Interview with Vice Provost Hradsky on drop deadline, the Arch, testing center, and more

Senior Managing Editor Nilay Kapadia sat down with Vice Provost for the Student Experience Robert Hradsky last week to discuss various topics including the drop deadline, Arch, the testing center, and more. Hradsky joined Rensselaer this fall from Syracuse University where he served as the Vice President for Student Engagement for five years.

Kapadia: So, I guess we'll start with the drop deadline. Obviously, you've only been here three months. You weren't necessarily super involved, I don't think, with the decision.

Hradsky: All that happened before I arrived. So, you know, I think that there were a number of reasons behind that. So from my understanding, part of it was looking at compliance and, in particular, compliance with some of the requirements we have as an institute related to federal financial aid. So, there are different processes related to that. And then also, looking at enrollment for international students, that was a piece of it as well. And then I think more broadly, wanting to make sure that, you know, from what I understand is that sometimes there was some shopping around that students would do so they might enroll in more courses, kinda wanted to test things out before they made a decision about whether or not to stay enrolled. But I think the downside of that was that that then prevented some students from getting into courses that they needed to graduate.

So I think that was part of it as well, kinda looking at that big picture of how all that unfolded. I can tell you that the provost got some feedback about that at a student leadership meeting that occurred in September and is continuing to work with students around that. But I think those were the primary reasons why that occurred.

And the two weeks, well, two and a half if you count the slightly delayed start of this semester, how did that number get picked?

So again, I think a lot of it is connected with those reasons that I mentioned. And there are a couple of things to remember. So there's the two week add/drop, right. But then a student can still drop a course after that point, and now they have an additional two weeks to do that. So initially, they had eight weeks. Now they have up to ten weeks to withdraw from a course.

That will appear on their transcript though.

Yes. Yeah. And we're actually getting ready to put some information on the website so that students better understand what does a ‘W’ actually mean. Because I think, my sense is that people are concerned that somehow that's a punitive mark, and that's really, not the case at all. You know, having worked in higher ed for a very long time, including doing work with admission, you know, for grad schools, I can tell you that having a W is not, you know, necessarily a detrimental thing. Now if a student did that for 20 courses, obviously, that would raise some red flags. Right? But if it's, you know, a few W's here and there, that really is not the negative mark that I think students are perceiving it to be.

One of the things that in the original email that explained the change, the Provost said, you know, willing to continuously look at it. Is there room to maybe make it so instead of the two weeks, you know, four weeks or some other number?

So she actually, you know, again, got feedback from student leaders and is considering all of that right now.

When would that theoretically be put in place? Would it be for next semester?

I think it's unlikely that it would be for next semester because we typically look at things as an academic year. But I can tell you that the provost is very student-centered and is listening and is trying to figure out, you know, what modifications, you know, need to be made.

Sort of related to the email, it was sent in June, late June, I think. Was then just when the policy was finalized?

So what I understand is that there were actually conversations that occurred in December of 23 and then also others in the spring. You know, that included student leaders, and I I don't know why the exact timing was then, but I know there was actually a period of time when she was gathering information from a bunch of folks. So, perhaps, you know, your assumption is correct, but I honestly don't know.

Okay. And I think it also leads into the refund policy, which I assume is the same reasoning for the drop deadline.

It is actually, and a lot of that is related again to the financial aid piece and also enrollment.

And then undergraduate repeat policy, last bit in that, can't take a course for more than two times. I assume that's not related because that's a more educational policy.

Yeah. You know, so my goal would be that students wouldn't have to repeat a course at all, right, that they would be able to get the tutoring support, the resources they need to pass it the first time around. And I, you know, it takes a lot of effort and energy, right, to repeat a course, so I think having a parameter there so that students don't continue to invest a lot of time and energy is actually a good way to, you know, help stay focused on the broader curriculum.

So I guess we'll move on to something that the Provost talked about a lot, say, last year. It was about a testing center. So, like, what's happening with that?

So the testing center, initially, it was launched as a pilot, and was working with particular populations of students, and it was set up in the CCPD. So I don't know if you know CCPD has this interview area, interview room area, and that's where the testing has been held. And then this semester, it was expanded to all undergrad and grad students, those who have particular accommodations, as well as for student athletes. So, it's still very much in a pilot phase. We're trying to learn from how it goes and then, you know, make some changes based on that learning.

Even though it's been expanded, it's still in CCPD?

Correct. Yeah.

Will it be moved somewhere else?

I'm not sure. Yeah. I think we'll need to get feedback from those who utilize it and determine, if, you know, if there's any feedback they have about that specific space.

And for, I guess, larger classes that have exams, intro level classes that have several hundred students, are they able to fit in this room?

So it's actually a space that has multiple multiple individual areas in it. So and then the thick of it is, like, cubicles, but it has dividers to create privacy and some sound barriers too.

Is there someone staffing it? Like a grad student or a CCPD staffer?

You know what? I honestly don't know that piece of it. I do know that it's being managed right now out of the provost's office, but I'm not aware of what the current staffing is.

Last academic year, there was discussion of making Thanksgiving break a full week. I'm curious if that has moved forward at all.

It did move forward. So one thing to know just as context, is that the New York State Department of Education has very specific criteria around, you know, how many class meetings and class hours, you know, you need to have for a particular credit course. So modifications weren't able to be made this year, but my understanding is that starting in 25-26, Thanksgiving will be a full week.

And then the other part of it is because, you know, normally, the fall semester starts on a Monday. This year started on Wednesday, was that to give Arch [students] more time?

I don't know.

Okay. Because if you make, if you make a full week, that gets rid of 2 class days. That be, I assume, prepended to the start of the semester?

Say that again?

So, Thanksgiving break, that Monday, Tuesday, those two class days, won't happen. With that, where will those two class days go? Are they just not happening at all?

Yeah. So I think they're looking at the whole calendar and looking again at those required minimum number of days, and then they are fitting it in based on, you know, the actual calendar. So I haven't seen the ’25, ’26 calendar, so I don't know, exactly, you know, how things have been shifted. But I do know that that's the plan, and the Institute has moved to a 3 year calendar so you'll be able to see well in advance, you know, how things will lay out for future years.

And what is the minimum number of class days?

I don't know off the top of my head. We could certainly get that answer for you. It's based on the number of credits in a course, and then there's a certain, hour requirement based on the number of credits. So you have to have a certain number of contact hours, in any given semester.

From my understanding, fraternities and sororities are looking to allow their members to live in their buildings when their students are on Arch. Is that gonna be, do you think that would happen this summer?

So what I can tell you, well, first, let me say that I've met with, fraternity and sorority alumni board, and, certainly, they gave me that feedback. I've also heard that from students as well. And right now, we're looking at the structure of Arch, and we're trying to build in more flexibility. You know, maintaining the requirement by creating some more flexibility with the actual program. And one of the things that we're looking at as well is that whole issue of the fraternity and sorority housing. So I don't have anything I can share specifically with you today, but let's revisit that in the spring, and I should be able to provide more details.

Part of the [in]flexibility is also that students are required to live on campus during Arch. Is there room to relax that mandate?

So, again, we're really looking at shifting some things, but I wanna fully understand the impact of those shifts, before we commit to the changes. So I'm not trying to avoid your question. I don't have all the answers yet, but I can tell you that is one of my priorities is trying to figure out a solution to what I've heard about the Arch. And I should be able to tell you more in the spring.

Is part of that impact the fact that there’s a contract with Sodexo to provide dining halls and since there would be less revenue would that—

it's so complex, right? So it's the housing piece, it's the food piece, it's, you know, a whole bunch of other things as well that we're trying to sort of look at in terms of how all of that comes together. So, yeah I will absolutely have more to share with you. We're just not yet at that point where we've talked about some ideas, but we're not quite at that implementation point. Yeah. But, again, happy to meet with you in the spring.

And last thing was scheduling with Arch, there’s about two-ish weeks between spring and the summer and the summer and the fall. I believe President Schmidt was working on making a little bit more room so there's more time for students to rest and stuff like that. Is that practical given, you know, you want the full Thanksgiving week off and there's not enough days in the year?

It is tight. I agree. But we have another thought about how to create some of that flexibility and create longer rest times. And in the spring, I'll tell you what that is. We've actually done some focus groups and we're getting feedback, but we have an idea that I think will actually help students to get more of a break.

Are you willing to tell me what that idea is?

I'd rather not yet because I don't wanna see it in print. And then, if it doesn't come to fruition, I will feel like I've misled you. So I don't wanna share right now.

Regarding AI and the use of it at RPI, the provost during the Fall Town Meeting last week basically said, you know, we’re working on a policy. Where is that policy right now?

I don’t know. Yeah, sorry I can’t help with that one. What I understand is that there were different groups that were talking about it, but I, I don't know, where that stands and if there's a, you know, targeted date to have that completed.