Admission and Registration

Admissions and Records Office
Office: U214
Phone: 217/351-2482
Email: admissions@parkland.edu
Website: parkland.edu/admissions

Academic Advising Office
Office: U267
Phone: 217/351-2219
Email: academicadvising@parkland.edu
Website: parkland.edu/advising

Admission Requirements

Admission is open to anyone who is a graduate of an accredited high school or is at least 18 years of age and able to benefit from college-level instruction. Students under the age of 18 who have not earned a high school diploma or GED may request an exception to the admissions policy of the college as follows:

• Students who are home-schooled or attend an accredited high school and are at least 15 years of age should contact Early College Services (U214; 217/353-2663; earlycollege@parkland.edu).

All students seeking a credential (degree or certificate) at Parkland must be assessed according to the Academic Placement Policy .

Students who qualify for Adult Education classes are generally ineligible for degree or certificate-seeking status and are given a course enrollee status by the Office of Admissions and Records. However, Adult Education students who are enrolled in the ICAPS program may apply for degree-seeking status. See the associate dean of Adult Education (D120, 217/351-2580, Illinois workNet) for more information.

Admission to the college does not ensure admission to a particular course or program of study; some students may be required to enroll in specific courses before taking others. Admission to most health professions programs is selective; see Health Professions Program Selective Admission  information.  Several Aviation programs also have selective admissions; see Aviation Program Selective Admission  information.

Because of state regulations, students who apply to Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, Associate in Engineering Science, or Associate in Fine Arts degree transfer programs will be accepted to the college but may be admitted to the program on a provisional basis until certain minimum entrance requirements are satisfied. See Transfer Program Admission below.

Should it be necessary to limit enrollment, priority will be given to residents of Parkland College District 505.

International students are welcome at Parkland. The college is authorized under federal law to enroll non-immigrant students. Prospective international students should contact the coordinator of international admissions in U229 (217/351-2482, internationaladmissions@parkland.edu) to discuss eligibility for admission.

Parkland does not discriminate in the admission of students on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, religion, veteran status, Vietnam veteran era, marital status, ancestry, or disability. Information regarding admission to the college and to specific programs may be obtained from Admissions and Records (U214; 217/351-2482).

Each student is encouraged to consult with a Parkland admissions advisor in the selection of an academic program consistent with the student’s interests and abilities.

Transfer Program Admission

Illinois state law (Public Act 86-0954) specifies that 15 units of high school course work or the equivalent are required for admission to all public institutions. This act affects students at Parkland College who wish to be admitted to the following transfer programs:

• General Education Core Curriculum (GECC) certificate
• Associate in Arts (A.A.)
• Associate in Science (A.S.)
• Associate in Engineering Science (A.E.S.)
• Associate in Fine Arts (A.F.A)

Parkland College’s minimum entrance requirements for students who wish to enroll in the GECC certificate, A.A., A.S., A.E.S., or A.F.A. degree programs are 15 units of high school course work categorized as follows:

• Four years of English - written and oral communications, literature
• Three years of mathematics - including Algebra I, geometry, and Algebra II
• Two years of science - laboratory science
• Two years of social sciences - history and/or government
• Two years of electives - foreign language, music, art, or vocational education
• Two flexible academic units - two additional courses (years) from any of the science, social studies, and/or electives categories in addition to approved courses in mathematics and English such as advanced mathematics, computer science, journalism, speech, and creative writing

This requirement pertains only to the GECC certificate and the A.A., A.S., A.E.S., and A.F.A. degree transfer programs; it does not affect the career programs (A.A.S. and career certificates) or the Associate in General Studies (A.G.S.) degree program.

Applying to the College

Degree/Certificate Students

The applicant who intends to earn a degree or certificate from Parkland must submit the following documents to the Office of Admissions and Records and complete the admission process before registering for courses:

1. A completed application for admission, which is available online at parkland.edu/apply.
2. An official high school transcript sent by the high school last attended or a State of Illinois Diploma (GED) or equivalency.
3. Official transcripts forwarded from colleges and universities previously attended, if credit earned there is to be used toward a degree or certificate at Parkland. Transfer credit may be accepted from another college or university accredited by a regional accrediting association (e.g., Higher Learning Commission). If the credit is not earned from a regionally accredited institution, the request for transfer credit is generally denied. In addition, for credit to be applied toward a degree or certificate at Parkland, the credit must have been earned at the time the institution was accredited.

It is recommended that the applicant also submit ACT/SAT scores forwarded from the American College Testing program/College Board. Test scores are sent automatically to the college if the applicant lists Parkland as a college choice (ACT: code 1015 or SAT: code 1619). While not required for admission, the submission of ACT/SAT scores is recommended because they play a major role in determining academic readiness for college-level coursework and can be used as an aid in the selection of a program of study at Parkland College.

Non-degree Students

The applicant who does not intend to earn a degree or certificate from Parkland must submit an application for admission to the Office of Admissions and Records and complete any required assessment before registering for courses. Students enrolling as non-degree are not eligible for financial aid.

To change from non-degree to degree-seeking, student must submit a program code change request and an official high school transcript.

Returning Students

Before registering for classes, students who have discontinued their attendance at Parkland should make an appointment with an admissions advisor (U214; 217/351-2482) to begin the reinstatement process.

Concurrent Enrollment at Parkland and the University of Illinois

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Illinois) and Parkland College have a concurrent enrollment agreement that permits Parkland students to enroll in university courses that are not available at Parkland. Similarly, Illinois students may enroll in selected Parkland courses. Enrollment is on a space-available basis at each institution.

During each semester for which concurrent enrollment is sought, the student must register for at least as many (and normally more) semester hours at the principal institution and meet the admission requirements of the cooperating college.

Students are required to pay the tuition and fees regularly assessed at each institution in accordance with the number of semester hours taken. The application fee for the University of Illinois, however, will be waived for Parkland students. International students will be assessed tuition and fees according to the residency regulations as established by Parkland College. To determine the appropriate rate of tuition and fees, international students should contact the International Admissions Office (U229; 217/351-2482, internationaladmissions@parkland.edu) for information on residency classification before registering.

Parkland Students

Parkland students wishing to enroll on a concurrent basis at the University of Illinois should do the following for each semester they wish to attend:

1. Enroll at Parkland for the semester being considered.
2. Consult their advisor to discuss the procedures and advisability of concurrent enrollment and determine the course desired and its availability.
3. Complete the Nondegree application at the University of Illinois.
4. Contact the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning (CITL) at the University of Illinois for more information and next steps.

University of Illinois Students

University of Illinois students who plan to enroll on a concurrent basis at Parkland College should do the following for each semester they wish to attend:

1. Enroll at the University of Illinois for the semester being considered.
2. Consult their academic advisor to discuss the procedures and advisability of concurrent enrollment and determine the course desired and its availability.
3. Complete the Concurrent Enrollment form on the Parkland College website. Submit the completed Concurrent Enrollment form electronically with the student’s Academic History attached.
4. Students seeking concurrent enrollment may register during the open registration period for the appropriate semester.
5. This procedure must be followed at the beginning of each semester the student wishes to concurrently enroll. If a student was concurrently enrolled during the previous semester at Parkland College, the student will not need to complete an application for admission.
6. To receive fee adjustment, students must submit concurrent enrollment forms within 30 days of the beginning of the semester in which the student enrolls. Forms submitted after that time will not be valid for fee adjustment purposes.

Parkland Pathway to Illinois

Parkland Pathway to Illinois is a program in which students can begin college at Parkland and seamlessly transfer to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This is an opportunity for qualifying students to gain guaranteed transfer admission to Illinois.

While preparing to transfer, participating students will be able to integrate their experience as full-time Parkland College students while utilizing resources and classes at Illinois. For more information, including the participating colleges and majors at Illinois, call Parkland’s Office of Admissions and Records at 217/351-2482, or visit the Admissions website and select Pathway to UIUC.

International Students

International admissions provides admission services to all international students and immigration advising for international students and applicants. For further information and assistance, call 217/351-2482.

Academic advising and assistance with placement into Pre-College English as a Second Language (ESL) or College Composition for Non-Native Speakers of English is provided by an academic success advisor in Academic Advising. For more information, email internationaladmissions@parkland.edu.

Early College Services

Parkland College provides opportunities for academically ready high school-aged students to earn college credit. Enrollment into these opportunities is coordinated by the Early College Services office.  For more information, contact Early College Services (U233; 217/353-2663; earlycollege@parkland.edu).

Early college opportunities are as follows:

Dual Credit

Dual credit courses are sponsored jointly by high schools in District 505 and Parkland College. The program allows high school students 15 years of age and older to take college credit classes while they are still in high school to earn both high school and college credits. As long as students meet the Parkland class prerequisites and have approval of their schools and a parent or guardian they may take:

• Online classes
• Parkland classes taught in the high schools
• Parkland classes taught on Parkland’s campus
• Early College and Career Academy (ECCA) classes if their high school is a participant in the EFE #330 program

Dual Enrollment

Dual enrollment refers to the provision that permits high school and home-schooled students 15 years of age and older to take classes at Parkland to earn college credit. These classes do not count for high school credit. To participate in dual enrollment, the student must meet class placement requirements and prerequisites and have written approval of a parent or guardian.

Early College and Career Academy

The Early College and Career Academy (ECCA) is a collaboration between the Education for Employment #330 (EFE) K-12 Career and Technical Education cooperative and Parkland College. The ECCA provides an opportunity for high school juniors and seniors to earn dual credit upon completion of Parkland College courses in:

• manufacturing
• automotive technology
• precision agriculture
• computer programming
• construction trades
• education
• certified nurse assistant
• emergency medical services
• criminal justice

All classes are taught at Parkland College. In some programs, students have the opportunity to earn professional licenses, industry-recognized certifications, and/or Parkland certificates through the ECCA. The EFE 330, located in Room A113 at Parkland College, works with Parkland to administer the program.

College for Home Schooled Students

Students who are home schooled at the high school level and are 15 years of age and older may enroll in college classes for which they have met all academic eligibility requirements and course prerequisites.

Placement Policy

The primary objective of academic placement policy is to ensure that all entering students have requisite skills and knowledge for success in college-level transfer and career courses.

Students should be placed at a level which will challenge them but which is not beyond their academic reach, allowing them realistic opportunities to attain their chosen academic goals. The key to accomplishing this objective is a placement and assessment structure that uses multiple measures to place students. Students can demonstrate academic readiness from a published list of valid measures.

These measures include, but are not limited to:

• performance on national or state standardized tests
• high school academic performance
• prior college work
• performance on placement tests

One or more measures may be used to indicate academic readiness.

The placement policy requires that students starting at Parkland College are assessed for academic readiness in reading, writing, and mathematics skills prior to registration for classes. Students for whom English is not their native language will be assessed for their English language skills in listening comprehension, reading comprehension, grammar, and language use.

Students whose placement test results indicate that they will benefit from skills instruction will be placed in developmental classes, pre-college English as a Second Language classes, or equivalent support course work. Individuals who are not yet ready to take Parkland’s developmental course work will be referred to programs designed to meet their needs.

Academic success is the goal of the academic placement policy; consequently, course placements are mandatory.

Information about multiple measures and placement scores can be found in the college’s Placement Manual.

Academic Advising

Academic advising at Parkland is a shared responsibility. The faculty, department chairs, and academic success advisors in Academic Advising all share the task of providing academic advice to students.

All Parkland students who are seeking a degree or certificate and who have not yet earned 30 hours of credit or are in selected programs regardless of number of hours earned must obtain advising prior to registering for classes. The following guidelines identify whom students should see for advice prior to registration:

• All new and returning students enrolled in an A.A.S. or Certificate program should meet regularly with an academic success advisor for onboarding and academic progress work. They should also meet regularly with their faculty program advisor or appropriate department chair for program-specific information and guidance. If students are in a career program and are currently enrolled in a Critical Comprehension Skills (CCS) class, they should seek advice from Academic Advising.
• Students enrolled in an A.A., A.S., A.E.S., or A.F.A. transfer program may seek advice from a faculty program advisor or an academic success advisor. Faculty program advisors and academic success advisors co-advise, so it is beneficial for students to actively work with both their program advisor and their academic success advisor. Students enrolled in Fine and Applied Arts transfer programs (A.A. and A.F.A.) as well as A.A.S. programs should see the faculty program advisor for their program or the department chair.
• Students enrolled as applicants in a health professions program may seek advice from Academic Advising.
• Students who are new to Parkland and are seeking a degree or certificate must see an academic success advisor. New student athletes receive initial academic advice through the athletic department.

Parkland students who are not seeking a degree (course enrollees) and students who have earned more than 30 credit hours are not required to see a faculty program advisor, department chair, or academic success advisor prior to registration. However, students in selective admissions Health Professions programs must see a faculty program advisor regardless of the number of credit hours they have earned.

Registering for Classes

Before new students can register for classes, their reading, writing, and mathematics skills must be assessed. See the Academic Placement Policy for more information. Using their placement test results and in consultation with an advisor, students then select and reserve courses. All degree-seeking students will complete a new student orientation. Registration is complete upon payment of tuition and fees.

Registration Guidelines

Students are encouraged to plan for classes and register early. Check Find a Class or Student Planning for specific dates and times. Detailed registration deadlines are found online at parkland.edu/calendar. Students are responsible for becoming familiar with all dates, deadlines, and procedures related to registration.

Student Responsibility

Students bear full responsibility for any complications that arise because of their failure to follow established policies, procedures, course requirements and prerequisites, or the advice of advisors. The college does not consider lack of student awareness as sufficient reason to waive any requirement or make exception to any policy or practice.

Late Registration

Students can register themselves for classes until 11:59 p.m. the day before the first day of classes for that session.

Starting on the first day of class, students will need to go through the Admissions Office to follow Late Registration procedures.

Late registration is not guaranteed, and opportunities to register for a class that has already begun may be limited.

Course Load

A freshman student at Parkland College is one who has earned fewer than 30 semester hours of credit. A sophomore student is one who has earned 30 or more semester hours of credit, excluding courses in progress.

A full-time student is one who is enrolled in 12 credit hours or more in a given semester. A part-time student is one who is enrolled in fewer than 12 credit hours in a given semester.

A full-time eligible student is one who has completed the application procedures and has submitted the required credentials to the Office of Admissions and Records. A student who has completed the application, submitted the appropriate transcripts, and declared that they are seeking a degree is classified as a degree-seeking student. An applicant who has completed the application, but has not supplied the college with transcripts from high school and/or college, is eligible to attend as a course enrollee. Course enrollees are not eligible for financial aid.

Limits on Maximum Course Load

Students of any classification who are eligible to take 16-week classes may enroll for up to 18 credit hours without special approval. Students who wish to take more than 18 credit hours must obtain the approval of a Parkland academic success advisor. Students who are eligible to take only 13-week or shorter classes may enroll for no more than 13 credit hours. Students who are eligible to take only 8-week classes may enroll for no more than 8 credit hours. These limits apply to the fall and spring semesters.

Summer Session Maximum Course Load

A student is permitted to take no more than the equivalent of one credit hour per week of class, excluding any overlapping sessions.

Options for Taking a Class Without a Grade

Students who wish to take a class without a letter grade being entered on the transcript have two options. They may audit the class or take the class on a credit/no credit basis.

Students are advised to speak with an academic success advisor as well as financial aid advisor about the possible impact of either option on graduation requirements and on financial aid awards prior to requesting an audit or credit/no credit status in a class.

Auditing a Class

A student may choose to enroll in a class as an auditing student. To audit a class means that the student attends the class with the intent of learning the class content but is not evaluated on the attainment of student learning outcomes for the class. No credit is granted and no quality points towards the student’s cumulative grade point average are earned.

1. Tuition and fees: The auditing student pays the tuition and fees for the course according to their residency rate as well as additional course fees.
2. Eligibility: The student must meet the admission requirements for the college as well as the placement requirements and prerequisites for the course.
3. Consulting with faculty: A student who wishes to audit a class must first register for the class and then speak with the class instructor about auditing. The instructor will discuss expectations for the audit. The student will sign an audit contract form confirming agreement to class expectations.
4. Registration: The student must make the decision for auditing the class within the first week of the class session and bring a copy of the signed audit contract to Admissions. Once registered, no reversal to credit status is permitted.

Credit/No Credit Status

A student may take a class on a credit/no-credit (CR/NC) basis. Credit (CR) is equivalent to earning a grade of C or higher; no-credit (NC) is awarded for the equivalent of grade of D or F.

Only one such course may count toward a degree or certificate. No quality points are earned towards the student’s cumulative grade point average.

The academic department may require that program course requirements be only taken for a quality grade. CR/NC does not result in a refund of tuition/fees.

1. Tuition and fees: The student choosing the credit/no credit option pays the tuition and fees for the course according to their residency rate as well as additional course fees.
2. Eligibility: The student must meet the admission requirements for the college as well as the placement requirements and prerequisites for the course.
3. Consulting with an academic success advisor: CR/NC grades may have an impact on transferability of credits, eligibility for graduate or professional school, maintenance of NCJAA/NCAA eligibility for student athletes, financial aid, and scholarship opportunities. The student is strongly encouraged to speak with an academic success advisor prior to opting for CR/NC as a grading option. Students are advised to speak with a financial aid advisor about the possible impact to financial aid awards prior to requesting an audit or credit/no credit status in a class.
4. Class expectations: The student is expected to engage in learning activities and complete all class assignments no different than other students in the class. If the student earns a grade of C or better in the class, the grade recorded on the transcript will be CR; If the student earns a grade of D or F, the grade on the transcript will be NC.
5. Registration procedure: The student registers for the class and then submits the credit/no credit request form to Admissions by the end of the first week of class. Admissions will make a change in the student’s enrollment status in the class. Once registered as a credit/no credit student, the student may not return to the conventional grading system (A, B, C, D, F) for the course.
6. Grading procedure: The class instructor submits the letter grade that the student earns on the class grading roster. Admissions maintains the procedure to convert the letter grade into a CR or NC grade on the transcript.

Changing Programs

 Students who wish to change their program status will need to complete a Program Code Change form available from the Office of Admissions and Records (online at parkland.edu/forms).

Students should work with an advisor to determine the correct program code and may submit these forms to the Office of Admissions and Records anytime during the semester.

Dropping/Withdrawing from Classes

Student-initiated Action

A student enrolling in a class automatically assumes certain responsibilities. One of these responsibilities is to properly drop or withdraw from a class if the student decides not to take or complete the course. A student, having been enrolled in a class, remains enrolled until the student initiates a drop or a withdrawal or the student is administratively dropped or withdrawn (see Faculty/Administrative Action section below).

Drops

Students have the privilege of dropping a class without the class becoming part of their permanent academic record during specified drop periods. For all classes, regardless of semester and length of session, the deadline to drop is the Sunday following the start of class at 11:59 pm. A refund of tuition and fees is given when a class is dropped.

Withdrawals

After the drop period, students may withdraw themselves from classes with a grade of W recorded on their permanent academic record. No refunds are given. Students are responsible for submitting the form online at parkland.edu/forms or in person in the Office of Admissions and Records (U214). Withdrawals may not be done by telephone.

The deadline to withdraw is 5 pm on the last business day of the week before the last week of instruction. The specific dates for drops and withdrawal for standard class sessions are published online and in the registration guides. Students should consult class syllabi for withdrawal deadlines for non-standard class lengths. Failing to withdraw properly from a class may result in receiving a failing grade of F for that class.

Students who are failing a course due to violations of the academic honesty policy (Policy 8.06) or failing a clinical course in a Health Professions programs may not be permitted to withdraw.

For questions, see the appropriate academic division dean.

Faculty/Administrative Action

Developmental Drops

In keeping with the college’s late registration policy for students who place into developmental classes, students who miss the first two meetings of a developmental class will be dropped without record on the recommendation of the instructor.

The course will not appear on the student’s permanent academic records and a full refund will be given. Dropped students will be given the opportunity to register for 13-week developmental classes.

Faculty-initiated Withdrawals

At the census day (Monday of the second week of class) immediately following the student drop period, faculty members will initiate the administrative withdrawal process for students who have never attended. After the census date and at any time up until midterm, faculty members will initiate the administrative withdrawal process for students who have ceased to attend. Attendance in an online class is measured in terms of submission of a graded activity, student participation in online class discussions, or contact with the faculty member.

At midterm, faculty members are required to certify students’ attendance according to the requirements of the Illinois Community College Board. Each faculty member must sign the following statement at midterm: “I hereby certify that the above listed students, unless (W) grade has been marked, are currently attending and actively pursuing completion of the course at midterm, and I have proper documentation to support this certification.”

At midterm or at any other time prior to midterm, the faculty member may administratively withdraw any student who does not satisfy the conditions of the previous statement. After midterm, faculty cannot withdraw any student; withdrawal from a class must be done by the student prior to the withdrawal deadlines published online and in the registration guides.

All faculty-initiated withdrawals result in a W grade on the permanent academic record. No refunds are given.

Should a student who has been administratively withdrawn return to class and the faculty member determines it is possible for the student to earn a quality grade, the faculty member and academic division dean may complete and submit the appropriate form to the Office of Admissions and Records. The student will be allowed to re-register for the class with no additional tuition and fees, assuming that the student has not received any refund. The Business Office will determine whether additional tuition and fees are due.

Other Administrative Withdrawals

A student also may be withdrawn from a course by administrative action as a result of the failure to abide by a contract that they signed, or emergency or disciplinary procedures under the provisions of board policy on student rights and responsibilities.

Administrative withdrawals result in a W grade on the permanent academic record. No refunds are given.

Financial Aid Implications

Students are responsible for understanding that student-initiated withdrawals or administrative withdrawals may result in loss of financial aid.

Requests for Exceptions to Drop and Withdrawal Procedures

For additional information and to request the Exception to Policy form, email academicexceptions@parkland.edu. Decisions regarding exception requests may be appealed to the Student Affairs Committee.

Request for late withdrawal

A student may appeal a grade in cases where F grades have been recorded because a student was unable to officially withdraw. The student may petition for retroactive withdrawal from any and all courses in the semester in question.

The student must provide verifiable evidence of the cause for failing to withdraw by the posted deadline. The student has until the end of the fall or spring semester following the semester in question to submit an appeal for retroactive withdrawal. If the petition is granted, the grades will be changed to W by the Office of Admissions and Records.

Requests for medical withdrawal

A student may petition for a medical withdrawal after withdrawing from all courses or an individual course upon the advice of a medical professional.

The student must provide medical documentation that verifies the medical circumstances that prevented the completion of a course or courses, contains a statement of support from the medical professional, and is submitted on their professional letterhead.

A request for a medical withdrawal must be submitted no later than the end of the fall or spring semester following the semester in question. Approved medical withdrawals may result in a billing adjustment of a full or partial tuition refund. Students receiving financial aid are not eligible for a billing adjustment.

Illinois Student Hardship

The Illinois Student Debt Assistance Act allows students to request consideration for withdrawals due to conditions specifically listed in the act. This act extends consideration to a student who experiences a sudden or consistent lack of transportation or a significant unforeseen cost of living increase.

For more information concerning the act, review the document Your Rights as a College Student in Illinois as posted on Illinois Legal Aid Online. The student must provide verifiable evidence of the circumstances that occurred.

A student has until the end of the fall or spring semester following the semester the hardship occurred to submit their request.

Requests for drop without record

Official records may be expunged only by action of the Vice President for Academic Services. Such action is to be used rarely and only in the most extenuating circumstances. The student must provide verifiable evidence of the circumstances and has until the end of the fall or spring semester following the semester in question to submit this appeal.