Although there are plenty of regulations for students during add/drop period, we need to have more regulations for professors so that add/drop period can be made as efficient and useful as possible. Right now add/drop period has a lot of potential; it's up to the students and faculty to translate that potential into reality.
The first major problem with add/drop period is the dilemma students are faced with when choosing between classes while avoiding getting dropped by their professors. Students try out different classes during add/drop period for a variety of reasons. Some students may want to see if they enjoy the lectures of a professor whom their friends have recommended. Others may want to see if a class they are thinking about taking in the future is interesting in order to plan ahead. Other students might want to try out a class in a subject that they have never taken before to see if they are interested. Despite students trying out different classes for a variety of acceptable reasons, many professors will drop a student after that student has missed just one class, if the class is having issues with over-enrollment. The professors believe that if the students are not willing to come to every class, then they do not deserve to be in the class. Although this policy is fair in terms of choosing who can remain in an over-enrolled class, it is not fair in terms of allowing students to utilize add/drop period. We are at a liberal arts college; if we cannot try out new classes safely, then what is the point of even being a liberal arts college at all?
To solve this problem, professors must be more lenient when deciding whether or not to drop students. Students choose to register for a class because they are interested; they deserve the benefit of the doubt when it comes to questions of their desire to take the class. If a student misses multiple classes, then it's probably fair to drop him. But students should be able to miss a class during add/drop period to try out something else. Either professors must start to allow students to miss a class during add/drop, or legislation must be enacted to protect students from being dropped after missing a class.
However, the entire onus does not fall on the professors. Students should explain to their professors, beforehand, why they will be missing a class so that their professors will be more understanding. While students should have the opportunity to test different classes during add/drop safely, they should still be respectful enough to explain to their professors what they are doing.
The second major problem with add/drop is the fact that some classes do not tell students whether or not they are accepted until after the classes have begun. As a result, it is difficult for students to plan out their schedule and classes. They must either pre-register for classes that they will probably not take, potentially blocking other students who actually want to take the class from getting in, or they must risk not having a backup plan if they are rejected. Professors should ask for writing samples or other applications well before classes start. This policy will help to ensure that motivated students try to apply to the class while simultaneously allowing professors to get back to students in time for add/drop period. A policy such as this one would not only be easy to implement, but also would help both professors and students. Students also should try to help themselves out by planning multiple schedules when they are faced with applying for classes that do not tell them whether or not they are in until after classes begin.
Though professors may hesitate to allow students to miss the first meeting of a class, this might be rectified by more institutional changes on the part of the registrar. Perhaps first meetings, which are often just introductions to the class, could be shorter and staggered throughout a class period so that several classes could meet during the first few days of add/drop. The benefit for professors is great: Students will not be attending their classes as "safeties" and the students who do decide to stay in the class are attending it out of actual interest. Add/drop period could be a valuable tool for decision-making at Amherst, and changes should be made to ensure that it is.
Barbieri is a sophomore. He pre-registered for four classes and was dropped from all of them the Friday of add/drop.