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UH to limit withdrawals from classes

UH has recently implemented a new policy that will take effect in the fall 2007 semester to limit the number of W grades allowed for undergraduate students dropping courses.

According to the new policy from the UH Office of Academic Affairs and Provost, all current, incoming and transfer students will have a limit of six W’s (withdrawals) throughout his or her college career.

"One reason to limit the amount of ‘course fishing’ is to keep students from registering for more classes than they can handle," UH Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost Donald J. Foss said. "It ties up seats and takes up space that could better serve other students; it’s an efficiency reason-we are not making best use of students’ tuition dollars in that system. The second reason is to encourage students to make good progress toward their degrees, to commit to their studies more."

The policy stemmed from House Bill 116 of the Texas Legislature meant to place "limitations on the number of courses that students may drop at public institutions of higher education."

"This could help students work harder because some may think that since they are not passing the class they could easily drop it," pre-pharmacy sophomore Nichelle Mason said. Now that they (are allowed) six drops during their UH career, these students will have no choice but to do what they (have) got to do."

Although the policy was originally only meant to affect courses taken at the beginning of fall 2007, UH has expanded the policy to include all undergraduate students.

The new policy also states that letter grade Q (a grade which indicates that a student is not passing at the time he or she drops the course) will no longer be given as well. W’s received prior to the new policy will not count against students.

The six W grades can be used at any time during an undergraduate student’s UH career as long as he or she meets the appropriate deadline for withdrawal from all courses.W’s received by students due to medical or administrative withdrawal will not be counted to the six W limit, as well as for students under the penalty of financial withdrawal.

Undergraduate students who need to drop courses will need to fill out a drop form and have it signed by the course instructor. The forms can be found in the Registration and Academic Records Office, located in the Welcome Center.

This fall, the deadline to drop a course without a grade will be Sept. 4 at 5 p.m., and the deadline to drop a class with a W is Oct. 31. W’s may be given at the student’s written request regardless of his or her grade by the appropriate deadline.

While receiving a W does not lower a grade point average, students are encouraged to check their course grades every semester by logging in to PeopleSoft and to make frequent checks with their academic advisors to avoid going over the six W grade limit.

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