Table of Contents

• Academic Calendar
• President's Message
• About Athens Technical College
  • Mission Statement
  • Vision Statement
  • Strategic Goals and Objectives
  • History of the College
  • Development Activities
  • Accreditation, Approval, and Certification
  • Memberships
  • Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges
  • Program Advisory Committees
• Admissions Information
  • Early Application Deadlines
  • Selective Admission Programs Application Deadlines
  • Eligible Applicants
  • General Admission Requirements¹
  • Provisional/Learning Support Admission
  • Special Admission
  • Admission Processes for Selective Admission Programs
  • Transfer Credit for Life Sciences Programs
  • Transfer Student Admission
  • Transient Student Admission
  • ACCEL Program Admission
  • Dual Enrollment-HOPE Admission
  • Joint Enrollment Admission
  • Home-Schooling Admission
  • International Student Admission
  • Change of Major
  • Readmission
  • Readmission to Selective Admission Programs
  • COMPASS and ASSET
  • Retesting Policy for the COMPASS AND ASSET
  • Selective Admission Examinations
• Advisement and Registration
  • Academic Advisement
  • General Registration Information
  • New Student Orientation, Registration, and Advising Day
  • Returning Student Registration
  • Transient Student Registration
  • No-Show Policy
  • Withdrawing Before the Semester Midpoint
  • Withdrawing After the Semester Midpoint
  • Withdrawing from Online Courses
  • Withdrawing from the College
  • Withdrawing for Military Duty
• Academic Information
  • Grading System
  • Cumulative Grade Point Average
  • Graduation Grade Point Average
  • Semester Grade Point Average
  • Calculation of Grade
  • Grade Reports
  • Academic Grievances
  • Academic Probation
  • Academic Dismissal
  • President's List
  • Dean's List
  • Advanced Placement (AP) Credit
  • College-Level (CLEP) Credit
  • International Baccalaureate (IB) Credit
  • Credit by Examination
  • Credit by Transfer
  • Experiential Credit
  • High School Articulation
  • Military Credit
  • Attendance Policy
  • Auditing Classes
  • Continuation of Instruction Plan
  • Course Load
  • Course Substitution
  • Distance Learning
  • Full-time Student Status
  • Residency Requirement
  • Transcript Requests
  • Transient Status for ATC Students
  • Transfer Articulation Agreements
  • Warranty of Graduates
  • Work Ethics
  • Academic Grievances
• Test Score Requirements
  • Regular Admission Test Score Requirements
  • Provisional and Learning Support Admission
• Tuition and Fees
  • Other Expenses
  • Georgia Resident Defined
  • Electronic Authorizations of Financial Aid
  • Insurance
  • Tuition/Fees Payment Deadlines
  • Personal Check Policy
  • Refunds
• Financial Aid Information
  • Federal Aid Programs
  • State Aid Programs
  • Satisfactory Academic Progress
  • Withdrawing from or Dropping Classes
  • Athens Tech Merit-Based Scholarships
  • Other Scholarship Opportunities
  • Rehabilitation Services
  • Veterans Program
• Community Outreach
  • Adult Education
  • Economic Development Services
  • Continuing Education Services
  • Business and Industry Services
  • Human Resource Services
  • Workforce Development/WorkKeys®
  • Existing Employee Training Services
  • Labor and Organizational Services
  • Environmental and Safety Services
  • Microcomputer Academy
  • Quick Start
  • Retraining Tax Credit
  • Georgia Work Ready®
• Academic and Student Support Services
  • Academic Support Center
  • Athens Technical College Emergency Notification System
  • Bookstore
  • Campus Security
  • Career Services
  • Disability Services
  • Emergency Action Plan
  • Emergency Messages
  • First Aid
  • Housing
  • Identification Cards
  • Library Services
  • Live Work
  • Lost and Found
  • Mental Health
  • New Student Orientation
  • Parking
  • Public Transportation
  • Safety Escorts
  • Sexual Health
  • Student Email Accounts
  • Telephone Services for Hearing Impaired
• Student Activities
  • Student Representation in Governance
  • Student Activities
  • Student Recognition
  • Honors Day
  • Graduation
• Student Right-to-Know Information
  • Complaints
  • Computer Use and Internet Access
  • Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act
  • Clery Act
  • Confidentiality of Student Records
  • Discrimination or Harassment
  • Drug-Free Campus Policy
  • Drug Testing/Background Checks
  • Hazardous Weather
  • Intellectual Property
  • ATC Policy: Intellectual Property Rights
  • Student Right-to-Know Act
  • Unauthorized Distribution of Copyrighted Materials
  • Visitors on Campus
  • Voter Registration
• Student Code of Conduct
  • Student Rights and Responsibilities
  • Academic Rights
  • Freedom of Speech and Assembly
  • Protection Against Unreasonable Searches and Seizures
  • Academic Honesty Policy
  • Procedures for Addressing Violations of Academic Dishonesty
  • Action on Determination of Innocence
  • Student Responsibilities
  • Instructor Responsibilities
  • Prohibited Conduct
  • Examples of Academic Dishonesty
  • Theft
  • Other
  • Student Code of Conduct
  • Children and Pets on Campus
  • Use of Personal Electronic Devices
  • Use of Tobacco Products
  • Violation of Clinical Site Policies
  • Weapons
• Programs of Study
• Course Descriptions
• Faculty and Staff Credentials
• Program Addenda
• Selective Admissions Forms

Athens Technical College

An Achieving The Dream College

800 U.S. Highway 29 North * Athens, GA 30601 * 706-355-5000 * www.athenstech.edu

Advisement and Registration

Academic Advisement

Advisement at Athens Technical College focuses on meeting the college's mission of providing educational programs and services that foster lifelong learning, facilitate workplace success, and promote economic development. Thus, advising assists students with educational and career planning, as well as the personal development needed to reach their career goals.

Academic advisement is a process in which faculty advisors and students work together to develop educational plans that support meaningful and realistic career goals. The role of advisors is to assist and mentor, but students are ultimately responsible for developing and implementing their goals and plans. Athens Technical College established the following outcomes of advising:

• To assist students in identifying and evaluating their interests, abilities, and short- and long-term goals
• To guide students in formulating plans to pursue those goals and to assess their progress toward those goals
• To provide information to students about college policies, procedures, resources, and programs related to their personal and educational goals and needs
• To enable students to use technology and other college resources to monitor their own progress, to reconsider or modify their goals if appropriate, and to initiate and complete college processes such as registration
• To assist students in developing self-understanding, self-acceptance, decision-making skills, and other personal development skills needed for educational planning, career development, and productive participation in the economy of Georgia

Faculty advisors schedule office hours and consult with students each semester to plan appropriate class schedules. In addition, the college holds advising days each semester so that students can meet with their faculty advisors during convenient hours. Academic advisors are also available in the Advisement Center to assist students with advisement issues. Students may schedule appointments with the academic advisors in the Advisement Center by calling (706) 357-0003 or by sending an email to advisement@athenstech.edu.

General Registration Information

Students should check www.athenstech.edu for announcements regarding the registration dates. Registration for returning students normally begins during the week after midterm each semester. Campus Identification - Because Athens Technical College has multiple campuses, different section numbers are used to identify where the college offers classes each semester. The following section numbers identify specific class locations:

Students may search for classes by campus when registering for classes each semester.

Eligibility - New students with an official letter of acceptance to the college and returning students may register for classes.

Drop/Add - Students may add classes to their schedules via their BannerWeb account during the first three days of each semester. Students may add classes to their schedule in person at the Registration and Records office on the Athens Campus or at the administration offices on the Elbert, Greene, and Walton Campuses on the fourth and fifth day of each semester. Students are not permitted to add classes to their schedules or switch to other sections of a course after this time. Students may need to see an advisor to obtain clearance to add a course if an advisor has not approved for them to take the course. Students need to be aware that adding classes may affect their financial aid.

Students may drop classes via their BannerWeb account during the first three days of any semester without academic or financial penalties. Classes dropped during this period will not appear on academic transcripts. Students who are trying to drop their entire schedule of classes (or the only class they are enrolled in for the semester) must contact the Registration and Records Office at registration@athenstech.edu for assistance.

Students who drop classes after the third day of the semester will not receive a refund of tuition and fees. Furthermore, they will receive a grade of W, WP, or WF for courses dropped after the third day. This grade will appear on academic transcripts. Students need to be aware that dropping classes may affect their financial aid.

Student Course Schedule - Students should review their schedules and their fee assessment forms after each registration activity. These documents serve as proof of course registration should questions arise. Students should print or save copies of the documents as part of their permanent records.

Student Responsibilities - Students must become knowledgeable about registration procedures and follow them explicitly. Any deviation from the prescribed procedures may result in registration delays or errors in the schedule. Advisors are available to students for academic advisement and selection of classes, but applicants do not receive approval for academic advisement or registration until the Admissions Office formally accepts them into the college.

Registration Errors - Students are responsible for completing the appropriate forms and procedures for registration or changes to registration. In addition, they must verify that their schedules of classes are correct. Registration and Records Office is not responsible for errors resulting from students not following the proper procedures or not verifying their schedules at the time of registration. Students should report any registration problems to registration@athenstech.edu.

Required Classes - If students enrolled in specific programs of study refuse to take appropriate program-related courses, the Admissions Office may reclassify them as special admission students.

Tuition/Fee Payment Deadline - Enrollment is not complete until students complete registration and pay tuition and fees. Students must pay tuition, fees, and other charges by the Tuition/Fee Payment deadline as listed on the Academic Calendar (see Academic Calendar). Students who owe money to the college after the Tuition/Fee Payment deadline will be administratively withdrawn from classes. Failure to pay an instructional and technology support fee, supply fee, malpractice insurance, graduation fee, radiation badge fee, fuel surcharges, or any other fee or charge not covered by financial aid and not electronically authorized will result in students being withdrawn from their classes (see Electronic Authorizations in the section on financial aid). Students who are administratively withdrawn from classes will have to pay a $45 late fee to re-register for classes during the official Drop/Add period as listed on the Academic Calendar (see Academic Calendar).

New Student Orientation, Registration, and Advising Day

The Admissions Office sends acceptance letters to all newly accepted students. This letter provides information about completing new student orientation, attending an advisement day, creating student email accounts, and registering for classes for their first semester of planned attendance.

All newly accepted students must complete the New Student Orientation, which is available online (www.athenstech.edu; select Current Students and then Orientation). Additional information on ways to complete the orientation is also available at this site. The orientation introduces new students to college policies and procedures.

Students must bring their acceptance letter and a printout of the confirmation email that they have successfully completed New Student Orientation in order to meet with an advisor and to complete the registration process. Students will also be able to purchase textbooks and supplies, pay tuition and fees, secure parking permits, and obtain student identification cards during the Advisement/Registration session.

Returning Student Registration

Returning students register for classes during the Returning Student Registration Period as listed on the Academic Calendar (see Academic Calendar). Students must meet with their advisors each academic term to discuss program requirements and to develop a schedule of classes and to receive their registration access code. They will then register themselves for classes via the college's online student registration system. Directions on how to use the online student registration system are available on the college website (www.athenstech.edu). Select Current Students and then Banner Student Login before clicking the BannerWeb Registration Demonstration link. After registering for classes, students must pay their tuition, fees, and all other charges or they will be removed from classes for non-payment (see Tuition/Fee Payment Deadline).

The college establishes online registration dates based on the number of credit hours accrued by students; students closest to graduating receive scheduling preference. Students, who attend an advising session on one of the college's scheduled advising days, usually one week before midterm each semester, will be eligible to register for classes during Early Bird Registration a day before returning student registration opens. Changing programs of study may affect the number of hours earned and, thus, designated registration dates. (Special admission students who are taking classes during the current academic term are considered returning students for the subsequent academic term.) Returning students who fail to register for classes during the registration period established for returning students must wait until the late registration period to register for classes. The college will assess a $45 late fee when students register for classes during late registration periods. This fee is not covered by financial aid unless students authorize the college to access Pell funds to do so.

Transient Student Registration

Transient students are eligible to complete the online registration process during the scheduled transient student registration period each semester or during late registration. The college will assess a $45 late fee for those who register during late registration. Directions on how to use the online student registration system are available on the college website (www.athenstech.edu). Select Current Students and then Banner Student Login before clicking the BannerWeb Registration Demonstration link. A staff member in the Admissions Office clears transient students to register for eligible courses provided they submit the college's Transient Course Request form to the Admissions Office. This form is available on the college website (www.athenstech.edu; select Prospective Students and then Admissions Process). The link is at the bottom of this page.

Transient students must complete the approval process to take online classes (see Advisement for Online Classes). Transient students must pay their tuition and fees online or to the cashier on the day they register for classes unless they have submitted HOPE financial aid transient letters to the Financial Aid Office at Athens Technical College. Financial Aid staff will automatically cover tuition and fee charges of eligible students approved to receive these benefits. Students must pay their tuition, fees, and all other charges not covered by financial aid or they will be removed from classes for non-payment (see Tuition/Fee Payment Deadline). Please note that Athens Technical College does not bill students. Instructions for paying tuition and fees online are available under the Current Students menu on the Athens Technical College homepage.

No-Show Policy

Instructors will submit the names of students who do not attend any of the class sessions during the first week of the academic term as "No Shows" to the Registration and Records Office. Students taking online courses must log onto the online instructional system within the first five days of the start of the academic term or communicate with the course instructors in person, by email, or by telephone. Otherwise, instructors of online courses will report students as No Shows. Students taking self-directed/individualized instruction courses must meet with their instructors during the first five days of the academic term to finalize class schedules. Otherwise, instructors of self-directed learning courses must report those students as No Shows.

The executive director of registration and records will remove No Show students from their classes, and instructors will not allow students to begin attending classes during the second or subsequent weeks of the academic term. The college will refund 100 percent of the tuition and fees (with the exception of the late registration fee) students paid for the courses in which instructors reported them as No Shows. Students reported as No Shows in one, but not all, classes will be ineligible for refunds if the credit hours of their remaining classes total 15 hours or more. The Financial Aid Office will not award aid benefits for courses in which instructors report students as No Shows.

This policy does not apply to those students who attend at least one class session; log onto the online instructional system; email, call, or meet with their online instructors; or meet with instructors of self-directed/individualized instruction courses during the first five days of the academic term, but later stop attending classes. Those students must complete the formal withdrawal process as outlined in Withdrawing Before the Semester Midpoint or Withdrawing After the Semester Midpoint or risk earning grades of F for the courses.

Withdrawing Before the Semester Midpoint

Students may withdraw from courses without academic penalty until the midpoint of the semester as published in the Academic Calendar (see Academic Calendar). By withdrawing before the midpoint of the semester, students automatically receive grades of W, which do not affect semester or cumulative grade point averages (see Grading System). Grades of W do affect students' satisfactory academic progress for financial aid purposes (see Satisfactory Academic Progress). Students who stop attending classes without formally withdrawing from courses risk earning final grades of F, which appear on academic transcripts.

Students withdrawing from classes before the midpoint of the semester may complete the withdrawal process through the online student registration system. Directions on how to use the online student registration system to withdraw from classes are available on the college website (www.athenstech.edu; select Current Students, then select Banner Student Login before selecting the BannerWeb Withdrawal Demonstration link).

Students will be able to drop all but one class through the online student registration system. To drop the last remaining class, students may email their name, student identification number, and the course registration number (CRN) to registration@athenstech.edu. They must send this email from their @student.athenstech.edu email account. The Registration and Records Office will not process the request if students send the information from any email account other than the @student.athenstech.edu. Students may also complete the withdrawal process in person at the Registration and Records Office on the Athens Campus, the Student Affairs Office on the Elbert County Campus, the Director's Office on the Walton County Campus, or the Director's Office at the Greene County Campus. Students should keep copies of their withdrawal forms and emails for their official records.

Students are not eligible for a refund when they withdraw from classes after the third day of the semester. Withdrawing from courses may affect students' satisfactory academic progress and the amount of financial aid they receive for the semester. Furthermore, they may have to repay a portion of the tuition and fees that financial aid cannot cover because of the withdrawal (see Withdrawing From or Dropping Classes in the section on Financial Aid).

Withdrawing After the Semester Midpoint

After the midpoint of the semester, instructors must assign grades of WP - Withdrawal Passing or WF - Withdrawal Failing (see Grading System). Grades of WP and WF affect students' satisfactory academic progress for financial aid purposes (see Satisfactory Academic Progress) and grades of WF affect students' academic standing. Students who stop attending classes without formally withdrawing from courses risk earning final grades of F. Students may withdraw from classes up to the withdrawal deadline as indicated on the Academic Calendar (see Academic Calendar).

The Registration and Records Office will not accept withdrawal forms once final exams begin. Instructors calculate withdrawing students' grades at the point they submit withdrawal forms for instructors to sign, not at the point when students stop attending class. These grades appear on academic transcripts.

Students withdrawing from classes after the midpoint of the semester must:

• Obtain a Withdrawal form from the Registration and Records Office on the Athens Campus, the Student Affairs Office on the Elbert County Campus, the Director's Office on the Walton County Campus, or the Director's Office at the Greene County Campus
• Complete the form and secure signatures of instructors. Instructors will assign grades of WP if students are passing at the time of withdrawal or grades of WF if students are failing at the time of withdrawal. Grades of WF are calculated in semester grade point average as grades of F
• Secure the signature of a financial aid counselor (Withdrawing from courses may affect students' satisfactory academic progress and the amount of financial aid they receive for the semester. Furthermore, they may have to repay a portion of the tuition and fees that financial aid cannot cover because of the withdrawal (see Withdrawing From or Dropping Classes in the section on Financial Aid)).
• Sign and submit completed forms to the Office of Registration and Records on the Athens Campus, the Student Affairs Office on the Elbert County Campus, the Director's Office on the Walton County Campus, or the Director's Office at the Greene County Campus (Withdrawal forms without instructor-assigned grades or signatures will not be processed.)
• Keep copies of the forms to document the withdrawal

Withdrawing from Online Courses

Students who are taking online classes may withdraw from classes through the online student registration system through the midpoint of the semester as indicated on the Academic Calendar (see Academic Calendar). Directions on how to use the online student registration system to withdraw from classes are available on the college website (www.athenstech.edu; select Current Students and then Banner Student Login before selecting the BannerWeb Withdrawal Demonstration link).

Students will be able to drop all but one class through the online student registration system. To drop the last remaining class, they will need to complete the withdrawal process by emailing their instructors and registration@athenstech.edu through their @student.athenstech.edu email account or the online course delivery system to provide notification that they are withdrawing from their classes.

Instructors will assign grades of either WP or WF if students withdraw after the midpoint of the semester. Instructors will notify students by email of the assigned grade. Instructors will then forward the students' original emails requesting the withdrawal and information on the students' grades to the Registration and Records Office.

Students who are taking both face-to-face and online courses during any given semester must follow the same procedures outlined in Withdrawing Before the Semester Midpoint or Withdrawing After the Semester Midpoint. Withdrawing from online courses may affect students' satisfactory academic progress and the amount of financial aid they receive for the semester. Furthermore, they may have to repay a portion of the tuition and fees that financial aid cannot cover because of the withdrawal (see Withdrawing From or Dropping Classes in the section on Financial Aid).

Withdrawing from the College

Students withdrawing from the college (i.e., withdrawing from all classes) must follow the same procedures outlined in Withdrawing Before the Semester Midpoint or Withdrawing After the Semester Midpoint.

Withdrawing for Military Duty

In the event of a military emergency whereby students who are in the Armed Services, the National Guard, or Armed Forces Reserve receive activation notices or receive notification to report for duty and are no longer able to attend classes, students may select one of the following options:

• To withdraw from the college for the semester - the students' records will reflect no enrollment, thus no grades will appear on their transcripts. The college will refund all tuition and fees; however, the Financial Aid Office will return Title IV, Pell Grant and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, funds in accordance with federal regulations
• To receive the appropriate letter grades and any applicable refunds - the Financial Aid Office will calculate such courses as "attempted" for HOPE and satisfactory academic progress purposes (see Satisfactory Academic Progress for more information)

To select an option, students must provide documentation of such military service from an appropriate military official.