Academic Services

Add/Drop and Pass/Fail Guidance

Add/Drop Period

Brandeis offers students the opportunity to explore course offerings during the add/drop period.

Advisors can give the following guidance to students:

Students should consider the following when adding or dropping a class after the first session:

  • Instruction begins on the first day of class; students are responsible for learning material and completing assignments from the beginning of the course.

  • Your peers and professors expect you to be prepared for and participate in class even if you are not sure whether you will be remaining in/ admitted to the course.

  • Check the syllabus; professors may have requirements about attendance and completion of work that apply specifically to the first session/s of class.

  • If you decide to drop a course, do so promptly in the add/drop period, so that students on the demand list (waitlist) have the opportunity to add the course.

  • Adding a class after the first session/s can set you far behind in the material – particularly if the class meets only once a week

Chairs can give the following guidance to faculty:

Faculty who are concerned about students adding or dropping courses after the first class session/s should consider including syllabus statements, such as:

  • Students must attend the first (number of) class session/s in order to remain enrolled in the class.

  • Instruction begins on the first day of class; students are responsible for learning material and completing assignments from the beginning of the course.

  • Students who do not attend the first (number of) class session/s may not (be able to) make up missed work.

  • Students who do not attend the first (number of) class sessions run the risk of not being able to (succeed in/ understand/ keep up with) later material.

  • Students may only miss (number of) class sessions before being dropped from the class.

  • Missing (number of) class sessions will result in a lower grade.

Faculty can also request that the Registrar’s office add an “instructor’s signature required for admission” provision for the course to regulate add/drops.

Instructors cannot drop students directly from a course, and must request that the Registrar’s office manually intervene; such drops will only be accommodated if there is explicit language in the course description and syllabus regarding the required attendance policy.

Pass/Fail Option

The pass/fail option has been extended to coincide with the drop without a W deadline so that students who might otherwise drop non‐required courses can be encouraged to continue learning. This change aims to reduce the number of dropped courses in subjects which students are exploring out of interest, and to help students make more informed decisions based on greater knowledge of the grading practices and difficulty of classes, the students’ overall time commitments and their actual performance in these courses.

When guiding students’ enrollment choices, advisors might share the following sentiments:

  • As a liberal arts institution, Brandeis encourages students to explore across disciplines. The university encourages students to explore classes beyond their majors and the Brandeis Core.

  • Brandeis encourages students to prioritize deep learning over GPA considerations.

  • Consider taking courses outside of your major and core requirements for enrichment rather than for grades; there is a pass/fail option for non‐required courses.