Timely Course Drops: The Cost of Delay - to You and to Other Students 12/6/01

Modified 4/29/04

"Real Life" Tales of the Uninformed

Surprise 1: I was enrolled in that course, but I never attended, and never intended to continue. Now I have an additional tuition bill for $1,050 for a course I had no intention of actually taking. I dropped it at the deadline for dropping courses without record. With the course, I had 21 hours. I had no idea I would have to pay for a course that I never intended to keep.

Surprise 2: I always intended to drop that course. In fact, I added another that met at the same time. I tried to drop during the second week, but the first instructor was an adjunct, and he was hard to reach, so I ended up getting the department chair to sign my drop card during the 5^th week. The course to be dropped put me over 18 semester hours, and I got a bill for that course I never attended.

Surprise 3: I knew I wanted to add History of Medieval Poland and drop History of Rock & Roll Music. I knew I had to get the add completed before the end of the second week. I couldn't get the drop card signed until the next week, and then I got charged for part of the second class, even though I was really just switching.

The Facts About Tuition Charges

Fact 1. Although tuition is constant for 12-18 hours, it increases by $350/hour for each hour over 18. (Catalog page 187)

Fact 2. If you are enrolled in a class AT ANY TIME on or after the 1^st class day, that class will be included in the total used to determine your tuition calculation.

Fact 2A. After classes start, finding the instructor is pretty simple: go to the class at the regular meeting time.

Fact 2B. The rules have changed! NO signatures are required on drops until after the second week of classes.

Fact 3. (Catalog, page 188). Refund Policies do apply to both complete withdrawal from the University and to withdrawal or drop from an individual course. The refund is 80% of the total tuition if during the 1^st week of class, 60% in the 2^nd, 50% in the 3^rd, 40% in the 4^th, and 30% in the 5^th.

Unfortunate Results of Ignorance of the Facts

Consequence 1. Many students (or their parents) end up owing money for courses they did not intend to keep.

Consequence 2. Lateness in dropping courses adds significantly to the amount owed. A course dropped after the 5^th week of school is charged at full price, with no refund.

Consequence 3. Each time a student holds onto a course he/she intends to drop, this takes that seat in that course completely out of circulation, preventing any other student from enrolling in that particular seat in that class. This can increase the number of sections the University must teach to meet student demand, and it can make it difficult or impossible for other students to obtain the courses they need to stay on schedule for graduation. You are not being a good citizen in the academic community by hanging onto an extra course.

What Should Be Done?

Recommended Action 1. KNOW THE RULES! Don't increase the cost of your education unnecessarily. Understand that seats in classes work like airline tickets. If you don't cancel before the flight leaves, the tickets are very difficult to sell to others, and you don't get your money back.

Recommended Action 2. Once you know you will drop a course, do so IMMEDIATELY. Do so before the start of the semester if you know you will drop. This avoids all potential tuition charges AND makes the seat available to others.

Recommended Action 3. Faculty are encouraged to drop all students who have not attended class in the first week of class, while there is still time for another student to add. This policy should be included in the syllabus, and it should especially be followed in a class that is "full".

Thanks, and good luck! Dave Stones, Registrar

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