During the first week of the term, it is important that students attend/participate in all classes in which they are registered. A student who does not attend/log in by the beginning of the fifth-class meeting in the term and who has not made prior arrangements with the course instructor may be dropped from the class at the discretion of the instructor. WCC does not always, however, withdraw the student for non-attendance. A student who is not dropped by the College or does not officially drop themselves may be issued a failing grade by the course instructor based on non-attendance. Note: Students withdrawn during the first week under this policy will receive a refund of tuition and fees, if due.

Timely reporting is required due to recalculation of federal aid and federal regulations.  

An Enrollment Requirement describes the skills and/or knowledge the student must have before taking a class. Enrollment Requirements are listed in the catalog and class schedule. Students are expected to satisfy all Enrollment Requirements prior to starting the course. The registration system will allow a student to register in a class for the next term if they are currently enrolled in the Enrollment Requirement. However, if a student completes the Enrollment Requirement and earns less than the necessary grade, the Records and Registration office may withdraw the student during or before the first week of the term for a regularly scheduled class, or at the first-class meeting for a class that has non-standard meeting times.

Once a class section is full, a waitlist is created for the class. You can add yourself to the waitlist using the online registration process. You are limited to two waitlist sections per quarter. If a seat becomes available before the first day of the quarter, the first student on the waitlist is automatically enrolled. Adding your name to a waitlist lets the college know this course is in demand and the college may be able to add another section.

When a space becomes available prior to the first day of the quarter, the system will move the first person from the waitlist into that spot. The student will receive a text message and email, letting them know to check their class schedule in ctcLink.

What if I don’t want to be on the waitlist anymore?

You can remove yourself from a waitlist through your ctcLink account. Not withdrawing from the waitlist could result in being registered for the class and charged tuition.

You are not charged tuition until the class is added to your schedule. Tuition due dates are available on the WCC registration calendar.

Unfortunately, there is no guarantee you will get into a class from the waitlist even when you are in the number one spot. We recommend you research other course options. Your advisor can help. Once the term begins, the instructor can give permission to overload the class, at their discretion. Students are encouraged to reach out to faculty to ask for permission once the term begins. Enrollment in the first few days of the term can be fluid so it is possible space might suddenly open.

Automatic enrollment from the waitlist stops on the first day before the term begins. If you are in the first or second spot on the waitlist and still hope to enroll in the class, contact the instructor for permission to add the class.

Students who want to attend a course without earning the credit can choose to audit it. There are no restrictions on auditing a course, but the student may still need to meet prerequisite requirements. Students can choose whether to turn in assignments, attend all or some of the classes, take exams, or participate in class discussion. These courses do not apply toward an academic credential. Choosing to audit a class does not change the tuition amount. Students can change from letter grading to audit grading by submitting a request to records@whatcom.edu. Refer to the online registration calendar for specific dates.

Some courses are designated as repeatable for additional credit up to the maximum specified. A separate grade is issued for each completion. See individual course descriptions for such courses.

For courses other than those designated as repeatable for credit, a student may only repeat a course a maximum of two times (this is defined as two repeats in addition to the original enrollment). This includes W (withdrawal) and N (audit) grades. The Records and Registration Office automatically checks for repeated courses at the end of the term.

Although courses may be repeated to improve the grade earned, credit is applied only once. Each grade received will appear on the student’s academic transcript, but only the credits and grade with the higher-grade point value will be used to compute grade point average. Repeated courses that are excluded from GPA are noted on the transcript. Caution: Other colleges and universities may not accept a grade earned in a repeated course. If accepted, the grade may be treated differently in the calculation of grade point average.

The registration system will not allow students to register for a class for a fourth time. The system will give students the following message “You have already taken this class”. Students who wish to take a class for a fourth time will need to contact their advisor for instructions and guidance. Contact Orca Central to connect with your advisor.

Incompletes are issued by the instructor when a student has, for good reason, been delayed in completing the required work but can successfully do so without additional instruction. A signed agreement between the instructor and the student, outlining the timeframe and work to be completed, must be submitted to records@whatcom.edu. Grades awarded for completed work replace “I” grades and are recorded in the initial term of enrollment. Credits are not granted until the “I” has been changed. If a student does not complete the agreement in the allotted amount of time, the Records department will change “I” to the standing grade that was assigned by the instructor on the incomplete agreement.