Registering for Classes

• Course Load
• Dropping a Class
• Dual Credit/Concurrent Enrollment Programs Act (CEPA)
• Earning Non-traditional Credit
• Grading System and Options
• No-show Attendance Reporting
• Refunds
• Registering for Classes
• Standard Registration Periods
• Transferring Credits into CMC

This section describes the policies and processes for adding and dropping classes and policies related to class attendance, course load, and transferring credits into Colorado Mountain College.  Below is an overview of the registration process. For further information, please visit Credit Classes.

Standard Registration Periods

CMC’s academic year is three semesters (fall, spring, summer). Standard registration periods pertain to standard and non-standard length credit courses.

The Early Registration period provides an opportunity for currently enrolled degree- or certificate-seeking students to register early for the upcoming semester.  Students must meet campus academic advising requirements, and have a zero balance on their account. Tuition costs are added to the student’s account at the time of registration. However, payment is deferred to the regular deadline, which is approximately 4 weeks before the start of the semester. 

Students are encouraged to use the online registration method during this period. In-person registrations may be available by contacting your campus.

Registration is open to all students and for all class types (credit, continuing education/non-credit, and CEU). For further information please visit Register-for-class. Payment is due by the Payment Deadline, which is approximately 4 weeks before the start of the semester. For registrations after the payment deadline, payment is due at the end of the day following registration. 

Drop/Add Period is intended for students making changes to their current schedule or registering for a standard length course before the course has started. Some flexibility is needed to allow for students to drop/add courses or register for a course provided they meet the following “Drop/Add Period” criteria.

• Regular Add/Drop: Students are allowed to add or drop until the first day of class. Students are encouraged to meet campus advising requirements and get approval from the Academic Advisor or College Counselor.
• Schedule change: A schedule change is defined as changing sections within the same course when no class time has been missed. Currently registered students changing sections will be allowed to make schedule changes after the first class session with the approval of the instructor.
• Late Registration: After the first day of class, students may be allowed to register with an approved Late Registration form.

Registering for Classes

For your success, we suggest that you meet with your Faculty Advisor, Academic Advisor, or a College Counselor as you plan your semester schedule.

A class schedule will be made available by your campus, either online or in print. The schedule provides information concerning each course–when and where the course meets, the instructor, and the cost. The class syllabus, available after you register, also provides important dates such as the withdrawal date (the last date you can drop the class).

Courses offered at Colorado Mountain College include credit, continuing education (non-credit), and continuing education units (CEU) classes. Many short courses start throughout each semester. Checking the online class schedule throughout the semester will provide the most up-to-date course offerings and registration deadlines. Students are encouraged to register early to avoid low enrollment class cancellations or course wait lists.

Registration Methods

Colorado Mountain College offers two registration options:

1. Online (preferred):
   • Students registering for credit classes will use the online Student Planning tool. This is available in the Basecamp portal for all students.
   • Students registering for non-credit classes may use the non-credit link on the Find Your Classes and Register page.
2. In person at the front desk of any campus.

Under special circumstances, a process for registration by mail or phone may be available.

Please contact your campus for questions or assistance.

Class schedules and registration information are also available on the Colorado Mountain College website at Find Your Classes and Register.

Payment and Prerequisite Requirements

Students are encouraged to sign up for a Payment Plan or have satisfied all financial aid requirements at the time of registration. A student is considered to be fully enrolled in a class if allowed to remain registered in the class through the class census date (generally 10 days after the start of each term).

Students who do not meet minimum course prerequisites, or who have not paid, and/or signed up for a Payment Plan may be dropped. Because of time constraints, prior notice of the drop will not be provided. All students are strongly encouraged to monitor their CMC email account for important communications. Students who are dropped for non-payment will not automatically be reinstated in the class. The student may be required to join others on a waiting list.

Class Cancellations

Some classes may have early decision dates. This means that if sufficient enrollment is not evident at an established date prior to the class start date, the class may be canceled.

Late Registration

In accordance with college-wide registration procedures, students must be registered into a credit class (on campus, IVS or hybrid) by the end of the first scheduled class meeting. For online learning, students must be registered by the end of the day of the official class start date. Exceptions may be granted by the Instructor and a Dean or Assistant Dean. This procedure is in place to allow students the best possible chance for academic success. Note: late registration is not available for CMC short courses (course that meet for less than 5 days). Please see your campus registration staff for assistance.

Dropping a Class

To withdraw from a class (drop), you must log into Basecamp and drop in Student Planning. Notifying the instructor, your Advisor, or simply not attending class are not sufficient ways to ensure that you are withdrawn/dropped from class. If you cannot drop in Student Planning, you can submit an Add/Drop Form to any CMC site registration office. The date of the online drop, or the date the Add/Drop Form is received, shall determine your eligibility to drop the class and/or receive any related funds.

Key dates:

• Refund Date: This date is published in the course syllabus, and usually occurs within the first 15 percent of class instruction time.
• Census Date: This occurs one day after the Refund Date. Students dropping (withdrawing from) a class after the Census Date will receive a “W” grade for the class.
• Withdrawal Date: This date is published in the course syllabus, and usually occurs when 75 percent of the class instruction has occurred.
  Students may not drop (withdraw from) a class after the Class Withdrawal Date.

Hardship Withdrawal

The Hardship Withdrawal process can be used to withdraw from a class or classes if the student has experienced extenuating circumstances that were beyond the student’s control, and that affected the student’s ability to achieve the objectives of the course. A request for Hardship Withdrawal should only be used after the course withdrawal date (75% of the course) has passed. Before this date, it is in the student’s best interest to withdraw using Student Planning on Basecamp. The withdrawal date is specific to each course; please refer to your course syllabus.
Only one hardship withdrawal request will be considered per student per academic year. Hardship Withdrawal requests will only be considered when submitted within 12 months of the extenuating circumstance. After 12 months, they will not be accepted.

Class Attendance

Students are expected to attend all classes. If you wish to drop a class, you are responsible for completing the Drop. Faculty members are authorized to drop students for excessive absences. You cannot, however, assume that a faculty member will drop you from a class. The actual number of absences necessary for a faculty member to consider dropping a student varies by course and instructor.

Administrative Withdrawal

The course instructor may drop a student from his/her class for excessive absences. Excessive absence is the point at which the faculty member feels that the student, due to absences, cannot successfully complete the course. The instructor is not, however, required to drop the student. Excessive absences can cause the student to earn a failing grade.              

If the faculty member drops (withdraws) a student, the student is awarded a grade of “AW” (Administrative Withdrawal). The instructor cannot drop a student after the Course Withdrawal Date. Students dropped through Administrative Withdrawal procedures do not receive a refund of tuition and/or fees.

Refunds

This section discusses tuition and special charge refund policies.

Standard Class Refunds

You will receive a refund of tuition and fees for standard classes (classes which span a period longer than five days) if you drop the class within the first 15 percent of the semester (on or before the refund date). Some courses will have a non-refundable course fee or charge. The refund date is published for each class in the semester class schedule.

To be eligible for a refund, you must log into Basecamp and drop the class in Student Planning. Lack of attendance does not constitute dropping a class. If you are unable to drop the class in Student Planning, you must submit an Add/Drop Form or written request with supporting documentation to the registration office at your campus. It is your responsibility to ensure that the request is received by the registration office. The date of receipt of the request will be used to determine eligibility for refunds and/or final approval of the drop request.

No refund is given if a class is dropped after the refund date. If you are enrolled in a class that is canceled, you will receive a 100 percent refund of related tuition and fees.

Short Class Refunds

To receive a refund for a short class (one to five days in duration), you must log into Basecamp and drop the class in Student Planning or submit the Add/Drop Form two working days prior to the first day of class. Working days are defined as Monday through Friday for this purpose.

Special Charge Refunds

Some courses may have special charges that are required for the course. These special charges are usually charged to cover expenses external to the college, and may have early refund dates or be non-refundable. Please check the class schedule for this information.

No Show Attendance Reporting

Colorado Mountain College Faculty and staff want you to be successful with reaching your educational goals. It starts with attending all of your classes.  For credit courses that start at the beginning of the semester, faculty must report “Never Attended” (no shows) on the second Wednesday of the semester. For late starting classes, faculty must report ON the seventh (7) day after the course start date.

NOTE: a no-show for a face-to-face class is defined as lack of “attendance” where attendance is defined as one of the following:

• Physical class attendance where there is direct interaction between instructor and student
• Submission of an academic assignment
• Examination, interactive tutorial, or computer-assisted instruction
• Study group assigned by school
• Participation in online discussion about academic matters
• Documented initiation of contact with instructor to ask a question about an academic subject

NOTE: a no-show for an online class is a student who has not completed the introductory assignment(s) by the deadline and has not logged into the class.

CAUTION:  If the student has not attended (per language above), the student will be reported as a no-show and may be dropped from the class. If you are dropped for non-attendance, a refund is not automatic or guaranteed. If you have not attended, be sure to check Student Planning to see whether you are still registered in the class. If you are still registered, and you do not attend, you risk receiving a failing grade.

After you are dropped, class reinstatement cannot occur without significant documentation of extenuating circumstances. The student must first contact the instructor for approval. If reinstatement is approved, the student must proceed with the Late Registration process.

No-Show Reporting and Financial Aid: if a student is dropped from a course (or courses) for non-attendance, the resultant loss in credit hours may cause a reduction and/or cancellation of his/her financial aid award. Like class reinstatement, financial aid awards can only be reinstated with documentation of extreme extenuating circumstances. Reinstatement in class DOES NOT guarantee financial aid reinstatement.

Textbooks for Dropped Classes:  If you received a book from the Learning Materials Program, you MUST return your book(s) within 7 days after dropping the class. Failure to do so may result in charges to your account, which if left unpaid, will affect your ability to register for future classes.

Course Load

Each course offered for college credit is assigned a specific credit hour value. The credit hours usually correspond to the number of class sessions per week. For example, a standard three credit hour course offered for the full 15-week semester will usually meet three hours per week.

To complete a two-year degree program in four semesters, you would need to enroll in 15 or 16 hours per semester.

In general, the minimum requirement to be considered full-time is 12 credit hours. However, requirements for different types of financial assistance (financial aid, scholarships, veterans benefits, etc.) may vary. Be sure to read carefully all correspondence from these offices and agencies when you are planning your schedule.

Disabled students may, for some purposes, be considered full-time if taking fewer than 12 credit hours. Contact Disability Services for more information.

If you plan to enroll in more than 18 hours, you must obtain authorization from your Academic Advisor or College Counselor and/or the site administration.

Repeat Courses

All courses not designated repeatable for credit fall under the Course Repeat Policy. Each time a non-repeatable course is repeated, it is recorded on the transcript. The most recent grade will be calculated in the cumulative GPA. The courses will be counted one time only in the total credits earned. A non-repeatable course may be taken for a maximum of two (2) times (the original registration and repeated once) before written consent from the College Counselor or Instructional Administrator of the respective campus is required.

Requesting Readmittance

If you have not attended classes at CMC for three or more consecutive semesters, you are required to be readmitted, and must complete a new admission application for the term in which you are enrolling.

Dual Credit/Concurrent Enrollment Programs Act (CEPA)

High school students take Colorado Mountain College courses. Any high school student who is less than 21 years of age, is enrolled in the 9th grade of high school or higher, and meets the course prerequisites, is eligible for the Dual Credit program. The Concurrent Enrollment program provides high school students with the opportunity to enroll in postsecondary courses and earn college and high school credit at no tuition cost. Be sure to complete the following steps so you can enter the Dual Credit program:

• Get approval from your high school Counselor.
• Get approval from your school principal or school district superintendent.
• Submit the online application found on the Concurrent Enrollment Page.
• Some students may also be required to complete a paper Concurrent Enrollment form with parent’s, high school officials’, and CMC Academic Counselor’s signatures.
• Take a Placement test. You may provide ACT, SAT, or Accuplacer scores prior to registration. CMC offers the Accuplacer assessment in English, reading, and mathematics for placement purposes.
• Submit completed course registration with parent’s signature. Adhere to CMC student rules and regulations as outlined in the Student Handbook.
• Create an academic plan of study with your Academic Counselor that will help you satisfy all of your graduation requirements.
• Basic skills remediation may be available through CMC in mathematics, English, and reading for students preparing for graduation to better prepare them for college level work.

To learn more, read the Concurrent Enrollment FAQ.

It is also possible for high school students to use the Underage Admissions  process to take classes at CMC that are not concurrent with their high school classes, and not part of the CEPA program.

Earning Non-Traditional Credit

Colorado Mountain College recognizes that learning can take place in environments outside the traditional classroom. To recognize this learning and to equate it with traditional classroom learning, we have developed the following methods of awarding credits.

For courses which have standardized national exam equivalents can have credit awarded through use of these exams. Challenge Exams are utilized for guaranteed transfer courses or for courses which have no national exam equivalents. Likewise, Credit for Life Experience is used when neither a national exam nor a challenge exam is appropriate to the course.

Definition of Awarded and Earned Credits

National exam scores, Institutional Challenge Exams, or Credit for Life Experiences recognize prior learning. Credits representing this learning are considered to be awarded by the college.

Awarded credit hours are not included in meeting the minimum requirements for graduation. Only 50% of coursework toward a degree or certificate can be awarded credit.

Credits are considered to have been earned if they are the result of a student’s official registration in the class at Colorado Mountain College.

Credit for Standardized National Exams

Certain courses have nationally-recognized examinations which satisfy certain course and program requirements. Colorado Mountain College recognizes and accepts exam results for CLEP, AP, DSST (DANTES), Excelsior College Exam, and International Baccalaureate to award credit. Please contact your Academic Advisor or College Counselor to inquire about the acceptance and the required minimum score of a specific subject matter exam through one of these national testing agencies. Have your test scores submitted to the Office of the Registrar, Colorado Mountain College, 802 Grand Ave.,Glenwood Springs, CO 81601.

Challenge Exam Credits

You may take a challenge exam in lieu of enrolling in and taking a course. Contact an Academic Advisor or College Counselor at your campus for details. If you successfully complete a challenge exam by receiving a grade of “C-” or better, the credits allowed for the course will be posted to your transcript. Challenge exam grades of “D” or “F” will not be posted to your transcript. Challenge credits are posted to transcripts with a notation indicating the credit was awarded by examination.

After your meeting with your Advisor or Counselor, they will coordinate with Academic Affairs to secure an approved method for the exam. After the examination has been established, you must make payment for the exam to the registration staff. The non-refundable fee is either 50% of your normal tuition rate for the class, or 50% of the in-state tuition rate, whichever is lower. You must be currently enrolled in other classes at Colorado Mountain College to qualify for a challenge exam. Current high school students may be granted an exception to the enrollment requirement when testing as part of a high school class.

You may take as many approved challenge exams as you wish, however, you may attempt only one exam per semester for each course. Only 50% of coursework toward a degree or certificate can be awarded credit.

Here you may view the current list of CMC’s Challenge Exams.

Credit for Life Experiences

Colorado Mountain College has developed a procedure for evaluating your prior learning outside the classroom and through life experiences. This method of awarding credit may be authorized for courses which, as determined by the Vice President of Academic Affairs, cannot be effectively evaluated through the challenge exam system. This procedure determines the specific learning which has taken place, and equates that learning with courses within the curriculum. If a challenge exam is not available, the Advisor or Counselor will provide documentation on the portfolio process.

The fees for Credit for Life Experiences are non-refundable and are assessed before you turn in a portfolio. In-district fees are 50% of current tuition for the credits attempted through the portfolio process; service area fees are 50% of current tuition for the credits attempted through the portfolio process; in-state and out-of-state fees are 50% of current tuition for in-state residency for credits attempted through the portfolio process.

Credit for Military Service and Training

Credit may be awarded for certain types of military service and schools. The training/schooling must be approved and listed in the current Guide to the Evaluation of Education Experience in the Armed Services, prepared by the American Council on Education (ACE). The recommendations provided by ACE are used by CMC for the transcript evaluation process. These credit recommendations appear on the service member’s Joint Services Transcript (JST). 

Transferring Credits into Colorado Mountain College

This section describes the requirements and processes for transferring credits into Colorado Mountain College.

Transfer Evaluation and Reporting Process

Regular academic courses completed with a grade of “C-” or better are generally accepted in transfer. Colorado Mountain College accepts credits from colleges and universities accredited by regional accrediting agencies. If your college was accredited by a nationally recognized agency other than a member of the Association of Schools and Colleges, please contact the Academic Credentials evaluator at transcript@coloradomtn.edu to confirm whether or not your credits are transferable.

To determine the number of credits which will be accepted in transfer to Colorado Mountain College, we prepare a Transfer Evaluation Report. This report compares an official transcript that has been received directly from the transfer institution with courses at Colorado Mountain College. Equivalent course codes are assigned where possible. Not all transfer-level courses are granted an equivalent, but credit in the same general area may be allowed. The Academic Credentials Evaluator will use the catalog course descriptions from the transferring institution as the official statement of course content. Students may be requested to provide official course descriptions for specific courses.

If you have earned credit from a non-accredited institution, you may attempt to have the learning recognized through our challenge exam system. See Earning Non-Traditional Credit earlier in this chapter for more details.

Electronic transcripts may be sent from the previous institution to registrar@coloradomtn.edu.

Official academic transcripts must be sent to the Central Registrar’s Office.

Colorado Mountain College
Registrar Office - Transcripts
802 Grand Avenue
Glenwood Springs, CO 81601

International Transcript Evaluation Process

International transcripts are evaluated for Colorado Mountain College by a service agency. The fee for this service is paid by the student directly to the service agency. Copies of course descriptions and/or syllabi from your previous courses may be required. Please contact www.edperspective.org or the Registrar’s office at Colorado Mountain College at registrar@coloradomtn.edu to obtain the necessary information for having international transcripts evaluated for transfer credit. When working with edperspective.org, be sure to request the Catalog Match option.

Obtaining Military Transcripts

For information on ordering a Joint Services Transcript (JST), please visit the JST website.

Credits Not Accepted Into Colorado Mountain College

There are some courses which do not transfer or count as degree credit at Colorado Mountain College. These are grouped as follows:

• Developmental college courses such as developmental English, remedial mathematics, remedial reading, developmental reading, and remedial science.
• Career and technical courses not equivalent in content and/or level of Colorado Mountain College courses.
• No more than 20 quarter or 13 semester credits completed by correspondence at another institution.
• Courses in which a grade of “D+” or less was received (or a “P” grade, where “P” can be equal to “D+” or less level work).
• Religious courses which are not secular in content.
• Courses taken longer than 10 years ago must be reviewed by CMC’s Transcript Evaluator before they are accepted.

Transfer Evaluation Appeals Process

If you are not satisfied with the completed Transfer Evaluation Report, you may submit a written appeal to the Academic Credentials Evaluator at transcript@coloradomtn.edu. The evaluator will review the appeal (consulting faculty and/or academic administration as appropriate) prior to making a final decision. The student will be notified of the outcome by email.

Grading System and Options

Grade reports are currently available through Basecamp in Student Planning. End of semester grades are available approximately one week after classes end.

On the report, you will receive one of the following symbols for each course enrollment (unless officially withdrawn prior to the course census date):

Grading Options

You select your grade option at the time you register for classes. You may change your grade option up to the class refund/census date by contacting the registration staff at your campus. Most courses offer the three grading options described below.

Letter Grade Option: If you do not clearly express your desire to be evaluated using one of the grading options outlined, you will be automatically evaluated using the letter grade option. These grades are listed (A-F) under the Grading System and Options section in this chapter.

Audit Option: Students selecting the Audit Option receive an “AU” as the final grade. This means only that the student registered for the course. Audit students are not required to submit papers or take exams, but all risk management and student conduct requirements still apply. Students registered under this option earn no quality points or credit hours. Students cannot meet prerequisite requirements through this grade option. Students registered under the course audit option may re-take the course for credit later.

Pass/Fail Option: If you select the Pass/Fail Option, you will receive a “P” for the class if you earn the equivalent of a “C-” or better for the course. Likewise, an “F” is assigned if you earn a “D+”, “D”, “D-“, or “F”.

Although all courses are available through this option, only 20 percent of all courses used to meet degree/certificate requirements can be earned through the Pass/Fail Option. Courses awarded by standardized national exams, i.e., CLEP, AP, DSST (DANTES), IB or Excelsior College Exam, are given a “P” grade and are not included in the 20 percent calculation. Courses of .5 credit hours or less must be graded with the Pass/Fail Option.

Short workshops (.5 credits or less) are only available through this grading option. You must register for these courses through the Pass/Fail or Audit Options.

What is an Incomplete Grade?

The “Incomplete” grade is a temporary grade, agreed upon by the instructor, indicating that the student has a satisfactory record of work completed but, for exceptional reasons, was unable to complete the final assignments due to unexpected events. It is designed for students who, because of documented illness/hospitalization or circumstances beyond their control such as military deployment or unexpected death of an immediate family member are unable to complete their course work within the semester but have completed a majority of the course work (75% of the total course points made up of assignments, tests, papers, lab work, outdoor field experience, etc.) in a satisfactory manner (C grade, 70% or better). The student is responsible for initiating the request for an “Incomplete” grade from the instructor.

When to Request an Incomplete Grade

If circumstances beyond your control at or near the end of the semester would prevent you from completing the course, gather your written documentation describing the situation and consult your instructor immediately. The instructor will determine whether you have a reasonable chance of satisfactorily completing the remaining activities.

How to Request an Incomplete Grade:

• In requesting an “Incomplete” grade, the student and the instructor will complete the following information for evaluation:
• The student will provide written documentation of circumstances leading to “incomplete grade” situation
• Evidence of completion of 75% of the total semester course points as described above and completed work at a C level (70%) or higher. Completion of a work plan (contract) that includes how assignments and tests will be completed to meet course requirements in the allotted time
• Both the instructor and the student must acknowledge this written contract and keep a copy of the acknowledgment as documentation (Incomplete Course Form)
• Instructional supervisors co-sign the incomplete contract

NOTE: You are encouraged to let the instructor know as soon as possible if you are having difficulties with any part of the course. However, incomplete grades are granted at the discretion of the instructor, and are not automatic. The instructor’s decision to authorize or not authorize an incomplete grade is final. At no time will the “Incomplete” grade be used as entrance into another current or future course section. The faculty member may allow up to one semester (not including summer) to complete the course requirements. Work must be completed in sufficient time for the grade change form to be received by the Registrar’s Office prior to the end of the semester date published in the catalog. Those grades that are not changed by the end of the semester will automatically become failing grades (F).

Grade Appeals

Evaluating student academic performance and assigning grades is one of the main professional responsibilities of the faculty. The student may, however, appeal an assigned grade if he/she has evidence indicating that the grade was awarded in a capricious manner. Capricious grading is defined as one or both of the following:

The faculty member used criteria other than performance in the course.

The standards used to assign the final grade deviated substantially from the standards announced and/or were not uniformly applied to others in the class.

Please note that simple disagreement with the subjective judgment of the instructor does not support a charge of capriciousness.

Students wishing to appeal a grade must first discuss the grade assignment with the instructor. If the matter is not resolved, a written notice of appeal must be submitted to the Vice President or Dean of the Colorado Mountain College campus that offered the class. This notice of appeal must be received within 30 days after the first day of classes for the following term.