Registrar’s Office FAQs
What we do…. Registration & schedule changes, address or information changes, enrollment certification ns (for insurance purposes, good student discounts, etc.), transcripts, declaration of major/minor, transfer credits (this includes AP, IB, other prior credits), grades, loan deferments, VA benefits. Further information can be found on our webpage at www.piedmont.edu/registrar. The Registrar also sets the academic calendar: www.piedmont.edu/academic-calendars. Grading policies can be found here: undergraduate, graduate. The Academic Integrity policy can be found here: undergraduate, graduate.
FERPA… The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 is a law that requires all institutions to maintain the confidentiality of student educational records. FERPA is a federal law, also known as the Buckley Act. For more information, visit our webpage.
Semester length… The regular semester is divided into fall and spring semesters, each approximately 16 weeks in length. Summer session is made up of an 8-week evening session or two 4-week day sessions.
Class level… Thirty semester hours is the normal amount of academic work completed in each of the freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior years. A student must have completed 30 semester hours to be classified as a sophomore, 60 to be a junior, and 90 to be a senior.
Course load… The normal study load is five courses or 15 semester hours per semester (fall, spring) for students attending day classes. Students taking a minimum of 12 semester hours are considered full time. Students who wish to take more than 18 semester hours must have a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 and must complete the Registration Overload Request form, available in the Registrar’s Office. A student may take no more than 21 hours during any semester. Residential freshman may not register for evening classes.
Academic Advisor… Upon entering the College, a student is assigned either a freshman advisor or a major advisor, depending on class status and declaration of a major. The advisor works with the student to help in the choice of courses and with academic matters, as well as, to ensure a rich and rewarding educational experience that will lead to the fullest realization of a student’s potential as an individual.
PilgrimNet / WebAdvisor … PilgrimNet is the student information portal for Piedmont College. WebAdvisor, which is built into PilgrimNet, provides information about your academic record among other things. Here you will find your unofficial transcript as well as information about grades and who your advisor is. You will also register through WebAdvisor.
How to register… The Registrar’s Office provides an Academic Calendar online on our webpage, which provides students with registration dates. In addition, we will email you with the dates of registration. Before registration, a student should meet with their advisor to agree upon a proposed schedule. If you wish, you may enter the proposed schedule in PilgrimNet/WebAdvisor. Once you are eligible for registration, you may submit your classes for registration on PilgrimNet/WebAdvisor.
When do classes meet... After you register, your schedule information will be available on PilgrimNet/WebAdvisor. This will include dates/times/locations of your classes.
Drop/Add/Withdrawal… The drop/add period is typically the first five days after registration for fall/spring semesters. Forms are available in our office. You must have your advisors signature in order to drop, add or withdraw from a course after classes begin. If you drop a course, it is as if you never registered for the course. It will not show on your transcript. Withdrawals occur after the drop/add period has ended. This also requires your advisors signature on the form. The drop/add form is also used for withdrawals. A grade of a “W” or “WF” is given and this will show on your transcript.
A “W” is a non-punitive grade, which is not included when figuring the term or cumulative GPA. If a withdrawal is processed after the last day to withdraw without academic penalty, a “W” is posted if the student was passing at the time of the withdrawal or a grade of “WF” is given if the student is failing at the time of the withdrawal. A “WF” grade is considered a failing grade and has a negative effect on the term and cumulative GPA. In both cases, tuition is charged from which a student withdraws.
We highly recommend that students meet with the Financial Aid Office and Business Office before dropping, adding, or withdrawing from a class. Each change can have an effect on tuition and/or aid. Student athletes should also meet with coaches to discuss eligibility if they are dropping or withdrawing from a class. If you are withdrawing from all of your classes, you will also need to fill out the withdrawal checklist, which is available in the Registrar’s Office.
Grades… At the end of each term, grades are available on PilgrimNet/WebAdvisor. Grades are not mailed home, nor will they be given over the phone. Your professors are allowed to email your grades to the student’s Piedmont Lions email.
Declaration of Major/Change of Major…We have forms available in our office, as well as, online that you can fill out to change or declare your major.