Drop vouchers.... how to use and any exceptions?

[aiya12830]

Hi there,

I am a CMU student (obviously from the title) and I want to use a drop voucher (to drop my classes), however there is no deadline on the website and my academic advisory told me that there the deadline to use it was the last day of classes and I cant use it anymore. Is there anything I can say to convince them? Or are there any exceptions to this deadline? Me and my peers in my major did not know about this drop voucher but every single other student I know outside of my major knows about this. I feel like I wasnt made aware of this rule and that its not fair that the CMU website did not specify the deadline of the vouchers. Please help! is there anything I can do / say at this point? Do you know of any cases and exceptions regarding this matter?

Thanks!

[allyphoe]

https://www.cmu.edu/hub/registrar/course-changes/index.html (First hit when I Google: carnegie mellon drop voucher)

Late Course Drops & Vouchers
A late drop voucher system was implemented beginning with the fall 2018 semester to permit a limited number of late course drops. Undergraduate students are permitted three drop vouchers over the course of their undergraduate career and may use only one voucher per semester (including summer). Master’s students are permitted one drop voucher per year of study and may use only one voucher per semester (including summer). PhD students are exempt from the voucher process. Courses dropped using a voucher will be removed from the student’s record, as long as the drop is confirmed in SIO by the student within 24 hours of receiving the automated voucher email (refer to instructions below). Students may use drop vouchers up until the last day of classes each semester.

VOUCHER INSTRUCTIONS:
A student wishing to drop a course after the deadline must first consult with their academic advisor. It is important to note that vouchers are not intended to be used for exceptional or extenuating circumstances; additionally, drop vouchers cannot be used to drop below full-time status (36 units).
After consultation, the academic advisor will initiate a drop voucher request in S3 (the student information system).
After the request is initiated by the advisor, the student will receive an automated email requesting that they confirm the voucher information is correct within SIO (by selecting ‘Official Schedule’ under the ‘Registration’ tab, and clicking ‘Confirm Drop’). The student will have 24 hours to confirm the drop; otherwise, the course will remain on their record.
Late Course Withdrawals
Students wishing to withdraw from a course after the deadline must obtain approval from their academic advisor, and complete and submit a Course Withdrawal Request (pdf) form.

[atxfather]

Are you trying to use a voucher “now” after the class is complete, final taken, and grade posted? There is a deadline of the last day of class so you can’t use a voucher to retroactively remove a posted grade. I think it’ll be a hopeless cause to try to argue with anyone in the administration that failing to understand the system is a justification worthy of allowing a posted graded to be removed.

The system is actually pretty generous allowing a limited number of drops right up till the last day of class. You do have to talk to your advisor to initiate the process as there are limits (one per semester, 3 total, and you have to stay above 36 units after the drop). Also, like any drop/withdrawl, it makes a potentially bad grade go away but you also lose the credit so if the class is required or a pre-req for something else you’ll have to make it up. That’s part of why the advisor needs to be involved. A lot of classes after the intro/freshman classes are only offered once a year or once every two years so that has to be considered when deciding to drop a class to avoid a C or D. Obviously if you get to the last day of class and it’s clear that nothing you could do on the final will get you a passing grade then the late-drop would be a God-send removing the sure-F from the transcript.