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Avoiding Course Withdrawals
| Explanations | Resources | Consequences |
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1. Why does it matter to anyone else whether I withdraw from a course or not?
At public colleges, taxpayers are paying a substantial portion of the cost of each student's enrollment in each course. In general, taxpayers prefer to support students who successfully complete the courses in which they enroll.
At ACC, for in-district students who are paying full tuition, the taxpayers are paying about 3/4 of the cost of your course.
At ACC, For out-of-district students who are paying full tuition, the taxpayers are paying about 1/2 of the cost of your course.
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2. Does it matter when I withdraw?
Yes. See this semester's registration calendar for dates of each of the periods listed below.
If you withdraw during regular registration, you will receive a full refund / credit for your tuition and fees for that particular course and another student will be able to enroll in the course to replace you. It will not appear on your transcript that you attempted the course.
If you withdraw during the first few days of the semester, in the "add and drop" period, you will receive a 70% refund / credit for your tuition and fees for that particular course, and it is possible that another student will be able to enroll in the course to replace you. It will not appear on your transcript that you attempted the course.
If you withdraw before the "official reporting date" (which is about 2 1/2 weeks into a 16-week semester) you will receive a 70% refund / credit for your tuition and fees for that particular course. However, no one else will be able to enroll in your place. It will not appear on your transcript that you attempted the course.
For about a week after the "official reporting date", you will still be able to receive a partial refund / credit for your tuition and fees, but it WILL APPEAR on your transcript that you attempted the course. You will receive a W. This course will then count as an course you attempted and did not complete.
After the last date for a refund has passed (which is about 3 1/2 weeks into a 16-week semester) you will not receive any refund and it WILL APPEAR on your transcript that you attempted the course. You will receive a W. This course will then count as an course you attempted and did not complete.
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1. Talk to your instructor to see whether there resources in the course that you may not have been using.
Sometimes students become discouraged about their progress in a course and are not fully aware of all the possible help available. We recommend that you talk with your instructor just to see if there are any resources that you haven't tried or considered.
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2. Tutoring in Learning Lab
ACC's Learning Labs offer walk-in tutoring in various subjects and other assistance. They also have computer labs in which students can work on homework in their courses as well as use tutoring and support software for various courses.
More information, including locations and hours, is available on the Learning Lab web pages. To see what subjects are covered, click on the "Tutoring Services" button.
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3. Talk to a faculty advisor in the department of your major to see whether there are resources available that you may not have been using.
Sometimes students are able to talk to someone who is not their instructor more easily about their work. A faculty advisor in the department of your major can help identify resources for you that might enable you to stay in this course. If you decide that you must withdraw, your advisor may also be able to give you good advice on whether you should take the same course again or whether another alternative might be better.
We believe that most students at ACC are not talking with faculty advisors as much as would be helpful to them and we would like to encourage you to do so.
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4. Talk to a counselor.
Sometimes students find it easier to talk with someone other than their instructor about their work. Counselors and advisors are trained to help students find solutions to whatever problems are keeping them from succeeding in their schoolwork. They are aware of many resources to help students at ACC and can also give good advice about strategies for planning your schedule for the next semester and the next year.
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5. Consider workshops or courses in time management or study skills from the Learning Labs, the Student Services area, or the Human Development Department.
To learn more about workshops available from the Learning Lab at any given time, please contact the receptionist in the Learning Lab or talk with one of the tutors. http://www.austincc.edu/tutor/
To learn more about workshops available from Student Services at any given time, please contact the receptionist in Student Services or talk with a counselor or advisor. http://www.austincc.edu/counsel/
The Human Development Department offers a variety of courses to help students succeed in college.
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1. Students who have not fulfilled TSI requirements and are enrolled in mandatory developmental classes may have their enrollment restricted in future semeters if they withdraw from their developmental class.
If you have not fulfilled your TSI requirements, your first priority in terms of your courses must be to fulfill them. If you don't have time to concentrate on all of your courses, it is not the mandatory developmental class you should drop.
It is crucial that you talk with an advisor or counselor before you withdraw from your developmental course to make sure that you understand the consequences of withdrawal from it and what options are available to you. Please note that some options are available the first time you aren't able to succeed in a developmental course that are not available after that. When you do talk with your advisor or counselor, be sure to clarify what you need to do this semester and also what you need to do in later semesters in order to be able to continue to complete college-level courses.
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2. If you withdraw from over half the classes you attempt at ACC, your Academic Standing at ACC will be affected. You may go from Good Academic Standing to Early Alert, Warning, Probation, Suspension.
See Academic Standards of Progress rule (AR 4.01.004) or a counselor before you complete the withdrawal process if you are unsure about how your Academic Standing at ACC will be affected by the withdrawal. This information is also available in the ACC catalog, under " Academic Policies."
The tuition and fees that students pay at ACC cover only about half (or less) of the cost of providing the classes and support services. Because the state and local taxpayers are providing a substantial subsidy for education at ACC (as at all public colleges and universities) they have an interest in making sure that students are making good use of their educational opportunities. Rules about probation and suspension are in place to encourage students to make the most of their educational opportunities and, if their life circumstances are such that they are not able to handle school responsibilities at the current time, to enforce a "time out." We recommend that you talk with a counselor to see what resources ACC has to help you make the most of your time here and avoid any problems with warning, probation, or suspension.
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3. The third time, and any later times, you take the same course (including all times the course appears on your transcript, whether with a W, F, or any other grade) you must pay a tuition surcharge of $60 per credit hour.
Beginning in Spring 2006, the students who enroll for a particular course for the third time, or subsequent times, must pay extra tuition for the course. This is currently an extra $60 per credit hour.
More information about this rule is available, including what counts as an enrollment and a list of courses for which exceptions are made.
The tuition and fees that students pay at ACC covers only about half (or less) of the cost of providing the classes and support services. Because the state and local taxpayers are providing a substantial subsidy for education at ACC (as at all public colleges and universities) they have an interest in making sure that students are making good use of their educational opportunities. Rules such as this "rule of three" come from that concern.
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4. Excessive withdrawals could limit your transfer admission prospects to colleges and universities with competitive selective admissions processes.
Even though most schools do not mind a few W's in deciding whether or not to admit you, colleges and universities with selective admissions processes want to see that your academic history demonstrates an ability to consistently and successfully complete a full-time load. If your transcript does not demonstrate clearly that you have that ability, your admission to some colleges and universities may be at risk.
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5. There is an upper limit of 27 hours of developmental courses (including all times any developmental course appears on your transcript, whether with a W, F, or any other grade.)
Students are limited to 27 hours of enrollment in developmental courses. This includes not only classes passed, but all developmental classes that appear on the student's transcript, whether with a W, I, IP, or any other grade.
This is based on a rule restricting funding from the State of Texas. The purpose of that rule is to ensure that students who need remediation are using the taxpayers' money and their own time and money efficiently to obtain the skills and knowledge they need for success in college.
Students who need more enrollment than this to make up for deficiencies in their preparation for college may appeal to the Dean of Student Services at their campus. In general, such an appeal will not succeed unless the student's record shows that they have planned carefully and worked diligently in each course in which they enrolled. Usually any withdrawals in developmental courses will be considered evidence that the student did not plan carefully and work diligently.
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