Enrollment Requirements
Enrollment
You must be officially enrolled in the course to attend a class session.
Credits/Credit Load
The academic year is divided into three quarters of approximately eleven weeks (fall, winter, and spring). There is also a summer quarter of approximately seven weeks.
GHC uses the following schedule to determine students’ enrollment status:
Full-time: 12 or more credits
Three quarter time: 9-11 credits
Half Time: 6-8 credits
Less than half time: 1-5 credits
Students who plan to complete their degrees within two years should enroll in 15 credits per quarter. Please work with your advisor to determine the best way to meet your educational and career goals.
Registration Changes
GHC requires all students to register for classes prior to the start of each quarter. Changes to your classes (adding or dropping) should be made before the start of the quarter. This can be done by filling out the Add/Drop form available at the Welcome Center. Forms can also be located online at https://www.ghc.edu/admissions.
Concurrent Enrollment
Grays Harbor College students may be able to enroll concurrently at other area community colleges for a combined total of 10 to 18 credits.
Students approved for this option will be assessed no more than the full-time tuition rate plus fees.
Concurrent enrollment may not be an option during summer quarters.
Students must complete a concurrent enrollment form available at the Welcome Center. Changes in class schedule that drop a student’s combined registration below full-time may result in additional tuition and fees.
Withdrawal from Classes
At GHC, the last day to officially withdraw from a single class is called “W” Day. “W” Day is the Thursday of the eighth week of Fall, Winter, and Spring quarter, and Thursday of the fifth week for Summer quarter. The specific date for each quarter is posted in the academic calendar. A student cannot withdraw from a single course after “W” day.
W grades will be included on the transcript and remain added to your attempted hours but will not be used in computing grade point average.
Students must contact the Welcome Center to officially withdraw from a class. Informing the instructor does not create a withdrawal.
Students who are considering withdrawal from a course are strongly advised to consult with the instructor, advisor and financial aid prior to withdrawing. Withdrawal from one or more courses may negatively impact financial aid including a repayment of financial aid funds. Students should check with the Financial Aid Office or the Welcome Center regarding their individual situation.
Total Withdrawal from College
A student may withdraw completely from college at any time during the academic quarter. If you must withdraw from college, it is your responsibility to contact the Student Support Center for an exit interview. If necessary, exit interviews can be conducted by phone or by zoom. Students taking classes at the Riverview or Columbia Education Centers may complete the Total Withdrawal form with assistance at the centers. If the official withdrawal procedure is followed, the student will receive a grade of “W” (withdrawal, no penalty) in all classes. Otherwise, “F” grades will be assigned in all classes. If you received financial aid for the quarter, a complete withdrawal or earning zero credits for the quarter will place you on suspension status and may result in a repayment being owed. Suspensions may be appealed.
Students withdrawing due to a medical hardship that emerged during the quarter and would reasonably preclude the student from completing the quarter may also be eligible for a refund of their tuition upon request to the Dean of Student Access and Success.
Students withdrawing due to military activation of more than 30 days deployment may also be eligible for a refund of their tuition. Students receiving military funding need to contact the Veteran’s Services Office to withdraw.
Refund of Tuition and Course Fees
The complete refund policy can be found under Refunds, Student Tuition and Fees in the Grays Harbor College Operational Policies and Administrative Procedures Manual.
Students requesting refunds must obtain a total withdrawal form (withdrawing from all classes) from the Student Support Center, official date of withdrawal is the date used in determining the rate at which refunds will be made.
Students who leave the college without completing the official withdrawal procedure forfeit all claims for refunds and for credit in courses.
A full refund of tuition and course fees will be made to a student:
Who withdraws from the college prior to the 5th instructional day of the quarter for which registration and course fees were applied (3rd day in Summer).
Who withdraws prior to the first seminar or class session of a self-support course.
For any class canceled by the college.
Fifty percent of tuition and fees will be refunded to a student who withdraws from the college on or after the 6th day of instruction but within 20 calendar days including the first scheduled day of the quarter. Note: refund policy may differ for condensed quarters and/or early or late starting classes. Contact enrollment@ghc.edu or (360) 532-9020 for more information. No refunds will be provided:
If the college indicates in its catalog, quarterly schedule or course announcement that such fees are nonrefundable.
For Community Education courses, seminars and short courses unless the participant withdraws at least 24 hours before the first session.
If the student is dismissed from the college for disciplinary reasons or fails to follow official withdrawal procedures.
Limitation of Liability
The college’s total liability for claims arising from a contractual relationship with the student in any way related to classes or programs shall be limited to the tuition and expenses paid by the student to the college for those classes or programs. In no event shall the college be liable for any special, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages, including but not limited to, loss of earnings or profits.
Grading
The quality of students’ work is measured by an A-F, four-point maximum grading system. Plus (+) and minus (-) signs are used to indicate achievement above or below the grades listed in the following description. A+ and D- grades are not used. (WAOL courses do use D-. GHC converts D- grades to F.)
A plus increases the grade value by 0.30, and a minus decreases the value by 0.30.
A grade point average (GPA) is determined by dividing the total number of grade points earned for the quarter by the total number of credit hours in which an individual was registered.
| A |
4.0 grade points per credit hour
Indicates student who has excelled in every phase of the course. |
| A- |
3.7 grade points per credit hour |
| B+ |
3.3 grade points per credit hour |
| B |
3.0 grade points per credit hour
Indicates student whose work in the course has been excellent. |
| B- |
2.7 grade points per credit hour |
| C+ |
2.3 grade points per credit hour |
| C |
2.0 grade points per credit hour
Indicates student who has made substantial progress toward meeting the objectives of the course and has fulfilled the requirements of the course. |
| C- |
1.7 grade points per credit hour |
| D+ |
1.3 grade points per credit hour |
| D |
1.0 grade points per credit hour
Indicates student who has made progress toward meeting the objectives of the course but whose work is not yet meeting all course standards. |
| F |
No credit, 0 grade points (credits attempted are calculated in GPA).
Indicates student who has failed to meet course requirements or who has accomplished so few course requirements that no credit has been earned. |
| W |
No credit. A course withdrawal must be initiated by the student prior to approved date and time listed in the current quarter’s academic calendar by completing a Drop/Add form through the Office of Admissions and Records. |
| Y |
In Progress. Student is currently in progress toward the attainment of course objectives. Used only for continuous enrollment courses at Stafford Creek Corrections Center (SCCC). Students must re-register for the course to complete course objectives. Grade cannot be changed. |
| I |
Incomplete Grades. A grade of incomplete “I” is a temporary grade indicating that a student has completed the majority of the course with a passing grade at the time of the grade request but is unable to complete the coursework due to extenuating circumstances. Coursework must be completed within the time period specified by the instructor; otherwise, the “I” will be converted to an “F” or the agreed upon grade at the end of 12 months (1 year). |
| P |
Passing. No grade points but does earn credit (indicates a student has demonstrated competency in all student learning outcomes). The “P” grade is given only in courses adopting the passing or unsatisfactory system. |
| S |
Satisfactory. No grade points and does not earn credit (indicates student has made progress toward student learning outcomes but not all outcomes are met). An “S” grade is given only in Transition/ELA courses. |
| U |
Unsatisfactory. No grade points and does not earn credit (indicates student has made very limited or no progress toward student learning outcomes).The “U” grade is given only in courses adopting the passing or unsatisfactory system. |
| N |
Audit. No credit or grade points. |
| R |
Repeated. No credit. Replaces lower grade when a course has previously been taken. The highest grade will be used to calculate grade-point average. |
Nonattendance
Grays Harbor College views student attendance and participation as crucial to academic success. A student who fails to attend the first two sessions of a face-to-face course may be administratively withdrawn if they do not the contact the instructor and/or the instructor is unable to contact them. A student who fails to attend the first three sessions of a face-to-face class or fails to engage in significant activities for an online class during the first week of the quarter may be administratively withdrawn from the course. Students who plan to remain enrolled but have attendance difficulties during the first week of the quarter should therefore contact their instructors immediately to request an exemption to this procedure.
Passing/Unsatisfactory Grades
You may request to enroll in certain courses on a pass or no-pass basis. If you select the option of having a Passing (P), Satisfactory (S), or Unsatisfactory (U) grade for specific course work, you should request this from your instructor at the beginning of the quarter. You should remember that U grades do not earn credit. While the number of passing/satisfactory grades is not limited at GHC, transfer students are cautioned that many baccalaureate institutions impose limits of restrictions on acceptance of P/S graded credit. If you plan to transfer to a baccalaureate institution, you should determine that school’s policy regarding the acceptance of P/S courses before electing this option.
Senior Audit
You may, with the consent of the instructor, enroll to audit a course. You are expected to attend classes regularly, but you will not take examinations, receive grades, or earn credit. Tuition is the same as that charged for credit.
After the fifth day of instruction an individual who is a Washington State resident, and who has or will have attained 60 years of age by the first day of instruction of the quarter during which enrollment is desired, may enroll for audit in certain classes on a space available basis. Senior students enrolling under this waiver shall register for no more than two classes per quarter. No tuition will be charged, although some fees may be assessed. Written approval of the instructor is required. (WAC 131-28-080).
Class Audit
Students may attend a class but not receive credit. To do this, students must register as an “auditor.” Auditors pay regular tuition and fees. An auditor does not take examinations or receive credit for the course. The student’s transcript will show an “N” for an audited course. Please contact the Welcome Center to enroll in an audit class.
Incomplete Grades
The grade of incomplete “I” must be initiated by the student. It requires the agreement of the instructor that you have completed the majority of the course with a passing grade at the time of the request but are unable to complete coursework due to extenuating circumstances.
The instructor must fill out an electronic contract form that contains specific requirements to be completed, the grade to be assigned if the contract is not completed, and the time allowed for completion. Allotted time will be determined based on the circumstance and reasonable amount of time it will take to complete the assigned coursework. One copy of the contract is retained by the instructor, one is given to the student, and one is filed with the Welcome Center. Coursework must be completed within the time period specified by the instructor; otherwise, the “I” will be converted to an “F” or the agreed upon grade at the end of 12 months (1 year).
An individual receiving veteran’s benefits and/or federal financial aid who fails to make up an incomplete grade within a designated time may risk partial loss or termination of benefits.
Repeated Courses
You may repeat any class to improve your grade. The highest grade will be used to calculate grade-point average. In the event that the same grade is earned two or more times for a repeated course, the most recent instance of the duplicate grade will be included in the term and cumulative GPA.
Meet with your advisor if you are attempting the same course more than twice. Each registration for the course will be listed on the transcript and will remain added to your attempted hours. Repeating courses can impact your financial aid and may also affect the amount of aid you may receive. Please contact Financial Aid for more information.
Grade Change/Appeal
Students who believe that an error has been made in the grade received for a course should contact the instructor as soon as possible to discuss the issue. Appeals will be addressed through the Grade Appeal Process described in Operational Policy 407.
Grade Forgiveness (formerly known at Red Line Policy)
To encourage students who were not successful when they first enrolled in college and who later return and perform successfully, Grays Harbor College (GHC) developed a Grade Forgiveness Procedure. GHC offers a one-time opportunity for students to petition to implement the Grade Forgiveness Procedure for a particular quarter or quarters if they meet all of the following conditions:
- Return after an absence of at least 1 year;
- Subsequently maintain a quarterly college level GPA of 2.0 or better in each quarter ofenrollment;
- Earn at least 30 college level credits since returning, which will remain ontranscript after grade forgiveness;
- Do not withdraw from more than 5 credits in any quarter since returning.
If the petition is accepted and approved only complete quarters are forgiven. It is not an option to forgive individual courses within a quarter. All classes within a quarter to which the Grade Forgiveness Procedure has been applied are designated on the student’s transcript by an asterisk symbol (*) in the grade qualifier field. The asterisk in the grade qualifier field is further defined on the back of the official GHC transcript.
The forgiven grades remain on the student’s transcript but will not be calculated in the GHC cumulative grade point average (GPA) and are not included in any of the cumulative totals on the student’s GHC grading output. Forgiven grades cannot be used towards any degree or certificate requirement or as a course pre-requisite at GHC.
Grade forgiveness may not be exercised to remove a grade awarded in a case of academic misconduct. Forgiven grades may not be reinstated later. Grade forgiveness does not supersede departmental requirements. Classes for which grades are forgiven are counted in the maximum number of times a student may enroll in a class.
If a student transfers to another college, the receiving institution will receive a GHC transcript containing all courses taken. The receiving institution may or may not honor the forgiveness of grades. Each institution interprets transcripts, accepts credits and calculates the GPA according to its own policies.
Considerations
Financial aid students will still be subject to federal regulations that require all attempted credits be counted toward completion of an initial degree. Students are advised to contact the Financial Aid Office for information on how this policy may affect their financial aid.
G. I. Bill students and others receiving Veterans Administration educational benefits are advised that the forgiveness of any grade must be reported to the VA and may result in the retroactive reduction of benefits for the quarter for which the forgiven grade was originally assigned. Students are advised to contact GHC Veterans Affairs Office for further information on how this policy may affect their benefits.
Although Grays Harbor College makes provisions for Grade Forgiveness, students should not assume that other colleges to which they transfer will compute the GPA in the same manner. Only the Grays Harbor College record can be forgiven; the College cannot forgive records from other colleges.
https://www.ghc.edu/sites/default/files/GetStarted/documents/enrollment%20services/GradeForgiveness.pdf
Academic Progress and Performance
GHC is committed to facilitating the academic success of students. The primary purpose of the Academic Progress and Performance Policy is to quickly identify and alert students with low academic achievement and to provide those students with assistance to improve their academic performance.
Students must earn a GPA of 2.0 or above. If not, the college will place the student progressively on warning, probation, and suspension.
A student whose cumulative grade point average falls below 2.0 will be placed on academic warning.
A student on academic warning who fails to earn a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 at the end of the subsequent quarter of enrollment will be placed on academic probation.
A student on academic probation who fails to earn a quarterly grade point average of at least 2.0 in the next quarter will be placed on academic suspension. A student who has been suspended, stays out the required quarter and returns to school will automatically remain on probationary status until their cumulative GPA is raised to 2.0. As long as the quarterly GPA is 2.0, the student may continue to re-enroll. Certain professional/technical programs, veterans, international students, and students receiving financial aid may have different/and or additional academic standard requirements and appeal processes.
Plagiarism/Cheating
Plagiarism and/or cheating are not tolerated. An individual who cheats or plagiarizes the works of others is at risk of receiving a failing grade for the course in which such action takes place. In addition, plagiarism and/or cheating are violations of the Student Code of Conduct and such actions may result in an official sanction by the Conduct Officer.
President’s List, President’s Scholar, Honor Roll
A student who completes 12 or more credit hours of courses and earns a grade-point average of 3.50 or higher in any one quarter will be listed on the President’s List. The student transcript will be endorsed with HONOR ROLL for that quarter.
A student who receives an associate degree with a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher will be honored as a President’s Scholar. The student transcript will be endorsed “PRESIDENT’S SCHOLAR”. On a one-time-only basis, transcripts.
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