Issues with the Add/Drop Period and Scheduling Suggestions
Mary LaDrière
Issue date: 2/1/06 Section: features
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Versus Magazine Online [Image Edition]
Each semester there is the excitement and, for many, the dread of beginning classes again. Although the prospect of starting fresh is appealing, the idea of being stuck in a terrible class for the next four months can be terrifying. This fear could be mollified, however, if students had more resources available to them such as a lengthier add/drop period and online access to course evaluations and syllabi.
Last semester, our Student Government Association proposed an extension of the add/drop period from seven to fourteen days. Currently, this resolution has not been passed by the administration, although SGA members plan to present it to the faculty senate and Provost. A substantial portion of the student body - 87% in a survey conducted by A&S council - supports this idea in hopes that it will increase students' abilities to create effective educational plans for themselves. Junior Meghan Savage said, "One week isn't enough time to determine your ability to perform well in a class or to decide whether or not your learning style meshes with the teaching style of your professor." Many students use the add/drop period to "try out" different courses or professors, and often one or two class periods is not enough. This is especially true for classes that meet only once per week, as students will not get a clear idea of what the class will be like in a session that is used to simply review the syllabus.
The segment of the university population against this proposal are concerned that the extension will lead to record-keeping "headaches" as well as make it difficult for students to catch up on the work they would miss by joining a class after three or four sessions. These claims may have cause for concern, so why not suggest a happy medium? Rather than extending the entire add/drop period to fourteen days, increase the amount of time that students are able to drop classes without receiving a "W" on their transcripts. Often, students sign up for more hours than they will likely take in one semester in order to decide between two classes or to compare professors, eventually dropping the less favorable option. This will undoubtedly lessen the burden because professors will not have to deal with students entering their classes after the first week and students will not have to worry about making up missed material. Another option, proposed by SGA members, is to require professor approval for adding a class during the second week.