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Sheen goes to court #winning

Harris, Pancratz, complete new Vols staff

Friday, June 17, 2011

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Scattered T-storms 40% chance of rain HIGH LOW 86 71

Issue 5

PUBLISHED SINCE 1906 http://utdailybeacon.com

Vol. 117

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New policy to limit dropped classes to four Limit to help steer students toward career-focused schedules, timely graduations Robby O’Daniel News and Student Life Editor Beginning this fall, students can still drop classes after the end of the 10-day, no-penalty period, but they can only do it four times over the course of their undergraduate career. The old policy dictated that students could drop a class with just a “W,” or withdrawal, until the 84th day of the semester. Now, after students drop four classes in their undergraduate career, all after the first 10 days of classes, they will receive a grade for all classes they attempt. Drops made prior to Fall 2011 will not count toward the four-class limit. The University of Tennessee announced the new four-class drop limit Thursday morning. Altering the policy was an idea from the Academic Efficiency and Effectiveness Task Force. Dixie Thompson, a task force member and a professor in kinesiology, recreation and sports studies, called the drop limit a key move in the university’s attempts to increase graduation rates. “It will certainly be an important step in the right direction because students will have an added incentive to remain in classes,” Thompson said. In addition, because students cannot sign up for classes after 10 days of classes, whenever a student drops a class after that time, the seat goes unfilled. For this reason, Drew Webb, another member of the task force and the student engagement coordinator in the Office of the Provost, is enthusiastic about the new limit. “As a former UT student, I always struggled to get into the classes I wanted to take and think this will help a lot with that,” Webb said. “Also, nothing was more frus-

trating to me than seeing a class half-empty at the end of the semester because so many people dropped it, especially when 10 people showed up trying to add the class on the first day. We need to do a better job of getting students into the classes that they need when they need them, and this is a step in the right direction.”

I think it’s going to force students to be more

strategic with their planning and not just sign up for a class and take it and realize they

don’t need it. It might save people money too. – Ethan Frazier, senior in communications, on the new policy for dropping classes

While Thompson is also in favor of the new limitation, she is glad the university is maintaining the 10-day window of no penalties for students to drop. “We need that window when students can have, without limitation, some change to their schedule,” Thompson said. “Because, people, they get in classes that

they don’t really understand the expectations of it and then they get there, and they see it’s not a good fit for their career path and their curriculum.” She also stressed that, in matters of emergencies, such as an illness or family situation, students can still withdraw from the university without a penalty like this held against them. “I think there’s some safeguards for students, but I do think that the policy will hold students more accountable to making good choices and playing a more active role in choosing classes that fit their curriculum and move them more toward graduation,” she said. Colin Campbell, who will graduate at the end of the summer with a history degree, is glad his undergraduate years did not have the limit. He says it would have hurt him because he dropped more than four classes in his academic career. “I would say I’ve dropped about one a semester,” Campbell said. “I see the dropping as a way of getting a feel for a class. It takes a little more than 10 days sometimes to really know if you’re prepared for a class, if it’s something you’re interested in and mainly, if it’s something feasible for you with your schedule.” Ethan Frazier, senior in communications, is the exact opposite. He does not drop classes. “I take what I want,” Frazier said. “I take what I need. I make sure I meet with my adviser, so I don’t mess up.” He sees the new limit as having positives for students. “I think it’s going to force students to be more strategic with their planning and not just sign up for a class and take it and realize they don’t need it,” he said. “It might save people money too.”

Serrano named Diamond Vols coach Serrano is aware of how great the competition is in the SEC, but his craving for winning just may be greater, saying he wanted to start winning “yesterday.” “It’s baseball time in Tennessee!” The former UT assistant coach may have Those were the dynamic words that UT’s newly hired baseball coach Dave Serrano returned to Rocky Top, but Serrano believed delivered at his press conference in Lindsey he’d been at Rocky Top for the last 16 years. “I never left his place,” the new coach Nelson Stadium. added. “I left physically, but I never left Serrano is the 24th head coach in Diamond Vols history, but the second since emotionally.” One fan who’s already expressing her Rod Delmonico’s 18-year coaching run with excitement in the new hire is recently UT ended in 2006. It’s not the first time UT has had the for- appointed interim Athletic Director Joan mer Cal State Fullerton coach on its coach- Cronan. “It is an exciting day for Tennessee baseing staff. His first coaching job was a twoyear stint under Delmonico as the Diamond ball,” Cronan said. “It gives me goosebumps; last week we were talking about me Vols’ assistant coach from 1995-96. being the UT cruised to a interim and 97-36 record in this week that two-year we’re talking span, including a about some54-win season in thing really 1995. exciting and Serrano that’s bringing returned to his in somebody home state of that can make California to a difference in coach at Cerritos our baseball Community program.” College where the Serrano former UT assislooks to turn tant coached for UT’s Lindsey eight seasons and N e l s o n helped the Falcons Stadium into a to a 39-5 record “ home-field and a state chamadvantage”, as pionship. it was during The Torrance, his first Calif., native was tenure, with quick to address the help of Vol that watching the fans and stuNCAA postseason dents. is a new experiGeorge Richardson • The Daily Beacon “When you ence for him, even support us, Dave Serrano shares a laugh with the audience after this past seaof his introductory press conference in Lindsey it’ll help us, son. “I’m not accus- Nelson Stadium on Thursday, June 16. Serrano (and) you’ll be tomed to watching returns as head coach to the site of his first part of our the Super Division I job, where he served as an assistant s u c c e s s , ” Serrano said. Regional,” Serrano coach during the 1995-96 seasons. “I hope we can said. Despite the new feeling, though, the attract students because of the kind of style then-CS Fullerton coach noticed the compe- we play, the exciting brand of baseball, how we play and the winning style. When I was tition in his future conference. “Three of the eight teams — Vanderbilt, here in 95-96, I know the students made it Florida and South Carolina — weren’t just pretty hostile for some of the opposing in the conference, but our own division,” teams coming in and I hope we get that type of support as we continue to build this Serrano said. The Diamond Vols coach will be looking thing.” With memories of his first tenure still to help the Orange and White compete in the SEC East division; in the last nine years, fresh in his mind, the new UT coach wasn’t Taylor Gautier • The Daily Beacon UT has only finished in the top two in the afraid to display his excitement about his Taylor McElheney, senior in finance, climbs as Joe Yantis, junior in biosystems engi- division once, in 2005, while failing to reach return. “This is a great day in my career. Go neering, belays at the climbing wall on Tuesday, June 14. The climbing wall is open a conference record above .500 eight times Vols!” Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 4-8 p.m. for the remainder of the summer. in that span.

Anthony Elias

Staff Writer


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