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Directed Self Placement (Add/Drop/Stay Procedure)

Do Not Panic: Take a deep breath. Please read the whole policy.

EE98 is an impacted course and we can not accommodate every student who wants to add the class.  To be fair to all and to follow university procedure, the guidelines for adding students are posted here.  The university does not require this information to be in the syllabus as it does not affect your grade.  The policy is that you need a 90% or better on your HW before the last day to add to be allowed to stay in EE98, or add EE98.  The last day to add is around HW4/5 and then an assessment will be made on if you can stay or add.  You will be contacted at your @sjsu.edu email address if you are going to be dropped.

Students need to meet the pre-requisites of Phys 51 or equivalent with a C or better and Math 133A or Math 123 or equivalent as a co-requisite, or have already passed Math 133A or MAth 123. (At this time D-  or higher in Math 133A or Math 123 is enough to get into EE 98, but not necessarily enough to graduate.  See you department guidelines.)  ENGR 10 is not enforced as a pre-requisite.  Even if you are enrolled you will be dropped if you do not meet the pre/co-requisites.  The system does not automatically check for pre/co-requisites.  

While the 90% minimum average grade on HW to stay or be added (detailed later) to the class might seem might seem unreasonable, it is there to make sure that you pass the course the first time.

  • The authority comes from attendance policy .
  • "I should be able to decide for myself if I can handle EE98 this semester"
    • This policy was implemented after 3 years of trying to improve student performance in EE98 and it was the only one to work.
    • The state pays two third of the tuition, so it is the department's duty to make sure students pass the first time.
    • Students who are not performing will limit the time resources of the instructor for the other students.
    • Students who do not well in EE98 for the most part take too many courses or are working too much to properly study for EE98.  We understand school is really expensive and that students have to work to survive in school, but students must set themselves up for success. (Please know that faculty do not "judge" students based on their grades.)
    • Look at the add procedure.  If you have to repeat a class, you might not be able to.  If you have to retake EE98 at a CC, you will not get grade forgiveness.
    • You can fight the policy or you can do the HW to a 90%.  
    • I wish we did not have to do this policy, but the pass rates in EE98 are very low.  If you have a better way, please let professor Parent know.  (He is serious, let him know.)
  • 90%!  That is a really high standard! 
    • It is understood that not every student's goal is to get a A in this class, but the exams come from the HW.
    • For example a HW might have 10 questions, you you earn an 80%, you think you are getting a B-.  In reality the first 8 questions are usually review or simple questions to get you started, while it is the last two questions in the set that will be on the exam.  You think you are doing well, when you are not.  While a 90% might seem an excessively high standard, in this case you really want a 100%.  
  • "I am stressed out enough as it is!"
    • We know, and we wish we did not have to do this. What we have found is everyone who really wants this course gets to stay or add. (Past performance not a predictor of future performance.)
    • We really do want to teach you all.

To Add:

  • The lowest priority to add are open university students.
    • Those who have been DQ'ed from the university must have a study plan from the department you are trying to get back into.
    • Students who are repeating the course have the lowest priority.
  • Students who are repeating but are disqualified from a department, but not the university have have a higher level of priority than Open U. students.
    • Those who have been DQ'ed from the department must have a study plan from the department you are trying to get back into.
  • Students who are taking the class for the first time and are not in an engineering major have a higher level of priority than the two previous categories.
  • Students who are taking the class for the first time and are an engineering major have a higher level of priority than the three previous categories.
    • There is no priority given to graduating seniors as this is a critical path course for Compe and EE majors and if they do not get in their graduation will be delayed.  Graduating seniors have had many years to take EE98 and the highest registration priority.
  • Given that the above rules are very hard to monitor, especially for part time faculty, all students who wish to add must earn a 90% in the HW up to the last day to add.  The online, automatically graded HW can be done as many times as needed to get the correct score.  The online-submitted but human graded HW will be graded once.  

To Drop:

You can drop yourself before the last day to drop.  If you feel you want to drop after the last day to drop, but before the last day to add, you can be instructor dropped with no penalty.  Ask the instructor to do this.

 

To Stay:

  • Students need to meet the pre-requisites to stay enrolled.
  • Students must earn a 90% in the HW up to the last day to add.  The online, automatically graded HW can be done as many times as needed to get the correct score.  The online-submitted but human graded HW will be graded once.
  • In the past, (no guarantee of future performance) all enrolled students met the 90% and so no one needed to be dropped, although some have requested that they be dropped for no penalty.