideration of readmission or resumption of full- or part-time status. Although a resumption of full- or part-time status can normally be approved (subject to medical or psychological approvals as described here), any request for resumption of full- or part-time status to the University may be denied if a student has violated any laws or regulations or has engaged in conduct or exhibited behaviors that would be considered a violation of the Honor Code or Code of Student Conduct. Notification forms required for resumption of full- or part-time status and deadlines for submission are posted on the Office of Academic Advising website.
Deadlines for the receipt of all necessary information are as follows:
- Fall Resumption - August 1
- Spring Resumption - December 1
- Summer Resumption - April 15.
Readmission
The Committee on Academic Affairs oversees the readmission of students who have withdrawn from the university for any reason. In making a decision on whether to readmit, the Committee considers both the academic and non-academic records of the student. A student who has withdrawn from the University for medical or psychological reasons must submit documentation from his, her, or their physician or therapist to either the director of the Deacon Health or the director of the University Counseling Center attesting to his, her, or their readiness to resume a full academic program. The physician or therapist should also provide professional guidance to these directors as to the nature of the student’s ongoing care once readmission has been approved.
In all instances, the student's readmission is contingent upon the Committee on Academic Affairs' determination that the student can resume a full academic program. This does not and must not presume an online or remote academic program or experience. Limits on online work apply. (Refer to the Requirements for Degrees for more details.)
Any student who has withdrawn and who hopes to receive transfer consideration for work done elsewhere must provide the University with a properly documented statement attesting to his, her, or their good standing at the institution from which the transfer credit would come. (See Transfer Credit rules.) Additionally, an official copy of the student’s transcript must be made available to the Office of the University Registrar.
No student on judicial or academic probation or suspension from the University may take coursework at another institution and have that work transferred to the University for credit. Students whose withdrawals from the University were as the result of an honor or judicial process must satisfy fully any sanctions placed upon them prior to being considered for readmission.
Students who have been ineligible to continue for academic reasons must present to the Committee on Academic Affairs an intentional plan to raise their academic standing to acceptable standards. Any student who has been ineligible to continue for conduct reasons must present to the Committee of Academic Affairs a verification from the appropriate conduct office that the student is cleared to return.
Holds may be placed on the record of a student who fails to comply with proper withdrawal or continuous enrollment procedures. Such holds will prevent consideration of readmission or resumption of full- or part-time status until such matters are resolved.
Any request for readmission to the University may be denied if a student has violated any laws or regulations or has engaged in conduct or exhibited behaviors that would be considered a violation of the Honor Code or the Code of Student Conduct. Such decisions are reviewed and made at the discretion of the Committee on Academic Affairs. Readmission forms and deadlines are posted on the Office of Academic Advising website.
Deadlines for the receipt of all necessary information are as follows:
Fall Readmission - August 1
Spring Readmission - December 1
Summer Readmission - April 15.
Summer Study
In addition to regular courses, a number of special summer programs for credit are described in the bulletin of the summer session.
Courses taken outside the U.S. require, in addition, prior approval from the Center for Global Programs and Studies. Students must obtain program approval and course approval through the Center for Global Programs and Studies.