Policy

Course Enrollment

Students are required to register for and attempt a block course for each block of the fall and spring semesters. The majority of block courses take place over a one-block period (1-unit), however, there are also block course offerings that take place over a two-block period (2-units). Students can register for any combination of the two to total a minimum of 4 blocks attempted each semester. The only exception to this policy is if a student elects to take a single block off in a fall or spring semester or is approved for additional blocks off.

Term Check-In

Although most students have selected their courses prior to the beginning of the fall and spring terms, all students (new, continuing, transfers and readmits) must officially check-in at the beginning of each term — Blocks 1 and 5.  This process validates the student’s arrival on campus, intent to participate in courses for the semester and to fulfill all financial obligations. Failure to do so may result in courses being dropped. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the registrar’s office if they will not attend for the term.

Extended Format and Adjunct Courses

Extended format and Adjunct courses are partial-credit (0.25 or 0.5) courses taken over the course of a semester at the same time the student is enrolled in full-credit block long courses.  

In extended-format courses, students may take no more than one extended-format course per semester (one-half unit) and one extended-format course spanning the year (one unit) unless the Dean of the College grants permission for an overload.

In each adjunct course, students may earn one-quarter unit toward their degree requirement for each semester of work. Students may take no more than three adjunct courses per semester unless the Registrar’s Office grants permission for an overload. In no case may students count more than two total units of adjunct credit towards the general education degree requirements.

Course Changes

Students are permitted to add a course in progress during the first two days of a block with the consent of the instructor. They may drop a course through 5 p.m. Tuesday of the second week. The half-block may be dropped by first Thursday at 5 p.m. Students should be aware, however, that adding a course after the first two days of the block will be difficult or impossible, so that credit for the block will be lost if the course is dropped after the first two days. Students may add or drop courses to be taken in future blocks at any time prior to the beginning of those courses without the instructors’ consent. Exceptions to the procedure must be authorized by the dean’s office and affected professors. Students may not drop a course if involved in an Honor Council investigation.

One of the primary goals of the Block Plan is to provide a framework within which students may devote all of their formal academic efforts to one course. Thus, it is not possible to register for more than one principal course during a block. However, students may also enroll in a maximum of three adjunct courses and a maximum of .5 unit of extended-format courses per semester. Students may also take a maximum of .5 units during the January half-block. Unapproved overloads result in a loss of credit.

Waiting Lists

A student is permitted to be on one waiting list for each block. When an opening is available in a course, the student first on the waiting list is automatically added when a space becomes available. Notification will be sent to the student’s Colorado College e-mail address. If a student is enrolled in another course the same block, this course is automatically dropped. Students who are allowed into class from the waiting list by the professor on the first day of class must officially add the course through the drop/add application with the consent of the instructor. Students who fail to officially add the course lose the option of taking the course on the Pass/Fail option and must take the course for a letter grade.

If a student is placed on a wait list for a block course without being registered for another course, it is their responsibility to ensure they secure permanent registration before the end of the add period for the block in question. Securing permanent registration includes one of the following:

• moving from the wait list to a permanent registration status in the same block course;
• adding a different block course;
• registering for a first, single block off;
• requesting and being approved to take an additional block off (this option constitutes an enrollment status change)

If the student fails to secure permanent registration before the end of the add period, they will automatically be registered for a block off, which may result in an enrollment status change with financial or other implications.

Procedures

Preregistration

Preregistration is a formal process for registering for courses in the upcoming semester(s). Preregistration at Colorado College uses a seniority-based system to determine who is enrolled and who is placed on a wait list for a course. This system considers units earned from CC in addition to credit transferred in from other institutions (noted as TR coursework on a student’s transcript). Units NOT considered will come from AP, IB, GCE, “advanced standing” credit and any credit earned in the current semester to remove inequity issues.

Colorado College’s academic year is broken up into 8 blocks; blocks 1 – 4 take place in the Fall and blocks 5 – 8 take place in the Spring. Students are required to register in a course for each block per semester. Most block courses take place over a one-block period (1-unit), however, there are also block course offerings that take place over a two-block period (2-units). Students can sign up for any combination of the two to total a minimum of 4 units each semester. To submit their Preregistration for processing, each student is assigned a Preregistration Passcode (a 6-letter combination code) for each Preregistration term. All students must meet with their Faculty Advisors to receive their passcode for the term; passcodes will not be accessible at the Registrar’s Office. In certain circumstances, such as when a faculty advisor is unavailable or in other situations deemed necessary to student success, the Dean of the College or their designee may provide the passcode to a student.

Fall Preregistration

Students expected to return in the Fall will participate in Fall Preregistration which opens in the third week of block 7 and closes after the first week of block 8. Students will submit a schedule for their blocks 1 – 4 which will be processed at the conclusion of Fall Preregistration as well as a schedule for their blocks 5 – 8 which will be saved as a draft to be revisited and processed during Spring Preregistration in the Fall. Students are placed into courses using the Seniority-Based system which factors in units earned from CC in addition to credit transferred in from other institutions. Units NOT considered will come from AP, IB, GCE, “advanced standing” credit to remove inequity issues.  

Spring Preregistration

All students, returning and new first-years, will participate in Spring Preregistration which opens in the third week of block 3 and closes after the first week of block 4. If a student has already created a saved draft of their spring course selections from the previous preregistration period, they will have the ability to revise or formally submit for processing. Spring Preregistration will formally process course registrations for blocks 5 thru 8. Students will be placed into courses using the Seniority-Based system which factors in units earned from CC in addition to credit transferred in from other institutions. Units NOT considered will come from AP, IB, GCE, “advanced standing” credit to remove inequity issues.  

Definitions

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