Preparing for Enrollment

New students or those who have not taken a WNC credit course in the past two years should submit an application for admission at least four business days before planning to register for classes.

All students will be issued a NSHE ID number which will be a students official identification number at WNC and at all other Nevada System of Higher Education schools. Students are provided with the number and a password to access myWNC online registration system when their application for admission is processed.

Students should ensure that their educational objective is correct and up to date in MyWNC. Students may declare only one degree or certificate of achievement. Degree/certificate students should attend an orientation, take placement tests, and meet with a counselor.

High school students must submit a high school authorization form before they can register for classes.

Semesters and Student Involvement

The dates of each semester are published under the section dates and deadlines on the WNC website. Full-term classes meet throughout the entire semester. A short-term class is defined as a class that is not scheduled to meet for the entire semester (16 weeks for fall and spring, eight weeks for summer). Full-term online classes are available to students on the first day of the semester. Students are encouraged to contact their instructors as early as the first day of the semester regarding class material, etc. Instructors may, at their discretion, accept class work through the last day of the semester.

Registering for Classes

Students registering at the beginning of a semester registration period should check their student center in myWNC for their online enrollment appointment. Students can register any time after their enrollment appointment is active.

Students may add full-term courses through the first week of instruction; short-term classes may be added until the first day of class.

To add classes, students first add classes to their shopping cart in myWNC under Enroll. Students need to ensure they finish the enrollment process (step 3 under Enroll in myWNC). A message will inform students if their enrollment was successful or if an error occurred.

Students who encounter holds that prevent them from registering should review the hold information in their student center for details. Holds from other NSHE institutions will not affect enrollment or any transaction at Western Nevada College unless the hold has been placed because the student has a past due balance at another NSHE institution.

Only students who have completed the registration process may attend classes for which they have registered for. Individuals may not attend or sit in any class they are not officially registered in.

Paying for Classes

Students should pay fees after registering for classes (no later than the published deadlines). Students who do not pay 100 % of all classes by payment deadlines or 100% of the first installment of a payment plan (when applicable) may be dropped from 100% of their classes. Students are ultimately responsible to drop their classes if they no longer choose to be enrolled. Students who do not drop their classes by refund deadlines may be responsible for payment, regardless of whether or not they attended classes, and may end up with an F grade on their transcript.

Invoices are emailed to students who register well in advance of the semester start date. Students can also view their charges through myWNC. Students are responsible for payment regardless of whether an invoice is received. It is the students responsibility to be aware of all semester deadlines, including refunds and fee payments. Students who do not pay fees by published deadlines may be removed from class rosters. However, if a payment is made to a students account for a previously registered class, or from any other source such as financial aid, a scholarship, a third party, etc. the student may not be removed from class rosters.

Dropping Classes

Students drop (withdraw from) classes using the enroll function in myWNC. Deadlines to drop classes are as follows:

  • Full-term classes by the Friday (or Thursday if Friday is a holiday) of the ninth week of the semester.
  • Short-term classes that meet four weeks or longer no later than the date that 60% of instruction has occurred.
  • Short-term classes that meet less than two weeks but more than two days no later than the first day of class.
  • Short-term classes that meet two days or less no later than the day before the first class.

Students should drop from classes by the published deadline if they are unable to attend or complete them. Students who do not withdraw themselves are subject to receive a grade issued by the instructor which could be a failing F grade.

Courses dropped by the student after the 100% refund period will remain on a student transcript with a grade of W. A W grade does not affect grade point average but may affect financial aid and scholarship eligibility.

Refund dates vary by length and type of class.  Information about refunds can be found at https://www.wnc.edu/admissions/fees

Some math and English classes are not eligible to be dropped. The Nevada System of Higher Education has a policy that requires all degree seeking students to be continuously enrolled in English and math until they have completed college level English and math classes. Students enrolled in these classes can switch to a different section by submitting an Even Exchange Enrollment Request form to Admissions and Records. Students with a compelling reason to drop may meet with a WNC Counselor to request permission to drop.

Auditing A Class

Auditing a class is a process in which a student pays the fee, attends class sessions, receives all the instruction, and generally does the assignments and the work of a regularly enrolled student. However, he/she does not receive a grade or credit. The student is not required to take examinations.

Deadlines to change to credit to audit or audit to credit are classes are as follows:

  • Full-term classes by the Friday (or Thursday if Friday is a holiday) of the ninth week of the semester.
  • Short-term classes that meet four weeks or longer no later than the date that 60% of instruction has occurred.
  • Short-term classes that meet less than two weeks but more than two days no later than the first day of class.
  • Short-term classes that meet two days or less no later than the day before the first class.

After the semester begins, students who wish to change their credit/audit status for full-term classes may make the change through myWNC using the edit function under enroll. Students who wish to change their credit/audit status for a short-term class must submit an Enrollment Request Special Circumstances form to Admissions and Records.

Classes with Prerequisites

Students should check the course catalog to ensure they have met the prerequisites for the classes they intend to enroll in; it is the students responsibility to ensure that prerequisites are met.

Students currently enrolled at WNC in a class that fulfills a prerequisite may enroll in the subsequent class. If the prerequisite class is not successfully completed, the student may be dropped from the subsequent class that required the prerequisite.

Enrollment Limits

Students may register for up to 18 units for the fall and spring semesters and up to 12 units for the summer semester through myWNC. Additional registration requires approval by a WNC counselor; the maximum number of units that may be approved for one semester is 21 units for degree/certificate seeking students. Enrollment in more than 21 units (15 for summer term) requires the approval of the Director of Admissions & Records.

Course Load

The number of classes taken by a student, excluding courses taken for audit, makes up the total unit load. The load of a student receiving veterans benefits or financial assistance may have restrictions which affect the classes that apply to his/her course of study. Full-time students are defined as those who carry 12 or more units (six or more for summer); three-quarter-time students carry 9-11 units; half-time students carry six-eight units.

According to the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities guidelines, a three-unit lecture class usually requires three hours of class time per week; and a one-unit lecture class usually requires one hour of class time per week. A one-unit laboratory class usually requires three hours of class time per week.

Late Registration

Students may register late by submitting a Late Registration Enrollment Request form with instructor signature/approval during the second week of classes. After the second week of the semester, students must pay for a class in full plus a $25 late payment fee before a class will be added using the Late Registration Request. The last day to pay for and submit a request to add a full-term class is the Friday of the fourth week of the semester.

Submission of a Late Registration form does not guarantee the request will be processed. Students are responsible to check to see if their request was granted and to verify the accuracy of their course schedule through myWNC. If not pre-paid, students must pay for courses approved for late registration immediately.

Even Exchanges

Requests to exchange one full-term class for another with the same amount or more credits must be submitted after the first week of the semester, with an Even Exchange Enrollment Request form, by the end of the second week of the semester. An instructors signature must be submitted for any class to be added. Even exchange of class/credit will remove the dropped class completely from a students transcript. Classes dropped after the 100 percent refund period that are not even exchanged will remain on a transcript with a grade of W, and may affect student financial aid.

Submission of an Even Exchange form does not guarantee the request will be processed. Students are responsible for checking to see if their request was granted and to verify the accuracy of their course schedule through myWNC.

Concurrent Registration

A student who plans to enroll for one or more courses at another college while enrolled at WNC should consult with a counselor prior to enrollment. The counselor will help the student select courses at a college as they relate to degree requirements at WNC. Courses taken at another college must be transferred and evaluated for credit if the student wishes to use them in meeting WNC degree requirements. Veterans, international students and students receiving financial aid must indicate to the appropriate agency which institution is the school of primary enrollment.

Books

After registering for classes, students can locate information on required and recommended books for their classes through myWNC, by visiting the bookstore website at https://wncbookstore.com/. 

Class Cancellation

Western Nevada College reserves the right to cancel classes in which there is insufficient enrollment.

Attendance

Students are expected to attend all classes for which they have registered. An instructor may fail any student when the student has an excessive number of absences as identified in the course syllabus. In general, if a student misses a number of hours greater than the number of units to be earned in the course, this may be considered excessive.

Name and Contact Information

Students are encouraged to keep their email address, address and phone number current in myWNC. A change or correction to a name, birthdate, or Social Security number requires submission of a Personal Identification Change form with documentation to Admissions and Records.

Student Responsibility

Students should periodically check their class schedule in myWNC throughout the semester to make sure that fees have been paid and they are still correctly registered. This is the students responsibility.

Students are responsible for all costs associated with registration, regardless of any invoice that may or may not have been received, and regardless of attendance or class participation unless classes are dropped within the 100 percent refund period.