3.4 What if I need to make changes to my course load and/or withdraw?

How do I make an adjustment to my full-time course registrations? 

Full-time students are registered into their courses automatically. If you are following the standard program of study this means you will take all level 1 courses in your first semester, level 2 courses in your second semester and so on. 

If adjustments are required to your course load, you will need to connect with your Student Advisor (formerly Pathway Advisor) within the first seven days of the term. Common reasons for reducing or adjusting course loads may include: 

1. Letter of Accommodations for students registered with the Centre for Accessible Learning. 
2. Exemptions from courses through credit transfers, advanced standing or Prior Learning Assessment Recognition (PLAR). 
3. Academic adjustments due to failing prerequisite courses. 

How do I select a general education elective course? 

General elective courses are required as part of many programs of studies, these courses will help to broaden a student’s education and will allow them to acquire new skills. 

Full-time students are not automatically registered into a general elective course. If your program requires an elective in your upcoming semester, please visit the General Education Electives website to review your options and submit your top choices through our online form.

Part-time students will register for their preferred elective in the same way they register for courses. Please pay particular attention to the number of electives required for your program of study to ensure you meet all requirements to graduate. Part-time students can find further information online regarding our General Education Electives. 

What do I need to know about withdrawing from a program or course? 

How do I withdraw from a full-time program or course? 

Full-time students considering program or individual course withdrawal should visit the AC Online Withdrawal website for further information regarding the non-refundable tuition deposit, OSAP or other sponsorship implications, and next steps to proceed with a program withdrawal or to explore alternative options.

How do I withdraw from a part-time course? 

Part-time students can visit the AC Online Withdrawal website for further information regarding withdrawals. After reviewing this information, if you decide to move forward with your withdrawal request, you will need to contact the Registrar’s Office by submitting the online form to request a course withdrawal. To ensure your request is processed in a timely manner, your email must include: 

1. Student number 
2. Full name 
3. Course code and title for only course(s) you wish to withdraw from 
4. Semester you wish to withdraw from 

If I withdraw, am I entitled to a refund? 

Please refer to the withdrawal deadlines in the academic calendar to understand the financial implications of withdrawing at this time. If you are entitled to a refund, it will be issued by cheque to the address we have on file. We highly recommend that you confirm and update your address in your ACSIS account.  

Further information regarding the Refund Policy, and applications for Refund Exceptions are available online.   

Where can I find important dates related to registration and withdrawal? 

All dates related to registration, adding or changing your course load, and withdrawal are available in in the Academic Calendar.  

What do I need to know about cancelled courses?

While all attempts are made to offer all courses each semester, occasionally ACO is required to cancel a course that has been scheduled for an upcoming semester. 

Full-time students will be offered an alternative course acting as a substitute or equivalent if a core course has to be cancelled for any reason. Our cancellations should not impact your program progression or delay your graduation. This would happen automatically in our system and will be reflected in your ACSIS account.

Part-time students will be contacted directly if they are impacted by a course cancellation. You may be offered a full refund, a transfer to a later section of the course, or an alternative subsitute/equivalent course.

What do I need to know about suspended programs?

If ACO is suspending (cancelling) a whole program delivery, we follow college policy and will:

1. Identify and contact all students following the program of study. This includes full-time students, part-time declared students, and part-time students who have taken any course(s) that belong to the program.
2. Create and share a plan for the remainder of the program delivery, including a timeline for the last offering of each course.
3. Identify substitute/equivalent courses where course delivery is no longer available.