The Higher Education Council of Columbus (H.E.C.C.) is an association of eleven colleges and universities located in the greater Columbus metropolitan area. As a service to students at the participating institutions, the Council approved a cross-registration program for regularly enrolled undergraduate, full-time students only (i.e.:registered for 12 or more credit hours). The objective of the cross-registration program is curriculum enrichment, exposing students to an area of study that is unavailable on their home campus. Which means, there should not be a comparable course equivalent available to the student at OSU. The student is able to take advantage of areas of study unavailable at OSU without having to complete an extensive admissions process or pay additional instructional fees at the host institution. Cross-registration is NOT available, under any circumstances, during the Summer Quarter at any institution. The participating HECC institutions are:
Capital University
Central Ohio Technical College
The Columbus College of Art and Design
Columbus State Community College
DeVry Institute of Technology
Franklin University
Mt. Carmel College of Nursing
Ohio Dominican College
The Ohio State University
Otterbein College
The Pontifical College Josephinum
Prohibited Registration Practices
OSU students should not attempt to circumvent HECC registration rules. Students
are not permitted to “switch” to HECC if they have already enrolled
for the class at the host institution. These students will be prohibited from
registering via HECC that quarter and expected to pay host institution fees.
An OSU student cannot be enrolled and paying at OSU and another HECC institution and participate in the HECC Cross-registration Program. Rationale: If you are an enrolled and paying student at both institutions, you do not qualify as a "visiting" student for HECC cross-registration purposes.
If you are an enrolled paid, OSU student who is concurrently attending another HECC institution, you may not return to OSU to take a course under the auspices of the HECC program. Once you have scheduled and paid for courses at OSU as a visiting student, you have automatically rendered yourself ineligible for the HECC program.
The total number of hours an OSU
student may schedule during the quarter, to include HECC, may not exceed the
maximum number of credit hours authorized by the student's OSU college of enrollment.
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HECC cross-registration is available to undergraduate OSU students who are at
a paid, full-time status (registered for 12 or more credits prior to HECC registration)
for the quarter in which they are cross-registered. Full-time status must be
maintained at OSU throughout the refund period for that quarter (not including
the cross-registered class) to remain an HECC registrant at the host school.
If an OSU student drops below full-time in OSU coursework during the refund
period, they must withdraw from the HECC program and pay the host school directly
for the cross-registration course to maintain enrollment in that class. OSU
students are limited to one HECC cross-registration course per quarter (Autumn,
Winter or Spring Quarters only) with a limit of three total courses in the life
of their undergraduate studies. Cross-registration is not available, under any
circumstances, during the Summer Quarter at any institution.
Cross-registration is not available to students who have been academically dismissed
from The Ohio State University.
Graduate students at OSU are not eligible to register for courses through the
HECC program. Students cross-registering for an EMS course at Columbus State
Community College must receive permission from the instructor prior to HECC
registration.
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The philosophy of cross-registration is that HECC students will fill what would
otherwise be empty spaces in classes after general registration has occurred
at participating schools. In order for an OSU student to cross-register a course,
an open space must be available after the host school’s student population
has registered for classes. Each host institution determines its own HECC registration
time frame. Due to the timing of the HECC registration period for OSU students
at host schools, it is possible that a particular section or entire course could
be closed by the time an OSU student attempts to register using the HECC program.
If a student feels they“must” register for the course in question
and cannot risk being closed out due to space limitations, the student may want
to investigate other options (registering and paying fees directly as a “special”
student at the host school) rather than use the HECC program. Thus, because
space guarantees cannot be made by registration time, required courses for a
student’s major or for graduation purposes are discouraged from HECC cross-registration.
Again, the intent of the cross-registration program is curriculum enhancement
only. In other words, no comparable OSU course equivalent should be available
to the student at OSU. When extenuating circumstances exist, the student
must submit an explanation from their Academic Advisor and approval from the
college secretary or designee.
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The major benefit of the program is that the student will not pay tuition costs
for the additional cross-registered course at the host institution. A student
may be charged, however, for other enrollment-related fees such as lab fees,
parking fees, etc. The host school will determine these fees. The student MUST
be prepared to pay the fees at the time of registration at the host institution.
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The regular course grading option for HECC coursework is by traditional letter
grade only. All HECC coursework taken at a host institution will be converted
to quarter-hours once it is posted to the student’s OSU record.
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Courses taken at a host institution through the HECC program are treated as
if they were taken at OSU (with some slight modifications). HECC coursework
is not “converted” to transfer credit (or “K-credit”).
Once a student is confirmed as an HECC registrant for a term, “HECC 397”
is posted to the student’s current OSU schedule. The amount of credit
given for the HECC 397 class is equivalent to the amount taken at the host school
(semester credit will be converted to a quarter credit equivalency). At the
end of the term, the host school automatically forwards an official grade to
the Office of the University Registrar. The student does not need to request
a transcript be sent for the HECC course. The letter grade for the cross-registered
class is then posted directly to the HECC 397 class that appears on the student’s
schedule. The letter grade will be calculated into the student’s OSU grade-point
average (unlike traditional transfer credit). The HECC 397 class will remain
on the student’s permanent record.
The host’s course will not
be directly articulated into an OSU course on the student’s record. A
record comment is posted to the student database to identify which class was
taken at the host school through the HECC program. This record comment is posted
to the student database RCOM screen. The comment will print on the student’s
official transcript. It will appear at the bottom of the transcript under the
title “Record Comments”. The comment will include the quarter of
cross-registration, the host institution utilized, the course number, and the
course title as it is recorded at the host school. Since the intent of cross-registration
is curriculum enhancement, there should be no course equivalency at OSU for
the cross-registered course. It is up to the student’s academic advisor
and/or college office to determine how the HECC class will be utilized in the
student’s academic program. No grade or transcript of the cross-registration
course will be available from the host institution.
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HECC Registration Process for OSU Students
An OSU student must meet with their
academic advisor well in advance of the quarter they would like to participate.
The student and advisor complete an HECC Study Plan. This document confirms
what course will be taken at the host institution and how it will be used in
the student’s program of study at OSU. Signatures of the student, academic
advisor, and the college secretary are required on the Study Plan. Student’s
are advised to review course offerings and time slots before meeting with an
advisor.
The student contacts the Office of the University Registrar at (614) 292-9330
to make an HECC registration appointment with one of the Registration Counselors.
The student appointment is scheduled during the applicable HECC registration
time frame posted in this guide and on this web site (no exceptions to this
time frame will be permitted). The student must bring their approved HECC Study
Plan and ID to the registration appointment. The Registration Counselor will
confirm the student’s eligibility for cross-registration. The student
must be at a paid, full-time status at OSU for the quarter in question. The
Registration Counselor will confirm that space is available in the course. If
the student is eligible and space remains open in the class, the student will
complete an HECC registration form with the counselor. All cross-registration
must be done in person at OSU and the host school; telephone approval is not
possible.
The student must take the registration form directly to the Registrar’s
Office at the host school to finalize registration and pay any miscellaneous
course fees. Students are not fully registered until they have completed registration
processing at the host institution.
As it is the host school’s prerogative to accept cross-registrants, retroactive
HECC cross-registration after the host school’s registration period has
closed is not permitted under any circumstances.
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Withdrawing from an HECC Course
Students are prohibited from withdrawing from the HECC class or the HECC program
by using the web or by requesting a withdrawal through an academic advisor.
To withdraw from an HECC class, the student must first complete an HECC Drop Form with a Registration Counselor in the Office of the University Registrar at OSU (an appointment is strongly encouraged).
The completed withdrawal form is then submitted to the host school’s Registrar’s Office for final processing. The student must comply with the withdrawal date established at the host institution.
Drop dates are effective the date
the student signs the drop form with the Registration Counselor.
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If an OSU cross-registrant has a concern about withdrawing from an HECC course, they must contact the Office of the University Registrar immediately.
Office of the University
Registrar
The Ohio State University
320 Lincoln Tower
1800 Cannon Drive
Columbus OH 43210
Phone: (614) 292-9330
Recept320@exchange.ureg.ohio-state.edu