A3300.15 Adding, Dropping, and Withdrawal From Courses

 

1.0 Statement

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Shawnee Community College is committed to supporting student success through clear, equitable, and transparent enrollment practices. This Operating Standard ensures that students are provided timely opportunities to adjust their course schedules in a manner that supports academic progress, financial responsibility, and informed decision-making.

Consistent with best practices in academic advising and student services, the College encourages proactive engagement between students, advisors, instructors, and financial aid staff when enrollment changes are considered.

 

2.0 Purpose & Scope

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2.1 Purpose

This Operating Standard establishes consistent institutional procedures for:

• Adding courses
• Dropping courses
• Withdrawing from courses
• Communicating academic and financial implications of enrollment changes

2.2 Scope

This standard applies to all credit-bearing courses and all enrolled students at Shawnee Community College.

 

3.0 Definitions

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• Academic Penalty Date: The date after which withdrawal is no longer permitted.
• Attendance/Participation: Engagement in a course as defined by institutional attendance verification procedures and applicable instructional requirements.
• Financial Penalty Date: The date after which students are responsible for full tuition and fee charges
• Initial Progress Date: The institutional attendance/participation checkpoint for enrollment verification.
• Withdrawal (W): A non-punitive transcript notation that does not impact grade point average. Additional definitions are maintained in the Master Definitions List (A1000.15).

 

4.0 Procedures

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4.1 Adding Courses

1. Students may add courses from the opening of registration through:
   • The day after semester begins for full-term courses
   • The day after the course start date for short-term or late-start courses
2. Add deadlines are published in the academic calendar.
3. Students initiate add requests through advising services or approved student registration systems.

 

4.2 Dropping Courses (No Penalty Period)

A. Students may drop courses without academic and financial penalty:

• Prior to course start date
• During the published no-penalty period based on course length:

Course Length	Drop Period
12-16 Weeks	First 10 days
8 Weeks	First 5 days
≤4 Weeks	First day

 

B. Instructors verify student participation in accordance with attendance verification procedures.
C. Students who do not attend or participate may be administratively dropped following the Initial Progress Date. Students will be notified of administrative drops.
D. Advisors and designated staff document enrollment changes within the student record system.

 

4.3 Course Withdrawal

1. Students may officially withdraw from courses through the published withdrawal deadline listed in the academic calendar.
2. Students are responsible for completing the institutional withdrawal process through approved forms or student systems.
3. Withdrawal requests become effective on the date received by the Registrar.
4. Failure to officially withdraw. may result in the student receiving the grade earned under the course grading policies and full financial obligation.
5. Non-attendance does not constitute an official withdrawal.

 

5.0 Guidelines

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5.1 Advising & Student Support

Students are encouraged to consult with an advisor prior to making enrollment changes, particularly when receiving financial aid or enrolled in multiple courses.

Advisors may assist students in reviewing:

• Financial aid eligibility
• Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
• Degree progression
• Enrollment intensity
• Academic support resources

 

5.2 Equity & Access Considerations

Consistent with institutional equity initiatives and student success priorities, the College promotes:

• Accessible advising services
• Timely communication regarding enrollment deadlines
• Early outreach to students demonstrating academic risk indicators
• Referral to appropriate student support services

 

6.0 Roles & Responsibilities

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Role	Responsibility
Students	Initiate adds / drops / withdrawals
Advisors	Provide guidance and document student interactions
Instructors	Verify attendance and participation
Registrar	Process enrollment changes and maintain records
Financial Aid	Evaluate financial aid eligibility impacts
VPSA	Provide oversight for institutional compliance and implementation

 

7.0 SCCES Connections

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This Operating Standard supports institutional goals related to:

• Student Enrollment & Success Systems
• Retention and Persistence
• Advising Engagement
• Credit Completion

 

8.0 Monitoring Report Connections

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This operating Standard supports institutional monitoring of enrollment behaviors associated with retention, persistence, advising engagement, and financial aid compliance.

Evidence generated through implementation of this standard may include:

• Withdrawal rates
• Course completion rates
• Financial aid compliance data
• Enrollment stability metrics
• Advising engagement activity

 

Operational Area	Evidence Generated	Monitoring Alignment
Add/Drop Activity	Early enrollment changes	Enrollment Stability
Administrative Drops	Attendance verification	Financial Aid Compliance
Course Withdrawals	Mid-term disengagement	Retention & Persistence
Advising Engagement	Student support interactions	Advising Effectiveness
Equity & Outreach	Student support utilization	Equity in Student Support

 

These indicators support continuous improvement efforts related to student success and institutional effectiveness.

 

9.0 Oversight & Review

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• Reviewed every five years or as required
• Coordinated by Vice President of Student Affairs and Institutional Effectiveness
• Updated as needed to maintain compliance with institutional, accreditation, and regulatory requirements
• Revisions documented in Change Log

 

Change Log	Governance Unit: Student Affairs Council
Date	Description of Change
02.10.25	Combined former A3300.10 and A3300.30
05.12.26	Revised language for clarity, governance alignment, monitoring integration, and removal of Academic Forgiveness references