Enrollment Policies & Procedures

Enrollment 

Currently enrolled students in good academic and financial standing at the college should consult advisors prior to the enrollment period to determine which classes to take. Students should consult the college’s academic calendar for enrollment deadlines.

Students are responsible for managing their enrollments and accounts. To take classes at ESCC, students may register:

• online via MyESCC, ESCC’s Student Information System (SIS), accessible from the ESCC website at https://es.vccs.edu/, or
• in person in Student Services at ESCC.

Students on waiting lists for a class that is full are automatically added to the class if seats become available. An instructor’s permission is not required. Students who do not wish to automatically be added to a class should not join a waiting list for that class.

Students with academic blocks on their records due to academic suspension or dismissal may not register until granted readmission. Students with administrative blocks on their records due to indebtedness to the college may not register until their balances are paid and their records are cleared.

Changes to Enrollment

Students are responsible for managing their own enrollments and must follow established procedures for making any changes to their class schedules or curricula. Changes are not official until students complete all required procedures. To prevent problems with permanent college records, financial aid status, or veterans’ benefits, students must actively monitor and manage their enrollments and are encouraged to consult counselors or academic advisors before making changes to their enrollments.

The college retains the authority, at its discretion, to make administrative changes to students’ enrollments. Students on waiting lists may be automatically added to classes as space becomes available. Students may be dropped or withdrawn from classes for tuition nonpayment, nonattendance, disciplinary violations, and other appropriate causes.

Late Enrollment

Students need written permission from the Vice President of Academic, Student, and Workforce Education to register for a class after the published deadline. The Enrollment Exception form will be used for this purpose. Students are counted absent from class meetings missed as a result of late registration.

Dropping a Class

Dropping a class will result in the official cancellation of registration for the class on or before the last day to drop with a refund date. Students who drop the class by this date are eligible for a refund of tuition. Enrollment in a dropped class will not appear on academic records, and students will not receive a grade for the class.

Per VCCS policy, the college may not expunge a student’s course enrollment after the last day to drop with a refund.

Withdrawal from a Course

A student may withdraw from a class without academic penalty during the first 60% of the class. The last day to withdraw is published in ESCC’s academic calendar. For classes that do not follow the regular academic calendar, students should check with the registrar for the withdraw date.

For purposes of enrollment reporting, the following procedures shall 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% of a session, a student who withdraws or is withdrawn from a class shall be assigned a grade of “W” (withdrawal). This grade will be reflected on the student’s permanent record.
• After the deadline to withdraw, the student will receive the grade of “F” or “U,” as appropriate to the grading scale for the class. 

Exceptions to this policy may be made if all of the following conditions are met: 

• The student was making satisfactory progress in the class.
• Instructors initiate the withdrawal approved by the Chief Academic Officer.
• The student is able to document mitigating circumstances.

The college reserves the right to withdraw students. For example, administrative withdrawals may be initiated by an instructor in the event of excessive student absences or if a student is experiencing undue academic difficulty. Students should review the attendance and course withdrawal policies in the class syllabus. Students on financial aid are strongly encouraged to meet with a financial aid counselor before withdrawing from any class, as it may result in significant financial burden on the student. It is the student’s responsibility to understand the consequences for withdrawing and not withdrawing. Students are responsible for managing their own enrollments and for reviewing final course grades at the end of the academic term.

Students should not stop attending college without officially withdrawing from all classes. Failure to properly withdraw from classes may result in the assignment of “F” or “U” grades to students’ permanent records. Students should meet with an advisor to consider options before withdrawing from classes.

Effective Date of Official College and Course Withdrawal

When students withdraw from classes or from the college, the official withdrawal date is the date on which the request is received and processed by the college, not the date of the last class attended or last date of participation for online courses, unless the two dates are the same. If students are administratively withdrawn from courses, the official withdrawal date is the last day the students attended or participated in class, as reported by the instructors.

Auditing a Course

To audit courses (attend classes without taking examinations or receiving credits), students must obtain permission from the Chief Student Affairs Officer. Students must then register and pay full tuition.

To change the status of courses from audit to credit, or from credit to audit, students must complete the changes by the registration deadline.

Audited courses do not carry credits and are not counted as part of the academic load when full-time or part-time status is reported to the Financial Aid Office or to external parties such as the Social Security Administration, an employer, health insurance carrier, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, or the Department of Veterans Affairs. Prior learning credit will not be awarded for audited courses.

Course Cancellation

Each course is offered on the condition of adequate enrollment. The college reserves the right to cancel or discontinue any course offered, either because of inadequate enrollment or for any other reason deemed appropriate by the college.

Commitment to Instructional Delivery

Eastern Shore Community College is committed to delivering instruction as contracted at the time the class begins and as further described in supporting policies and procedures in the college’s catalog and student handbook. In cases where the original plan for instructional delivery is not feasible, ESCC will work with students to develop an alternative plan for course completion, course withdrawal, or course drop with a refund as circumstances warrant.

College Success Skills

Students in curricula that require SDV 100  or SDV 101  should take the student success course in their first semester of enrollment at ESCC. All curricular students, except those in career studies certificate programs, must enroll within the first 15 credit hours of enrollment. The requirement is waived for students who hold an Associate Degree or Bachelor’s Degree from a regionally accredited institution. Other requests for a waiver may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Students must still successfully complete the required number of credits for their degree or certificate.

Prerequisites & Co-requisites

Prerequisites are courses or other requirements that must be successfully completed prior to enrollment in other courses. Co-requisites are courses or other requirements that must be taken simultaneously with other courses, unless the co-requisites were completed previously. Requisites are listed in the course description section of this catalog and the college’s curriculum portal. The college’s Student Information System (SIS) may block students from registering for courses if the requisites have not been met. Students who believe they have satisfied requisites but are blocked from registering should consult counselors or academic advisors for assistance. The college reserves the right to withdraw students from courses in which they have enrolled without successfully completing the appropriate requisites.

Academic Load

Students should consult advisors to plan academic loads that will be compatible with their work schedules, family responsibilities, health, and other obligations. As a rule, one credit hour of coursework requires at least two hours of study outside of class each week.

• The full-time course load is 12 to 18 credit hours for a regular 16 week session. Students who wish to take more than 18 credit hours of course work in a session must obtain the approval of the Vice President of Academic, Student and Workforce Education by submitting an enrollment exception request form. 

Most ESCC academic programs and classes are offered in 8-week sessions.

• Enrollment in an 8-week session is limited to 11 credit hours. Students who wish to take more than 11 credit hours of course work in one 8-week session must obtain the approval of the Vice President of Academic, Student and Workforce Education by submitting an enrollment exception request form.

Students who are on academic warning or academic probation should meet with advisors and may be required to take reduced course loads for the next semester.

Workforce Programs

Workforce Development learners may register either online or in person, using a system unique from the traditional academic registration system. Admission eligibility normally requires the learner to have a High School diploma or equivalent, as well as additional requirements based on the program:

Enrollment prerequisites are subject to change. 

Adult Education programs are sometimes integrated into traditional Workforce Development.

For additional information, Scott Hall, Workforce & Business Solutions Officer (757-789-1752).