Struggling with a course — or just want to stay ahead? The Academic Success Center offers free support for all Iowa State students. Services include tutoring, Supplemental Instruction (SI), writing and communication consultations, academic skills coaching, and accountability groups. Supplemental Instruction is especially useful for historically challenging courses — it's a structured, peer-led session tied to a specific class you're already in. If you're not sure where to start, a Success Navigator can point you to the right resource.

Visit the Academic Success Center

If you have a disability — physical, learning, mental health, or otherwise — and need support navigating your academic experience, Student Accessibility Services is where to start. SAS reviews students for accommodations designed to eliminate disability-related barriers and create an equal opportunity for success. Accommodations can cover everything from exams and coursework to housing, dining, and more.

The earlier you connect with SAS, the more smoothly accommodations can be put in place — don't wait until you're struggling.

Visit Student Accessibility Services

Registration is the process by which students become officially enrolled in classes for a given term, and involves consultation between the student and their academic advisor. You'll register and make schedule changes through Workday — your registration appointment, the first date you can register, is assigned based on your projected class standing.

Once the semester begins, the rules for changing your schedule shift depending on timing. During the first five days of class, adds and drops are free, require no advisor approval, and won't appear on your permanent record. From day six through the end of week ten, changes require advisor and instructor approval and drops will show as a W on your transcript. After week ten, changes are permitted only for extenuating circumstances and must be approved by your college dean.

Before adding or dropping a class mid-semester, talk to your advisor — changes can affect your full-time status and financial aid.

Schedule Change Policies

Thinking about adding a major, dropping a certificate, or switching minors entirely? That conversation starts with your advisor — they can walk you through the steps and make sure any changes are reflected accurately in your Academic Progress Report. Don't make assumptions about how a change will affect your degree requirements until you've had that conversation.

Academic standing is based on your semester and cumulative GPA — students with at least a 2.00 in both are in Good Academic Standing. Fall below that and you'll receive an Academic Warning or be placed on Academic Probation. Neither is part of your permanent record, but both require a conversation — students on Warning or Probation meet with their advisor and complete an Academic Intervention Self-Assessment in Workday.

Probation is a serious signal that your progress isn't where it needs to be, and continued struggles can lead to Academic Dismissal — a permanent notation on your record. Once dismissed, you can't re-enroll until you've been reinstated.

None of this is meant to be scary — it exists for early intervention. If you land on Warning or Probation, lean on the people around you: your advisor and the Academic Success Center exist specifically for moments like this.

Academic Standing Policy

The finish line has a little paperwork attached. To officially graduate, you'll need to submit an application for program completion through Workday — this is separate from registering for your final semester and separate from participating in the commencement ceremony. Submit the application only when all academic requirements — including internships, transfer credits, and no incomplete grades — will be finished in the term you specify. Check your Academic Progress Report after registering for your final semester to make sure everything lines up, and connect with your advisor to resolve anything outstanding.

Beyond the university-wide commencement ceremony, most colleges host their own convocation — a smaller, more personal celebration with your fellow graduates. Check with your college to find out when and where yours is held.

Apply for Graduation

Graduation and Commencement

If a crisis — hospitalization, a family emergency, an accident — makes it impossible to reach your instructors directly, the Office of Student Assistance can step in. They can send an Emergency Notification to your faculty and advisors on your behalf, letting them know you'll be absent and why you couldn't reach out yourself. It doesn't excuse the absence — that's still up to each instructor — but it opens the door and buys you time to focus on what actually matters. If you're able to contact your instructors directly, do that first; the notification is there for when you genuinely can't.

For the full process and contact information, visit the Office of Student Assistance Emergency Notification page.

If life gets in the way and you need to step away, the right process depends on timing. If it's before the term starts, you'll cancel your registration — dropping all your courses to avoid being charged tuition. If it's on or after the first day of the term, you'll need to file a Student Leave of Absence — the formal process for withdrawing from all your classes for the semester.

There are three types of leave: a Standard Leave for students who can't complete the semester, a Medical Leave when health or well-being is the reason, and an Out-of-Term Leave for extenuating circumstances from a prior semester. Before you do anything, talk to your advisor — there are financial aid, tuition, and housing implications worth understanding before you make it official.

Cancel Registration

Iowa State Student Leave of Absence 

Plans change, and a break from ISU is sometimes part of the path forward. If your academic record shows as discontinued or complete in Workday — rather than in-progress — you'll need to go through the reentry process to come back.

Students who left in good academic standing follow the standard reentry process. Students who were academically dismissed must go through reinstatement instead — reentry alone won't get you back in. Reinstatement has its own waiting period and requirements, outlined in the Academic Standing policy.

Either way, the Office of the Registrar is your starting point, and your advisor can help you figure out which path applies to your situation.

Reentry, Returning, and Reinstatement

If you believe a faculty member has treated you unfairly or unprofessionally, you have a formal path to address it. The process starts with the instructor directly — most grievances are resolved there. If that doesn't work, you can bring the issue in writing to the instructor's department chair, who has five class days to respond. From there, appeals move to the college dean, then to the provost if needed. It's a structured process with clear timelines at each step, and you don't have to navigate it alone — the Dean of Students office can offer informal guidance before you file anything formal.

For the full policy including deadlines and appeal procedures, visit the Iowa State Academic Grievances and Appeals policy.

Iowa State policy requires instructors to excuse absences due to jury duty and other mandated court appearances. If you're called to serve, you won't have to choose between your civic obligation and your coursework — but you do need to communicate. Let your instructors know as soon as you receive your summons, provide documentation, and work with them directly on any missed work or exams. Most situations are straightforward when handled early and transparently.

For the full university policy on excused absences, visit the Iowa State Academic Conduct catalog page.