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Web drop deadline changes

Staff

The typical five-day window in which students can drop and add classes to their schedule online has been shortened to two days, expiring tonight at 11:59 EST.

Those who took the time to read the letter from the Dean of Students, sent out on Aug. 23, will find this no surprise. But for those who are just discovering this news now, take heart: students can still add and drop courses after Tuesday. It will just require the approval of the course instructor and a trip to the registrar's office.

The Academic Policy Committee (APC) of the University Senate decided on this policy change primarily because the semester terms are being shortened from 15 weeks to 14 weeks, according to University Registrar David Sauter.

"The shorter semester means a slightly shorter time frame for instruction so each day must count," Sauter said. "Prior policy enabled students to miss an entire week of class."

This new system allows faculty to decide whether a student has missed too much of the class already to be able to join on or after the third day of the semester, Sauter said. As normal, students can drop a class without receiving a 'W' on their transcript until Oct. 28, with the approval of the instructor.