Faculty Handbook: Tips for Advising

Course Load

The recommended maximum course load is 20 credit hours in any semester. Special approval is required to exceed this level and is granted only in special circumstances to students with good academic records.

Schedule Changes (add/withdraw)

1. Adding a Full Semester Course – Students may add a course via myCCinfo or in person at Enrollment Services. Additions must be made within the first two days of the semester.

2. Adding a Less Than Full Semester Course – Students may add a course via myCCinfo or in person at Enrollment Services. Additions must be made prior to the start of the course.

3. Dropping a course – Students may drop a course at any time prior to the census date listed in the academic calendar (usually day 10 of the semester) using myCCinfo or by coming to Enrollment Services. Dropped courses are not recorded on a student’s transcript.

4. Withdrawing from a Full Semester Course – Students may withdraw from courses after the census date in myCCinfo or by submitting a completed Change Form to Enrollment Services prior to the withdrawal deadline. Withdrawals are recorded on the student’s transcript as a withdrawn (W) course.

After the withdraw deadline date, the student must obtain the instructor’s permission and submit a completed petition with Enrollment Services by the following deadlines:

• For fall semester classes: by February 1 of the following spring semester
• For spring semester classes: by July 1 of the following summer semester
• For summer semester classes: by October 1 of the following fall semester

5. Dropping or Withdrawing from a Less-Than-Full Semester Course – Students may submit a completed Change Form to Enrollment Services to drop or withdraw from a less-than-full semester course. Withdrawals made by the deadline date set by the instructor (typically one week after the middle of the course) will be recorded as a withdrawn (W) on the student’s transcript. The student must have the instructor’s permission to withdraw from a course after the deadline date and should follow the procedures above.

Complete Withdrawals

Students wishing to drop or withdraw from all courses in a semester should submit a completed Complete Withdrawal Form to Enrollment Services. Withdrawals for full semester courses made by the withdrawal deadline date will be recorded on the student’s transcript as a withdrawn (W) course.

After the withdraw deadline date, the student must obtain the instructor’s permission and submit a completed petition with Enrollment Services by the following deadlines:

• For fall semester classes: by February 1 of the following spring semester
• For spring semester classes: by July 1 of the following summer semester
• For summer semester classes: by October 1 of the following fall semester

Departmental Examination (this is not the same as “Credit by Examination” which refers to “CLEP or CEEB-AP” exams)

For department exams, adhere to the following four statements:

1. The student will file an Intent-to-Challenge a Course form with the registrar and the appropriate Academic Dean, which identifies the specific course for which credit by examination is sought, and pay any required fee.

2. Courses may only be challenged during a semester in which they are being taught and must be taken prior to mid-term.

3. The student must arrange for the departmental examination with the appropriate Academic Dean.

4. The instructor assigned to the course will report the appropriate grade for the challenge exam, S or U, to the Registrar and the appropriate Academic Dean.

Military Service Credit

Casper College uses The American Council of Education’s (ACE) publication, The Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services, to determine credit for military training and experience. The National Guide to Credit Recommendations for Noncollegiate Courses, published by ACE, is used to determine credit in exceptional cases.

The college reserves the right to make an independent determination of equivalency of courses or to require departmental examinations and evaluations.

The college will grant one semester credit for physical education to students who present a Report of Discharge (DD Form 214) to the registrar establishing active duty of 181 days or more. Students who present such evidence for more than one year of active duty will be granted two semester credits.

Petition/Academic Forgiveness

Casper College policy regarding “academic forgiveness” is manifested in these practices and procedures:

1) Current semester problems. A student experiencing difficulty with any course may withdraw from the course or the college (see Schedule Changes), change from taking a course for credit to auditing a course (see Auditing Courses), or request an incomplete or in progress (see Incomplete and In Progress).

2) Academic standing. Academic standing is based on either semester grade point average or cumulative grade point average (see Academic Standing), thus allowing redemption in one semester regardless of past record and avoiding penalty for one below par semester in an otherwise satisfactory record.

3) Graduation. Upon request, some courses may be excluded from the student’s cumulative grade point average calculation used for graduation, as long as all of the graduation requirements are met (see Graduation Requirements).

4) Academic Forgiveness. A degree-seeking student currently attending Casper College may petition the registrar to remove up to two semester, in their entirety, from the calculation of the student’s cumulative grade point average (GPA) and degree credits. The registrar will approve the petition if the student has completed 24 semester hours of college level courses with a 2.5 GPA after the last semester listed on in the forgiveness petition. This is a one-time-only option.

Petition/Academic Suspension

A student who wants to return to take classes at Casper College but has been placed on academic suspension can petition the Registrar for readmission. The petition can be obtained from the Student Services or Enrollment Services Offices and must be filled out and submitted to the Enrollment Services Office. If granted, the student will be admitted on probation until his/her GPA is raised to meet the good academic standing requirement of 2.0.

Petition/Late Withdrawal/Grade Change /Exception to Refund

Any extraordinary situation or request for change of college policy or procedure can request special consideration by submitting a petition to the registrar’s office in Enrollment Services.