AROTC question - class withdraw question

[jack thomas]

Does anyone know the Army ROTC guidelines for the following: My son takes 14 hours and would like to drop a 4 hour course due to it being very challenging and potentially hurtful to his GPA (he should get an A or B in his other classes). This would bring him down to 10 earned credit hours for the semester (his first at the university). The university is OK with this, but would the AROTC approve this?

He will be changing majors and this "weed out" class issue will likely not arise again.

So the question is...would AROTC approve for a contracted 4 year scholarship freshman cadet a course withdrawl which would bring him down to 10 hours. Ironically, one of the classes he is NOT dropping changes to 6 hours of credit once the semester is over, but if you look at his university account today it says his course load is 14 credit hours instead of 17.

In other words, for today's purposes, this withdraw would bring him to 10 hours. However, after successful completion of one of his 3 hour classes this semester, he gains an additional three hours after the semester is over which means technically speaking he would have retroactively earned 13 credit hours still for the semester.

Thank you!!

 

[sheriff3]

I don't think he can do that. In his contract it stipulates the minimum number of credits he needs to be taking and I thinkl 10 is too few to meet the standard. Also if he is contracted he needs to get with his advisor and change/review his 104R form. Cadre will be the best source of info for him on this situation.

 

[Jcleppe]

The contract requires a cadet to maintain enough credits to be what the University considers a Full Time Student. The number of credits to be full time can sometimes vary at different schools.

Usually there is a person, HR, in the battalion that maintains a watch over the cadets 104R and the University Degree Audit. Your son should seek out this person and discuss this before he drops the class. Explain the issue with the number of credits and find out if that will work within his contract.

 

[-Bull-]

Before he does anything, I would encourage him to have clear, open dialogue with his MS class advisor, the HRA, and the PMS (if needed). The initial counseling statement he signed at the beginning of the semester most likely stated that he must advise his MS class advisor and the PMS prior to dropping any classes and that he must maintain full time status (usually 12 hours). Most of the people that find themselves in the situation where this comes back to bite them disregard that statement and act before consulting with the cadre. But if he keeps a open line of communication between himself and them, they may work something out or find an alternative solution.

They will be able to provide better advice for his situation than us.

 

[EDelahanty]

Do the current 14 hour and proposed 10 hour schedules include the MS1 ROTC course? He may have a time management issue that needs to be addressed. Freshman year can be a tough adjustment with all its distractions. Put that video game away, and get off the internet.

If the course is not way above his head ("this nuclear physics course looks interesting, and it meets only once a week.'), then maybe he should re-prioritize his use of time and method of attack. Study groups with other students in the class can be helpful, even seeking after class assistance from the professor or teaching assistant.

Obviously, I don't know his specific situation But I can say that my son earned a mediocre grade during his first term in a course that he was neither qualified for nor as it turned out interested in. He refocused, set a high target for himself, and ended up graduating with highest honors.

 

[cardinal21]

I have never heard of an exception to the AROTC 12 hour rule regardless of what a University defines as full time. How is it possible to receive more credit hours for a class after the semester? I am curious, what college is this?

 

[QA1517]

In some colleges if you take an advanced class then you get credit also for the prerequisite class. I took 18 hrs my freshman year and ended up with 22 hrs after I completed them due to taking advanced classes. You typical have to be placed in them based on test scores.

 

[BAMA ROTC]

The bottom line- Find out how many hours the University requires for the student to be considered a "Full time" student. The contract requires the student to maintain "Full time" student status. However, as mentioned earlier the student should speak with Cadre prior to a change such as this.