Adding Courses

Schedule revision, or drop/add, is held concurrently with all registrations. A student may drop or add any course for which prerequisites have been met and capacity permits. Additional tuition charges are due when a student adds a credit. Under exceptional circumstances, a student may be allowed to add a course after the deadline. The completed transaction, accompanied by support from the instructor, department chair, and collegial dean, must include a $25 late add fee and any additional tuition. Specific dates and times for all registrations are set by the registrar and listed in the schedule of courses. For more information on the new financial regulations regarding late registration and dropping or withdrawing from classes, click on the Important Policies section on the Financial Aid website.

Late Add of a Course Offered within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Instructions on how to request permission to add a course after the drop/add deadline.

Dropping/Withdrawing from Course(s)

A student may withdraw from a course and receive a grade of W when the completed Registration and Drop/Add Form is presented to the registrar by the end of the 11th week or dropped through self service Banner. Students who do not withdraw before the deadline must accept a grade other than W depending on the instructor’s judgment of their performance in the course(s) and any mitigating circumstances. Students who request an exception to the withdrawal deadline due to extenuating circumstances must present their explanation of appeal attached to a Registration and Drop/Add Form signed by their professor and department chair along with at least one statement of support from the professor or department chair to the director of the Student Academic Success Center. Students should continue attending class until notification of a final decision about their appeal is received.

During open course enrollment students are able to drop a course at any time. Once the first week of the semester is completed, students are no longer able to drop a course without receiving a W on their transcript. It is possible to withdraw from a course up until midterm time. To see the specific deadline date, please view important dates and deadlines. For additional information regarding late registration and dropping or withdrawing from classes throughout the academic year, please click on the Important Policies section on the Financial Aid website.

Dropping a course, especially if doing so reduces your credit hours for a semester below 12 credit hours (full time status), can significantly affect eligibility for financial aid, athletics, Greek life housing, etc. Before dropping a course, be sure to:

• Check with the Financial Aid Office at (616) 331-3234 if you receive any type of financial aid
• Talk to your course instructor
• Consult an academic advisor
• Refer to our decision tree which lists the many factors to take into serious consideration when deciding whether or not to drop a course

A course withdrawal after the late withdrawal deadline may be possible under truly extenuating and unusual circumstances. Late withdrawals are NEVER granted due to poor performance in a course. If you think that your situation warrants a late withdrawal, discuss it with your instructor, faculty advisor or professional advisor as soon as the situation becomes apparent.

Complete Withdrawal from Courses

Before electing to do a complete withdrawal from courses, please consult with your faculty or a CLAS academic advisor. A complete withdrawal may be completed up until the Friday (at 5 p.m.) before final exams. Complete withdrawals are for truly exceptional circumstances.