INSTRUCTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS: COURSE LOAD AND SCHEDULES

Limit on Enrollment

To ensure the quality of student learning, institutions, including college districts, should not allow students to carry more courses in any term (that is, regular or shortened semester), that would allow them to earn more than one semester credit hour per week over the course of the term. Institutions should have a formal written policy for addressing any exceptions to this paragraph. 19 TAC 4.6 (b)-(c)

Adding / Dropping

Courses

The Coordinating Board by rule shall establish uniform final dates, counted from the first class day of an academic semester or term, for adding or dropping a course conducted by a public junior college. The uniform dates apply to each public junior college in this state.

A student may not enroll in a course after a uniform final date for adding a course established under Education

Code 130.009. A student is not entitled to a refund of any tuition or fees for a course that the student drops after a uniform

final date for dropping a course established under this section.

The rules may provide for different dates for academic semesters or terms of different durations.

[For refunds of tuition and fees for dropped courses as outlined under 19 Administrative Code 21.5 [, see FD].

Education Code 130.009;

Limitation on the

Number of Dropped

Courses

An institution of higher education, including a college district, may not permit an undergraduate student a total of more than six dropped courses, including any course a transfer student has dropped at another institution of higher education, unless any of the conditions listed in an exception, below, are met. Education Code 51.907(c), 19 TAC 4.9(a)

The governing board of an institution of higher education may adopt a policy under which the maximum number of courses a student is permitted to drop under circumstances described above is less than six courses. If an institution adopts a policy allowing fewer than six dropped courses, but a student at that institution meets the criteria in an exception, below, the institution shall allow that student to drop an additional course or courses. Education Code 51.907(d), 19 TAC 4.9(a)

A “dropped course” is a course in which an undergraduate student at an institution of higher education has enrolled for credit, but did not complete, under these conditions:

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 past the census date; and

3. The student is not dropping the course in order to withdraw from the institution.

Education Code 51.907(b), 19 TAC 4.3(11)

Exceptions

Good Cause

An institution of higher education shall permit a student to drop more than six courses if the institution determines good cause exists. If one of the following situations has occurred, an institution shall consider it good cause for purposes of 19 Administrative Code Chapter 4:

1. A disaster declared by the governor under Government Code 418.014 results in cessation or limitation of in-person course attendance by students at the institution of a duration determined by the institution to significantly affect the student's ability to participate in coursework with consideration of the length of time of the cessation or limitation of in-person course attendance, the type of courses, and the personal circumstances of students affected by the disaster;

2. The student shows good cause for dropping more than that number, including a showing of:

a. A severe illness or other debilitating condition that affects the student's ability to satisfactorily complete a course;

b. The student's responsibility for the care of a sick, injured, or needy person if the provision of that care affects the student's ability to satisfactorily complete a course;

c. The death of a person who is either considered to be a member of the student's family or who is otherwise considered to have a sufficiently close relationship to the student that the person's death is considered to be a showing of good cause. An institution shall determine on a case-by-case basis whether a student demonstrates good cause due to the death of a person who is otherwise considered to have a sufficiently close relationship to the student;

d. The active duty service as a member of the Texas National Guard or the Armed Forces of the United States of either the student or a person who is considered to be a member of the student's family or who is otherwise considered to have a sufficiently close relationship to the student that the person's active military service is considered to be a showing of good cause; or

e. Other good cause as determined by the institution of higher education.

Notwithstanding any other provision in Section 51.907, an institution of higher education may not count toward the number of courses permitted to be dropped under Section 51.907(c) or a policy adopted under Section 51.907(d) a course dropped by a student during the 2020 spring semester or summer term or the 2020-2021 academic year because of a bar or limit on in-person course attendance at the institution during the applicable semester or term due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

Education Code 51.907(e), (e-2); 19 TAC 4.9(b), (e)

Definitions

A “member of the student’s family” is defined to be the student’s spouse, child, father, mother, brother, sister, stepparent, stepchild, or stepsibling.

A “person who is otherwise considered to have a sufficiently close relationship to the student” may include any other relative within the second or third degree of consanguinity, close friends, roommates, or classmates.

19 TAC 4.9(c)-(d)

Policy for Determining Good Cause Required

Each institution of higher education shall adopt a policy for determining a showing of good cause and shall provide a copy of the policy to the Coordinating Board.

Each institution of higher education shall publish the policy in its catalogue and other print and internet-based publications as appropriate for the timely notification of students.

The policy shall include a defined appeals process that complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. 12101, for a student requesting to drop additional classes pursuant to the exception provided in 19 Administrative Code 4.9(b)(2)(A). An institution may institute an appeals process for students requesting an exemption under any of the other provisions.

19 TAC 4.9(g)

Reenrolled Students

An institution shall permit a student who meets the criteria in this provision but does not meet the criteria in the provisions in 19 Administrative Code 4.9(b)(1) or (2) addressing good cause to drop one additional course in addition to the number typically permitted by the institution's policy. If the institution has not adopted a policy under Education Code 51.907(d), such a student shall be permitted to drop a seventh course if:

1. The student has reenrolled at the institution following a break in enrollment from the institution or another institution of

higher education covering at least the 24-month period preceding the first class day of the initial semester or other academic term of the student's reenrollment; and

2. The student successfully completed at least 50 semester credit hours of coursework at an institution of higher education that have not been determined to be excess hours pursuant to 19 Administrative Code 13.104(1)-(6) before that break in enrollment.

Education Code 51.907(e-1); 19 TAC 4.9(b)

Course Taken During Bachelor’s Program

An institution of higher education may not count toward the number of courses permitted to be dropped a course that a student dropped while enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program previously earned by the student. Education Code 51.907(c-1); 19 TAC 4.9(f)

Dual Credit or Dual Enrollment Course

An institution of higher education may not count toward the number of courses permitted to be dropped a dual credit or dual enrollment course that a student dropped before graduating from high school.

Education Code 51.907(c-2); 19 TAC 4.9(f)

Competency- Based Baccalaureate Degree Program

This section does not apply to a student enrolled in a competency based baccalaureate degree program, as defined by Education

Code 56.521. Education Code 51.907(b-1)

Determining Number of Dropped Courses

In determining the number of courses dropped by a student for purposes of Education Code 51.907, a course, such as a laboratory or discussion course, in which a student is enrolled concurrently with a lecture course is not considered to be a course separate from the lecture course if:

1. Concurrent enrollment in both courses is required; and

2. In dropping the lecture course, the student would be required to drop the laboratory, discussion, or other course in which

the student is concurrently enrolled.

Education Code 51.907(f)