Policy & Procedures

At the conclusion of each quarter, the Allen School Student Services team reviews the progress of all undergraduate Allen School students. If a student’s performance does not meet the standards outlined above in Enrollment & Grade criteria 1- 4 in any quarter, they will first be placed on Department Warning 1. The next time they fail to meet standards (consecutive or non-consecutive quarters) a student would be flagged for Departmental Warning 2. A third time not meeting satisfactory progress and they would be moved into Department Drop status and transitioned into pre-major. Please see the Review of Progress Flowchart for additional information.

• Dept. Academic Warning 1 = First quarter a student does not meet the continuation policy
• Dept. Academic Warning 2 = Second quarter (consecutive or nonconsecutive) a student does not meet the continuation policy 
• Dept. Dismissal = Third and final quarter not meeting continuation policy, student removed from the Allen School

Overview

Students are considered for reinstatement based on multiple factors, including the information shared in their petition statement, grades in courses since dismissal, graduation plan, and optional letters of support. Students who are considering petitioning should meet with an Allen School academic adviser to determine when they should petition for reinstatement and to prepare a strong petition well before the petition deadline. When they are ready to apply for reinstatement, they should follow the process outlined below.

General Criteria

• A student can apply for reinstatement immediately after being dismissed from the program.
• Students who have been dismissed from the Allen School may only apply for reinstatement twice. Students should carefully consider when they will be best suited to re-apply.
• A third reinstatement petition will not be considered.

How to Apply for Reinstatement

• Submit a completed reinstatement petition before the deadline.
  • Reinstatement petition includes:
    1. Petition statement: The Reinstatement Committee will be looking for evidence that you have identified the causes that led to your academic difficulties and have taken steps to address them. A petition that demonstrates a reflective assessment of problems and concrete evidence of changes in behavior has a better chance of approval. 
       • Petition statement instructions:
         • Prepare a statement in 750 words or less. Your statement should include answers to each of the following questions:
           • Please reflect on the factors that impacted your academic success and led to dismissal from the Allen School. Be specific.
           • What are the behaviors and circumstances that you have already changed or that you plan to change so that you’re academically successful in the future?
             • How do you anticipate these changes will address the challenges you have experienced?
             • How will you hold yourself accountable to these changes?
       • If you have applied for a Former Quarter Drop (FQD) please state that in your reinstatement petition along with the quarter(s) or class(es) for which you are applying.
    2. Graduation Plan: You must provide a plan that shows what courses you would take from now until graduation. Your course plan should be realistic to your current situation that shows a path to graduation. Your course plan must be signed by an Allen School academic adviser.
    3. Transcripts: Copy of all relevant transcripts from coursework taken since being dropped from the Allen School.
    4. (Optional) – Letter of support: This can be from an adviser, campus partner, advocate, healthcare provider, etc. The intention is to allow people from a student’s support network to provide context and additional information, if it is determined that it would be helpful. If you are unsure about whether a letter of support would be helpful, please check in with an Allen School academic adviser.

Petition Deadlines

Reinstatement petitions must be submitted no later than 2 business days before the start of the intended reinstatement quarter; however two weeks prior is strongly preferred. Please review the UW Academic Calendar for quarter start dates. Students will receive a decision within one week of submitting the reinstatement petition.

Please note that there are several other applications & processes that you may need to be aware of when considering reinstatement, including applying as a returning student to UW, Arts & Sciences or College of Engineering college reinstatement, financial aid, international student, and others. Again, please make sure you are working closely with Allen School academic advising to make sure that you are aware of all upcoming deadlines.

You may register to take any CSE course for a second time during all registration periods.

If you want to take a course for a third time, you will need to fill out this petition. Before petitioning, first meet with your UAA, OMA&D, ENGRUD, or major academic advisor to discuss:

• Why you want to repeat the course
• Reasons you did not do well in the course before
• What has changed since the last time you took the course
• What your course load and other responsibilities are like for the quarter
• The resources and skills you will utilize in your repeat of the course

You should also research and explore these campus resources before you take a course for a third time:

• Husky Health and Well-Being
• Academic Support Programs

Your goal should be to maximize your ability to pass the course. The Allen School does not allow students to take courses for a fourth time.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Question: What happens if I need to take a quarter or quarters off?
  • Answer: The continuation policy requirements are not applied when a student chooses to take a quarter or quarters off. While these aren’t a violation of our continuation policy, there can be financial or other implications associated with taking time off. We strongly encourage you to check in with your academic adviser before taking time off.
• Question: What happens if I need to enroll part-time?
  • Answer: Students are still expected to meet the requirements of the continuation policy if they choose to enroll part-time. Additionally, there can be financial or other implications associated with enrolling part-time. We strongly encourage you to check in with your academic adviser before enrolling part-time. 
• Question: What happens if I decide to study abroad or only enroll in an internship course in order to pursue an internship during the academic year (autumn, winter, or spring quarter)?
  • Answer: Students who study abroad or have internships and only enroll in an internship course during the academic year (autumn, winter, or spring quarter) will not be held to the continuation policy requirements during the quarter(s) they are studying abroad or completing internships. However, they should be mindful of their academic progress, especially in regard to the benchmark requirements, when planning to study abroad or intern during the academic year. Please meet with your academic adviser to discuss your academic plan.
• Question: What do I do if I am concerned about meeting the continuation policy requirements?
  • Answer: If you are concerned about meeting any of the continuation policy requirements, we strongly encourage you to work closely with your assigned adviser to determine the best path forward. This could include retaking coursework, petitioning to count coursework below the minimum grades reflected above, or approving an alternate plan. Your assigned adviser can be found on your MyCSE profile. Please know that we are here to support you throughout your time in the Allen School!
• Question: Does summer quarter count for all of these requirements?
  • Answer: The grade criteria (1a. – d.) apply during all quarters you take a course (including summer quarter). For example, if you take an introductory or fundamental course during summer quarter that has a minimum grade requirement, that requirement must be met during summer quarter. However, summer quarter is NOT considered for any time-based benchmark criteria. Enrolling in courses during a summer quarter will not add to the total quarters completed when assessing benchmark requirements. Total quarters completed in the program are only based on enrollment in autumn/winter/spring quarters.
• Questions: Can I change a required program completion course to S/NS grading and have it count towards my requirements?
  • Answer: Students who choose to change a required course requirement grade to S/NS grading and receive an S grade (at least a 2.0) will not be in violation of the Allen School’s continuation policy (if they have also demonstrated meeting the enrollment & grade criteria requirements of in section 1a. – d. through another course). However, if you choose to change a required course requirement grade to the S/NS grading option please know that an S grade in a degree-required course will not count toward your computer science or computer engineering degree. You should think carefully about whether this is your best option and consult your Allen School adviser. If you choose to earn an S grade for a course required to complete your degree, you will either need to petition for it to be converted back to a numerical grade (which is not guaranteed to be approved and often won’t be allowed unless it’s the quarter you plan to graduate) or you will need to retake the course for it to fulfill a degree requirement.
  • If you earn a NS grade (less than a 2.0) in a required course in section 1a-d above, this would be a violation of the Allen School’s continuation policy and result in a warning or possibly dismissal. Before making any grade changes to a course, we strongly advise students to consult with their Allen School Adviser.