This information is not intended to replace the information in the Gadsden State Community College Catalog/Student Handbook. It is to serve as a supplement especially for eLearning students. For additional information, email info@gadsdenstate.edu.

ADMISSIONS
Visit the Gadsden State Community College website (www.gadsdenstate.edu) for the College application. The application may be completed and submitted online.

ADVISEMENT AND PLACEMENT TESTING
Once a student has been admitted to Gadsden State Community College, he or she may enroll in those courses for which he or she is qualified, but only during a time designated by the College as a registration period. Before a student can enroll in English Composition I (ENG 101) or in a credit-level mathematics course, he or she must take the appropriate placement test, which assesses the student’s preparedness for such courses.

The COMPASS Placement Test is administered at Gadsden State Community College as well as nationwide. Call 800.645.1992 to locate a testing site. Scores are valid for three years from the date of the original or re-test assessment.

Advisors are available to assist students in the selection of appropriate courses for any instructional program offered by the College. To contact an Advisor, please visit the Advisors page.

REGISTRATION
The registration process for eLearning courses is the same as registration for on-campus courses. Before registering for classes, students should review appropriate sections of the catalog and discuss course options with an academic advisor. Failure to do this can result in the taking of courses that will not fulfill degree requirements. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that all course prerequisites are satisfied. There are three methods of registration offered by Gadsden State Community College. They are:

• Online Registration
• Telephone Registration
• On-site Registration

GRADES
Students may obtain grade reports by telephone (1.800.746.6472 or 256.549. 8290) or by visiting the College website at www.gadsdenstate.edu. A student number and a personal identification number (PIN) are required to access grades.

WITHDRAWAL POLICY
Students who wish to withdraw from a class or from the College completely must officially withdraw on or before the date selected as the “Last Day to Withdraw”, specified on the College calendar. The student will received a grade of “W” regardless of the student’s average at the time of withdrawal.

Students who wish to withdraw from an eLearning class should contact the Admissions Office by FAX 256.549.8466 or email Sherry Simmons, ssimmons@gadsdenstate.edu, or Jan Patterson, jpatterson@gadsdenstate.edu for assistance.

COUNSELING SERVICES
Students are invited to take advantage of the staff of professionally trained counselors available at Gadsden State Community College. For questions concerning career decisions, scheduling of classes, or major fields of study, contact the Gadsden State Community College Counseling Department at 256.549.8307 or email Dana Davis, ddavis@gadsdenstate.edu or Deborah Beverly, dbeverly@gadsdenstate.edu on the Wallace Drive Campus; Cindy Greer, cgreer@gadsdenstate.edu on the McClellan Campus; Lovelle Buchanan, lbuchanan@gadsdenstate.edu on the Valley Street Campus; or Becky Vice, bvice@gadsdenstate.edu on the East Broad Street Campus. At Gadsden State Community College, We are Changing Lives One Student At A Time.

The Statewide Articulation Reporting System, also known as STARS, is a computerized articulation and transfer planning system designed to inform students who attend Alabama community colleges about degree requirements, course equivalents, and other transfer information pertaining to specific majors at each state funded four-year institution. Students who are interested in receiving STARS information should make an appointment in the Counseling Center or visit the STARS web site at http://stars.troy.edu.

BOOKSTORE INFORMATION
Visit the Gadsden State Online Bookstore for all of your textbook needs. Important Note: Textbooks that have an Access Code for entry into online sites supplied by the publisher may not be returned. Students should verify they have the correct text before opening it.

LIBRARIES
Each of the Gadsden State Community College Libraries offers a collection of books, journals, DVDs/Videos, and other materials to support learning at the College. Reference assistance, computers, interlibrary loan, and photocopiers are available for student use at each location.

• Meadows Library (256-238-9352)
  [Mon-Thurs 7:30am-8:30pm] [Fri 7:30am-3:00pm]



• McClellan Center Library (256-835-5434)
  [Mon-Wed 8:00am-7:00pm] [Thurs 8:00am-4:00pm] [Fri 8:00am-11:00am]



• Ayers Campus LRC (256-835-5434)
  [Mon-Thurs 7:30am-8:00pm] [Fri 7:30am-3:00pm]

To borrow materials from any of the libraries, you will need to present your student identification card. Books may be borrowed for 3 weeks with renewals available in most cases. Long term checkouts are available for some elearning courses. Fines are charged for materials that are overdue or never returned. For assistance obtaining a student id, please contact the libraries by phone or by email at library@gadsdenstate.edu.

The Library collection is available 24 hours a day via the library online catalog (http://www.gadsdenstate.edu/library). A variety of search options are available, and students have access to information about materials available at each library. Electronic books are available for student use after a free account has been created in the library. For assistance obtaining a free account please contact the libraries by phone or by email at library@gadsdenstate.edu.

The Alabama Virtual Library (AVL) is available to all faculty and students at Gadsden State Community College. Tip sheets for some databases are available on the library website (http://www.gadsdenstate.edu/library), and tutorials are available with each database. The AVL is available at all Alabama public libraries and schools. In addition, free user names and passwords are available for home use. These user names and passwords may be obtained from any Alabama public library or by contacting the libraries of Gadsden State Community College by phone or by email at library@gadsdenstate.edu.

Work sessions, orientations, or database review sessions may be scheduled by your instructor, and questions are always welcome. Library staff is available to provide instruction or reference assistance, but working ahead of your assignment’s due date is always recommended to insure that you have adequate time to gather materials together and review them for inclusion in your assignment. To obtain assistance, contact the libraries of Gadsden State Community College by phone or by email at library@gadsdenstate.edu.

FINANCIAL AID
Students who need financial assistance to attend Gadsden State Community College may be able to receive aid through one or more of the numerous programs that are offered or administered, including both student financial-aid programs funded by the Federal government and numerous scholarships. For additional information, please visit http://www.gadsdenstate.edu/finaid/finaid.html or contact Kelly D’Eath, kdeath@gadsdensgtate.edu.

STUDENT GRIEVANCE
The College recognizes the importance of students being able to register legitimate complaints relating to courses, programs, activities, college personnel, and violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In the event a student feels that he/she has been treated unfairly or treated in less than a professional manner, the student may register a complaint via the following procedure, which will be completed in a timely manner:

1. Make an effort to resolve the problem with the staff member involved. If the problem is not resolved at this level, then proceed with the following steps.



2. Register the complaint with the chief student services officer for non-academic concerns or the Academic Division chair for academic concerns. The Director/Chair and the supervisor of the area involved will determine the legitimacy of the complaint. If the complaint is determined to be a legitimate grievance, the supervisor will investigate, will try to resolve the complaint, and will report back to the Director/Chair.



3. If the problem is not resolved at this point, then the Director/Chair will either:
   
   a. make a recommendation to the appropriate chief instructional officer, the chief student services officer, or the Dean of Financial and Administrative Services, as appropriate, or
   
   b. convene a grievance panel, composed of the Academic Director/Supervisor as chair, three D-level staff members selected by the supervising Dean, and five students appointed by the chief student services officer. This panel will investigate and make recommendations and observations to the appropriate Dean who will resolve this issue.



4. Written appeals may be made to appropriate Dean.