Jessica Riley ’06 had no problem withdrewing from two classes last year after an injury.
However, when she wanted to withdraw from her challenging Italian class this year, she was denied. She was told she must continue with the class or accept an F.
Riley didn’t realize withdrawals late in a semester are not granted to students with unsatisfactory grades in their classes, unless they have an emergency situation.
“It was horrible,” said Riley. “I didn’t realize it was going to be so difficult to withdraw from a class. When I had my surgery on my leg, it was easy.”
If she had tried to withdraw during the Add/Drop period, she could have dropped the class with no consequences. According to the Undergraduate Catalog, after this period, students may withdraw from classes until the seventh week of the semester. In order to withdraw from a class at this point, the student’s academic dean must consult with the instructor of the course and find the withdrawal to be in the best interest of the student.
According to Dean of Students Mark Reed, the most effective method of handling an emergency is for the student to speak to his or her professors and make the appropriate dean’s office aware of the situation.
“Most professors are receptive and understanding of legitimate emergencies,” said Reed.
“The professors were so understanding of my condition,” said Riley. “They understood why I couldn’t handle the course load.”
According to Reed, many professors will allow students with emergencies to complete coursework late or even after the course ends. An “Incomplete” is issued on students’ grade reports until the work is made up. The students can arrange with professors to complete the course material within 30 days after the semester ends. But after those 30 days, I’s turn into F’s.
It is ultimately the student’s responsibility to make arrangements for their missed work with professors when a health emergency arises, said Reed.ents.
“I was always behind throughout my injury, but I was lucky enough that my professors always let me make up work I missed,” said Riley.
If students want to withdraw from a certain class because of medical reasons, they must present their case to the health or counseling center. If the medical condition of a student is determined as significant, the health or counseling center may recommend a withdrawal for medical reasons to the dean’s office.
“Students can’t simply take time off,” said Reed.
Also, suspended students are automatically withdrawn from their classes and are not allowed to finish their course work.
“They do lose what work they had done [in courses], but remember, there was a serious violation of the code of conduct which had to have led to the suspension in the first place,” said Reed.
Some students re-evaluate whether to return to Fairfield after their suspension.
“It’s definitely influenced my deciding whether to come back or not,” said suspended student Joe Orminski ’06. “If I were to come back to Fairfield, it would be a waste. I would lose the credit I have earned at home and would be a second semester sophomore. If I transfer somewhere else, I am a junior.”
Unless excused, students who withdraw or are withdrawn from classes will permanently have incompletes and withdrawals on their transcripts, according to Reed.
Withdrawing from a stressful class isn’t always the best answer to academic problems. While applying for jobs after graduation, too many Fs, Ws and Is on students’ transcripts will certainly attract negative attention.
Fairfield encourages students to stay with the normal undergraduate course load, which is usually five courses.
Class-skipping students, who are failing particular classes cannot withdraw from them after the seventh week. According to the Undergraduate Catalog, if a student takes a failed course again and passes, the quality points earned will be averaged into the student’s cumulative average. But the old grade is averaged too.
If students don’t have a family or medical emergency, they must remember that getting out of a class isn’t always possible. If waking up for an 8 a.m. is difficult, they have to be prepared to answer to the university registrar, who may follow up on the circumstances. Depending on the professor’s attendance policy, students can be dropped even if they don’t want to be, if it is indicated to the registrar that they don’t attend class.
“There is an overall expectation that students will attend class on a regular basis,” said Reed.
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