2008 Woodie Awards
Add-drop period to drop to 2 weeks
By: Amy Ledig, News Editor
Issue date: 4/25/08 Section: News
The usual scramble to switch classes at the beginning of the semester will have to be condensed next spring. Educational Policy and Governance voted Tuesday to shorten the add-drop period at the beginning of each semester from three weeks to two, but to lengthen the period to designate a grading option to four weeks.
"We'll have to play with the language because technically it's not even three weeks now in some semesters," EPAG Chair and Psychology Professor Kendrick Brown said, "but what we voted in was to shorten that period from the traditional three weeks to two weeks to add or drop a class."
The change in grading option designation time will allow students more time to decide whether to take a class pass-fail or for a letter grade. Students are able to take one class pass-fail each semester.
"What that was traditionally was three weeks, now it will become four weeks, so that gives students a little more time in the classroom to decide what makes the most sense depending on their learning needs and based on their assessment of how the class fits with those needs," Brown said.
The change will still allow for flexibility in some cases. The registrar will still have the ability to finesse situations involving getting graduating seniors into classes they need.
Brown added that additional leeway would be given in the case of internships.
"We're allowing for discretion in some cases regarding internships because sometimes internships are held up not because of the student or the faculty, but because of something going on off-campus," Brown said. "We wanted to allow some discretion there and the registrar will talk to the Internship Director Michael Porter as well as the faculty sponsor to sort of get a sense of what's going on there, so we allow for some flexibility there."
Brown said that the push began when a faculty member expressed concern about the effect late additions to his class was having on groups being formed and the development of a learning community.
"We'll have to play with the language because technically it's not even three weeks now in some semesters," EPAG Chair and Psychology Professor Kendrick Brown said, "but what we voted in was to shorten that period from the traditional three weeks to two weeks to add or drop a class."
The change in grading option designation time will allow students more time to decide whether to take a class pass-fail or for a letter grade. Students are able to take one class pass-fail each semester.
"What that was traditionally was three weeks, now it will become four weeks, so that gives students a little more time in the classroom to decide what makes the most sense depending on their learning needs and based on their assessment of how the class fits with those needs," Brown said.
The change will still allow for flexibility in some cases. The registrar will still have the ability to finesse situations involving getting graduating seniors into classes they need.
Brown added that additional leeway would be given in the case of internships.
"We're allowing for discretion in some cases regarding internships because sometimes internships are held up not because of the student or the faculty, but because of something going on off-campus," Brown said. "We wanted to allow some discretion there and the registrar will talk to the Internship Director Michael Porter as well as the faculty sponsor to sort of get a sense of what's going on there, so we allow for some flexibility there."
Brown said that the push began when a faculty member expressed concern about the effect late additions to his class was having on groups being formed and the development of a learning community.
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