1. Connect with your academic advisor or coach to discuss considerations:
Academic advisors and academic coaches are an extremely helpful resource in determining if a retroactive withdrawal is the right process for you. Be sure to use them as a resource when drafting your petition as they can help guide you through the process and work with you to help make your petition stronger. They can also help you determine how this process might impact your degree progress, graduation timeline, and academic standing. Lastly, they can connect you with other campus resources that would aid you on your path to future success such as CAPS, Disability Services, SSCM, and more.
2. Research the petition process (finish reviewing content on this page)
3. Review the online petition form questions and gather supporting documentation to support your reasoning:
- Which semester(s) are you petitioning?
- Please provide specific and detailed information about how your circumstances affected your coursework.
- If you are petitioning for multiple semesters, explain why you were successful in some semesters versus other semesters.
- If you are petitioning for multiple semesters, explain why you continued to enroll despite your ongoing circumstances.
- Why did you not withdraw at the time?
- What have you been doing to ensure success since the term(s) when you had these challenges?
4. Draft a thoughtful statement that clearly provides the relevant details and important dates:
A well-written personal statement should be highly detailed with references to the supporting documents submitted, chronological, and well-organized. When all questions on the form are completed, a typical submission is roughly one or two pages. It’s helpful to get feedback from your academic advisor; if you have been away from campus and no longer have an advising contact, please contact your previous advising unit.
If you would like to connect with an impartial and confidential office that is familiar with the Retroactive Withdrawal Petition process, please connect with the Ombuds Office: 303-492-5077. Their office does not participate with the committee decisions, but is familiar with the petition process, and as detailed on their site: “We listen without judgment, help people untangle issues, develop options and strategize. We provide an impartial perspective and maintain what is shared with us in the strictest confidence.” They may be of assistance to help think through considerations for submitting a petition.
5. Submit the online petition form with supporting documents uploaded:
Please note: CU Boulder has a responsibility to provide a safe and nondiscriminatory environment. If you disclose having been impacted by sexual misconduct, protected-class discrimination or harassment, intimate partner violence, stalking, or related retaliation, we are required to share that information to the CU Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance (OIEC) for outreach regarding support and reporting options. You are not required to respond to OIEC. If you are in need of support, here is a list of resources, including confidential assistance. If you have questions before you want to submit this type of information, please contact the confidential Office of Victim Assistance.
Additionally, please note that the university takes disclosures around threats of harm to self or others seriously. When information of this nature is received, it will be shared with the appropriate offices to offer additional support and resources.
Students who are exploring the Retroactive Withdrawal Petition based on experiencing sexual assault, stalking, abuse in an intimate relationship, discrimination, and harassment can connect with the Office of Institutional Equity & Compliance (OIEC) to learn about resolution procedures and further support including assistance with a retroactive withdrawal petition. (https://www.colorado.edu/oiec/reporting-resolutions)
If you would like to discuss options confidentially, the Office of Victim Assistance (OVA) provides free support services:
- Information
- Advocacy, which includes exploring one’s options and rights
- Short-term trauma-specific counseling
If these offices support a request, personal statements and documentation may not be required for a petition. These offices will communicate with the Retroactive Withdrawal Coordinator on your behalf if you give them permission to do so.