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What You Need to Know
General Education Development Test (GED)
Applicants who pass a U.S. equivalent GED meet the high school graduation equivalency requirement for international student admission to Contra Costa College, Diablo Valley College and Los Medanos College.
2. Sufficient funds to cover the payment of tuition, fees, and living expenses. 3. Health insurance fees will automatically be charged each semester when you register for courses. 4. International students must pay a nonresident tuition fee, in addition to enrollment fees.
5. The college does not have on campus housing and most students arrange their own housing. Information on the Home
California Residency Information
For purposes of establishing tuition fees, students are identified as either residents or non-residents.
Residents: Those who have established legal status as a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, applicant for permanent resident status, or possess a visa that does not preclude establishing domicile in the U.S. (Title 5 sec. 54045) and have lived in California as legal residents for at least one year and one day prior to the first day of a new semester or term. Evidence may include at least two of the following: payment of California State income taxes, registering and voting in California elections, obtaining a California driver’s license, owning and registering a car in California and more. The burden of proof to establish residency is on the student to demonstrate both physical presence in the state of California and intent to establish permanent California residence. Residency must be cleared by the end of the fiscal year. Additional information may be found at the college website, www.losmedanos.edu.
Non-citizens who meet residency requirements and who desire to enroll as a California resident must provide documentation from the Immigration and Naturalization Service in addition to the California residency documentation.
Those who do not meet the California resident requirements as stated above.
All questions concerning residence requirements and status should be directed to the Admissions & Records Office at (925) 473-7500 and www.losmedanos.edu/admissions/ or email Admissions at admissions@losmedanos.edu using your InSite email account.
What You Need to Know
Registration and Enrollment Policies
To register and enroll in courses at Los Medanos College, follow these steps. Not only are the steps required, but they will support you in having a successful academic experience. 1. All students new to Los Medanos College, as well as those who have missed two or more consecutive semesters, must complete an application to Admissions using our online application. Applications for the Summer, Fall and Spring semesters are accepted beginning September 15. 2. New students applying to Los Medanos College are required complete assessment process, complete orientation, and develop an education plan. Students choosing not to complete an assessment, orientation, or educational plan will not receive priority registration while enrolled at the college. 3. Registration is set up on a priority system (see Course
Enrollment Priority) and must be completed online. 4. Enroll in courses and pay appropriate fees (see FEES section). 5. Auditing or “sitting-in” classes is not allowed. All students who attend a class must complete the enrollment process for that class. Grades and/or credit will not be given to students who are not officially enrolled.
Open Course Policy
It is the policy of the Contra Costa Community College District that, unless specifically exempted by statute or regulation, every course, course section or class reported for state aid, wherever offered and maintained by the District, shall be fully open to enrollment and participation by any person who has been admitted to the College and who meets such prerequisites as may be established pursuant to California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Section 55000.
How to Register
All registration takes place on InSite, Student Planning or InSite App. Detailed instructions for the use of this system can be found on the college website at www.losmedanos.edu or in the Schedule of Classes.
Open registration for students who choose not to utilize priority registration is available on scheduled days prior to the start of the term online through InSite. Students who need to have prerequisites cleared and special admit high school students may also use InSite to complete transactions.
Students should pay enrollment fees at the time of course enrollment; however fees must be paid in full prior to registration for the following term.
InSite and InSite Mail (Student Email)
InSite is the college’s customized student portal to campus news, events and reminders, the LMC website, resources, and even real-time local weather. Students can access their class schedule, financial aid information, grades, and holds. This is also where students can check for schedule changes, notification of eligibility to register from the waitlist, reminders of class start dates, and online payment receipts. Important alerts will be posted here, such as emergencies and closures.
InSite is the portal to access InSite Mail, the college’s official email system to students. Students are responsible for reading and responding to official communications sent to their InSite mail account.
The college recommends you forward your InSite email to a personal email account, so your messages are not missed.
Course Enrollment Priority
Enrollment is based on Title 5 mandates and college policy. Registration is based on a priority system which is described on the college website at www.losmedanos.edu.
Progress Evaluation by Faculty
Any student has the right to request and obtain an informal grade evaluation by his/her instructor prior to the mandatory drop date. In order for a student to make a knowledgeable decision of retention in a class and to increase motivation for improvement, the student needs to know his/her standing in each course.
Address Changes
Students should notify the Admissions & Records Office of changes of address. Address and phone number changes should be submitted by going into InSite on the college website, (www.losmedanos.edu). Students who are also working as employees of the college should submit address, phone and/or e-mail changes to Human Resources.
Withdrawal and Drop Policy
Upon entering Los Medanos College, students assume the responsibility of completing each course in which they are enrolled. Students are responsible for officially withdrawing from any classes in which they no longer wish to attend; it should not be assumed that an instructor will process the drop when a student quits attending. Non-attendance and non-payment of fees does not release the student from this responsibility and may result in a failing grade and a debt on their record. Students may drop on InSite, prior to the designated deadline for dropping classes. • Students who have documented extenuating circumstances such as accidents, illness or other situations beyond the control of the student, may apply for a withdrawal after 75% of the term. • A ‘W’ shall not be assigned if the student withdraws due to the impact of fire, flood or other extraordinary conditions (petition required). • In the case of discriminatory treatment or retaliation for discriminatory treatment a ‘W’ shall not be assigned. • Active or reserve military students who receive orders compelling a withdrawal from courses will receive a military withdrawal which shall not be counted in the limit of withdrawals or progress alert.
Instructor Initiated Drops
Los Medanos College instructors have the following rights: 1. The right to drop students who fail to attend the first meeting of any course. 2. The right to deny permission to use an audio/video recorder in class.
3. The right to drop the student when he/she is absent during two consecutive weeks of lab or lecture or when students are tardy to the degree that classes and learning opportunities are disrupted. 4. The right to drop a student at any point that the instructor concludes that absences have irretrievably affected a student’s progress in a course.
Instructors may drop students due to inactive enrollment no later than the end of the last business day before the census day for all students who have been identified as no shows, or students who are no longer attending the course. An instructor may drop a student from a class for excessive absences. Reinstatement is the prerogative of the instructor but must occur prior to the last day to add. Students who are dropped by instructors during the first two weeks of a term, shall have no notation made on their permanent academic record. Students who are withdrawn by instructors between the end of the second week and the last day of the twelfth week or 75% of a primary term, whichever is less, shall have a “W” posted on their permanent academic record. (reference procedure Title 5, Section 55024) 5. The right to remove a student from a single course session and one following for conduct disturbing to the class or the instructor. 6. The right to recommend suspension of a student.
Prerequisites/Advisories
When registering for classes, students are required to adhere to enrollment policies that relate to prerequisites, co-requisites, and advisories.
In the Schedule of Classes, on the college website and in the course descriptions in this catalog, prerequisites and advisories are listed for certain courses and special information notes are included. This is a guide to assist students in selection of appropriate course levels for their maximum success. Catalog rights do not apply to prerequisites.
Important: To ensure proper placement, prerequisites for all classes will be checked at the time of registration. If you have taken a prerequisite course at a regionally accredited institution other than LMC, including high school, please submit transcripts or report cards using the Prerequisite Equivalency Request Form located in the LMC Student Forms tile on InSite so that prerequisites can be verified.* References to “successful completion” requires a grade of “P” or “C” or better. Courses in progress outside the district will not be accepted as prerequisites. Advisories are recommendations only and need not be verified. Prerequisites may be challenged through the fifth day of the term for semester-length classes or through the last date to add for short-term classes. * Prerequisites coursework will only be accepted from regionally accredited institutions, as recognized by the U.S.
Department of Education.
Course Information
In each course, students are entitled to a course information sheet. The information about the course includes:
1. Title and catalog number 2. Instructor’s name, office, phone extension and office hours 3. Course overview, including instructional methods and goals 4. Course meetings and a tentative calendar of tests and special assignments 5. Textbooks and special materials required and information about appropriate audio-visual or “on reserve” materials in the Library 6. Policy on attendance 7. Evaluation criteria for grades
Instructional Materials
Board Policy 5017 states that each college of the Contra Costa Community College District may require students enrolled in credit or noncredit courses and programs to provide certain instructional and other materials including, but not limited to textbooks, tools, equipment and clothing if:
The instructional and other materials are used in the production of an “end product” that has continuing value to the student outside of the classroom setting.
Eligible students unable to buy their books may request assistance through the Office of Financial Aid and/or the LMC Foundation.
Zero Textbook Cost
Los Medanos College is committed to increasing access to education by helping students save money on textbooks. To achieve this, LMC offers Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) sections of courses. These sections do not require any cost for students to obtain the required textbooks/software for that section. Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) sections are identified in the online schedule with the symbol and include classes where: • All required texts may be obtained for free online • All assigned textbooks are optional • There are no required textbooks • There are no costs for required software
In compliance with California Education Code Section 66406.9, all ZTC sections are indicated in online class schedules. However, the ZTC status of sections may change before the start of the class. If a change is made it will be updated on the online schedule of classes. Additionally, if a ZTC indication is removed (and course materials are required to be purchased), all currently enrolled students in that section will be notified of the change via email.
More information regarding the Zero Textbook Cost initiative can be found at www.losmedanos.edu/OER
Duplicate or Conflicting Courses
Students are not permitted to enroll in more than one section of the same course and may not enroll in courses that have scheduled meeting times which conflict.
Attendance
Students are expected to be punctual and attend all courses in which they are enrolled. Students may be dropped by the instructor for failure to attend class in the following circumstances: 1. Failure to attend first class meeting 2. Absence from two consecutive weeks of lab or lecture
3. At any point when it is concluded that absences have irretrievably affected the student's progress
Grades should not be used as punishment for absences. However, academic grades may be lowered to the degree that instructors can estimate the loss of cognitive, affective, or skills learning due to student absences.
Equally, students can expect the instructors also to be punctual in their attendance. Instructors have a professional obligation to enforce this institutional policy within the dictates of their particular courses and within the bounds of professional discretion.
If a cancellation notice for that meeting has not been posted and the instructor has not arrived, students are automatically dismissed without penalty 15 minutes after the scheduled course starting time. If a course session started late, the instructor should still dismiss as scheduled.
