A. Registration, Enrollment Status, and Course Load
Students will be able to register (sign-up) for classes before the start of each semester.
- Registration for upcoming Fall and Winter classes will typically open in April, and registration for upcoming Spring and Summer classes will typically open in October. Exact dates will be posted on the Academic Calendar.
- To be considered full-time, a student must be registered in at least 12 credits during the Fall or Spring semesters. Any student registered for fewer than 12 credit hours is considered part-time.
- Students are encouraged to register for at least 15 credits during the Fall and Spring semesters but may register for no more than 18 credits. Students may register for no more than 12 credits during a Summer intersession, and no more than 4 credits during a Winter intersession.
- Students who have completed at least 12 credit hours with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 may request a credit overload, allowing them to take more than the maximum credit load in a given semester or intersession. Students interested in this option should submit a “Request for Credit Hour Overload” form, which requires approval from their Navigator.
B. Adding or Swapping Classes
The College will designate an “add/drop” period each semester.
- For full semester (14-week) classes, this period will be the first six business days of the semester. Exact dates, including dates for half semester classes, will be posted on the Academic Calendar.
- Students may add new classes or swap classes on their schedule freely during the designated add/drop period.
- Any student who adds a class during the add/drop period will be responsible for all missed work as required by the class instructor. Students will not be penalized for any classes they missed prior to registration.
C. Registration Override Permissions
Certain registrations require permission from the class instructor, Department Chairperson, and, when appropriate, the Academic Dean before they can be processed. These are referred to as “Registration Overrides,” and they include:
- Late Add: Adding a class after the designated add/drop period.
- Closed Class: Registering for a class that has no more available seats.
- Time Conflict: Registering for two classes that overlap in time.
- Prerequisite, Co-requisite, and Major Override: Registering for a class where the student does not meet the required pre or co-requisites.
To register for a class in one of these situations, students must speak to the instructor of the class. The instructor will submit a “Course Registration Override” form if they agree to the override. There are several override considerations:
- Submission of the form does not guarantee approval or that the student will be registered. Some registration overrides require approval from the Department Chairperson and Academic Dean, in addition to the instructor.
- The form is submitted by the instructor, but the student is also required to sign it. Students must check their OCC emails to receive the form.
- Students are responsible for all missed work as required by the class instructor and may not be penalized for any classes they missed prior to registration.
D. Auditing a Class
Auditing a class allows students to explore different subjects and learn new material for personal enrichment without earning a grade.
- Students who wish to audit a class at the time of initial registration must contact Student Central to declare audit status.
- Students who wish to declare audit status in a class after it has started must submit a “Change to Audit Status” form, which requires permission from the instructor of the class. The form must be submitted no later than four weeks prior to the last day of classes. The exact deadline, including deadlines for half semester classes, will be posted on the Academic Calendar.
Audit Considerations
Students auditing a class:
- Must meet all prerequisites and co-requisites for the class as outlined in the College Catalog.
- Are responsible for tuition charges unless they are aged 60 or older.
- Will not be allowed to take the final exam.
- Will receive an “AU” (Audit) designation on their transcript and will not earn any credit for the class.
- Can only audit each course one time.
- Cannot switch to credit status after declaring audit.
E. Dropping a Class
- Students who drop a class prior to the first day of the semester will receive a full refund.
- A full semester (14-week) class may be dropped for a partial refund by the end of the third week of the semester. Half semester (7-week) classes are eligible for a partial refund if dropped by the end of the first week. For more information on refunds, see the Refund Policy.
- The deadline to drop a full semester (14-week) class is 19 calendar days after the start of the semester. The exact date, including dates for half semester classes, will be posted on the Academic Calendar.
- Dropped classes will not be shown on the student’s transcript.
- To drop a class during the designated add/drop period (see section B), students can adjust their schedules in MyOCC. To drop a class after the add/drop period, students must complete a “Drop/Withdrawal Request” form.
F. Withdrawing from a Class
Students wishing to drop a class after the deadline on the Academic Calendar may withdraw from the class instead. Withdrawing is similar to dropping, with the following considerations:
- At this point in the semester, students are responsible for 100% of the tuition and fee charges.
- A grade of “W” will appear on the student’s transcript next to the withdrawn course. A grade of “W” will not impact the student’s GPA or academic standing, but may affect their future financial aid, on-campus housing, veteran’s benefits, health insurance, visa status, and/or athletics eligibility.
- For a full semester (14-week) class, the deadline to withdraw is 20 calendar days prior to the last day of classes. The exact date, including dates for half semester classes, will be posted on the Academic Calendar.
- Students wishing to withdraw from a class must complete a “Drop/Withdrawal Request” form by the deadline published on the Academic Calendar.
G. Never Attended and Stopped Participating
Never Attended
Faculty must report students who have never attended their classes during a 3-day reporting period leading up to the census date for the semester.
- Students reported as never attended will be dropped from the class and no grade will appear on their transcript.
- Students are responsible for any tuition and fees associated with the class(es) they are dropped from due to non-attendance based on the Refund Policy.
- For full semester (14-week) classes, census is on the 20th day of the semester. Exact dates, including those for half semester classes, will be posted on the Academic Calendar.
- In face-to-face classes, attendance is defined as being present for at least one class meeting. In online classes, attendance means that the student has logged into the class at least once on or after the first day of the semester and has completed any class action.
- To report a student as never attended, the instructor will mark them as such in MyOCC during the NA reporting period for the class.
Stopped Participating
Faculty must assign a grade of “UF” to any student who stops participating in their class during the reporting period that begins at the midpoint and runs through final grading for the class.
- Students assigned a “UF” will be dropped from the class and the “UF” grade will appear on their transcript. A grade of “UF” will not impact the student’s GPA or academic standing, but may affect their future financial aid, on-campus housing, veteran’s benefits, health insurance, visa status, and/or athletics eligibility.
- Students are responsible for 100% of the tuition and fees associated with the class(es) they receive a “UF” in.
- Exact dates for the “UF” Reporting Period will be posted on the Academic Calendar.
- An instructor will determine if a student has stopped participating based on non-attendance (missing a significant number of classes without contacting the instructor), missing exams or assessments (each instructor may have their own policy on make-up work) or missing at least two consecutive weeks’ worth of course material.
Returning to Class After NA/UF
In some situations, students may be added back into a class they have been dropped from due to non-attendance or lack of participation.
- Students should discuss their situation with their instructor.
- The instructor will decide whether the student can be added back to the class. There must be a plan for the student to make up missing work.
- If yes, the instructor will submit an “Administrative Withdrawal Reinstatement” form.
- These forms are reviewed and approved by the Chief Academic Officer (Provost) or designee.
- If the instructor will not allow the student back into the class, the student may appeal the instructor’s decision by contacting the Academic Dean.
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