Registration
Registration is held prior to the beginning of each semester or term. Specific registration dates are listed in the Academic Calendar in this catalog and in the class schedule published each semester or term.
In addition to on-campus day and evening registration, off-campus registration is conducted at various sites. For specific times and dates, consult the class schedule or call either Admissions Office.
Students should plan to register for courses during the regular registration period each semester. Students may not enter a class after the official add/drop date. Non-standard courses should be registered for at the announced times and dates.
On-Line Registration
To register for classes online visit our website at http://www.southside.edu.
Telephone Registration
Students may register for classes by telephone by contacting Student Services if they are returning students or have a current application on file in the Admissions Office. Registration by telephone must be verified and confirmed by email correspondence. The hours are from 8:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Either VISA, MasterCard or Discover is accepted for tuition payments.
Self-Advisement
Curricular students who have completed 15 or more credit hours plus all required developmental courses, with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better, may become self-advised by completing a Self-Advising Waiver Form in either Admissions and Records Office.
Credits
A credit is equivalent to one collegiate semester hour credit or one and one-half collegiate quarter hours credit.
Each semester hour of credit given for a course is based on approximately one academic hour (50 minutes) of formalized, structured instructional time in a particular course weekly for 15 weeks by each student. This may consist of lectures, out-of-class study, laboratory and shop study or combinations thereof as follows: (1) One hour of lecture (including lecture, seminar, discussion or other similar experiences) per week for 15 weeks plus an examination period equals one collegiate semester hour credit; (2) Two to five hours, depending on the academic discipline, of laboratory (including laboratory, shop clinical training, supervised work experience, coordinated internship, or other similar experiences) per week for 15 weeks plus an examination period (one hour) equals one collegiate semester hour credit; (3) One to five credits with variable hours for the general usage courses: Coordinated Internship, Cooperative Education, Seminar and Project, and Supervised Study (see SDV section).
Repeating a Course
A student should normally be limited to two (2) enrollments in the same credit or developmental course. Should the student request to enroll in the same course more than twice, the need should be documented and approved by the Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs. The following requirements must be met for approval of enrollment in the same course more than twice:
- Student must work with their Academic Advisor or a Counselor to assess the needs of the request.
- Student must meet with a member of the Comprehensive Learning Lab to schedule a weekly appointment with a tutor.
- Student must meet with a tutor once a week for a minimum of least two hours.
The Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs will be notified if the student does not attend scheduled tutoring appointments. Failure to comply with tutoring requirements will result in withdrawal from the class and denial of re-enrollment.
When a course is repeated, only the most recent attempt can be used towards graduation requirements.
This limitation does not apply to the courses in the Curriculum Guide identified as General Usage Courses: 090-190-290, 095-195-295, 096-196-296, 097-197-297, 098-198-298, 099199-299, or to fine arts studio courses in band, choir, ensemble, etc.
Academic Renewal
Students who return to the college after a separation of five years or more may petition for academic renewal. The request must be in writing on a form available from and submitted to the Admissions and Records Office.
If a student is determined to be eligible for academic renewal, D and F grades earned prior to re-enrollment will be deleted from the cumulative and curriculum grade point average (GPA), subject to the following conditions:
- Prior to petitioning for academic renewal the student must demonstrate a renewed academic interest and effort by earning at least a 2.5 GPA in the first 12 semester hours completed after re-enrollment;
- All grades received at the college will be a part of the student’s official transcript;
- Students will receive degree credit only for courses in which grades of C or better were earned prior to academic renewal, providing that such courses meet current curriculum requirements;
- Total hours for graduation will be based on all course work taken at the college after readmission, as well as former course work for which a grade of C or better was earned, and credits transferred from other colleges or universities and
- The academic renewal policy may be used only once and cannot be revoked once approved.
Normal Academic Load
The normal academic load for students is 15-17 credits. The minimum full-time load is 12 credits and the normal maximum full-time load is 18 credits, 12 credits for summer (excluding College Success Skills [SDV 100 ]). Students wishing to carry an academic load of more than 18 credits (2 credits for summer) should have a minimum 3.0 GPA, and must have the approval of the Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs or designee. If the student does not have a 3.0 academic average, the credits in excess of maximum credit hours allowed must fall in one of the following categories: (1) developmental studies, (2) 198 and 199 type courses, (3) activity type courses, e.g., chorus, drama, physical education, etc., (4) courses needed to graduate during the semester immediately preceding graduation, or (5) special elective courses taught on a one-time basis. In order to fully document the overload, the reason for the overload must be noted on the registration form and be approved by the faculty advisor and the Vice for Academic and Student Affairs. Students placed on academic warning or academic probation may be required to take less than the normal course load.
Approved Elective Course
An approved elective course is one that is approved for registration by an advisor, promotes a proper mix and balance of electives in a curriculum of study and meets requirements for transfer to another institution or meets particular job requirements.
Auditing a Course
Students desiring to attend a course without taking the examination or receiving credit for the course may do so by registering to audit that course. Students desiring to audit a course will register in the regular manner and pay the regular tuition. Permission of the Vice for Academic and Student Affairs and instructor is required to audit a course.
Audited courses carry no credit and do not count as a part of the student’s course load. Students desiring to change status in a course from audit to credit must do so within the add/drop period for the session. Changes from credit to audit must be made by the official last day for students to withdraw from a class without penalty. After this day, the audit grade “X” is invalid for students enrolled for credit.
Change of Registration
Students must execute an official Student Registration Change Form to make changes in their schedule of classes after the last day to add day classes. Failure to do so may place their college records in jeopardy.
Withdrawal From a Course
A student may withdraw from a course without academic penalty during the first 60 percent of the session. The actual last day of attendance must be recorded on the Student Registration Change Form. For purposes of enrollment reporting, the following procedures will apply:
- If a student withdraws from a class prior to the termination of the add/drop period for the session, the student is removed from the class roll and no grade is awarded.
- After the add/drop period, but prior to completion of 60 percent of a session, a student who withdraws or is withdrawn from a course will be assigned a grade of “W”.
- After that time, if a student withdraws or is withdrawn from a course, a grade of “F” will be assigned. Exceptions to this policy may be made under mitigating circumstances only if the student is passing at the time of the withdrawal. Such circumstances must be documented. Mitigating circumstances are defined as instances in which the student was unable to complete the course due to serious illness, death in immediate family, full-time employment or shift change, move from area, or instructor or clerical error. The reason for mitigating circumstances must be listed on the Student Registration Change Form and approved by the Vice for Academic of Academics and Student Affairs.
Official withdrawal for a student shall become effective on the date that written notification is received by the Office of Admissions and Records or the date the student drops the course(s) online using the VCCS SIS. The official withdrawal date is not the date of the last class attended unless the two dates coincide. Requests for course withdrawals should be presented in person or by the student’s authorized representative whenever possible. Students, not the college, are responsible for making contact with instructors except in extreme circumstances.
Withdrawal from the College
Students who wish to withdraw from the college must contact their academic advisor and a counselor to complete the appropriate procedure and form. Failure to follow established procedure could place the student’s college record in doubt and prejudice his return to this or another college. The actual last day of attendance must be recorded on the Student Registration Change Form.
Addition of a Course
The last day to add or change classes is announced in the class schedule each semester. Any request for entry after that period must be approved by the student’s advisor, the instructor concerned and the Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs.
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