Facts: The force drop policy automatically kicks all students out of the class when they do not attend the first two days of class at the beginning of the school year. Student can stay in the class if they contact the professor prior to the school year beginning if they have a conflict with the beginning of school.
Opinion: Provost Warwick Arden should embrace the force drop policy, for the sake of the students and the professors. Though it would require more work from professors and students, this will also motivate students to take control of their class schedule and be engaged, or force them to disengage when they are not actually going to a class.
Class size and availability are two major issues students face when they deal with classes. Class size can reduce class interaction and availability can hinder students from graduating on time. As chief academic officer, Provost Warwick Arden, it is your job to make sure these are not hindering students’ success. The force drop policy, already employed by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, should be implemented by all colleges.
Waiting for the waiting list to slowly move through its cycle of students can be frustrating. Students can sit in a class without the definite intent of taking it or wait for a couple of weeks until they drop it. Arden, you should be making sure that the students have the tools required to get into the classes they need. This policy has the potential to free up spots in classes for students who really want to be there.
It may be a harsh start in the fall, but it will certainly be a well-needed wake up call for students. This policy, while enforced by the professor and the Office of Registration and Records, would increase the level of responsibility students will need to maintain their class schedule. They will need to put more thought into the classes they sign up for and monitor the time they have during the first week.
This policy not only holds the power to discourage students who do not want to be in a class, it also can motivate students to attend the class. They have the potential to be invested from the beginning. As provost, you should want to encourage students to go to class and engage in their programs. This policy is a step in the right direction regarding attendance.
Provost, you need to make sure, once this policy is in place, that professors abide by the policy and make sure they work with students who have legitimate conflicts with the beginning week of classes. Though it is more work for them, it is worth the investment of their time to get students who really want to be in their classes.
Although it is extra work on the professors the first week of school to take attendance, it works toward the goal to free up classes for those students who are wait-listed but have a desire to be in the class. Your job as provost is to maintain the academic integrity of the University and help students be successful. Though this takes some tough love in regards to a force drop policy, this can help students and professors improve the quality of a class from the beginning of the year.
