All eligible students receive a registration date. Students register online through LancerPoint. For information concerning the registration process, consult the current semester schedule of classes which is available online and through the LancerPoint portal.
Registration Priority
Registration priority is determined by numerous factors as identified in Board Policy and Administrative Procedure 5055, which can be accessed through the college website. Students who are on two consecutive terms of probation, or who have completed 100 or more units at PCC (not counting ESL and basic skills classes in math and English) will lose registration priority but may appeal to reinstate it. The petition for Reinstatement of Enrollment Priority may be downloaded from the website Petitions page, and submitted to the Admissions and Records Office.
Adding Courses
Courses may only be added during the official course registration and late add periods posted on the registration calendar, and are subject to course limitations and restrictions. Required registration procedures must be followed.
Dropping Courses
A student may drop courses during the course “Drop” period. Courses dropped prior to the course census date will not appear on the student transcript and are eligible for a refund whereas, courses dropped on and after the course census date will appear on the student transcript with a “W” and are not eligible for a refund. All withdrawals/drops must be initiated prior to the end of the 12th week of a full term course. The final drop deadline for short-term classes falls at 75% of the total number of class meetings (e.g. for a class that meets a total of 16 times, the final day to drop falls on the day of the 12th class meeting) as specified under drop-deadlines. Specific deadline dates are available under the course CRN in the online course schedule . It is the student’s responsibility to officially drop courses he/she is no longer attending. Students must clear all obligations to the college prior to withdrawal. If a course is not officially dropped, the student may receive an “F” for the course.
Withdrawal from a class after the drop deadline (late withdrawal) may be authorized in the event of extenuating circumstances. Extenuating circumstances are verified cases of accidents, illnesses, or other circumstances beyond the control of the student. Should a verified condition require a withdrawal after the final drop deadline, a student may petition to the Admissions and Records Office. Petitions will be considered based on the submission of verifiable documentation in support of the extenuating circumstances, and the dates of the circumstances must be relevant to the term and date for which a late withdrawal is requested.
Military withdrawals shall be authorized when a student who is a member of an active or reserve United States military service receives unexpected orders compelling a withdrawal from courses. A copy of the orders must be submitted to the Admissions and Records office. Military withdrawals shall not be counted in progress probation and dismissal calculations.
Academic or Administrative Drop
- Drop for Absenteeism – Students who fail to attend the first class meeting are considered “no shows” and may be dropped. Excessive, continuous or cumulative absence (defined as 1/9th or 11% of the total number of class meetings) may also result in being dropped. Three tardies (late arrivals) may be considered the equivalent of one absence. Students must make arrangements with instructors prior to any planned absences from class.
- Drop for Unsafe Performance – A student whose classroom, clinical, or laboratory actions are dangerous to the health or welfare of the student or other persons may be dropped from the class.
- Drop for Unsatisfactory Conduct or Citizenship – A student may be dropped from class for unsatisfactory conduct or citizenship related to the class. This includes, but is not limited to, conduct in a classroom or other setting such as a laboratory, clinic, or work station. Unsatisfactory conduct or citizenship includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, other forms of academic dishonesty, flagrant violation of instructor direction, and actions disruptive to the on-going teaching and learning process.
A student subject to class drops for condition(s) noted in (b) or (c) above will be counseled by the instructor and the school dean and given a chance to improve, except when the violation is so flagrant that immediate suspension from class is in order.
If a student is counseled for improvement but there is insufficient improvement in the judgment of the instructor and the dean, or if immediate suspension appears to be in order, a signed class drop form and a written report on the incident will be submitted to the Director of Admissions and Records. The Director of Admissions and Records will obtain and review information available and take action deemed appropriate. The Director of Admissions and Records will inform the student of due process rights if the class drop or other discipline is imposed.
Continuous Enrollment
For purposes of meeting enrollment priority, graduation requirements, IGETC or CSU General Education Certification, continuous enrollment is defined as attending PCC at least one semester during each academic year without missing two consecutive semesters.
- Attendance for this purpose is defined as being enrolled in at least one class in a Fall or Spring term on the census date for which a grade (A-F, P, NP, MW, EW or W) is posted.
- Students who miss two or more consecutive semesters must reapply for admission and will be considered returning students for purposes of enrollment priority.
Change of Address
Any changes in contact information must be reported immediately. Update contact information online through your LancerPoint portal. Students must submit a Student Information Change form to Admissions & Records to change their permanent address. The form may be downloaded and submitted through the links provided on the Admissions & Records website.
Study Load Regulations Maximum Load
12 units is considered a full load in fall or spring semesters. Full-time students should expect to carry 15 units per semester for normal progress. Those who would like to take more than 20 units per semester may submit a Special Circumstance Student Petition form to request up to 23 units. The form and access to submit it may be found online or the form may be submitted in person at the Admissions & Records Office (L113). Such petitions will not be considered unless the student’s cumulative GPA is 2.0 or above.
Students on probation (academic or progress warning) are limited to no more than 12 units during the Fall and Spring semesters. Such students should speak with an Academic Counselor frequently regarding progress and further program limitations.
Concurrently enrolled high school students are limited to 11 units during Fall or Spring semesters and 9 for Summer sessions.
Maximum credit in field practice or similar courses is 16 units with no more than one course enrollment per semester.
The maximum load for the Summer session is 12 units.
Each unit of community college work is approximately three hours of recitation, study or laboratory work per week in a semester-length course. All students are expected to devote the full time indicated above for each unit of work. Students employed part time are advised to adjust their college program accordingly. It is recommended that the total of college and work hours not exceed 60 hours per week.
The following is a suggested guideline:
| College Academic Load | Hours of Employment per Week |
|---|---|
| 15 Units | 15 Hours |
| 12 Units | 24 Hours |
| 9 Units | 33 Hours |
| 6 Units | 40 Hours |
Minimum Load
The college does not specify a minimum load except when the student desires to meet certain requirements such as those below.
- Certification that a student is attending full time. Requirement: 12 or more units in a Fall or Spring semester.
- Full-time load to maintain status as an F-1 visa (international) student. Requirement: 12 or more units per Fall or Spring semester.
- Eligibility to participate in California Community College intercollegiate athletics. Requirement: Be enrolled in 12 or more units during the season of competition, complete 24 units between each season of competition in that sport and maintain an overall grade-point average of 2.000. Contact the Dean of Kinesiology, Health and Athletics Division or the Athletic Director for additional California Community College and/or conference requirements.
- Eligibility to participate in student government as an office holder. Requirement: Be enrolled in 9 or more units in the Fall or Spring semester of participation, and have an overall 2.000 grade-point average.
Summer Session Load
To determine the equivalent semester unit load for certification purposes during Summer session, multiply the number of Summer units for each course taken by 16 and divide by the number of weeks the class meets. Add the calculated equivalent units. This result may be compared to the units required during a Fall or Spring semester to determine the equivalent Summer load.
Student Classification:
- Freshman, first semester: fewer than 15 units of college credit.
- Freshman, second semester: at least 15 units of college credit and fewer than 30.
- Sophomore, first semester: at least 30 units of college credit and fewer than 45.
- Sophomore, second semester: 45 to 60 units of college credit.