How to Start a Retroactive Course Drop or Withdrawal

To request a retroactive course drop or semester withdrawal from a Fall 2025 or a previous semester, follow these steps:

1. Meet with an Advisor

You must first speak with your advisor to review your situation. Retroactive petitions are only considered for serious, documented issues that affected your academic performance in a past semester.

2. Advisor Submits the Recommendation

If your advisor agrees that a retroactive drop or withdrawal is appropriate, they will submit a recommendation on your behalf using a Google Form provided by Undergraduate Education.

Note: This form is for advisors only. If your advisor doesn’t have access to it, they can contact their department director or email undergraduate-education@sjsu.edu to request the form.

3. DocuSign Petition Process

After your advisor submits the recommendation:

• You will receive two emails:
  • Email #1: Confirms that your petition was started.
  • Email #2: Includes a link for you to complete the petition and upload your personal statement and supporting documents.

⏳ Processing Time: Retroactive petitions take 8 weeks to review. Please be patient while your request is being processed.