There have been several major policy changes which may affect students and their eligibility for financial aid and participation in athletics. The changes have been made primarily for the sake of the students, but will also be adjustments for professors.
Faculty will now be required to meet an earlier submission deadline for end of semester grades. Margery Avery, Director of Academic Records, said faculty at other institutions are given between 24 and 72 hours at the end of the semester to make their final submissions. Houghton faculty have been given ten days.
In the meantime Academic Records is trying to inform students and their families of their eligibility for financial aid or of their ineligibility for participation in sports.
According to Avery, there are scenarios where student-athletes can be eligible and actively participating in athletics (i.e. playing in games) prior to grades being submitted. However, once grades are submitted it is discovered they are no longer eligible and their participation is terminated.
Freshman Christopher Henderson appreciates this policy change. “I think it’s great,” he said. “The sooner you know, the better it is, the more you can be prepared for what you have and what kind of money you’re gonna have coming in and how to pay for college.”
Final grade submissions for the fall semester are due December 23. Ideally, this will also allow faculty to better enjoy their Christmas.
There has also been a change to when students can add and drop courses. The date for adding and dropping a course has been moved forward, giving students less time to make adjustments to their schedule.
According to Avery, it has become obvious adding a course two weeks into the semester makes catching up with material very difficult for students. Also, professors who are trying to help students catch up with the material have a difficult time balancing between aiding the student who joined later and the students who are still trying to move along in the curriculum. Although, not everyone may agree, Avery assured the purpose of these policy changes are intended to be favorable for both students and teachers.