COURSE NUMBERING SYSTEM

Courses numbered 100-199 are first-year or freshman-level courses. Courses numbered 200-299 are second-year or sophomore-level courses. Courses numbered below 100 are preparatory, general studies or refresher courses and do not count toward graduation requirements. Credit may not be earned beyond the number of hours indicated.

COURSE CREDIT/COURSE UNITS

Credit is awarded as semester credits. The number of hours earned for completion of each course is indicated with the course description in the catalog.

To ensure that the credits earned are applicable to a specific degree or certificate program, check with an academic advisor. In addition, colleges and universities have individual policies for the acceptance of credits. Check with transfer institutions and/or counselors to ensure the transferability of units.

COURSE LOAD

A student who is registered for 12 or more semester credits during the fall and spring semesters or 6 or more semester credits during the summer is considered a full-time student.

For students receiving financial aid, awarding is based on enrollment that falls within one of the following course load groups:

The institution reports enrollment to the National Student Clearinghouse, which lenders may access to verify enrollment information.

Registration for more than 18 semester credits during fall and spring semesters and nine semester credits during the summer must be approved by an academic advisor. Students with a grade point average of 3.0 (B) or better generally are considered for such approval.

The Veterans Administration and some other funding agencies designate minimum course loads for qualification purposes.

DROPPING COURSES

It is the student’s responsibility to drop or withdraw from classes when not in attendance. A student wishing to withdraw from a class must submit a Drop/Add section Change Form to the Enrollment Services office in person or complete the process online at estorm.swic.edu. Students should not assume they are withdrawn from a class in good standing if they do not attend the class. Students who submit a withdrawal notification by mail will be withdrawn from the class as of the postmark date on their notification. Withdrawals will not be accepted by telephone.

Deadlines for withdrawal are based on the meeting patterns of the class. Withdrawal deadline for classes scheduled to meet seven days or longer reflect 67 percent of the scheduled meeting patterns. Withdrawal deadlines for classes scheduled to meet one to six days are one day prior to the first meeting date. Students should refer to their eSTORM schedule and/or syllabus for specific withdrawal dates.

Any student who withdraws or is withdrawn by an instructor with an effective date prior to the withdrawal deadline date will receive a W. With administrative approval, the instructor may assign a W or WF grade after the withdrawal deadline for extenuating circumstances only, which are defined by the Board policy.

How to Drop/Add a Class

REPEATING COURSES

Some courses may be repeated in an attempt to improve a grade. When a course is repeated, only the most recent attempt is counted toward program requirements at SWIC. However, all attempts will remain part of a student’s permanent academic record at SWIC. It is important to note that each school has its own policy on the way that repeated courses are calculated into a grade point average. Check with those transfer institutions prior to admission in order to determine calculation rules.

It is important to note that some classes have been identified by SWIC, and approved by the Illinois Community College Board, as “repeatable” classes. In this case, the class would be factored into a student’s grade point average each time it is repeated up to the allowable limit. As stated in the previous paragraph, it is important to check with transfer institutions prior to admission in order to determine calculation rules.

Course repeatability can adversely affect your financial aid eligibility, and you should contact the Financial Aid office to see how repeating a course could affect your eligibility.