The UNC-system Board of Governors will not vote on a policy affecting the drop-add period for courses until January, said Hannah Gage, chairwoman of the board’s educational planning, policies and programs committee, at the board’s full meeting today.
The committee passed the new policy Thursday, which proposed a regulation limiting the drop-add period at all system campuses to 10 class days. UNC-CH currently allows students to drop courses well after the first 10 business days of the semester, as long as they obtain a form and have it signed by their dean or academic adviser before the end of the eighth week of classes.
But the actual implementation of the policy will be overseen by system President Thomas Ross and his staff. UNC-CH Chancellor Holden Thorp, who has voiced disapproval of the 10-day limit, said in an interview after the meeting that he thinks Ross understands the University’s desire for autonomy on this issue.
“We have an educational policy committee… and they’re elected by the faculty to do these kinds of things,” he said. “That should not be usurped by General Administration or frankly even by me and the provost. That’s something that we have an elected faculty committee to do.”
In a press conference after the meeting, system President Thomas Ross said he will work with his staff to balance the system’s efficiency goals — which include having more initial seats open in courses so students will graduate on time — with allowing students to explore different types of classes. The policy stipulates that dropping a course after the period ends would result in a “W” marked on students’ transcripts, and the course would count as attempted hours.
“Our policy wouldn’t suggest that you can’t stay in a class after the drop-add period and then later withdrawal,” he said. “It just means that there would be something reflected on your transcript that you chose to withdraw.”
Ross added that he will meet with student leaders to discuss their concerns before the final regulations are put in place.
