Beginning this fall, students can still drop classes after the end of the 10-day, no-penalty period, but they can only do it four times over the course of their undergraduate career.
The old policy dictated that students could drop a class with just a "W," or withdrawal, until the 84th day of the semester.
Now, after students drop four classes in their undergraduate career, all after the first 10 days of classes, they will receive a grade for all classes they attempt.
Drops made prior to Fall 2011 will not count toward the four-class limit.
The University of Tennessee announced the new four-class drop limit Thursday morning.
Altering the policy was an idea from the Academic Efficiency and Effectiveness Task Force.
Dixie Thompson, a task force member and a professor in kinesiology, recreation and sports studies, called the drop limit a key move in the university's attempts to increase graduation rates.
"It will certainly be an important step in the right direction because students will have an added incentive to remain in classes," Thompson said.
In addition, because students cannot sign up for classes after 10 days of classes, whenever a student drops a class after that time, the seat goes unfilled.
For this reason, Drew Webb, another member of the task force and the student engagement coordinator in the Office of the Provost, is enthusiastic about the new limit.
"As a former UT student, I always struggled to get into the classes I wanted to take and think this will help a lot with that," Webb said. "Also, nothing was more frustrating to me than seeing a class half-empty at the end of the semester because so many people dropped it, especially when 10 people showed up trying to add the class on the first day. We need to do a better job of getting students into the classes that they need when they need them, and this is a step in the right direction."
While Thompson is also in favor of the new limitation, she is glad the university is maintaining the 10-day window of no penalties for students to drop.
"We need that window when students can have, without limitation, some change to their schedule," Thompson said. "Because, people, they get in classes that they don't really understand the expectations of it and then they get there, and they see it's not a good fit for their career path and their curriculum."
She also stressed that, in matters of emergencies, such as an illness or family situation, students can still withdraw from the university without a penalty like this held against them.
"I think there's some safeguards for students, but I do think that the policy will hold students more accountable to making good choices and playing a more active role in choosing classes that fit their curriculum and move them more toward graduation," she said.
Colin Campbell, who will graduate at the end of the summer with a history degree, is glad his undergraduate years did not have the limit. He says it would have hurt him because he dropped more than four classes in his academic career.
"I would say I've dropped about one a semester," Campbell said. "I see the dropping as a way of getting a feel for a class. It takes a little more than 10 days sometimes to really know if you're prepared for a class, if it's something you're interested in and mainly, if it's something feasible for you with your schedule."
Ethan Frazier, senior in communications, is the exact opposite. He does not drop classes.
"I take what I want," Frazier said. "I take what I need. I make sure I meet with my adviser, so I don't mess up."
He sees the new limit as having positives for students.
"I think it's going to force students to be more strategic with their planning and not just sign up for a class and take it and realize they don't need it," he said. "It might save people money too."