Adding:  Students may add classes during the official drop/add period at the beginning of each semester. This process occurs on-line.  The official drop/add period is generally the first week of classes during regular fall/spring terms but is shorter during summer and other abbreviated terms. After the end of late registration (the drop/add period), students must complete paperwork to add classes to their schedule. 

Dropping: Students may drop from class during the official drop/add period at the beginning of each semester. This process occurs on-line. At the end of the semester, no official record of the student having been in the class exists. The official drop/add period is generally the first week of classes during regular fall/spring terms but is shorter during summer and other shorter terms. “Dropping” a class is not the same as “withdrawing” from a class, see “Dropping Vs. Withdrawing”. 

Insurance Warning: Students should pay careful attention when adding and dropping classes.  For students who are included on their parents’ insurance, they must be enrolled in 12 hours to remain eligible.

Process for Adding or Dropping a Course:

Time:

  • Pre-registration, Regular Registration, and Late Registration (before classes begin and usually the first week of class—may be a shorter period during  abbreviated terms. Consult the Academic calendar for the schedule each semester.) 
  • Registration closed (generally after the first week of class)

Process:

  • Students may add and drop on BANNER.   
  • If students need to drop or add, they must obtain a drop/add form and a late registration appeal form from the Registrar’s Office. 

The drop/add form* requires the signatures of the instructors of the classes that students wish to drop/add as well as the signatures of the department heads of those classes.

The late registration appeal form* (to be used only after midterm) must include a reason explaining why the student needs to drop or add a class after the late registration period has ended.  This form must be signed by the department head of the student’s major along with the dean of the student’s major and the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

*While the Registrar’s Office will provide the appropriate forms, the approval of adds or drops will be made by the instructor, department heads, deans, and The Office of Academic Affairs.

Possible Rationales for Approving Late Adds:

In order to approve a late add for a course, an instructor should be able to verify that a student has been attending the course or that the instructor is willing to assist the student in making up any work missed (or the student has agreed to accept any penalties for work missed) prior to enrollment in the class.  Late adds generally should not be approved after the second week of a course unless the instructor is able to verify that the student has been attending.

Possible Rationales for Approving Late Drops:

Students should not be allowed to drop from a class if they have attended beyond the end of the late registration period. Late drops should not be approved unless students are able to document the reasons why they were not able to complete the online drop process during the official drop/add period.   If students have a medical or hardship situation after the drop/add period has ended or if they decide that the course is not needed for their major, they should withdraw from the class.  Students may withdraw using the BANNER system until midterm with no academic penalty.