[net.college] Drop dates for classes

c55-hc@ucbbuddy.BERKELEY.EDU (Brent Chapman) (11/24/85)

In article <43@mit-amt.MIT.EDU> gerber@mit-amt.MIT.EDU (Andrew S. Gerber) writes:
>Today is Drop Date at MIT.  There are less than three weeks to the
>last day of class.  Dropping a class at this point is the same as
>droping a class at any other point in the term -- it doesn't show up
>on your record.  It is the same for any department.
>
>Are there any other schools with a drop date this late?  Oh - also at
>MIT you can add a course (with the permission of the instructor --
>there's usually no reason for them to object) up until the 5th week of
>the term.

Here at UC Berkeley, drop date is the end of the fifth week of classes.
By this time, MOST classes (but, unfortunately, not all) have already had
at least one midterm as well as several assignments.  Personally, I would
like to see the drop date pushed back until the eight or tenth week or
so, but I can see where that would cause problems.  For one thing, students
would tend to sign up for more classes than they intended to complete, thus
increasing Cal's chronic over-crowding problems.

Rumor has it that down on the farm (Stanford, for those blissfully unaware)
students may drop a class right up until 24 hours prior to the final exam.
I can't confirm or deny this, and I have no idea what penalties if any
are exacted.

Brent Chapman
ucbvax!ucbugs!chapman		ucbvax!ucbbuddy!c55-hc
ucbvax!dual!waldo!chapman

{ Opinions herein are strictly my own, etc... }

scott@gitpyr.UUCP (Scott Holt) (12/01/85)

> Here at UC Berkeley, drop date is the end of the fifth week of classes.
> By this time, MOST classes (but, unfortunately, not all) have already had
> at least one midterm as well as several assignments.  Personally, I would
> like to see the drop date pushed back until the eight or tenth week or
> so, but I can see where that would cause problems.  For one thing, students
> would tend to sign up for more classes than they intended to complete, thus
> increasing Cal's chronic over-crowding problems.
  
  The situtation with over crowding is exactly the reason why we at Ga. Tech
have taken the question of a more restrictive drop policy. Currently we are
able to drop up to the end of the 5th week ( we are on a 10 week quarter )
with no restrictions ( generaly, some schools in the institute are more 
restrictive ). It was the general opinion of the committee that I am on that
the drop policy was a cause of some of our overcrowding problems. We introduced
a bill that would limit the total number of drops to 6 ( 2 as a freshman, 1 as
a sophmore, 1 as a junior, and 2 as a senior ). The bill also contained request
that advisment procedures be improved, that schools try to stop listing 'Staff'
as the instructor in the schedule of classes, and that students be limited to
19 hours during pre-registration. The bill passed, sans drop policy.
  Do the schools out there with 'liberal' drop policies have much of a problem
with overcrowding, or classes closing out early in registration? Also, what
kind of advisment procedures do you have and are the instructors for a class
know before registration?
                                        - Scott

-- 
---------
I'll stop procrastinating tomorow.

Scott Holt
Georgia Tech Po Box 36199
Atlanta, GA 30332
       
USENET: scott@gitpyr
BITNET: CCASTSH AT GITVM1

wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin ) (12/03/85)

In article <1123@gitpyr.UUCP> scott@gitpyr.UUCP (Scott Holt) writes:
>We introduced
>a bill that would limit the total number of drops to 6 ( 2 as a freshman, 1 as
>a sophmore, 1 as a junior, and 2 as a senior ). The bill also contained request
>that advisment procedures be improved, that schools try to stop listing 'Staff'
>as the instructor in the schedule of classes, and that students be limited to
                                                   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>19 hours during pre-registration. The bill passed, sans drop policy.
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I'm sorry, I don't understand the marked portion above. "19 hours" of what?

Will

scott@gitpyr.UUCP (Scott Holt) (12/03/85)

In article <223@brl-tgr.ARPA>, wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin ) writes:
> >as the instructor in the schedule of classes, and that students be limited to
> >19 hours during pre-registration. The bill passed, sans drop policy.
>  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> I'm sorry, I don't understand the marked portion above. "19 hours" of what?
> 
> Will

   Ok, I'll clarify. We are are currently allowd to schedule up to 23 credit
hours ( 3 hours of lab count as 1 credit hour ). We also have 3 registration
phases: pre-registration, registration, and late registration. Pre-registration
takes place shortly after midterms in the quarter prior to one for which the
student is registering. The proposal was to allow a student to only schedule
19 credit hours during pre-registration and lift the limit during registration, 
which is held a couple of days before classes start. We have a nasty habit of  
scheduling an overload and then droping masive ammounts, a normal load is
17-19 hours. Since most students schedule during pre-registration, it is hoped
that this will keep classes from closing out too early.
                                - Scott
-- 
---------
I'll stop procrastinating tomorow.

Scott Holt
Georgia Tech Po Box 36199
Atlanta, GA 30332
       
USENET: scott@gitpyr
BITNET: CCASTSH AT GITVM1

schuler@gondor.UUCP (David W. Schuler) (12/03/85)

> The bill also contained request ...
> That schools try to stop listing 'Staff'
> as the instructor in the schedule of classes.

Here at Penn State, we don't even know who instructors (or TA's, etc.) will
be UNTIL we walk into class the first day.  Sometimes, the departments don't
even know who will be teaching until the FIRST DAY of classes.

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Are you a turtle?

ccs025@ucdavis.UUCP (0048) (12/04/85)

> In article <1123@gitpyr.UUCP> scott@gitpyr.UUCP (Scott Holt) writes:
> >that advisment procedures be improved, that schools try to stop listing 'Staff'
> >as the instructor in the schedule of classes, and that students be limited to
>                                                    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> >19 hours during pre-registration. The bill passed, sans drop policy.
>  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> I'm sorry, I don't understand the marked portion above. "19 hours" of what?

> Will

 I am not the original poster, but I asume by *19 Hours during
pre-registration* the author is refering to units enrolled, or
"Hours per week" as most Universities measure student workload.
This policy of restricting Units of pre-registration is interesting.
I do not know why it was instituted at this particular school, but
I do know the problem that could exist.  Many schools, as
is the case here at UC Davis in Calif. , offer a pre-registration
form.  On this you put the classes you would like.  Then all
the requests are processed by computer.  If you did't get
what you want or if there is a change you want to make, there
is a one day IN PERSON ENROLLMENT.  This usually resembles
a hockey game, with students pushing shoving, running frantically,
and waiting in long lines etc... just to be told that the class
they want is already full (actually I get about 1/2 the classes
I try for in person).  What does this have to do with anything?
Well, to avoid this IN PERSON hassle, many people would sign
up for 20 classes to make sure the computer at least gave them
the minimum 12 hours needed to stay enrolled.  The problem is
that everyone ends up dropping the extra classes two days after
IN PERSON ENROLLMENT, so unless you attend class and get on a 
waiting list, you lose.  The bottom line is: Restricting
pre-registration hours (units) gives everyone a better chance
at getting what they want.
   I know this was long, sorry.  If I am wrong PLEASE do
correct me, I would be interested to know what the rule was
passed for.


-- 
--------------------------------------------------------------------
                    Martin VanRyswyk
	 ..!{dual,lll-crg,ucbvax}!ucdavis!deneb!ccs025
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andy@Shasta.ARPA (12/06/85)

scott@gitpyr writes about tightening drop policies
> it is hoped that this will keep classes from closing out too early.
>                                 - Scott

There are (at least) two other ways to accomplish this.  Why not
have more classes or admit fewer students?  (I suppose reducing
graduation requirements is right out.) :-)

-andy at decwrl!glacier!Shasta!andy goes to andy@su-sushi.stanford.edu

ps - Yes, Stanford does have a "liberal" drop-policy.  We don't admit
people we don't want to graduate.

scott@gitpyr.UUCP (Scott Holt) (12/09/85)

In article <1572@Shasta.ARPA>, andy@Shasta.ARPA writes:
> 
> There are (at least) two other ways to accomplish this.  Why not
> have more classes or admit fewer students?  (I suppose reducing
> graduation requirements is right out.) :-)
> 
	one simple answer to that...we are a state school...we dont
always get the money to hire the faculty to teach more classes and if
we cut enrollment we lose a good portion of the money we get now.
                               - Scott

-- 
---------
I'll stop procrastinating tomorow.

Scott Holt
Georgia Tech Po Box 36199
Atlanta, GA 30332
       
USENET: scott@gitpyr
BITNET: CCASTSH AT GITVM1