Withdrawal Policy still unclear

 
Southern University has implemented a new policy addressing withdrawals from classes during collegiate careers, yet many students are not even aware that the policy exists.
“I can’t say much on the new withdrawal policy because I didn’t even know it changed,” Shanica Johnson a sophomore political science major from Crockett, Tx. said.​
The new withdrawal policy states that students can withdraw from a maximum of seven courses during the completion of a Bachelor’s degree. If the number of credit hours completed is between 0-45, a student may accumulate three withdrawals.​
“After exceeding more than seven withdrawals a student is not allowed to withdraw anymore, which means if a student receives a failing grade in a course they are stuck with that F,” Heather Williams assistant director of the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence (CTLE) and Withdrawal Revising Committee member said.
With 46-90 credit hours complete, a student may accumulate two more withdrawals. 91 or more, a student may withdraw from two courses. ​
According the Southern University handbook, dropped courses are those that are removed from a student’s schedule before the last day to add courses for credit (usually the fourteenth day of class), however withdrawals are those that are removed from a student’s schedule between the fourteenth day of class and the last month of classes in the semester.
The Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence is dedicated to promoting the professional growth of university faculty, elevating the learning experiences of undergraduate students, and improving student retention and graduation rates at Southern University, Southern University website said. 
Through the advancement of scholarly teaching, learner empowerment, and effective advisement, CTLE supports the university’s mission to provide high quality educational opportunities for all students. 
By focusing on both students and faculty, CTLE effectively assists with closing the loop between teaching effectiveness and learner performance. ​
“Now that students have 5 or 6 years to graduate, with that a lot of changes had to made including the withdrawal policy. We want to be sure that we are producing the best and that students are being advised properly,” Williams said.​
The new policy does not affect upperclassmen (students who entered the university before 2010) however they should still be mindful of their withdrawals because it can affect their financial aid. ​
“Upperclassmen (anyone who came to southern before 2010) are grandfathered in which means that they can have more that seven withdrawals but they should also be mindful of their earned hours and attempted hours ​because it could end up effecting their financial aid,” Williams said.​
​Some of the impacts withdrawals can have on a student are: It can delay your graduation date, if you have too many it can affect your financial aid, it can deplete your personal and/or family resources, and it can be seen as a negative for potential employers.