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When Should a Student Withdraw?

September 16, 2011, 12:17 pm

By Eliana Osborn

I withdrew from one class in my undergraduate career. Two weeks into the semester, I realized that Conversational Italian 211 was going to take all my brain cells, so I took the W on my transcript instead of a whole semester of mediocre grades in my other classes.

How do you suggest to students that it might be wise for them to withdraw from your class? It is a little touchy, but I truly believe it is better for them to cut their losses than muddle through and fail. The first night of class I go over deadlines for withdrawing but no one really pays attention. Who would need such information? Things will be great, we’ll all be brilliant, the semester is off to a fabulous start.

But around midterms I like to bring up the withdrawal option again. Things change. Maybe your work schedule has shifted and you just can’t get to campus. Family stuff happens, people get sick, babysitters quit. If you can’t get the work done–for whatever reason–you should withdraw. Don’t just give up and wait for an F. Be proactive and fill out the paperwork. Acknowledge that things didn’t work out this time but that you’ll try again.

I hate to tell a student that there is no chance of getting a passing grade. Unfortunately, super-low scores by midway through the semester often mean than even perfection later down the road can’t fix things. Again, I suggest withdrawing. Take what you’ve learned and do better next semester. It seems cruel to tell students to essentially give up, but there are times when a W is the only way to go.

When do you tell students they should withdraw? We have a very short add/drop window at my institution, so that isn’t really an option. Do you open your classes with a warning or caution? Have you ever tried to make a student drop your class?

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  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1229049495 Richard Seline

    Creative destruction will occur always when allowed to enter a competitive solution that accelerates a result, saves a dollar, and effectively delivers where delivery is currently poor. However, innovation will not occur when the facts are incorrect, the data poor, and the relevance of ‘location, proximity, and ‘feel’ do not present the experiential setting for individuals. So simply put – what is rote and routine is commoditized, and that is about 35-40% of college course. But the remainder of college – the learning, the experiential, the setting – cannot be replaced by digital means alone. If there is going to be this continuous ‘attack’ on higher education, academia, and the research enterprise, can it at least be done by people focused on the positive and the future, not those with some axe to grind, nor those that believe their ‘business model’ applied from corporate settings is THE only solution. Few will argue that education in general, higher education specifically does not deserve a bolt of innovation, but here is where I place my bets….I want to hear from the customer – the students, their parents, and employers…and not any more politicians nor so-called academic experts seeking innovation to save a buck, or worse refer to academia as ‘elitist.’ Enough already – this country has competitiveness issues, global challenges, and failing citizens…

  • raymond_j_ritchie

    There is a quaint notion that a University is a place to go to to interact with students similarly inclined and to meet educated men.  Suggestions to replace face-to-face teaching with the latest high-tec are very old but do not work for most subjects or individuals. It seems some subjects cannot be learnt from a textbook: you have to be taught.  Chinese is the classic example but in the biological sciences biochemistry seems to be practically impossible to learn from a textbook or on-line.  Kimbruce & bbaicad are right.

  • greensubmarine

    A colleague of mine once recounted a story of an advisor who said, “sometimes ‘W’ stands for ‘Wisdom.’” I’ve shamelessly repurposed that line before, however I’ll usually stop short of out-and-out suggesting that a student withdraw. I’ll be brutally frank about the student’s chances of doing well, but I’m uncomfortable telling a student “you shouldn’t be here.” The lines between “you shouldn’t be here,” “I wouldn’t want to be here if I were you,” and “I don’t want you here” are just too fuzzy.

    I make exceptions for extreme cases, such as when a student has not been in class for weeks and is, for practical purposes, incapable of passing, but in general I prefer for the “W” to be the student’s decision.

  • http://twitter.com/INTPLibrarian INTPLibrarian

    Remembering my days as a student… sometimes the option of withdrawing just never occurs to the students.  I was grateful when someone reminded me that it was possible to do that — though it wasn’t suggested that I *should.*

  • bousquet

    please advise your students to check with their Fin Aid office before taking that W.
    it could have an impact on their aid status.

  • http://twitter.com/balathiagu Bala

    A student should withdraw when they know they’ve reached their limitations in doing well in class. Not be advised about it. Only provide the deadlines and regulations for W!

  • Jellybish

    I’m an academic adviser, and I have two pieces of advice on this subject. First, familiarize yourself with drop deadlines and make sure your recommendation is timely. Second, keep in mind that some students may not be able to drop because they will jeopardize their financial aid, health insurance coverage, student visa, athletic eligibility, or other kinds of benefits.

  • yanxsm

    Here is some empirical finding on this issue. Controlling for academic preparedness, enrollment intensity and other student background characteristics, course withdrawal and course failure are both positively associated with a student’s probability of leaving the institution without degree. And neither has a consistently greater impact on student departure than the other when different student cohorts are analyzed. Given this finding (from an ongoing study), the benefit for the students to withdraw is unclear. The only scenario to do this may be when the student has very low cumulative GPA and will be on academic probation with another F.

  • 11244074

    Where I work, we are constantly advised of the possible (negative) legal consequences to us of advising students to drop, so I never do.  I tell them as kindly and forecefully as possible that they are not going to pass, and our policy is that if they fail a course & then retake & pass it, the better grade is calculated into their g.p.a. This has been the case for so long that I can barely think about whether or not I should advise the “W”.

  • 11196496

    What to do when a “W” is not an option–
    When a “W” is not an option for a student for whatever reason, one productive way of helping a student is to suggest that the student contemplate the possible results of simply letting one class slide seriously or completely and get a “D” or an “F” in order to salvage time to do well in all the other classes.

    Just before the last week of classes I subtotal each student’s grades and calculate how close they are to failing. The final exam will be worth about 15-20% of the grade depending on the class. If a student will fail even if s/he gets a very unlikely “B” on the final, I let them know. They can then decide for themselves whether to hunker down and try for the nearly impossible ”A” or invest their time in their other classes.

    On the other side of the situation, it may help the superconscientious student to know that no matter how poorly they do on the final exam in my class, s/he will pass the course..

    Obviously students should be able to make these numerical calculations themselves–and I encourage them to do so–but sometimes they need the help to put grades, classes, and time mangaement into perspective.

  • realtyannie

    Does anyone allow extra credit, make-up credit, or any other options to salvage the grade – and the learning opportunity? Certainly some students would straighten up when smacked in the face with losing their financial aid package

  • dpmccain

    In reviewing grades throughout the Quarter, I create hypothetical situations for students based upon their academic performance.  The difficulty is,  if a student fails, regardless of circumstances, it is often viewed as a failing on the part of the instructor, not on the student. 

    There are times when I know that a student will not be successful.  There are too many cognitive processing issues at play. I am saddened the student enrolled at all, because anyone with any ethical construct would not have enrolled the student.  “Trying harder” is simply not enough.  Unfortunately, I know students who have dropped, only to be convinced they simply needed to return to try harder. 

    In modifying assignments, some students have been able to pass with a 59.5%, but often these students then challenge the grade, believing that because he/she attended class, an A is deserved.  This is where I fault the instructor who allows 50-70% of the academic grade toward attendance.  This practice gives the student a false sense that a body in the seat is a measure of academic proficiency. 

    In unfortunate circumstances, a student will wait until late in the Quarter, then realizing a desired grade is not possible, charge the instructor with bias or racism. In order to avoid “uncomfortable” situtations, administration allows the student to W.   Yup. 

    It would be inappropriate for me to advise a student to drop, as well as professional suicide, but I make it clear to students Week 1, that an A is earned not given, and  just showing up is not indicative of an A student.  Further, unless you have an achieved percentage of 100% by Week 11, you do not have time for extra-credit.  What you desire is alternative credit because you don’t ”like”  an assignment or “need” a particular grade.  Earn it.   

  • profmomof1

    My school has very late deadlines for withdrawing; any half-way smart student can figure out if they’re going to get an F and withdraw instead (since an F doesn’t give them credit for the course or help financial aid, anyway). Students who need the credit will go ahead and take a D or D-. But what I truly hate is that my school encourages students to request an Incomplete (I on transcript) rather than withdraw. That’s always more work for the professor, who has to continue working with the student the next semester. And, 95% of the time, that does end up becoming an F. Students who couldn’t do the work the first time around generally can’t the second time if it’s on top of the next semester’s full load. So I try to talk them into a W, then starting over next semester. More likely to lead to eventual success. 

  • fiona

    It’s taken me a long time to figure out exactly how to tell a student that s/he can’t pass and really should withdraw–or if they can’t do that, they should stop coming to my class and concentrate on others. Typically students will argue with the math or say “I’m gonna do it” or say “I need the course to graduate”–none of which will happen. Saying “You’re not going to pass the course” doesn’t work for me as well as saying, “You’re having a lot of trouble in this class, and you might want to consider dropping it now and taking it again another time when it will work better for you.” Saying “it works/doesn’t work for you” seems to get through better than the bald facts.

  • goldish

    A discussion of the possibility of withdrawing can be empowering for a student.  Sometimes a student is relieved to have “permission” to withdraw.  I’ve often talked about making an “adult decision”, a situation where neither choice of action (or inaction) is desirable, but it’s better to choose which is less bad.   Certainly the institution’s rules and the student’s personal situation are important factors in making that decision, as previous Comments have pointed out.

  • weathered

    When you withdraw, you don’t have an option usually.

  • angustias

    We have a departmental “no extra credit” policy and it has stuck.  Good students never ask for an extra credit assignment- they have been working hard for a good grade all semester.
    It’s always the poor student who wants- in the week before exams- to do an extra paper on something tangentially related to your course (ie- a paper she did for another class that got a B+) to bring up the grade.  We give enough opportunities to be evaluated that extra credit is just work for professors from students who don’t deserve a break.  Making it a policy makes it easy for full time and adjuncts to just say no.
    Ditto for Incompletes- if you don’t already have a passing grade in the C range (to show us you CAN do the work) and if you do not have a true crisis (illness, death, call to active duty) then no Incomplete.
    In the long run it is better to say no up front.
    Notice how few good students ever ask for extra credit or Incomplete grades? 

  • elainevincent

    Not every student is ready for college right out of high school.  One benefit of W over F is…in five years that student may have gotten it together and be ready to tackle school again.  The W will be noted in the admission office, but won’t impact the decision like an F could.  Some academic programs require specific GPA for transfer.  Good advising is about helping  students know and understand their options.

  • worksmarts

    I withdrew only once . . . 3 weeks into Differential Equations I met my husband. I ‘figured’ that my budding relationship needed my full attention. By the following June I was engaged and enrolled in the summer semester to catch up on my math requirements.

  • whm3113

    While we are on the topic…

    Why is it the financial aid office is in a position to have to tell a student he/she can no longer attend school?  The financial aid office sets their academic progress standards are low as possible.  If you aren’t meeting their standards you are truly in trouble.  Yet, the academic department tells the student they are in good standing in their eyes.  Really?  The student has a 1.3 GPA.  This was their sixth semester. 

  • profmurph

    If one works at a for-profit school, never suggest a withdrawal. Aside from management making it difficult to do, you will be unemployed.

  • misstrudy

    When a student does not have a chance in hell of passing the class, I usually have them come over the office and start the conversation with “What are your expectations for this class?” and walk him or her through what he or she would need to pass.  Then I ask “Do you think this is feasible at this point? Do you see this happening? Or else, have you considered your options?”  If the student insists on remaining in class–which they often do–at least I know I walked him or her through the reality of it all, and it is up to them. I never actually push for withdrawal, though, but I broach the subject. That way, at least they cannot claim it is a huge shock when they get a failing grade at the end.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Nicholas-Stix/721916225 Nicholas Stix

    “s/he”?

    “a student … they … s/he…”?

    “he/she”?

    “a student … them … and walk him or her through what he or she
    would need to pass.”?

    Long ago, many of the commenters here could have used a heart-to-heart on their literacy problems. But just as an educator’s telling a black or Hispanic student that the latter can’t cut it would result in the student’s charging him with “racism,” the educator’s meeting the “he-she” monsters on the field of battle would result in coeds charging him with “sexism.”

    Score yet another victory for feminism, in its never-ending war on the English language… and Western civilization.

  • KMHahn

    As I think about this I am reminded about my first application to graduate school. I asked my boss for a letter of recommendation and he asked me to write something up to get him started. In the end he just signed what I wrote. I had taken the reference instructions at face value, writing a letter highlighting my strengths and weaknesses. I was too young and naive to understand that mentioning weaknesses on a letter of recommendation is not common.  At the interview I met an almost hostile group. Looking back (the story is much longer) and considering the experience (I did not get in), I learned that letters of recommendation are not to be written honestly. This seems to permeate our culture more than can be blamed on “generation me.”

  • united22

    The rating went from Aa3 to A1, which is a downgrade of one rating.  The bonds are considered to be Upper Medium Grade with a stable outlook. 

  • grmoore

    Tigers are an endangered species and referring to them as “Maneaters” even in fun, only further threatens their existence. Perhaps the masthead should be changed to something less offensive such as “Tigger.”

  • texasguy

    The University of California, San Diego was built top-down around an existing research institute.  The idea was to develop academic excellence from the beginning.  Universities that start as a teaching institution have problems recruiting research-oriented faculty and end filling the gaps with teaching-oriented faculty who will not necessarily adapt very well when the university starts adding graduate and doctoral programs.

  • TownsendRalph72

    like Janice replied I’m shocked that any one able to get paid $7106 in one month on the internet. have you seen this page ===>>⇛►http://meetfreelancer.blogspot.com/ 

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