UNF is implementing a policy in fall 2013 that will limit the number of withdrawals students can make throughout their undergraduate careers to six, said Megan Keuhner, UNF’s registrar.
All students will start fresh when the policy takes effect, she said.
Kuehner said she worked with faculty to find the trend in withdrawals and based on this, the policy allows for students to withdrawal from three 1000- to 2000-level classes and three 3000- to 4000-level classes.
Kuehner said there were many variables factored into this decision.
She said the university is hoping to save students from the consequences of excess hour calculations and the financial implications of student’s withdrawing with this policy, especially considering recent changes in state funding.
Kuehner said she hopes this will encourage students to talk to their academic advisers and professors when they are struggling rather than giving up.
Exceptions to the new policy are medical reasons, military service or withdrawal refund for students with extreme circumstances.
A withdraw refund refers to a fee petition a student would file through myWings, which would go through a fee committee that would decide if his or her circumstance justifies withdrawing.
UNF is not the first university to implement limitations of the number of withdrawals a undergraduate student may have.
The University of Florida allows students four withdrawals: two prior to completing 60 credit hours and two after finishing 60 credit hours, according to the UF Registrar’s Office.
The University of South Florida limits students with 59 or fewer credit hours to three withdrawals and two withdrawals after the student has accomplished 60 or more credit hours.
Lauren Lloyd, a UNF biology junior, said limiting the amount of times a student can withdrawal is a smart idea because it encourages people to stay on track, especially considering the financial costs of school.
However, Danielle Schmidt, a UNF chemistry sophomore, said this policy is not fair because it should be at students’ discretions as to whether or not they want a withdrawal on their transcripts.
Schmidt expressed concern for a student who may need to withdrawal due to a family death. Kuehner said this may be an exception, depending on the documentation the student provided.
Danny Gabriel, a UNF undecided freshman, said the new policy may discourage students from challenging themselves with harder classes.
Only the UNF undergraduate program will implement the policy because the graduate program has its own council with a different set of policies since it is dealing with a different student population, Kuehner said.
Email Noor Ashouri at reporter10@unfspinnaker.com.
