Prior to 2000, students were allowed 22 days to drop classes without penalty, after which they were required to go through a late drop process, requiring multiple signatures and petitions. First approved by the Undergraduate Council in 1996 and implemented in fall 2000, a revised drop policy allowed drop and add freedom for the first 10 days of the semester—an opportunity for students to adjust their schedules at will during the first two weeks of the semester. From the 11th through the 42nd days of the semester, students were allowed to drop courses with a W (withdrawn), which was not computed in the grade point average. Between the 42nd and the 84th days of the semester, students were allowed to drop courses by obtaining the signature of the professor, and the professor assigned either a WP (withdrawn passing) or a WF (withdrawn failing) on the student record. The WP was not calculated into the student GPA, but the WF was calculated as a failing grade.
In February 2008 the Faculty Senate approved a recommendation from the Undergraduate Council to extend the deadline for students to drop courses with a W from 42 days to 63 days.
In fall 2011 a new drop policy was adopted in an effort to improve course availability for students. The new policy limited students to dropping only four classes after the 10th calendar day during the course of their undergraduate program. Students were allowed to drop and add full-term courses until the 10th calendar day of classes without penalty. From the 11th calendar day until the 84th calendar day, students who dropped full-term classes would receive the notation W (withdrawn) but could do this only four times in their undergraduate careers. After the 84th day, no drops were permitted. The W was not computed in the grade point average. Students could not add courses after the 10th calendar day of classes.