There are several reasons as to why a student may drop a class.
Not understanding the material, low grades, not enough time for the course, stress, etc. However, no matter the reason, the Texas legislature has passed a bill limiting the number of classes a student can drop. according to http://www.texased.wordpress. com, the 80th Texas legislature passed Senate Bill 1231 limiting the number of courses an institution of higher learning may allow an undergraduate student to drop. SB 1231 will affect any student enrolled as a first-time freshman at all Texas universities and colleges, which began in the fall 2007 semester.
The bill requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to adopt and enforce new rules established in the bill. The coordinating board defines a “dropped course” as a course an undergraduate student at an institution of higher education has enrolled in for credit but did not complete.
The new rules prohibit an institution of higher education from allowing a student to drop more than six courses during their undergraduate program, including any courses a transfer student has dropped at another university.
Matt Phelps, an academic adviser at Tyler Junior College, thinks that the bill will help students think more clearly when registering for classes.
“In my opinion, when a student drops, it will be a positive or negative experience for them depending on their situation. In the past, drops have been viewed as an ‘easy out’ of classes that seemed to hard for some students,” said Phelps. “Now with the new drop policy, the legislature is forcing to students to make smarter choices when they register, so that they will not have to drop in the future.”
Marcie Randolph, a sophomore at TJC, is not affected by the bill, but disagrees with it all the same.
“In some cases, I think dropping classes can help students,” she said. “For instance, I dropped a class two semesters ago because I had too much on me already. But when I took the class again last semester, I had an idea of how the teacher taught the class, and what to expect from it.”
In many cases, a drop from a class can be a positive thing. However, a drop can also set a student back.
“There are a few times when students have dropped a class and have regretted that decision for one reason or another,” said Phelps. “For those students who are contemplating the decision to drop a course, I would tell them, to talk with their instructor before they come to see an adviser. That instructor is the only person on campus who will know exactly how a student is performing in the classroom and will be able to tell that student what they will need to do to successfully pass their course. If students would reach out to their instructors, they will find that more often than not, they will be able to successfully complete a course they might have been struggling in.”
Sometimes, a student can’t help, or has no choice but to drop a class. With the passing of Senate Bill 1231, dropping classes may seem like a difficult choice to make. However, if a student makes reasonable decisions when registering, the fewer classes they will have to drop.
