Undergraduate Forms

Students who wish to appeal their academic suspension for reasons other than medical issues should use this form.

If your appeal is based upon physical, psychiatric or disability/learning disability reasons, you will need a letter of recommendation from the appropriate office, as noted on page one of Schiffert Health Center, Cook Counseling, or Services with Students with Disabilities. To receive such a letter, you will need to complete an academic relief request for an additional probationary term.

Academic Appeals Petition (DocuSign)

You must submit your appeal by the deadline stated at https://student.advising.vt.edu/degree/academic-appeals.html. 

You are strongly encouraged to meet with a member of the advising leadership team prior to submitting your appeal. This meeting should be held at least one week before the appeals meeting date. Email liberalarts@vt.edu to schedule a meeting. 

Undergraduate students facing extenuating circumstances that compromise their ability to fulfill academic responsibilities, such as attending classes or completing coursework, for an extended period within a semester, may seek academic relief. Broadly, a student may be eligible for academic relief with a recommendation from an appropriate campus student support entity, such as the Dean of Students Office, Cook Counseling Center, Schiffert Health Center, Services for Students with Disabilities, and the Office for Equity and Accessibility, to support the student’s need for relief. 

Academic relief typically entails a complete withdrawal from all courses in a semester, with these courses being indicated on the transcript as "WP" (Withdrawal, exception).

Call 540-231-6770 or email liberalarts@vt.edu to setup an appointment to discuss your academic relief request with a member of the advising leadership team for the Dean's Office.

What is the process?

1. Initiate Request (A request for academic relief must first be initiated by the student seeking academic relief. Current enrollment is necessary to enable access to the portal. Applications for academic relief cannot be submitted if you are not a current Virginia Tech student.)
2. Academic Dean Review (An academic dean will review your request and consider other available options, such as an "I" grade, late drop, etc.)
   1. Additional Review as Applicable (University Scholarships & Financial Aid and the Cranwell International Center will provide comments and review if applicable)
3. Student Support Entity Review (Your request will be reviewed by the most appropriate support entity, Dean of Students Office, Cook Counseling Center, Schiffert Health Center, Services for Students with Disabilities, or the Office for Equity and Accessibility, and any required supporting documentation will be collected.)
4. Academic Relief Committee Review (Your request will be evaluated by the committee with consideration of the campus entity recommendations.)
5. Processing by University Registrar (Any applicable record changes will be processed by the Office of the University Registrar.)

Important Information

• This process only applies to undergraduate students. Graduate students will be directed to the Graduate School.
• Academic relief may be approved with conditions and/or require meeting with your academic dean. Any conditions must be met for your relief to be processed.

How do I apply?

Students who believe they may qualify for academic relief can access the online portal to initiate the process.

Has my Request Been Processed?

You will be notified of a successful submission and of the final outcome. You may also check the statusa of your request by accessing the online portal.

Call 540-231-6770 or email liberalarts@vt.edu to setup an appointment to discuss your academic relief request with a member of the advising leadership team for the Dean's Office.

Please read all information and use the appropriate form for Authorization to Take Courses Elsewhere. 

• If you are studying abroad, through an international school, third party program, or domestic institution, please register your experience with the Global Education Office. Begin by searching for your program on the Global Education Office website. By registering you will have a study abroad account that has all the mandatory paperwork you need to submit. One of the forms in your study abroad account will be the “Authorization to Take Courses Abroad Form” which you need to submit for your credits to be reviewed for transfer. Course syllabi should also be included when submitting this form.
• If you are studying at a domestic college or university, and the requested courses ARE in either the VCCS Course Equivalents or Transfer Equivalency Database, please complete the Authorization to Take Courses Elsewhere (VCCS/TED) form in DocuSign. Please submit one form per institution. You may preview the form here.
• If the domestic course is NOT listed in the transfer guide, please complete the Authorization to Take Courses Elsewhere (Non-VCCS/TED) form in DocuSign. Please submit one form per institution. You may preview the form here.
• Consult the University Registrar’s Transfer Guide to review the policies that apply to transfer credit. The transfer guide can help you determine how domestic credit will transfer back to Virginia Tech.
• Complete all fields on the form and gain the appropriate signatures prior to turning it in to our office. For DocuSign forms, please ensure you type in the correct email address for your primary academic advisor.  
• Transfer credit evaluations can take up to six weeks. Start this process early so that you will know how your credits will transfer before leaving the Virginia Tech campus.

To change an option within your major, please contact your department.

Request to Add, Drop or Change an Option in Career and Technical Education (CTE) (DocuSign)

Preview the form before opening DocuSign here.

Students with primary and/or secondary majors in Career and Technical Education may use this form to make any changes to their major concentration. Consult with your academic advisor before requesting changes.

Request to Add, Drop, or Change an Option in English (DocuSign)

Preview the form before opening DocuSign here.

Students with primary and/or secondary majors in English may use this form to make any changes to their major concentration. Consult with your academic advisor before requesting changes.

Request to Add, Drop, or Change an Option in History (DocuSign)

Preview the form before opening DocuSign here.

Students with primary and/or secondary majors in History may use this form to make any changes to their major concentration. Consult with your academic advisor before requesting changes.

Request to Add, Drop, or Change an Option in Political Science (DocuSign)

Preview the form before opening DocuSign here.

Students with primary and/or secondary majors in Political Science may use this form to make any changes to their major concentration. Consult with your academic advisor before requesting changes.

Request to Change Minor(s) (DocuSign)

Preview the form before opening DocuSign here.

Use this form to add or drop a minor(s) only. Consult with your academic advisor before requesting changes.

Note to new students: You do NOT need to have a GPA yet to add a minor.

Change of Primary Major 

There are three periods annually when you can change your major through Hokie Spa. You can find the Change of Major Schedule here. All CLAHS majors are non-restricted, meaning there are no specific entrance requirements and access is not restricted. CLAHS advisors are assigned by major, so once you make the change, your advisor may change as well.

Request to Change Second Major to Primary Major (DocuSign)

Preview the form before opening DocuSign here.

This form will be accepted anytime that a primary or second major within the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences is changing order in the student’s academic record.  Consult with your academic advisor before requesting changes.

If you are considering a major in the School of Communication:

Review the Change of Major Requirements and attend an Explore Communication information session. 

Request to Change Second Major (DocuSign)

Preview the form before opening DocuSign here.

Use this form to add or drop second majors only. This form is not used if your changes involve both the primary major and second major.  Consult with your academic advisor before requesting changes.

Note to new students: You do NOT need to have a GPA yet to add a second major.

Request to Change Second Major to Primary Major (DocuSign)

Preview the form before opening DocuSign here.

This form will be accepted anytime that a primary or second major within the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences is changing order in the student’s academic record.  Consult with your academic advisor before requesting changes.

Preview the form before opening DocuSign here.

• Students who wish to take more than 19 hours per fall or spring semester, seven hours per summer session, or six hours per winter term require permission of the student's academic dean.
• To request an overload, use the Course Overload Request (DocuSign) form.
• List all of the classes you are taking including the courses that will cause the course overload.
• You are still responsible for adding the extra courses if your request is approved, unless you are adding an independent study or undergraduate research.
  
• You will be emailed when your request is approved.

Students should contact their academic advising office in their department of their primary major for appeal.

Financial Reinstatement Form (DocuSign)

Preview the form before opening DocuSign here.

PLEASE NOTE: Adding your courses back does not add you back to Canvas. Talk with your instructors to be added back to your Canvas course sites.  

Force-adding is an administrative process that allows the department offering the course to override pre-requisites, capacity, and/or major restrictions during drop/add.  The department offering the course determines if and how force-adding will be completed. Force add requests must be processed by the department offering the course before the add/drop deadline.  After the deadline, see the "Late Add Request" information section.

Incomplete (I) Grade Request (DocuSign)

• This form is used by undergraduate students who need to request an incomplete grade in a course. 
• The “I” may be used when a student is unable to take the final examination during examination week.
• The "I" grade is the prerogative of the instructor.
• Students should consult with their instructor prior to filling out this form.

Items that students should consider before requesting an Incomplete grade:

• One or two Incomplete grades in a semester is reasonable; students considering three or more Incomplete grades in a semester should consider resigning for the semester or using a W grade.
• How many credit hours are you registered to complete next semester?
• Will you be able to manage the workload of completing this course and other courses for which you are registered?
• Do you have a solid timeline and plan for completing the missing assignments, quizzes, exams, etc. before the end of the next semester?
• Have you reviewed the timeline and plan with your instructor?

Items that the instructor should consider before agreeing to an Incomplete grade request:

• Has the student been attending class on a regular basis?
• Has the student completed 75% or more of the required coursework?
• Does the student have a viable plan and timeline for completing the remaining work?
• Will you have sufficient time before the established deadline to assist the student, as needed, to complete the coursework?

Required Signatures:
Student, Instructor, and Department Head

Information you will need to fill out the form:

• Course CRN, course designator, and course number
• Reason for request
• Detailed description of assignments, quizzes, exams, etc. (this section should be completed by the instructor)
• Final date for completing work and submitting change of grade (this section should be completed by the instructor)

Request to Change a Course to Pass/Fail or A-F: (DocuSign)

Preview the form before opening DocuSign here.

• Use this form to change the grade mode of the course before the deadline.
• Review the pass/fail policies in the Undergraduate Catalog. Meet with your advisor to discuss the changes you wish to make.

Request to Change Final Exam Time: (DocuSign)

Preview the form before opening DocuSign here.

• Use this form if you have 3 or more exams within a 24-hour period or there is a conflict with an exam time.
• The Associate Dean will not approve exam change requests due to travel, business, or family plans.
• List all exam dates and times on the form.
• Meet with the instructor of the exam you wish to change. Discuss with them a new time for your exam. They must sign your form approving the new time.
• If requesting to change the final exam time for multiple courses, please use one form per course. For each form, be sure to list all exam dates and times on the form.

Request to Change Course Credit Hours (DocuSign)

Preview the form before opening DocuSign here.

• This form applies to variable credit courses only. 
• Use this form to change the credit hours of variable credit courses before the deadline.
• Meet with your instructor and advisor to discuss the changes you wish to make and provide a clear explanation in the comment box.

Request to Late Add a Course (DocuSign)

• Preview the form before opening DocuSign here.
• Use this form if ALL of the following criteria are met:
  • Your primary major is in our college
  • It is after the first week of courses and the add period has ended
    
  • There are no holds on your account
  • You have significant evidence of extenuating circumstances for the late add
• Note: If you are requesting a late add for Summer or Winter terms, please understand your financial responsibility associated with adding the course. For additional information regarding Summer and Winter costs, visit the Bursar's Office.

Request to Late Drop a Course: (DocuSign link via advisor)

• Requests to drop courses after the deadline (view academic deadlines here) will be approved only for students who are confronted by extraordinary circumstances beyond their control that are verifiable, could not have been anticipated prior to the drop deadline, and require them to drop a single course rather than all courses. If your request is due to medical reasons, please visit one of the following university resources instead of completing this form:
  • Schiffert Health Center
  • Cook Counseling Center
  • Services for Students with Disabilities
    
• The form is available from an advisor only 
• Please contact your academic advisor to discuss the late drop request if ALL of the following criteria are met:
  • Your primary major is in our college
  • It is after the late drop deadline for the current semester
  • There are no holds on your account
  • You have significant evidence of extenuating circumstances for the late drop

The process of substituting courses is considered on a case-by-case basis in individual departments. Talk with your advisor about substitutions.

Undergraduate Research & Independent Study Request (DocuSign)

Preview the form before opening DocuSign here.

• Use this form to request an undergraduate research or independent study and:
  • You are a primary major in our college
    
• All fields and signatures are required. Please ensure you type in both your instructor's name and email AND your primary advisor's name and email correctly before you enter the form.
• A course syllabus or detailed overview of the independent study/undergraduate research is required. This must be added as an attachment by your instructor.
• If approved, the course will be added to your schedule using the CRN provided on the form. Please ensure you are submitting the correct CRN.
• You must submit a course overload request if this course will cause you to exceed the maximum allowable credits for a semester or session (19 credit hours for fall or spring, 7 for a summer session).
• Before completing this form, please be sure you know the:
  • Course CRN: CRN is short for Course Request Number. This is the 5-digit unique identifier number for each section of a course at Virginia Tech. You can find this number on the Virginia Tech Timetable of Classes.
  • Course Designator: This is the 2-4 letter designator for the subject of the course. For example, ENGL 1105.
  • Course Number: This is the actual number associated with the course (i.e., ENGL 1105). Course numbers that are assigned as Independent Study or Undergraduate Research courses are listed on the form for you to select one. Please see the preview form above to confirm your course number.

"W" Grade Request  (DocuSign) (Closed for Fall 2024)

Preview the form before opening DocuSign here.

• Watch the following tutorial on how to utilize DocuSign for the submission of this form. 
• Course Withdrawal ("W" grade) is available after the last day to drop a course thorugh the last day of classes for each term.  A final grade of a "W" is awarded for each course where a Course Withdrawal is applied.  Students are permitted to Course Withdraw from up to three courses during their academic career at Virginia Tech.
• If you have used your 3 "W" Grades, the Associate Dean cannot approve your request.  The "W" Grade Policy is set by the University. 
• Meet with your advisor to discuss the change you want to make.  All "W" Grade requests require advisor consultation. 
• Use this form if you would like to apply the "W" Grade for a course after the drop deadline. 
• You will continue to show up in Canvas after you have applied the "W" Grade from the course.  The course will remain on your schedule.  In HokieSpa, it will have the grade mode of "Course Withdraw".  A grade of "W" for the course will show up on your transcript after the end of the semester. 

Withdrawal/Resignation from Term (Procedures and form)

• Completion of this form will remove you from all classes during the semester or session indicated. 
  
• If you are resigning prior to the start of the semester/session listed, the form will be submitted directly to the University Registrar. 
  
• If you are resigning after the start of the semester/session, you will be required to meet with the Associate Dean (540-231-6770). 
  
• Resigning/withdrawing from a semester may impact your financial aid, US visa for international students, athletic eligibility, or university housing. 
  
• There are specific rules that apply to students in the Corps of Cadets. 
  
• Visit the Bursar's website for more information and how your resignation will affect your tuition reimbursement.