These procedures govern registration and student records

Administrative Withdrawal of Students

In order to assure that all available class seats are filled with students - both registered students and students from the waitlist - Southwestern enforces an attendance policy.

Instructors may administratively withdraw students from classes if the students do not attend 100% of class sessions and associated labs during the first week of each term. Additionally, all instructors may administratively withdraw students from sub-term classes (those which do not span the entire term) if students do not attend the first class session. Students who are unable to attend the first class meeting must contact the instructor by phone, e-mail or in person prior to the first class meeting if they wish to avoid an administrative withdrawal. Southwestern Oregon Community College is not responsible for liabilities associated with the administrative withdrawal of students. Ultimately, students are responsible for dropping courses within the drop period to avoid being charged for the class or receiving a failing grade. 

Any student whose behavior disrupts the educational process of a course can be administratively withdrawn from that course. It is the procedure of Southwestern Oregon Community College that an individual will be subject to involuntary administrative withdrawal from campus and related instruction if it is determined, by clear and convincing evidence, that the individual is suffering from a physical, emotional and/or behavioral disorder and as a result of the disorder engages or threatens to engage in behavior which:

• Poses a danger of causing physical harm to self or others;
• Could cause property damage; or
• Could directly and substantially impede the educational process and/or the lawful activities of others.

The College reserves the right to request, with good cause, a physical, psychological or psychiatric examination of a student any time the examinations may be in the best interest of the College and/or the student. The College shall pay for the examinations.

Add/Drops

Students must receive Course Authorization via myLakerLink from their instructors to add courses after the first Wednesday of the term. Students may withdraw from a course or from the College through the end of the second Wednesday, 5:00 p.m., of the term or within the course’s refund period without responsibility for a grade. Students may add courses with instructor consent through the end of the second Wednesday of the term at 5:00PM. Dropping after the refund period will result in “W” grades on transcripts. Students may drop until the Wednesday before finals week. Students are strongly encouraged to consult the instructor before dropping to ascertain their status in the course.

Auditing Courses

Students who are interested in taking a class, but do not need the credit may choose to audit credit classes and pay only 50% of the regular tuition. Students auditing classes participate fully in the class, but are not required to take tests and do not receive grades. To qualify for the audit discount, registration is required within the refund period. Fees and registration procedures are the same as when the students take the class for credit.  

*Financial aid may be impacted by auditing a course; please check with the Financial Aid Office for details.  

*Community members wishing to experience a college course or training should contact the Community Education Office at https://www.socc.edu/for-the-community/community-education/.

Change of Major or Specialization

To change a major or specialization, students must complete the Change of Major form on myLakerLink. Login to see the form here: https://mylakerlink.socc.edu/ICS/Admissions/Program_Applications.jnz . Changes to majors made by the second Wednesday of the term will apply to the current term. Changes made thereafter will apply to the following term. For graduation and class scheduling purposes, students need to use the catalog year in which they declare their major. Because changing majors may have an impact on financial aid eligibility, students are encouraged to consult with their academic advisor before making any changes.

Classification

A student will be classified in Freshman/Sophomore status when they have earned the following credits:

• Freshman: 0-44.9 credits
• Sophomore: 45+ credits

Course Delivery Methods

Southwestern offers the following types of courses. If you are not sure what type your courses are, talk to you advisor or the instructor of the course.

FACE-TO-FACE - This course will be offered entirely in a face-to-face format.  Students will attend class on campus at specified times and at a specified location.

HYBRID - This class will have some of the course material delivered remotely.  Students will also attend class on campus at specified times and at a specified location.

VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION - This class will have all course material delivered online.  Students will be required to attend virtual class sessions via Zoom at a specified time.

ONLINE - This class will have all course material delivered online with no requirements for a student to attend class at a specified time.

Course Prerequisites

A course that must be completed prior to another course is a prerequisite. Course prerequisites must be passed with a "C" or better. Many courses have prerequisites that can only be waived with instructor consent. Instructors waive prerequisites with a Course Authorization via myLakerLink. Students may be withdrawn from courses if they have not completed the prerequisites from the prior term. Students may request that the prerequisites be waived if they have the knowledge and skills to succeed in the courses. Online students contact the Student Success Center (SSC) at 541-888-7405 or 800-962-2838, ext. 7405 for assistance.

Instructor Consent

Students planning to register for a course that requires instructor consent must be cleared by the instructor with a Course Authorization via myLakerLink, or by submitting a completed and signed add/drop slip. 

Waitlisted Courses

When students register for courses that are full, they are placed on waitlists. Students in waitlisted courses will be notified through their college email when seats are available and they have permission to register via myLakerLink or at a Student First Stop Center. Students must then actively click the add/move button within 36 hours to be added to the waitlist. The waitlist ends the Thursday prior to the first week of classes. After the waitlist period ends, students may register in the waitlisted courses with instructor consent. 

Statute of Limitations on AA/OT, AS, AGS, and AAS Degrees and Certificates

To earn an Associate's degree or Certificate of Completion, students must meet the requirements in the catalog year in which they declared their major at Southwestern. Students who are not enrolled in at least one course toward their degree for more than one year will lose the right to complete the degree under the original catalog requirements. Students must then meet the requirements in the catalog from the year they re-enroll at Southwestern.

The application of existing coursework will be evaluated on an individual basis by the Transcript Evaluator and the appropriate instructors. Modifications or exceptions may be made in certain circumstances by approval from the Academic Standards Committee. For example, if the student has been employed in the skill area and has thus been able to keep up with developments in the field or if the time lapse is marginally outside accepted limits. All exceptions will be made with the knowledge and consent of the appropriate instructors.
An edition of the catalog is valid for five academic years. For example, a catalog that takes effect in summer of 2017 is valid only through spring of 2022.

Students should regularly consult an advisor in their major field. Failure to complete the requirements within that time frame will require students to move to the current catalog year or to petition the Academic Standards Committee, using the Academic Standards Committee Petition form, for an exception to the policy. Students taking more than five years to complete their degree program must have coursework evaluated by the Transcript Evaluator and the program faculty before graduation. Students may have to retake courses or take additional coursework in order to graduate.

Student Records Procedure

The Student First Stop Centers maintain all official academic records of students including Applications for Admission, transcripts, registration forms, and transfer credit and degree evaluations. The Financial Aid Office maintains all records of student aid and scholarship records.

FERPA: The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA or Buckley amendment) and Oregon Administrative Rules (OARs) protect the confidentiality of student records and student access to those records. Under the provisions of the FERPA and OARs, the educational institution must designate the information it will release without the written consent of the student as directory information, and protect the confidentiality of all other student records. By being FERPA compliant, the College in turn maintains Gramm-Leach-Bliley (GLB) compliance.

It is the intent of Southwestern to designate the following data as directory information: Student’s full name; the fact that the student is or has been enrolled in the College; local and permanent addresses and telephone number(s); e-mail address; date and place of birth; participation in officially recognized activities and sports; weight and height of members of athletic teams; dates of attendance; class level; major field of study; number of credit hours (not grades or GPA); degrees and awards received; the most recent educational institution attended by the student; job title(s) and dates of employment for student employees who have been or are paid from college administered funds.

Students may prohibit the release of any or all of this directory information by filling out the Restrict or Release form at either Student First Stop Center. Requests to withhold this information will remain in effect until the Student First Stop Center receives written instructions from the student to remove the hold.

Directory information and other personally identifiable information may be released to college officials who have a legitimate educational interest, or to comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena. The President of the College may release personally identifiable student information to appropriate persons in connection with an emergency if knowledge of such information is necessary to protect the health or safety of persons and/or safety of property.

Students have the right, by pre-scheduled appointment with the Registrar, to access their educational records as defined in OAR 582-41-410, as well as to challenge the correctness of those records, to request amendment of those records and, in case of dispute, to obtain a hearing (OAR 581-41-450). Students may not request a hearing under this policy to challenge a grade, only the accuracy of its recording. Students who wish to inspect their records must schedule an appointment with the College Registrar. If students request a copy of any document in the records, a copy charge will be assessed. This does not include transcripts, which can be obtained from either Student First Stop Center. Students may forfeit the right to receive an official transcript if they have an outstanding balance with the College, or have been notified that their transcript may be withheld.

Records Disclosure

OAR 581-41-460 authorizes Southwestern Oregon Community College to ask you to provide your social security number. The College will use your number for reporting, research, and record keeping. Your number will also be provided by the College to the Data for Analysis (D4A) Oregon colleges reporting system. All students are assigned a student identification number separate from their social security number. D4A is a reporting system designed for secondary and postsecondary educational institutions to report data required by the Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC). The system stores information about students and programs to meet State and Federal reporting requirements. It also helps colleges plan, research and develop programs. This information helps the colleges to support the progress of students and their success in the workplace and other education programs.

D4A or the College may provide your social security number to agencies or match it with records from the following systems:

• State and private universities, colleges, and vocational schools to find out how many community college students further their education and also to find out whether community college courses are a good basis for further education.
• The Oregon Employment Department, which gathers information, including employment and earnings, to help state and local agencies plan education and training services to help Oregon citizens obtain the best jobs available.
• The Oregon Department of Education provides reports to local, state, and federal governments. The information is used to learn about education, training, and job market trends for planning, research, and program improvement. Funding for community colleges is based on this information.
• The Oregon Department of Revenue and collection agencies only for purposes of processing debts and only if credit is extended to you by the College.
• Where applicable (i.e., at colleges which use the ASSET/Compass placement test): The American College Testing Service, if you take the placement test, for educational research purposes.
• The Internal Revenue Service, which is required to be reported for tax credit eligibility determination.

Your number will be used only for the purposes listed above. State and federal law protects the privacy of your records.

OAR (Reglamento Administraivo de Oregon) 581.41.460 autoriza al colegio comunitario Southwestern Oregon Community College que solicite su numero social. El numero sera utilizado por el colegio para la preparacion de reportes, agregados, investigaciones, y para guardar suexpediente academico. Su numero tambien sera proporcionado por la universidad al sistema de informes de universidades de Data for Analysis (D4A) de Oregon. A todos los estudiantes se les asigna un numero de identificaion del estudiante separado de su numero de seguro social. D4A es un sistema de informes disenado para instituciones educativas secundarias y postsecundarias para reportar los datos requeridos por la Comision de Coordinacion de Educacion Superior de Oregon (HECC). El sistema incluye informacion sobre los estudiantes y programas para cumplir con los requisitos de reportes federales y estatales. Tambien ayuda a la los colegios en su planificacion, investigacion, y para el desarollo de programas. Esta informacion ayuda a los colegios a mantener el progreso de los estudiantes y sus exitos en el lugar de trabajo y en otros programas de educacion.

D4A o el colegio se pueden proporcionar su numero social a las siguentes agencias o conseguirlo o igualarlo con los archivos de los siguentes sistemas: oLos colegios estatales, univeridades privadas, colegios, y colegios vocacionales, para averiguar cuantos estudiantes que asistieron a los colegios comunitarios continuaron con su educacion y para averiguar si los cursos son una buena base para la educacion adicional.

• El Departamento de Empleo de Oregon, que coleciona informacion para ayudar a las agencias estatales y locales en la planificacion de los servicios educacionales y servicios de entrenamiento para ayudar a la poblacion de Oregon a conseguir los mejores trabajos posibles.
• El Departamento de Educacion de Oregon, para proveer reportes al gobierno estatal y federal. Esta informacion se usa para aprender sobre la educacion, el entrenamiento, y la direccion que van tomando los trabajos para planification, investigacion, y mejoramiento de los programas. Los fondos que los colegios comunitarios reciben es basada en esta informacion.
• El Departamento de Fiscal de Oregon y las agencias de coleccion con el proposito de procesar deudas y solamente si se el extiende credito a la persona por el colegio.
• DONDE SEA APLICABLE (por ejemplo en los colegios que usan la prueba ASSET): El Servicio de Pruebas de Colegio Americanos, si usted toma la prueba ASSET Placement Test, para el proposito de investigacion.
• De ustedes el numero de seguro social es requeria y sere informe a la IRS (rentas internas) para determinacion de aceptablemente credito. Su numero se usara solo para los propositos enlistados arriba. Las leyes estatales y federales protejen su informacion privada. Si necesita mas ayuda, llama EPSE por telefono 541-888-7405; 800-962-2838, ext. 7405.

Credit for Coursework

The regular college year is divided into three quarters of approximately 11 weeks each. One credit is generally allowed for each discussion or laboratory period per week. The discussion period consists of 50 minutes of lecture or discussion; the laboratory period may consist of two or more clock hours.

Summer session usually include terms of eight weeks, with class periods proportionately extended.

For each period of lecture or discussion, students are expected to spend at least two hours on outside preparation (studying).

An average course load of 15 credits of college-level coursework per quarter will normally give a student sufficient hours of credit to graduate in two years. Courses should be chosen according to an organized curriculum.

Students may take more than 18 hours per quarter with advisor approval. Advisors may allow an overload through myLakerLink or signing a registration form located at the Student First Stop Center.