6.5 Withdrawals

1. The University recognises two types of student withdrawal: permanent and temporary. Students withdrawing are advised to contact the Advice, Information and Money Service for advice on the implications of withdrawing, and to explore the options available.

2. Students who are considering the possibility of withdrawal should complete the first stage of the Notification of Withdrawal process under the Academic Record section of the online Student Record. This will trigger a message to the academic department, who will contact the student to request a meeting. The purpose of this meeting will be to ensure that the student makes an informed decision. Students will also be asked to confirm that should they fail to complete their withdrawal request at the end of the process, the Department may proceed to approve permanent or temporary withdrawal if it is apparent that a student is no longer in attendance at the University.

3. If it is confirmed at the meeting that a student wishes to take temporary or permanent withdrawal, the Department will release the second stage of the on-line withdrawal process for the student to complete. This will trigger a notification to departments to confirm final approval before the withdrawal is processed by Academic Registry.

4. Students on a Student Visa must discuss their obligations with the Academic Registry and students living in University Accommodation should discuss arrangements with the Accommodation Office, before completing the first stage of the online withdrawal process.

5. All students withdrawing from the University must tell their financial sponsors immediately.

6. Students are not normally permitted to withdraw outside of the teaching period. All withdrawal notifications made outside the teaching period will be considered and the date used as the withdrawal date may vary from that entered by the student. Withdrawal dates can only be registered up to 10 working days in advance or back dated by a maximum of 10 working days from completing the online withdrawal process.

7. Postgraduate Research Students (MPhil, PhD, PhDFA, DAg or LLM (RES) may not withdraw from their studies after their registration period has ended and they have entered their writing up period. If PGR students require additional time to complete a thesis, they must request a formal extension to their time limit, but should note that extensions are only granted in exceptional circumstances.

Permanent Withdrawal

8. Students who take permanent withdrawal will as a consequence cancel their registration in the University and lose all rights and privileges accorded by this membership.

Temporary Withdrawal

9. Students taking temporary withdrawal are not permitted to withdraw after the last day of teaching in each semester. It is not therefore possible to withdraw during Christmas vacation or the Semester One or Semester Two assessment/examination periods. A student who has not withdrawn at the last day of teaching will be entered as a candidate for the semester examinations and the normal rules governing progression will apply.

10. Students who intend to take assessments and then withdraw immediately after completing the assessment/examination periods should provide the withdrawal date as the last day of the examinations.

11. Registration in the University will be suspended until students return. Students will not be entitled to use University facilities, attend classes or reside in a Hall of Residence during this period.

12. Students will normally be allowed to take temporary withdrawal for up to a maximum of two years with the Department’s approval, bearing in mind the time limits for completion of the award. If a longer period is taken away from university it is likely that a new application through the admissions process will be required.