Registration & Scheduling

Registration Process

All students are required to follow the proper procedures for registration. Regular registration for a semester or summer session ends before classes begin.

Attendance at a Student Success Live session is required for all first-time freshmen, returning and transfer students. Each student must register with the Admission’s Office for a Student Success Live session. During these sessions, students are introduced to the policies, procedures, and academic offerings of the College. They also receive information about financial aid and student support services which the college provides. Relevant information in each student’s file (including ACT scores, placement test scores, and any college transcripts) is used by the advisor to guide the student’s decisions and matriculation.

The registration process begins after the Student Success Live session. Each student meets with an advisor who answers questions and assists the student in selecting courses for the upcoming semester. Once the student’s schedule is approved, the request is entered into the computer and a copy is printed by the student. The student then reports to the Business Office for assessment and payment of tuition and fees.

Placement

Standardized Test Scores (ACT, SAT, Accuplacer) will be valid for placement into courses for five (5) years from the student’s registered semester. (Effective January 2018)

For admission to the practical nursing program, students must have earned the minimum standardized test scores required by the Louisiana State Board of Practical Nursing Examiners (LSBPNE).   Tests must have been taken within three (3) years of the first day of the student’s first semester of the practical nursing program to be valid.  For example, if Practical Nursing classes start on January 8, 2019, then test scores must have been taken after January 8, 2016.   

Student Schedule Changes

The College designates a period during which a student may make schedule changes consistent with the academic plan developed with an advisor. In all semesters, this period ends at the end of the add/drop period. Specific dates are listed in the current Academic Calendar available on the SLCC website.

Courses

First-time freshmen, transfer and returning students will have access to make changes through their LoLA (Log on Louisiana) account during and after the Student Success Live Session. Continuing students may add classes using their LoLA account. Courses may be added during the add/drop period. Courses may not be added for credit after the last day of the add/drop.

Changing Sections

Section changes (changing to a different section of the same course) to schedules may be done by first-time freshmen, transfer and returning students through their LoLA (Log on Louisiana) account after they attended a Student Success Live Session, if openings exist in the desired classes. Such changes must be made by the deadline for add/drop period. Continuing students may change sections online using their LoLA accounts.  In unusual circumstances, a student may be permitted to change sections after this date upon approval of the appropriate Divisional Dean.

Dropping Courses

Continuing students may drop a course using their LoLA account. First-time freshmen, transfer and returning students may drop courses through their LoLA (Log on Louisiana) account after they attended a Student Success Live Session. When completed prior to the add/drop period, the course will not appear on the student’s transcript. After the closing date for add/drop adjustments, all students may withdraw from a course with a grade of “W” after meeting with the advisor and completing the withdrawal form and submitting it to the registrar’s office. However, please note that the last day for withdraw from classes using this method is approximately 50 percent into the semester or summer session (consult Academic Calendar). Students who stop attending any course, without officially withdrawing, will receive a failing grade (F) in the course. Withdrawing from a course after the schedule adjustment period (add/drop) will not reduce the student’s financial obligation to the college and may affect eligibility for current and continued financial aid.

Students are responsible for officially dropping courses; it is not the responsibility of instructors to drop students for non-attendance.

Appealing the Drop Policy

In a case of documented extraordinary circumstance (such as prolonged medical problems, serious accidents, or death in the immediate family) the Vice Chancellor of Student Services may approve withdrawal from a course after the established deadline. Extraordinary circumstances do not include dissatisfaction with an anticipated or actual grade or a decision to change major.

Students should present documentation of such circumstances within thirty (30) school days of the end of the semester or summer session. Approval of drop does not ensure refund of tuition.

Cancellation of Registration

The College holds it to be the responsibility of the student to ascertain whether s/he is eligible, scholastically and otherwise, to be enrolled in a particular semester or summer session. Therefore, the College reserves the right to cancel the registration of an ineligible student at any time during a semester or summer session. (See section on Registration Refund Policy for applicable refund policy.) Other than for scholastic ineligibility, a student’s registration may also be canceled if s/he has not paid or made arrangements to pay any and all fees and/or fines incurred at the College or is found to be in violation of the Code of Conduct as noted in the Catalog.

Resignation from College

Consult Academic Calendar for withdrawal deadlines:

• A student who wishes to withdraw from the College must initiate the process in the Registrar’s Office
• Students who stop attending all courses without officially withdrawing will receive failing grades in all courses
• Withdrawing after the refund period will not reduce the student’s financial obligation to the College and may affect eligibility for current and continued financial aid
• In a case of documented extraordinary circumstance (such as prolonged medical problems, serious accidents, or death in the immediate family), the Vice Chancellor of Student Services may approve withdrawal after the established deadline. Extraordinary circumstances do not include dissatisfaction with an anticipated or actual grade, or a decision to change major

Effects of Cancellation of Registration or Resignation from the College

• A student whose resignation or cancellation of registration is effective on or before the end of the add/drop period will not be listed on any official class rosters and will not receive any grades. However, the resignation/cancellation action will be recorded on the permanent record
• To attend the College in a subsequent semester or summer session, the student must reapply for admission
• If the resignation or cancellation of registration is effective after the add/drop period and before the last time in the semester available to withdraw (approximately 50% of the semester), grades of “W” will be recorded in all courses for which the student is registered. In this case, the student may attend the next semester or summer session without reapplying for admission (unless the student attends another collegiate institution and thereby becomes a transfer student).
• Resignation from the College or cancellation of registration does not affect a student’s academic status.

Student Classification

A credit of one semester hour usually represents one hour of class work or two/three laboratory sessions per week for a semester together with the necessary outside preparation. A student’s classification is determined upon registration and again at the end of each semester according to the number of credit hours earned. A student who has earned fewer than 30 credit hours is classified as a freshman. A student is classified as a sophomore after earning at least 30 credit hours.

A student is also classified as full-time or part-time for the purpose of reporting.  A full-time student is one who is taking at least 12 semester hours or the equivalent of scheduled coursework, during a regular semester and at least 12 hours during a summer session. However, a student in his/her graduating semester may be considered full-time with fewer hours than those listed above.

Course Load

The maximum class load that a student may schedule is 18 semester hours during a regular semester and 12 semester hours during the entire summer session. Students who wish to schedule class loads in excess of the above (up to a maximum of 22 semester hours for a regular semester and 15 semester hours during the summer) must obtain written permission from the appropriate Division Dean.

Experience has demonstrated that the optimum number of class hours is related to the student’s grade point average, employment, and personal responsibilities. For this reason, the following guidelines are strongly advised:

* Without written permission of the appropriate Division Dean

Course load includes all courses audited and all courses scheduled. Courses will be counted in all variations of a semester including those offered over the main 16-week session, the late start 12-week session, the two imbedded 8-week sessions and the four 4-week sessions. Further scheduling courses in various sessions may create unresolvable clashes of class times. Consult with your advisor prior to attempting such scheduling.

Registration Holds

A student will not be allowed to participate in Registration until all prior obligations and/or indebtedness to the College has been cleared.

Change of Major

A degree-seeking student may transfer from one degree program to another. A non-degree seeking student may declare a major after meeting the admission requirements for a degree seeking student. A student wishing to change his or her major may do so in the Registrar’s Office by completing the appropriate paperwork. Once paperwork is processed a student becomes a new student in the program selected and must register for classes with a student success advisor for the first semester in the new major during open registration.

Registration as an Audit Student

• A student registered for a course may change registration from credit to audit or audit to credit with the permission of the Divisional Dean of the student’s major and of the instructor of the course. Forms for requesting such a change can be obtained in the Registrar’s Office. The deadline for any change each semester/summer session is the same as the deadline for late registration.
• A student who is auditing is expected to attend all classes and participate fully in all course activities except that s/he is not permitted to take the final exam. A student auditing a class who exceeds the instructor’s absence policy or who does not participate in all course activities will be given a grade of “W” instead of “AU”.
• A student auditing a course is not permitted to take an advanced placement examination or credit examination on work audited.
• An audited course may be repeated for credit.

Address or Name Change

At the time of registration, a student’s proper and current mailing address must be given. If a name change is needed, the student must complete a form available in the Registrar’s Office indicating the change(s). Documentation is required in the case of a name change. Students may complete address changes using their LoLA account. The student is responsible at all times for all communications sent to the address currently on file at the College.