HECC Cross Registration

Explanation of Program

The Higher Education Council of Columbus (HECC) 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 (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 Ohio State. The student is able to take advantage of areas of study unavailable at Ohio State without having to complete an extensive admissions process or pay additional instructional fees at the host institution. Beginning summer 2013, cross-registration will be available during the summer term. The participating HECC institutions are:

Capital University
Central Ohio Technical College
The Columbus College of Art and Design
Columbus State Community College
DeVry University
Franklin University
Mt. Carmel College of Nursing
Ohio Dominican University
The Ohio State University
Otterbein University
The Pontifical College Josephinum

Prohibited Registration Practices

Ohio State 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 term and expected to pay host institution fees.

An Ohio State student cannot be enrolled and paying at Ohio State and at 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 and paid Ohio State student, who is concurrently attending another HECC institution, you may not return to Ohio State to take a course under the auspices of the HECC program. Once you have scheduled and paid for courses at Ohio State as a student, you have automatically rendered yourself ineligible for the HECC program.

The total number of hours an Ohio State student may schedule during the term, to include HECC, may not exceed the maximum number of credit hours authorized by the student's Ohio State college of enrollment.
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Student Eligibility

HECC cross-registration is available to undergraduate Ohio State students who are at a paid, full-time status (registered for 12 or more credits prior to HECC registration) for the term in which they are cross-registered. Full-time status must be maintained at Ohio State throughout the refund period for that term (not including the cross-registered class) to remain an HECC registrant at the host school. If an Ohio State student drops below full-time in Ohio State 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. Ohio State students are limited to one HECC cross-registration course per term with a limit of three total courses in the life of their undergraduate studies. Beginning summer 2013, cross-registration will be available during the summer term.

NOTE: Cross-registration is not available to students who have been academically dismissed from The Ohio State University.

NOTE: Graduate students at Ohio State are not eligible to register for courses through the HECC program. Students who are cross-registering for an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) course at Columbus State Community College must receive permission from the instructor prior to HECC registration.
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Course Availability

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 Ohio State 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 Ohio State students at host schools, it is possible that a particular section or entire course could be closed by the time an Ohio State 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 Ohio State course equivalent should be available to the student at Ohio State. 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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Cost of the Program

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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Course Credit

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 semester-hours once it is posted to the student’s Ohio State record.
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Grade Reporting

Courses taken at a host institution through the HECC program are treated as if they were taken at Ohio State (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 3970” is posted to the student’s current Ohio State schedule. The amount of credit given for the HECC 3970 class is equivalent to the amount taken at the host school. 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 3970 class that appears on the student’s schedule. The letter grade will be calculated into the student’s Ohio State grade-point average (unlike traditional transfer credit). The HECC 3970 class will remain on the student’s permanent record.

The host’s course will not be directly articulated into an Ohio State course on the student’s record. Since the intent of cross-registration is curriculum enhancement, there should be no course equivalency at Ohio State 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 to the student from the host institution.
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HECC Registration Process for Ohio State Students

An Ohio State student must meet with their academic advisor well in advance of the term 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 Ohio State. Signatures of the student, academic advisor, and the college secretary are required on the Study Plan. Students should 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 the HECC Coordinator. 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 HECC Coordinator will confirm the student’s eligibility for cross-registration. The student must be at a paid, full-time status at Ohio State for the term in question. The HECC Coordinator 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 Ohio State 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 the HECC Coordinator in the Office of the University Registrar at Ohio State (an appointment is required).

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 HECC Coordinator.
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Contact Information

If an Ohio State 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
Student Academic Services Building, 5th Floor
281 W. Lane Ave.
Columbus OH 43210
Phone: (614) 292-9330
Registrar@osu.edu