Late enrollments will be allowed up until the add deadline. Please note: any missed classes before enrollment will be counted against your attendance.

Each Physical Education course has a published drop deadline. This deadline supersedes the University drop deadline. The deadline will be announced in class and on the course Canvas site. It is the student's responsibility to withdraw from the class prior to the drop deadline to avoid any penalties. All drops and withdrawals after the published drop deadline should be done by e-mailing Greg at ggb26@cornell.edu. Drop deadlines are noted with class information on this site. Cornell Outdoor Education courses have different add/drop deadlines and policies. Students may add and drop classes in B01 Bartels Hall. For other enrollment information, visit the COE website.

Medical drops will be taken on a case-by-case basis. Any refund will be determined by the Physical Education office. If a student is injured in a course, the course fee will be prorated from the date the Physical Education department is made aware of the injury.  

• All post-deadline drops will be assessed a $50.00 administrative fee. Please see specific class information, as numerous earlier deadlines exist.

Refunds: No refunds will be transacted after the course drop deadline.

If a student withdraws after the published Physical Education Course Drop Deadline, the student is responsible for the course fee and a $50 late drop fee. If the student withdraws from the course prior to the published University Course Drop Deadline, the course will not appear on the student's transcript. If the student withdraws from the course after the published University Course Drop Deadline, a W will appear on the student's transcript.

If a student wishes to withdraw from a course to avoid a failing grade, they must do so before the last scheduled class of the course.  Once a course is completed for the semester, no further drops or withdrawals are permitted.

It is the sole responsibility of the student to check their Student Center to make sure that all adds or drops have been correctly completed. 

*Non-attendance does not constitute a drop or exclusion from course fees and penalties.

Physical Education credit is granted for:

• satisfactory completion of a course offered through the physical education program;
• satisfactory participation on an NCAA intercollegiate (varsity) team as a competitor;
  • participation in club sports does NOT satisfy PE credit.
• satisfactory participation in the University marching band, cheerleading or dance team (limit 1 credit per academic year);
• satisfactory participation in approved ROTC courses if the student enrolls in the crosslisted PE course, not the MILS course;
• satisfactory participation in approved Theater Arts Dance courses if the student enrolls in the cross listed PE course, not the Theater Arts course;
• satisfactory completion of a physical education course at another recognized institution. A written request to enroll must be submitted to, and approved by the Director of Physical Education at Cornell prior to enrollment in the class. A transcript of the in-absentia credit must be forwarded to the Physical Education Office at Cornell upon completion of the course. This option is only available to Cornell undergraduate students who still need to complete a Physical Education credit, have completed all other undergraduate requirements and have left the University.

• All PE classes meet a minimum of 18 hours and you will need to attend 15 hours of full class periods to receive credit. Arriving late or leaving early may result in half credit for the session. Phone use is not permitted and may result in zero credit for the day. Please see Canvas syllabus for class dates.
• There are no excused absences in PE courses, and there are no make-up classes. All absences will be counted against attendance. Therefore, you should save any absences for emergencies or if you are sick and cannot attend. It is the student’s responsibility to enroll in a PE course that does not interfere with personal, religious, or academic commitments. 
• The first day of class is recommended for all and required in some courses. Students enrolling in a PE course after the start date, must count any missed classes as part of the allotted absences for that course.
• Students enrolling in and attending a PE course and then transferring to another course in the same semester, shall have the previously attended classes credited to the new course. It is the student's responsibility to have the previous instructor email the new instructor their attendance record.

It is the student's responsibility to carefully manage their attendance so as not to exceed the maximum number of absences.  Cornell does not offer retroactive accommodations for any absences that can be anticipated (including absences for religious observances).  From the University Registrar: In accordance with Section 224-a of the New York State Education Law, any student who is absent from school because of religious beliefs must be given an equivalent opportunity to enroll in classes or make up any work requirements that may have been missed because of such absence on any particular day(s). Students who know they will miss class should enroll in a section that will not interfere with religious holidays. Students intending to be absent in order to observe religious holidays must notify the instructor by the end of the first full week of their class. Accommodations will not be given to students who have not requested the accommodation.  

Non-Attendance: If a student enrolls in a course and has numerous absences or fails to attend, all regular course fees and/or penalty fees will be charged. A failing grade will be recorded on the transcript for all students who do not meet the attendance requirement. 

Physical Education courses will be graded pass/fail based on attendance. The grade will be recorded on the student's transcript.

Students are not allowed to audit Physical Education courses, all courses must be taken for credit.

Students wishing to dispute a grade, add a course or drop a course that is already posted to their transcript must petition the PE Department prior to the last day of classes in the semester following the one in which the grade or course is posted on the transcript. After that time, no grades will be changed or courses added/dropped unless there has been an administrative error by the PE Department.

In most classes undergraduate students will be given priority in registering so that their physical education requirement can be fulfilled. In these cases, graduate students will not be allowed to pre-register for the class during the pre-registration period in the preceding semester. Graduate students will be allowed to register once the add/drop period for the semester begins if the course is open to them.