Dec 04, 2024  
2021-2022 Catalog 
    
2021-2022 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Registering for Classes


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.

You must be registered in order to attend a class.

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, approximately 4 weeks before the start of the semester. 

Students are encouraged to use the online registration method during Early Registration. 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 more information, please see Registering for Classes below. Payment is due by the payment deadline, 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 for students making changes to their current schedule or registering for a standard length course before the course has started. This time period is provided in order to allow students the flexibility to add, drop, or register for courses, within the limits of the following criteria:

  • Regular Drop/Add: Students are allowed to add or drop until the first day of class. Students are encouraged to meet campus advising requirements and seek approval from the College Counselor/Advisor.
  • Schedule change: defined as changing sections within the same course when no class time has been missed. Currently registered students changing sections are 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. Approval is not guaranteed.

Late Registration

In accordance with college-wide registration procedures, students must be registered into a credit class (on campus, online, 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.

Registering for Classes

For your success, we suggest meeting with your Faculty Advisor or College Counselor/Advisor as you plan your semester schedule.

A class schedule will be published by your campus, either online or in print. The schedule provides information concerning each course such as 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 Search and Register link on the Community Education 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 Classes.

Personal Information Updates

It is your responsibility to keep your personal information updated and accurate. If you have a name change or wish to update your preferred name or gender identity, please use the Name Change Form.

You will be prompted to verify and/or update your address periodically in Student Self Service before you can register for classes. If your address change results in a different tuition classification, it is your responsibility to submit a Petition for Reclassification. See the residency classification section  for more information.

Payment and Prerequisite Requirements

Students are required to have payment arrangements for the full amount due at the time of registration. Payment arrangements include financial aid, payment plan, or payment in full. 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 made adequate payment arrangements, may be dropped. Due to 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. In the case of full classes, students may need to add their name to a waitlist prior to re-enrolling.

Academic Program Change

The deadline for program changes for the current semester is 10 business days after the start of the semester. Change of program forms received after this deadline will apply to the following semester.

Students should meet with their College Counselor/Advisor to discuss new program requirements before requesting an Academic Program Change.  Students should note that changing programs can cause significant impact on financial aid awards and/or Veteran’s Benefits.

In order to pursue the BAS degree, students are required to discuss the program requirements with a College Counselor/Advisor and obtain their signature. 

Class Cancellations

Colorado Mountain College reserves the right to cancel any of its classes or programs. Reasons for cancellation include, but are not limited to, lack of enrollment, instructor withdrawal, inability to gain needed insurance coverage, loss of facilities needed to conduct the class, and inability to acquire or retain specialized equipment needed to conduct the class.

The College may conduct the first session of a class in anticipation of enrollment sufficient to meet required minimums. If the necessary enrollment is not reached, the class may be canceled prior to its second session. The College retains the right to alter time schedules or make other changes as necessary.

Grading

Grades can be viewed in Student Planning approximately one week after classes end.  You will receive a grade on your transcript for each enrolled course (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 submitting a Grade Scheme Change form to the registration staff at your campus. Most courses offer three grading options:

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 Final Grades 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. 

Grade Scheme Change

You may change your grade option up to the class refund/census date by completing a Grade Scheme Change form and submitting it to the registration staff at your campus. Requests to change Grade Schemes after the refund/census date require a College Counselor/Advisor Signature and must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office. Requests will be reviewed on a case by case basis, and there is no guarantee that your request will be approved.

Final Grades

Final grades are available approximately one week after classes end. These can be viewed on your unofficial transcript available through Student Planning in Basecamp.

You will receive one of the following grades for each course (unless officially withdrawn prior to the course census date):

Grade Meaning Quality Points
A Excellent 4.0
A-   3.7
B+   3.3
B Above Average 3.0
B-   2.7
C+   2.3
C Average 2.0
C-   1.7
D+   1.3
D Poor 1.0
D-   0.7
F Fail 0.0
W Withdrawal -
AW Administrative Withdrawal -
AU Audit -
P Pass -
I Incomplete -
NG No Grade Assigned -
IP In Progress -

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 final assignments due to unexpected events. Unexpected events may include but are not limited to: illness/hospitalization, military deployment, or death of an immediate family member. An Incomplete grade is a temporary grade, and is only available for credit classes. Audited classes are not eligible to receive an Incomplete. See the Incomplete Agreement  for more information.

Grade Change Request

If you believe you have received an incorrect grade, please talk to your instructor as soon as possible. If an error has been made, the instructor can submit a grade change form. If speaking with your instructor does not resolve your concern about an incorrect grade, please see the Grade Appeal   section.

Class Attendance

Students are expected to attend all classes. If you wish to drop a class, you are responsible for completing the drop.

Dropping a Class

To withdraw from a class (drop), you must log into Basecamp and drop in Student Planning. Notifying the instructor, your Counselor/Advisor, not paying for the class, 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 refunds.

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. Students dropping before the census date will not show the class as attempted on their student record.
  • 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 withdraw from (drop) 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 beyond the student’s control, 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.  If the Hardship Withdrawal is approved, the student is awarded a grade of “AW” (Administrative Withdrawal).  AW is counted as attempted credits.  

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). AW is counted as attempted credits.  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

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 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 a 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.

Refund Policy Exception

Students must submit a Refund Policy Exception Petition to request an exception to the Colorado Mountain College refund policy.  Exceptions are only granted for special circumstances, such as medical emergencies, that keep the student from completing the class or from dropping the class within the refund period. 

No Show Attendance Reporting

Colorado Mountain College faculty and staff want you to be successful in reaching your educational goals. This 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 the student’s 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 meeting hours 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 need to enroll in 15 or 16 credit 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 carefully read all correspondence from these offices and agencies when 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 College Counselor/Advisor and/or the site administration.

Repeating a Course

Credit courses are designated as either repeatable or non-repeatable for credit. The policy for re-taking non-repeatable courses is as follows. Each time a non-repeatable course is re-taken, 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 times (the original registration and repeated once) before written consent from an College Counselor/Advisor 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. Please refer to the Continuous Enrollment & Catalog In Force Requirement  section.

Dual Credit/Concurrent Enrollment Programs Act (CEPA)

High school students may 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/ Concurrent Enrollment program. This 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:

  • Obtain approval from your high school Counselor.
  • Obtain 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 signatures of a parent, high school officials, and a CMC College Counselor/Advisor.
  • 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 a completed course registration with a parent’s signature. Adhere to CMC student rules and regulations as outlined in the Student Handbook.
  • Create an academic plan of study with your CMC College Counselor/Advisor that will help you satisfy your graduation requirements.
  • Basic skills remediation may be available through CMC in English, reading, and mathematics for students preparing for graduation to better prepare them for college-level work.
  • Some schools pay tuition only, and you may be responsible for course fees, program fees, or Learning Materials Program fees.

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 tuition-free CEPA program.

Prior Learning Assessment - Awarded Credit

There are two types of credit that can be applied toward completing a degree program at Colorado Mountain College; Earned Credit and/or Awarded Credit.

Earned Credit - the result of a student’s successful completion of a class at Colorado Mountain College, or transferred from another college as earned credit.

Awarded credit - when an assessment of prior learning corresponds to equivalent courses at CMC.

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 utilize the following methods of Prior Learning Assessment (PLA):

  • Standardized National Exams
  • Challenge Exams
  • Credit for Life Experience (Portfolio)
  • Credit for Military Service & Training

Up to 50% of coursework toward a degree or certificate can be awarded credit. However, awarded credit cannot be used toward meeting the minimum number of CMC earned credits required for a certificate (10 credits), Associate’s degree (15 credits), or Bachelor’s degree (30 credits). For transferring students, a minimum of 10 college-level credit hours must be earned at Colorado Mountain College. For those certificates requiring a total of 10 credits or less, then all classes must be taken at Colorado Mountain College. Awarded or Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) credit may not be used to fulfill this requirement.

Standardized National Exams

Certain courses have nationally-recognized examinations that 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 College Counselor/Advisor 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 Exams

Challenge Exams are utilized for guaranteed transfer courses or for courses which have no national exam equivalents. You may take a challenge exam in lieu of taking a course. Contact a College Counselor/Advisor at your campus for details. If you successfully complete a challenge exam with a grade of “C-” or better, credits for the course will be posted to your transcript with a notation indicating the credit was awarded by examination. Challenge exam grades of “D” or “F” will not be posted to your transcript. 

After meeting with your College Counselor/Advisor, 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 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.

Portfolio

There are many adults who have thought that some of their non-college learning experiences (prior experiential learning) are equivalent to what is taught in college and that they should receive college credit for those experiences (which can be applied toward a college degree). Colorado Mountain College recognizes that many of these prior experiences are worthy of college credit.

Portfolio development is designed for those individuals who have prior learning that cannot be measured by testing such as standardized or other competency exams. However, credits will not be awarded simply for one’s years of experience. Rather, one will be required to document and/or demonstrate what important knowledge, skills or competencies one has attained as a result of these experiences and align these with student learning outcomes for particular courses.

The fees for completing the portfolio are non-refundable and assessed before you turn in the portfolio. In-district fees are 50% of current tuition for credits attempted through the portfolio process; service area fees are 50% of current tuition for 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).

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

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 Registrar’s Office at registrar@coloradomtn.edu to confirm whether your credits are transferable.

To determine the number of credits that will be accepted in transfer to Colorado Mountain College, we prepare a Transfer Evaluation Report. This report compares an official transcript 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 Registrar’s Office will use 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 Prior Learning Assessment earlier in this chapter for more details.

Official transcripts may be sent from the previous institution electronically to: registrar@coloradomtn.edu.

Or via mail to the 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. 

Credits Not Accepted Into Colorado Mountain College

Some courses do not transfer or count as degree credit at Colorado Mountain College:

  • 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.

Transfer Evaluation Appeals Process

If you are not satisfied with the completed Transfer Evaluation Report, you may submit a Re-Evaluations of Transfer Course Petition to the Registrar’s Office at registrar@coloradomtn.edu.  The evaluator will review the appeal (consulting faculty and/or academic administration as appropriate) prior to making a final decision.