FAQ:  Post-Secondary Education Option

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about the PSEO program at Lake Erie College:

1. Am I considered a Lake Erie College student?

No. You are still considered to be a student at your high school. However, you are subject to the same academic standards and regulations as matriculated students. If after completing your high school graduation requirements you would like to attend Lake Erie College to earn a Bachelor’s degree, you must follow the standard application process for acceptance through the Admissions Office.

2. Will the courses I take at Lake Erie College fulfill my high school graduation requirements?

Since different schools have different requirements (though there is a number of common requirements mandated by the state of Ohio), it is your responsibility to ensure that coursework you take here will satisfy the requirements for high school graduation. You should work closely with your guidance counselor (your guidance counselor must sign your registration form before you can register for classes) and make sure you mention any specific requirements to your Lake Erie College advisor when you schedule your classes.

3. What if there are no courses offered that I need for my high school graduation requirements, or they are offered at times I’m not available?

Lake Erie College develops course schedules every semester with the needs of matriculated students in mind. If in a particular semester no course offerings meet your needs, you have the option of attending another institution (but you must apply and be accepted by that institution’s process) or you can take the courses you need at your high school.

4. How do I match units of credit I need for high school graduation with the semester hours at Lake Erie College?

Typically, one unit of high school credit requires five semester hours of college credit. Again, it is your responsibility to ensure that you are taking enough hours at Lake Erie College to satisfy unit requirements at your high school.

5. Will the courses I take here transfer to other colleges?

Lake Erie College is a North Central accredited institution, and as such our courses are acceptable at any college or university. However, depending on the institution’s specific requirements, not all hours earned at Lake Erie College may transfer. The best option is to talk to someone at the school(s) you are looking at to find out what and how courses will transfer from Lake Erie College.

6. How do I know what classes I am registered for and keep track of what I have taken?

Prior to the beginning of a semester, a copy of your schedule is sent to your high school. At the end of the semester, an unofficial transcript is sent to your high school well. If you need an official transcript, you must fill out a request form and pay a fee at the Registrar’s office.

7. What about grades?

All grade reports—midterm and final—are sent to your home address.

8. How do I know the level of difficulty of courses I’m thinking of taking? I want to be challenged, but I don’t want to get in over my head.

Lake Erie College’s courses have a numbering system that indicates the level of difficulty: 100-level courses are introductory courses and therefore least difficult (though most of these classes are nonetheless very challenging!); 200-level courses may be considered “intermediate,” and 300-level courses are the most advanced and demanding. Our online catalogue offers descriptions of every course we offer; your Lake Erie College academic advisor can also answer questions about specific courses. You may also contact the professor teaching the course to ask some questions if you are concerned.

9. How do I add or drop a class?

A specific form for adding and dropping (withdrawing from) classes for PSEO students is available in the registrar’s office. The deadline to add a class in any given semester is the last day of the first week of classes. While the deadlines for withdrawing from classes are further along in the semester for our matriculated students, PSEO students can drop courses only during the first week of the semester. This is because the registrar’s office must send reports to the state about the number of PSEO students enrolled and what classes they are taking, and the deadline for these reports typically falls during the first week of the semester. If you drop a class after that first week, the state has the option of billing your high school for the tuition, and your high school in turn has the option of billing you.

Additionally, if you are registered for classes at Lake Erie College but decide not to attend, you must officially withdraw from those courses during the first week of the semester by obtaining and filling out a withdrawal form; otherwise, the billing problem will apply.

10.  I’m looking at my schedule and I see an “R” next to some course titles and an “L” next to others. What does that mean?

An “R” in the column immediately to the right of a course title means you are officially registered for the course, and can plan to attend. An “L” in that column means the class is full and you have been placed on a waiting list (you can check at the Registrar’s office to see where you are on the list). You are not permitted to attend that class until you have been notified that you are officially enrolled. It is your responsibility to check your schedule carefully and ensure that you are indeed enrolled in the class. All wait lists are eliminated after the deadline to add a course (after the first week of classes for the semester), meaning that if you have not been officially notified that you are enrolled by the end of the first week of class, you will not get to take the class that semester.

Additionally, because our priority for enrollment is our matriculated students, you may be removed from a class you are registered for to make room for a matriculated student. You will be notified in such an event.

11. What do I do if I miss class?

Your professors will have specific policies stated on their syllabi about absences and contact information (usually phone and email). If not, be sure to ask.

12. What if the weather’s really bad and I can’t drive in, even if the college is open?

We leave it to your discretion to determine whether or not to come to class when the weather is bad but the college remains open. Again, be sure to understand your professors’ attendance policies as you make these decisions.

13. What if a professor cancels a class?

We make every reasonable effort to contact you in the event a professor cancels a class. Therefore, it is important that you make sure we have up-to-date phone information so that we can reach you.

14. How do I get my books, student ID card, and parking pass? What about using computers?

Take a copy of your schedule to the Cashier’s window, located on the first floor of College Hall. You will be issued a book voucher, which you can take to the bookstore on the bottom floor of the Holden Center. Books are organized alphabetically by subject matter, and then by course number. Be sure you are picking up all the books required for your classes (many classes require more than one text). Return your books at the end of the semester at the bookstore.

Parking passes and student ID cards may be obtained during certain hours at the Student Development Office, located on the bottom floor of the Holden Center. Be sure to note the parking areas permitted for PSEO student vehicles.

The staff in our technology center will establish a computer account for you, which will include an LEC email address. Be sure to activate this account and check it regularly—professors will often communicate information to you this way; additionally, announcements about campus events and student activities are conveyed via email.

15. Am I allowed to join clubs or play sports at Lake Erie College?

You are permitted to join any student organization, but you may not hold office. PSEO students are also prohibited from playing intercollegiate athletics, though we welcome your support at any games, matches, etc. You may also participate in theater productions.

All campus facilities are open to PSEO students—except for the dormitories. If you are found in the dorms, you will be dismissed from the program.