Resolution Endorsing a Modification to the Late Course Withdrawal Policy
September 19, 2007

Whereas the current University of South Alabama late course withdrawal policy allows students to withdraw from a course via PAWS at any time within the time limits listed on the official calendar, with the symbol “WD” recorded on the student’s transcript, and

Whereas the Faculty Handbook and Policy Committee has proposed to modify the late course withdrawal policy to include the requirement that a student seeking late course withdrawal be required to obtain the signature of the course instructor, and

Whereas the proposed modification shall include the provision that the Chair of the Department offering the course, or the Dean of the College offering the course, shall have the discretionary authority to provide signature in lieu of the course instructor in the event that: (a) the instructor refuses to sign, or (b) reasonable attempts to locate the instructor have failed, and

Whereas the proposed modification was based upon a survey of 38 regional institutions, which found the University’s current late course withdrawal policy to be the most lenient of all of those institutions, and

Whereas the current lenient late course withdrawal policy was deemed to be defective because it is detrimental to students seeking to make a well-informed decision to withdraw from a course, detrimental to instructors seeking to understand the reasons for late course withdrawal, and counter to the University’s attempts to improve faculty-student interaction, student retention rates, and graduation rates, and

Whereas the proposed modification to require an instructor’s signature for late course withdrawal was deemed likely to substantially remedy the above defects,  

Therefore be it resolved that the Faculty Senate endorses adoption of the late course withdrawal policy modification as described above this 19th day of September, 2007.

University of South Alabama  -  Faculty Senate -  Mobile, AL 36688-0002
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