Sunday, May 8, 2016

Beware the UW!

So if you've been on top of all your classes this spring and expect to finish each with a good grade (or even a pretty good grade), CONGRATULATIONS on a job well done! You can stop reading this post and get back to wrapping up your semester.

But if somewhere along the way this term you stopped attending a credit class--and never got around to withdrawing officially from that class--you absolutely need to listen up.  Unless you take some action soon, your grade-point average could be headed for a disaster, courtesy of Nassau's UW policy.

What's UW?

UW (Unofficial Withdrawal) is a fairly new grade at Nassau, introduced a few years ago.  It's assigned when you stop attending a credit course but never officially withdraw.  The nasty thing about a UW is that it counts as an F in your grade-point average, which means that receiving even one of these grades can mess up your semester big time.

To avoid a UW, here's what you can do:

Go to the registrar's office (Cluster C, first floor) and pick up a Drop form. When filling it out, make sure you include the number, CRN, and section of the course you're withdrawing from (you can find this info on your class schedule on the MyNCC system).  Then catch up with your professor and ask him or her to sign the form.  Once you've gotten the signature, turn the form in at the registrar's office before the last class meeting.  You'll then receive a grade of W (Withdrawal), which at the very least will keep your average from getting clobbered.

A good solution? Absolutely, especially if it's clear there's no way you can complete the course successfully and receive credit.  But remember that you have to do all this before the last class meeting. That doesn't leave much time, especially since most professors aren't on campus every day. 

So don't delay!  Get the Drop form and go talk to your professor.  Faculty aren't required to sign the form, but many will anyway--so it's definitely worth a try.  Your transcript will thank you!