The student should not be given a free pass to attend any class and then drop the class late in the semester just because he/she is doing poorly. One way to improve the system is to set the last drop date after the first mid-term, or to provide grade feedback at some point before the last drop date. This gives the students the opportunity to gauge their progress before it is too late to drop. This avoids putting the students in an awkward position. An alternate situation would be allowing students to have one late drop in their careers, giving the students a one-time out should they feel that they require it. This scenario would at least prevent a rush of late drops that would tie up valuable administrative resources.

The school can also work to ensure that the drop process is not disruptive to its staff, or to classroom dynamics. Nobody wants to cause a disruption to the normal flow of education,...

If disruption to the system was minimal, later drops could be more allowable.
Drop deadlines are important because they help everybody manage the workload. Students, administrators and faculty members all know what the course numbers are and what the expectations of each party are. Changes late in the semester are difficult for all concerned. It is in everybody's interest that the system be minimally disruptive, but still offer flexibility. There is much at stake for students in this process -- a poor grade could impact on one's chances to attend graduate school, for example. The smoother the process the better for all concerned, and setting limits on late drops would help students to make better decisions earlier, avoid a flood of late drops and yet still retain some flexibility for students to protect their futures.