Students handle late-drop guidelines

It's a problem many students face during the course of their academic careers -- to drop a class, or to stick it out.

But students should be aware of the limit on late-drop credits.

Sixteen drop credits are allowed for baccalaureate degree students and 10 for associate degree students, said George Bugyi, executive secretary of the University Faculty Senate.

However, it is possible to exceed the 16 credits, he said. But students must petition the University Faculty Senate in order to do so, Bugyi said.

"As an example, if students use up 14 of their credits and they wish to drop a three-credit course they can petition to have the extra one credit," Bugyi said.

Getting approval for a student to drop a class is determined on a case-by-case basis, Bugyi said.

The Academic Standards Subcommittee of Undergraduate Education, which consists only of faculty members, review a student's petition, Bugyi said.

"We review 900 to 1,200 petitions throughout the year," Bugyi said. "If they want to drop a class they would go to their adviser in their college in order to request a petition."

Bugyi suggested that if a student registers for a class, he or she should take a look at the syllabus and attend the first class. He said if a student wants to drop a class, he or she has 10 calendar days to do it before having to use late-drop credits.

According to the University Registrar's World Wide Web site, there is a $6 fee charged to students if they drop a class after the late-drop period begins. The last day to drop a course is April 10, according to the page.

Dropping courses will likely reduce a student's ability to maintain normal degree progress and could delay graduation, according to the site, and there are also financial issues to consider when dropping courses.

Students have different opinions about the late-drop credit limit.

Melanie Hirt (sophomore-electrical engineering) said she thinks the University should raise the limit of drop credits to more than 16.

"They should get rid of it and let students judge for themselves how many credits they want to drop," Hirt said.

She also said the University should allow three weeks rather than the one week currently allowed to let students decide if they want to drop a class before it is counted as a late-drop.

Dan Coy (freshman-dairy and animal science) said the University should maintain a limit on late-drop credits.

"It's good that they set a limit or else kids would take advantage of it," Coy said.

Some Big Ten universities do not limit the amount of late-drop credits a student is allowed.

According to Indiana University Registrar's World Wide Web site, students can drop an unlimited amount of courses during their collegiate careers as long as they get approval from the dean of their college and the chairperson of their department.

At the University of Iowa students are allowed to drop five courses in their sophomore to senior years at the university.

A withdrawal notation will be made on their transcript, but students are allowed to drop an unlimited amount of courses their first year at the university if they are enrolled in the College of Liberal Arts, said Catherine Pietrzyk, associate registrar at the University of Iowa. Students in other colleges have to get their dean's permission to drop courses but they have no structured limit, Pietrzyk said.