Registration

Registration must be completed during the appropriate times set by Temple College. Registration consists of completing the required forms, preparation of a class schedule, and paying all tuition and fees by the appropriate deadline (see your printed receipt). You may pay for your courses by cash, check, Discover, VISA, MasterCard or use the E-Cashier online payment plan. The E-Cashier option can be found on the Temple College home page. This program is administered by the FACTS management company and managed by the TC Business office.

Student Records

Temple College maintains a file on every past and present student which may contain any or all of the following: applications for admissions, high school and college transcripts, GED test scores and certificates, conditional enrollment statements, residency documents, approved course substitutions on degree plans, approved grade changes, and requests for transcripts or other records. These records are retained as outlined in the Local Government Records Act and Local Records Retention Schedules for Public Junior Colleges as published by the Texas State Library and Archive Commission. Student records are available to the administration and faculty of the College for purposes of student counseling, academic advising, and information related to the future academic and/or employment pursuits of the student. The Director of Admissions and Records is responsible for the administration of student records, and all inquiries should be addressed to that officer of the College. Students wishing to receive official copies of transcripts or other records should submit a written request to the Admissions and Records office. The student will have the right to inspect the institution records within 45 days of any request. Any discrepancies thought to exist by a student should be brought to the attention of the Director of Admissions and Records. Records are not expunged or changed without the approval of the Director of Admissions and Records.

Directory information consists of the following: a student’s name, address, telephone, date and place of birth, degree(s) earned and date, major field of study, academic classification, dates of attendance, number of semester hours in progress and attained to date, most recent high school or college previously attended, most recent previous schools attended, and photographs. Under FERPA, Family Education Rights Privacy Act, this information may be released to the general public. Students may withhold directory information by notifying the Director of Admissions and Records in writing within the first 12 days of the fall or spring semester and first four days of a summer session.

Name Changes

The College requires that all applicants provide their legal name on the application for admissions.  In order to change a legal name to a new legal name, submit a copy of the signed court order showing the authorized new legal name. To change a last name after marriage, present a copy of the marriage certificate, driver’s license, or social security card. A student who wishes to discontinue the use of her/his married name and resume the use of her/his maiden name or a different legal name, must present a divorce decree or signed court order showing restoration of the maiden name or other names. A Request for Name Change Form must be provided prior to processing the name change. Submit name change documents to the Admissions and Records office. Temple College user names will not be changed.

Changes of Schedule and Withdrawals

The following paragraphs give the information for changes of schedule and withdrawals for courses and semesters of traditional length. Students should check with the Advising office regarding the applicable deadlines for courses of different lengths.

ADD/ Drop period: Students may add/drop classes during the registration period. All registration fees apply and payment must be made by the Thursday of registration/adding a course.  

After the term begins refund periods apply to courses dropped during add/drop period.

Students who withdraw from courses (drop) prior to the appropriate official term census dates will not appear on the official class rolls for the courses, nor will the courses show on their permanent records.       

Withdrawals:  After the appropriate official term census date a student must officially withdraw from a course to receive a “W” grade. A student not officially withdrawn from a class could receive a grade of “F”.

It is the student’s responsibility to withdraw from classes through the Advising office or TConnect. However, it is recommended to withdraw through the Advising office in order to be informed of potential consequences.

Withdrawals after the official census dates will be handled according to the following rules:

Students may receive “I” grades in cases of medical emergencies or some other highly unusual circumstances. This “I” grade will hold a class for 30 days into the following semester and will automatically change to an “F” if the faculty member does not submit a change of grade. This will be determined by your instructor.

6 Drop Rule Policy

Temple College has adopted the following policy to implement SB 1231:

• Senate Bill 1231 provides that a student cannot drop more than six courses during the lifetime of their undergraduate enrollment while attending any public institution in Texas. Under section 51.907 of the Texas Education Code, “an institution of higher education may not permit a student to drop more than six courses, including any course a transfer student has dropped at another institution of higher education.”
• This statute was enacted by the State of Texas in spring 2007 and applies to students who enroll in a public institution of higher education as first-time freshmen in fall 2007 or later.
• Any course that a student drops is counted toward the six-course limit if “(1) the student was able to drop the course without receiving a grade or incurring an academic penalty; (2) the student’s transcript indicates or will indicate that the student was enrolled in the course; and (3) the student is not dropping the course in order to withdraw from the institution.”
• The following classes are EXEMPT from the 6 drop rule:

1. Classes taken by students while in high school (dual credit, middle college and/or early college).
2. Third repeat courses (student is taking the class for the third time).
3. Developmental Classes

• Students must contact the Advising office for more information before dropping a course.
• All course drops/withdrawals initiated by a student will be processed by the Advising office.
• Some exceptions for good cause could allow a student to drop a course without having it counted toward this limit, but IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE STUDENT TO ESTABLISH THAT GOOD CAUSE AND PROVIDE ANY REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION in order to earn the status of exception.
• Advisors will have the discretion regarding the need for documentation of a drop.
• Exceptions for good cause include, but are not limited to the following:
  1. Family Emergency (FAM)
  2. Work related (WORK)
  3. Disciplinary action (DISC)
  4. Active duty military (MIL)
  5. Medical Emergency (MED)
  6. Deceased (DCSD)
  7. Not on State Report (S)
  8. Failure to thrive (F2TH)
  9. Administrative correction (ADCOR)
  10. Other (O)

• Additional codes already exist which are not exceptions include:
  1. Administrative change (ADMIN)
  2. Non-payment (N)
  3. On Academic Suspension (SUSP)
  4. Reinstatement (REIN)

Transfer of Credits

Since Temple College is fully accredited, all of its semester hour credits, except in certain developmental, preparatory and vocational-technical courses, will transfer to other colleges. The Temple College core curriculum is fully transferable to any public college or university in Texas, and is guaranteed by the Texas State Legislature to meet all lower division core requirements of the receiving institution. Colleges do not lower transferred grades; grades are filed just as they are received. For degree purposes or for determining scholastic standing, however, grades earned at other institutions are frequently not averaged with work done at the receiving college or university.

It is the student’s responsibility to familiarize themselves with the course requirements of the college to which they plan to transfer and to make certain they satisfy those requirements both as to choice of courses and the quality of grades in those courses. Temple College provides academic advising and/or pre-registration advising on an ongoing basis in order to assist the student in choosing courses that are articulated with the requirements of the four-year college of the student’s choice. Contact the Advising office for additional information.

Resolution of Transfer Disputes

Lower-division courses included in the Lower-Division Academic Course Guide Manual (Revised) and specified in the definition of “Lower-Division Course Credit” shall be freely transferable to and accepted as comparable degree credit by any Texas public institution of higher education where the equivalent course is available for fulfilling baccalaureate degree requirements. It is understood that each Texas institution of higher education may have limitations that invalidate courses after a specific length of time. For Texas community colleges, these freely transferable courses are identified in the latest revised edition of Coordinating Board publication Lower-Division Academic Course Guide Manual (Revised). Specifically excluded are courses designated as vocational, ESL/ESOL, technical, developmental or remedial, and courses listed as “basic skills.”

For senior four-year institutions, lower-division courses that have the same course content and CIP codes as approved by the Coordinating Board shall bear equivalent credit. Specifically excluded are courses designated as ESL/ESOL, technical and developmental/remedial courses.

Within the spirit of the law it is realized that differences in interpretation of “same course content” may generate disputes. Transfer disputes may arise when a lower-division course is not accepted for credit by a Texas institution of higher education. To qualify as a dispute, the course(s) in question must be offered by the institution denying the credit (receiving institution), or in the case of upper-level institutions, must be published as a lower division course accepted for fulfilling lower-level requirements. For community colleges, the course(s) must be listed in the Lower Division Academic Course Guide Manual (Revised,) and be offered at the receiving institution. Additionally, the sending institution must challenge the receiving institution’s denial of credit.

The institution whose credit has been denied (sending institution), or the student working through the sending institution, must initiate the dispute. From the date a student is notified of credit denial (date evaluation is sent by the receiving institution), the law allows a maximum of 45 calendar days for the resolution of the dispute by the sending and receiving institutions. For additional information, contact the Vice President of Educational Services.

Temple College Three-Peat Rule Policy:

This legislation was passed by the State of Texas to discourage students from repeating courses in an excess of three times. With only limited exceptions, Texas-resident undergraduate students who attempt a course with the same content for a third or more times will be charged a premium tuition rate - an additional $55.00 per semester credit hour over the Texas Resident rate - for those credit hours. This provision is described in the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Rules (Chapter 13, Subchapter B, & 13.25).

Some courses are designed for repeated enrollment, such as:

Courses that may be repeated for credit because they involve different or more advanced course content each time they are taken including but not limited to, individual music lessons, workforce education course, theatre practicum, music performance, ensembles, and certain physical education courses, and independent study courses.

These courses are thereby exempt from the three-peat rule.

Attempted hours are calculated for courses in which a student is enrolled on census day. If a student drops the course before census day the hours will not count toward the three-peat.