Explore this go-to list of academic resources for Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) undergraduate students. However, if you have a specific question, contact your advisor or email us at bims@tamu.edu.
Student Academic Forms & Policies
Grade Appeals
At the VMBS, the departments are the primary authority with respect to departmental policies and procedures regarding their curriculum. Further, departmental academic advisors are knowledgeable about departmental-level, university-level, and college-level policies and procedures governing academics and are charged with enforcing these policies.
In regards to an academic policy, if no satisfactory resolution is reached with the advisor and the student wishes to appeal, the student shall appeal to the department head.
No Grade Request
No Grade (NG) is assigned only through the associate dean upon review board’s approval when extraordinary circumstances exist. According to the Texas A&M University Student Rules (Section 10.3), this request “requires extensive documentation of the extraordinary circumstances justifying the No Grade.”
Note: It can take up to a full semester to process an NG request completely.
Course Overload Request
According to Student Rule 1.13.1, an undergraduate student with an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better may register for a course load in excess of 19 hours in a fall or spring semester or 6 hours (7 if part is a laboratory) in a five-week summer term.
The VMBS Dean’s Designee must approve all excess course loads for students whose cumulative GPA is less than 3.0. Students whose GPA is below 2.0 are not eligible for a course overload. Students who do not meet these criteria may discuss their situation with their undergraduate advisor. If the academic advisor approves, they can send this form to bims@tamu.edu for review and processing.
Note: Course overload requests cannot be submitted until open registration.
Probation/Suspension/Dismissal
According to the Scholastic Deficiency/Probation section (Revised 2013) of Student Rule Section 12.1, an undergraduate student is scholastically deficient when:
- 12.1.1 Their term grade point average (GPA) is less than 2.00; or
- 12.1.2 Their cumulative GPA is less than 2.00; or
- 12.1.3 The cumulative GPA in their major field of study is below 2.00; or
- 12.1.4 They are not meeting college and/or major course of study grade point requirements.
Request for Q-Drop
Undergraduate students will normally be permitted four Q-drops during their undergraduate studies. However, state law prohibits students from having more than six dropped courses from any state institution attended during their undergraduate career if they entered higher education as a first-time enrolled freshman beginning the 2007 fall semester and thereafter.
Q-drops in one-hour courses will not count in the Texas A&M University limit of four but will be included in the state-mandated limit of six dropped courses. If a lecture and companion lab are dropped at the same time, this will count as one Q-drop rather than two (Student Rule 1.16.4).
- The Q-Drop Request is located on the Registrar’s website and online via Howdy.
- If you choose to complete a paper Q-Drop form, you must bring the completed form to the academic advising office of your major for approval.
- Contact your advisor with questions regarding Q-Drops.
Late Request for a Withdraw
Per Student Rule 1.16.4, a student may drop a course without academic penalty through the 60th class day of a fall or spring semester, the 15th class day of a summer term, or the 35th class day of a 10-week summer semester. This date is published in the academic calendar. Late requests would only be granted through the associate dean upon approval of the review board when extraordinary circumstances beyond the student’s control exist.
Note: A late request can take 4-6 weeks to be reviewed.
Readmission
Students who were previously enrolled at Texas A&M but did not attend class through the official census date of the previous long semester must apply for readmission. Please review the deadlines and process at the Admissions Office website. We also highly recommend that you first prepare for your readmission application by scheduling a meeting with an advisor in the BIMS Undergraduate Academic Advising Office at bims@tamu.edu or 979.845.4941.
Withdrawal from the University
Students can apply for a withdrawal through the Howdy Portal, and information about withdrawal can also be accessed through the Howdy Portal.
Contact Us
Biomedical Sciences (BIMS) Undergraduate Program
Mailing Address:
4461 TAMU
College Station, TX 77843-4461
Physical Address:
668 Raymond Stotzer Pkwy.
College Station, TX 77845
Advising:
To schedule an appointment with an advisor, use the Navigate app.
Office:
VIDI (#1813) Bldg. | Suite 123
Veterinary & Biomedical Complex