Students drop classes to salvage Hope, GPA

    The two-foot stack of manila-colored papers piled on the front desk in the Office of the Registrar is a sure sign that the drop date is just around the corner.
    The last day for GCSU students to drop a class without academic penalty is Thursday, Oct. 12.
    Students must obtain a course change card from either the Registrar’s Office or department offices and have their instructor sign it to be able to drop a class.
    Students will also need the signature of their advisors if they have an advisor’s hold on their PAWS account.
    Once the card is signed, students must turn it into the Registrar’s Office, located on the first floor of Parks Hall, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
     Pam Spires, the senior secretary in the Registrar’s Office, said students must realize that if they have an F in a class for absences, they will receive an F even if they drop the class. “Some students don’t know that and then it gets them in trouble,” Spires said.
    Suzanne Pittman, the assistant vice-president for enrollment management and interim registrar, said that they expect to have an extremely high number of students drop classes this week.
    “So many students have already dropped and it will only get busier as midterms approach,” Pittman said.
    Pittman suggests that students meet with faculty and discuss their situation before dropping a class.
    “It’s important for students to realize not to just drop classes and to finish the term, if they can, in order to graduate on time,” Pittman said.
    Dr. Sandra Godwin, a GCSU sociology professor, does not encourage students to drop a course unless they are ill and find it too hard to keep up with the class.
    “I usually have about five students who will drop after midterm in a lower level class of about 40,” Godwin said.
    Godwin said she thinks that the large amount of students dropping classes is related to the HOPE scholarship.
    “It seems to create an environment where students feel they don’t want to risk receiving a C or a grade that would lower their grade point average,” Godwin said.
    Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA to sustain HOPE.
    Some students do not see any way around dropping classes. Chris Mitchell, a sophomore business major, said he felt that he had to drop one of his classes.
    “I have a teacher who gave quizzes that didn’t reflect the material covered in class,” Mitchell said. “There was no way I could pass.”
    He said HOPE was certainly a consideration in his choosing to drop the class.
    “I don’t want to lose HOPE and one bad grade can really bring you down, but I would have dropped that class anyway,” Mitchell said.
    Not all students view dropping as necessary.
    Larry Hamel, a sophomore athletic training major, said that he does not drop classes.
    “I usually take less than 14 hours and, since I’m an athlete, I have to have at least 12 hours,” Hamel said.
    Pittman urges students to drop a class as soon as possible if they find it necessary after discussing it with instructors.
    “Oct. 12 will be here soon and if students don’t drop their class before that, there is nothing they can do,” Pittman said. “It will be really crazy in here that day, so students probably don’t want to wait until the last minute.”
    Pittman also added that students need to take into consideration that registration for next semester begins Oct. 23.
    “Students need to start meeting with their advisors soon, those advisors can also help them to decide if dropping a class is a good idea,” said Pittman.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Oct 6 2006. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry