Lansing Community College
Procedure Details

Procedure Title: Maximum Enrollment per Semester
Procedure #: RO.018
Revision #: 001

Unit Responsible: Registrar's Office
Individual Responsible: Registrar

Effective Date: 02/17/2023
Initial Approval Date: 01/10/2020
Last Review/Update Date: 02/17/2023
Next Review Date: 02/17/2026

*Does this procedure support a Board Policy? No
If yes, identify: N/A

Board policies can be found at: LCC Board of Trustees Policy Page

*Does this procedure support HLC criteria and/or Assumed Practices? Yes
If yes, identify: 3D

HLC Criteria can be found at: HLC Accreditation Criteria
HCL Assumed Practices can be found at: HLC Assumed Practices

*Does this procedure support a State or Federal Regulation? No
If yes, identify: N/A

*Note: Standard Operating Procedures should be in furtherance of some LCC policy and/or accreditation criteria, even if the relationship is not direct. Assistance in determining this information can be obtained from the Academic Procedure Advisory Committee (APAC) and/or the Accreditation Liaison Officer.

Maximum Enrollment per Semester

1. Purpose

To govern student academic load per semester reflecting reasonable expectations for successful learning and course completion.


2. Scope

This procedure applies to all students enrolled in credit-bearing courses, Divisional Deans, Registrar’s Office, Academic Affairs Office, and Provost.


3. Prerequisites

The College student information system will prevent individual students from enrolling in more than 28 credits per semester.


4. Responsibilities

The Registrar is responsible for maintaining reasonable limits on student academic load per semester.


5. Procedure

  1. Any student wishing to enroll in more than 28 credits per semester will request permission from the Dean or designee overseeing the academic program the student is following.
  2. Within 10 business days of the receipt of a request to enroll in more than 28 credits per semester, the Dean or designee will consult with the student, preferably face-to-face or electronically (including telephone), on the courses in question, the student’s program, the student’s previous academic progress, any strengths or challenges in the student’s current academic and personal circumstances, etc.
  3. The Dean or designee will evaluate the request based on the student’s academic and personal circumstances to reach a determination which furthers reasonable expectations for successful learning and course completion.
  4. The Dean or designee will notify both the student and the Registrar’s Office of the decision in writing and also will record the decision in the advising notes of the student’s educational record in the College student information system. The notification and the record keeping will specify the number of credits approved or denied for enrollment, along with the semester in question.
  5. If a request to enroll in more than 28 credits per semester has been approved, the Registrar’s Office will adjust the student information system, for the semester in question only, to allow enrollment for the approved number of credits.
  6. Appeal of a denial to enroll in more than 28 credits per semester may be made to the Academic Affairs Office, with which the final decision rests.
  7. At the end of each academic year, the Registrar’s Office will provide the Provost and the Deans of each Division an audit of all requests to enroll in more than 28 credits per semester submitted during that academic year, including the semester grades of any students whose requests were approved.
  8. The Provost and the Deans of each Division will examine the yearly audit to ensure quality and address any area for improvement.


6. Reference

Individual students will enroll in no more than 28 credits per semester. Students who wish to enroll in more than 28 credits per semester may request permission from the Dean or designee overseeing the academic program the student is following. The Dean or designee will make a decision which is based on the student’s academic and personal circumstances and which supports reasonable expectations for successful learning and course completion. In the case of any appeal, the final decision rests with the Academic Affairs Office.

Registration webpage


7. Definitions

Business Day: Is a day in which normal Lansing Community College (LCC) business operations are conducted.