Change of Course Schedule
Students may change the fall or spring semester schedule during the first week of classes by following the procedures outlined on the Registrar’s Office website. After the first week of the fall or spring semester, the Committee on Academic Standing (CAS) may approve a course change only for exceptional circumstances. Documentation must be provided by the student and submitted to CAS. Courses dropped (with CAS approval) during this second-week period will not be listed on the student’s record. Any student who does not follow the correct procedures will be given a “WF” for the courses involved. See the chart on next page.
Dropping a Course
When a student receives permission to “drop” a course (in contrast to “withdrawing” from a course), the course is deleted entirely from the transcript record. A request to drop a course may be made only during the first or second week of classes (with instructor and CAS approval). Faculty members may require a previously registered student to drop a class if the student misses the first class meeting of the term without the prior approval of the instructor. In such cases, the student is responsible for the appropriate forms and fees.
Withdrawal from a Course (“W” and “WF”)
W, Withdrawal: Prior to the last three weeks of classes (exclusive of final exams) in the fall
or spring semesters, students may request withdrawal without penalty from a course
with the permission of the instructor and the student’s academic advisor and with
approval from the Committee on Academic Standing. Withdrawal, W, is not figured in
the grade-point average. No credit is earned. A student is limited to a maximum of
two withdrawals (W) while completing the baccalaureate degree.
WF, Withdrawal Failing: A student who departs from a course at any time during a semester without permission
to withdraw or who departs from a course during the last three weeks of classes may
be given a WF grade. Students may also petition for a WF grade, which must be approved
by the instructor, the student’s academic advisor, and the Committee on Academic Standing.
Further, the Registrar may enter the designation “WF” when an instructor does not
enter a final grade for a student registered in his or her course. WF is figured in
the grade-point average as an F. No credit is earned.
| Dropping a Course | Withdrawal from a Course |
|---|---|
| Allowed before the semester begins and during only the first two weeks of the term. | After the second week of class and prior to the final three weeks of the fall or spring semesters (exclusive of exam week). |
| Students complete the drop in the student system. | Signatures are required on a paper form available at the Registrar’s Office. |
| No financial obligation, even for class fees. | Students are financially liable for tuition charges as well as course fees. |
| Course is deleted completely from the schedule and the transcript. | A non-punitive grade of “W” is recorded on the transcript. The GPA is not affected. |
| Decreases the number of credits for which the student is enrolled. | Does not have an impact on the student’s total hours of enrollment for the term, but progress toward degree completion and satisfactory academic progress are affected because the number of hours completed is reduced. |
| No limit on the number of drops. | A limit of two withdrawals per Skidmore academic career. Exceptions for medical situations are approved by the Committee on Academic Standing. |
| Since the course is removed from the schedule, credit hours are not used for calculation of full-time status for athletics, aid, or health care coverage. | Withdrawing from a course may jeopardize aid or athletic eligibility for that term or a subsequent term. Students should work with appropriate offices to get advice on the impact of the withdrawal. |
Available online: www.skidmore.edu/registrar/current/dropvswd.php