Senate Doc #4889S

                                                    Approved   4/27/89



                                      APC #30

                        Changes in Course Withdrawal Policy





        Effective date:  Fall 1989





        CHANGE catalog page 34 -- WITHDRAWALS FROM A COURSE...first two

        sentences to read as follows:  



            A student may withdraw without academic penalty from a semester

            course up to the end of the sixth week.  A student may withdraw

            without academic penalty from a Term I or Term II course up to

            the end of the third week of the class.  A student may withdraw

            without academic penalty from a Summer term course up to the

            end of the second week of the class.  





        SUBSTANCE OF THE CHANGE:  



        1.  This proposal changes the final drop date for Term I (eight

        weeks long) from six weeks to three weeks.  



        2.  This proposal changes the final drop date for Term II (also

        eight weeks long) from two weeks to three weeks.  



        The withdrawal dates for the semester (15 weeks long) and the

        summer terms (5-8 weeks) long remain unchanged.  



        RATIONALE:  



        When the withdrawal date arrives each semester the student is faced

        with the need to make a decision about her participation in a

        course -- she will either withdraw or continue with a commitment to

        work toward success in the course.  



        The current system allows students to delay this commitment until

        Term I is nearly over.  The current system forces students to make

        the commitment in Term II too early -- not enough feedback can be

        provided in two weeks for the student to have a strong sense of

        where she stands.  



        IMPACT:  



        Term I & II courses are taught in the following Departments:  



        Foreign Language, Mass Communication, Health and Fitness,

        Mathematics and Library (Bibliography).  



        I have consulted with the chairs of the affected departments and

        they all support the proposed change.  Conversations with several

        of the faculty in Foreign Languages who teach on the Term system

        indicate support for the proposal.