Success at the university level may require more work than it did in high school. If you find yourself having more difficulty than you expected, there are strategies and policies that may help you be successful at Indiana University. Below are some common policies and success strategies that many IU students have used to help them stay on track for graduation.
Student Success strategies and policies
If you earn a grade lower than an A in any course may be eligible, upon retaking the course, to remove the earlier grade from your grade point average (GPA) calculation. To exercise this option, you must submit an Extended-X petition to remove the effect of the previous grade from you GPAs.
Please note the following restrictions:
- You may apply for an Extended-X for a maximum of 3 courses or 10 credits, whichever comes first
- You may only replace a grade for a course once
- Both enrollments must be the same course and same topic
- You must complete and submit the Extended-X petition by 5:00 p.m. the Friday of final exam week or by 5:00 p.m. the Friday before the graduation term for which you have applied
Since you are only permitted to use Extended-X three times during your academic career, you should consult with your academic advisor before you decide to use one to ensure that this is the most strategic use of an Extended-X that you can make.
You can withdraw from individual courses with an automatic grade of W (Withdrawal) until the Automatic Withdrawal deadline. Check deadlines for your courses on the IUB Official Academic Calendar for each academic session and manage your schedule accordingly.
If extenuating circumstances prevent you from completing your class(es) after the Auto-W deadline, you may request a Late Withdrawal. To initiate the process, you must drop the course through the ‘eDrop/eAdd Classes’ app in One.IU. Afterwards, you will receive a link to the College’s Late Withdrawal petition that you must complete by the deadline specified. The College only authorizes late withdrawals for urgent reasons beyond the student’s control related to extended illness or equivalent distress. If you have questions, contact the Office of Undergraduate Academic Affairs (812-855-1647).
If you experience circumstances that impact your ability to complete all of your classes, you may complete a Withdrawal from All Subjects.
- Before or during the first week of the term, you can drop all of your classes online using the ‘Drop Classes’ app in One.IU.
- After the first week of classes through the last Friday of classes for the fall and spring semesters, there is a different process for Withdrawal from All Subjects:
- Domestic students must withdraw from all courses through the Student Advocates Office
- International students must withdraw from all courses through the Office of International Services
- For withdrawals for military obligations, contact the Center for Veteran and Military Students
- If you withdraw from all classes due to significant or unusual circumstances, you may be eligible to appeal the refund policy.
A Withdrawal from All Subjects can impact housing eligibility and financial aid. If you receive any type of financial aid (loans, grants, work study, scholarships, etc.), contact Student Central or your scholarship program advisor to learn about the impacts of a Withdrawal from All Subjects.
When you are ready to return to your studies, please visit the Returning Students page for information on next steps for how to proceed.
If you have completed a Withdrawal from All Subjects for more than one term (including summer), the Registrar will add a hold to your record that will prevent future enrollment. You will need to submit a Petition for Resumption of Studies after Multiple Semesters of Withdrawal from all Subjects. To resume your studies, please submit your petition by the deadlines below:
Fall semester: August 1
Spring semester: December 1
Summer: May 1
At Indiana University Bloomington, if you enroll in 12 or more credit hours during the fall or spring terms you are considered to have “full-time” enrollment for that term. Full-time enrollment has a flat tuition fee, may qualify students for financial aid, and is the traditional path to completing an undergraduate degree. A student who is working on an undergraduate degree that requires 120 to 128 credit (unit) hours for completion of requirements should expect to complete 15 or 16 credit (unit) hours during regular semesters in order to complete degree requirements in eight semesters. See your advisor for more specific information regarding academic full-time credit (unit) hour recommendations for your program.
Many students, however, are unable to complete full-time enrollment due to life circumstances, and they may benefit from being at part-time enrollment. Part-time enrollment is enrolling in 11 or fewer credit hours for the fall or spring term. If you are considering this pathway, you should consult with Student Central about the financial aid and fee implications.
As you evaluate your own circumstances and outside obligations, you may determine that enrolling in two to three courses would allow you to make successful degree progress whereas enrolling in four or more courses would be too much for you. Recognizing how to balance your obligations as a student with your life’s circumstances is an important skill to be successful in your studies.
If you have been struggling to be successful in your collegiate studies, you may want to consider enrolling in Culture of College (EDUC-X 158) if you are early in your academic career. Academic difficulty is not an occasion for embarrassment but rather an opportunity to reflect on past experiences, clarify your goals, and start new habits so that you can thrive. Culture of College (EDUC-X 158) offers a structured and supportive environment where you can:
- Assess your academic strengths and areas for growth
- Improve your skills, including time management, organization, and a proactive approach to learning
- Refine your goals and motivations
- Join a community of students committing to academic recovery
Do you want to take an interesting, unfamiliar, or challenging course, but are worried about how it might affect your GPA? You may be able to take a class as Pass/Fail, which allows you to get credit without affecting your GPA. If you earn a grade of D- or above, you’ll get credit hours for the course and a grade of P on your academic record, but the grade will not impact your GPA. If you earn an F in the course, however, the grade of F will appear on your transcript and will be calculated into your GPA.
The Pass/Fail option may be adopted a maximum of eight (8) times during your undergraduate career and no more than twice each academic year. For the Pass/Fail option, the academic year is defined as beginning with the start of the fall academic term and ending with the end of the summer term.
Courses taken Pass/Fail must be electives and meet certain criteria. Consult with your academic advisor about the course’s eligibility to be taken as Pass/Fail before enrolling. Students who wish to use the Pass/Fail option must submit the Pass/Fail form by the relevant deadline. See the IUB Official Calendar for the deadlines by academic term and session.