This document is offered alongside the specific course syllabus and schedule provided by each of your instructors. The resources and policies listed below focus on those that apply across Harold Washington College and City Colleges of Chicago. Please fully explore the syllabus provided by each of your instructors to find out about the assignments and policies specific to the course.
At Harold Washington College, there are lots of resources to help you succeed. These are not just academic resources but are to help support you in all dimensions of your life. Given the existence of academic and personal stresses, along with the more recent challenges around Covid, we are here to support your overall wellness. We are here to support your success in and out of the classroom. See a tutor for support in your coursework, make an advising appointment to plan your future, and visit the Wellness Center when you are feeling stressed. These aren’t the only services. Explore a full list of our virtual student support services.
Students sometimes face serious challenges. When you do, please seek support. This list of community resources can help you address basic needs such as shelter, food, and safety.
For information regarding the following City Colleges of Chicago virtual student services, you can click on the links below or refer to the Student Support link in the Navigation Bar at the top of our course webpage in Brightspace.
Virtual Drop-in Services via Zoom
Advisors are able to assist you with registration, degree and transfer planning, and more. College Advisors are available for drop-in support or by appointment. Make an appointment with your College Advisor each semester to ensure you stay on track toward your degree.
Virtual Drop-in Services via Zoom
The Access Center serves as City Colleges of Chicago's point of contact and coordination for students with disabilities. The Access Center provides a wide range of services, academic supports, and assistance to ensure you are able to have full access to all programs to achieve your maximum potential.
We are ready to guide and assist you with your career development needs. The Career Development team provides comprehensive services to help you make informed decisions about academic and co-curricular pathways towards career success. We offer one-on-one support, workforce readiness training; mock interviews, job/academic resume/cover letter support, and job/internship/apprenticeship development assistance. If you haven’t decided on what career to major in, we have a self-assessment that can provide you with suggested careers based on your responses. Make an appointment with a Career Services Advisor on Navigate or by emailing hwc-career@ccc.edu or calling 312-553-3000.
Chicago Legal Clinic
The Chicago Legal Clinic works directly with you for free to identify your legal needs and provide community-based quality services. To initiate a legal inquiry during the semester, email attorney Brian Nix at bnix@ccc.edu or call 312-553-3172.
Virtual Drop-in Services via Zoom
In arranging for the cost of tuition, or to address financial challenges in trying to pay for college, please visit the Financial Aid Office to learn more about financial aid guidelines, grants, loans, scholarships, federal work study and Veterans benefits.
The Healthy Market is a free service available to you as a HWC student. The Healthy Market is located in the basement (LL016). The Healthy Market can be accessed by stopping by the Wellness Center and requesting to visit the market. Soon, we will have regular weekly hours established and will share these widely across the campus community. You can visit the Wellness Center to receive help locating food and nutrition resources in your neighborhood and community. The Wellness Center also hosts biweekly SNAP Enrollment events, through a partnership with Illinois Hunger Coalition.
Virtual Drop-in Services via Zoom
The Harold Washington College Library offers electronic, database, and print media to support your scholarly work. Visit the library for support on your research paper, to use a computer, to chat with a librarian, or to check out books.
Virtual Drop-in Services via Zoom
The Military Affiliated Student and Veterans Services Center is here to assist you with your academic and veteran needs. Within the Military Affiliated Student and Veterans Services at Harold Washington, you will find centralized support that will help you with specific information and resources found throughout the center and the Harold Washington campus. So don’t hesitate, click on the Zoom Link to receive a tour of the center.
Initiating a legal name change or a preferred first name change
If you would like your name to be listed as something other than what currently appears on your class rosters, please contact the Registrar’s Office to complete a preferred name change request.
Download the Navigate app for iPhone or Android
Navigate is a student support system that is used by faculty, advisors, and tutors to help you achieve success in your classes. You can use Navigate to schedule appointments (for example, Tutoring, Advising, and Career Services), or to see communications about your course progress generated by your professors.
The safety and wellbeing of our campus community is our top priority. To that end, Harold Washington College has a Supportive Intervention Team (SIT) whose role is to conduct behavioral threat assessments for persons who might pose a safety risk to themselves or others. If a member of the campus community has a concern about a student, faculty, or staff member, they may complete the online Person of Concern Form. This form is routed to the college’s SIT for review and action. The team will investigate the concerning behavior and assess the level of threat, develop and implement an intervention plan for the safety of all, identify sources for support for the person of concern, and provide ongoing support and monitoring.
City Colleges has partnered with Life Span, an organization that provides comprehensive services to those who have experienced domestic violence and sexual assault, to implement Project S.A.F.E. (“Securing A Fear-Free Environment”).
To connect with services and/or survivor advocacy, please contact Life Span at 312.408.1210 or safe@life-span.org. All Life Span services are free and confidential. For daytime services, call Life Span at 312.408.1210. For immediate assistance after hours, call the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline at 877.863.6338. Ask for Project S.A.F.E.
Life Span provides comprehensive services for survivors and children, enabling them to live without violence, build upon their strengths, and become self-sufficient. By defining domestic violence as a crime as well as a social problem, Life Span is committed to providing victims of domestic violence and sexual assault a range of options, including legal services, advocacy and counseling.
Life Span’s team of dedicated advocates are committed to providing confidential support, answering questions, walking you through your options, and offering referral support for the following services: Legal (civil and criminal); Counseling; Medical; Safety Planning; Academic Support; Advocacy; Immigration Relief. When you call Life Span, ask for Project S.A.F.E in particular if you are part of the CCC community.
Virtual Drop-in services via Zoom
The Office of the Registrar is here to assist you with transcript requests, enrollment and registration inquiries, graduation application information, degree and enrollment verification requests (including student loan deferment requests), record inquiries and updates (name, address, phone, email, etc.) and Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) requests. We also assist faculty, administration, and staff on academic matters.
Email: hwregistrar@ccc.edu Phone: 312-553-6060 Room 209
Student Clubs, Groups, and Organizations Website
Extracurricular activities can help you balance academic and social life at the college. Consider joining a club even if it is not directly related to your field of study. Each club has unique experiences to offer and it’s a great way to build community. Visit Student Activities in room 204 or email ahumphreys@ccc.edu for more information.
Information Technology Website
The Information Technology Department assists with many technology-related needs including password reset, loaner laptops, and other questions, use the Online Help Request Form, join a chat session, or call 312-553-2600.
Title IX represents the federal law designed to prevent sexual assault and harassment of students on college campuses and promote gender equity in education. Title IX protects you from sexual assault, sexual harassment, and stalking on campus grounds. This includes protection from gender-based violence between any of the following groups: men, women, transgender people, and gender non-conforming persons. Additionally, Title IX covers the rights of pregnant and parenting students, faculty, and staff.
***A student has 180 DAYS from the date of the incident to file their complaint, even if the academic term is over.
By federal law, all employees at Harold Washington College are mandated reporters and must report any Title IX incidents immediately. As a student, if you are not ready to report a Title IX violation but want to confidentially talk about an incident, you can reach out to the confidential advisor, Sushma Kher, Wellness Center Director, in room 1041 or via email at skher1@ccc.edu.
Lactation Room
City Colleges of Chicago strives to support nursing mothers who are returning to work and who need a lactation space. Each City Colleges location has a dedicated Lactation Room or will make accommodations for employees and visiting nursing mothers.
The Lactation Room location is Room 1158 on the 11th Floor. As a student, you can request access to the Lactation Room in the Student Services Office, Room 201.
The Transfer Center is designed to help you transfer from your original dream school (Harold Washington College) to your next academic destination. We provide resources, transfer workshops to support you with every step of the transfer process, one-on-one transfer advising, and many large-scale events that can help you take your next academic step. Students can email Ellen Goldberg, the Director of the Transfer Center, at egoldberg1@ccc.edu to learn more. Students may be eligible for application fee waivers when they are filling out transfer applications to their new dream schools.
TRIO SSS is committed to providing you with a supportive environment to improve your academic success and assist with graduation and successful transfer to a 4-year institution. TRIO SSS will provide you with individualized holistic services around academic support, mentoring, financial guidance, transfer, and career and professional development. Click here for an application. If you have any questions, please email us at hwc-triosss@ccc.edu.
Virtual Drop-in Services via Zoom
Tutors are available virtually and in person to assist you in your academic needs. We are here to support your success and service you through individual tutoring sessions. Tutoring is a free service to help you better understand your coursework and build your confidence.
Our team provides mental health and other social services to support your personal well-being and academic success. Services include free & confidential counseling, psychological and learning evaluations, referrals and case management assistance, and classroom visits. You can “drop-in” for a counseling session or make an appointment to meet with one of our counselors on a weekly basis. Our counselors are available Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 9am-5pm, Tuesday 1pm-5pm and Friday 9am –1pm. You can connect directly with our office by calling 312-553-6072 or send us an email at hwc-wellnesscenter@ccc.edu. Please ensure you leave us a voicemail clearly stating your name, student ID number, and a brief message so we can return your call promptly.
The following policies are in place to support an inclusive and harm-free campus environment.
Harold Washington College abides by the Americans with Disability Act and with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and will provide reasonable accommodations to students with documented disabilities covered by these laws. If you have a disability for which you may require accommodations, please contact the Disability Access Center located in room 107 or call 312-553-3050. For more information visit the ADA webpage.
Our college also abides by federal privacy laws on behalf of students and employees. For more information on FERPA, please visit the Department of Education’s webpage
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) makes every effort to integrate students with disabilities into all courses and programs. Accommodations—based on the documentation received and the needs of the student—are designed to ensure that students, who are otherwise qualified, receive equal access to all of CCC's programs and services. CCC does not alter fundamental academic requirements, but it makes reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities. For more information, please visit the Disability Access Center
Title IX represents the federal law designed to prevent sexual assault and harassment of students on college campuses and promote gender equity in education. Title IX protects you from sexual assault, sexual harassment, and stalking on campus grounds. This includes protection from gender-based violence between any of the following groups: men, women, transgender people, and gender non-conforming persons. Additionally, Title IX covers the rights of pregnant and parenting students, faculty, and staff.
***A student has 180 DAYS from the date of the incident to file their complaint, even if the academic term is over.
Virtual Drop-in Services via Zoom
A Confidential Advisor is an individual to whom survivors of sexual misconduct can report anonymously or directly except where specifically required by law. Confidential advisors are not obligated to report crimes to the College or law enforcement.
The following policies are in place to ensure every member of our college community is aware of their rights and responsibilities as part of that community.
The City Colleges of Chicago Academic & Student Policy defines the rules and policies that apply to any and all students enrolled in any academic program, plan, or course, or accessing any service offered by the City Colleges of Chicago. It also applies to all college personnel, faculty processes, academic offerings and related matters.
CCC is committed to the ideals of truth and honesty. Students are expected to adhere to high standards of honesty and integrity in their academic endeavors. Plagiarism and cheating of any kind are serious violations of these standards. The Academic & Student Policy section on Academic Integrity & Dishonesty elaborates on what plagiarism is and how to avoid it. Your instructors want to read your original ideas and be able to differentiate your ideas from those that you consulted in your research, so it is important to learn how to give credit to the sources of information you incorporate into your assignments.
Students are required to attend class. Students will be issued a no-show withdrawal (NSW) under the following circumstances (see No-Show Withdrawals (NSW) & Refunds for information about the NSW refund policy):
● Courses that meet more than once per week
Students who do not attend the first two (2) class sessions will be withdrawn from the class by the instructor and issued an NSW.
● Courses that meet once per week
Students who do not attend the first class session of a course which meets only once per week will be withdrawn from the class by the instructor and issued an NSW.
● Online Courses
Students registered in online classes will be issued a no-show withdrawal (NSW) if they do not pursue academic activities within the online environment of the course on at least two separate days prior to the statistical (STAT) reporting day of the class (see No-Show Withdrawals (NSW) & Refunds for information about the NSW refund policy). See Glossary of Terms for more information about the Statistical (STAT) Date.
Academic activities may include, but are not limited to, the completion of assignments, exams and quizzes or participation in online discussions. Academic activities do not include merely logging onto the course site (Brightspace) or acknowledging that you have read the syllabus.
● Reinstatement
Students who have been issued an NSW by the instructor may, at the request of the instructor, be reinstated (RNS) into the class. See RNS – Reinstate (in a Class) for more information.
● ADW – Administrative Withdrawal from In-Person and Online Courses at Midterm
Students are required to attend class. A student may be assigned an administrative withdrawal (ADW) at midterm if the instructor determines that the student is not actively pursuing completion of the course, based upon the instructor’s active pursuit criteria. Instructors are required to publish their measures of active pursuit and distribute them to students via their class syllabus during the first week of class. Active pursuit may be measured by class participation, taking required examinations, quizzes, submission of papers, work assignments, class attendance, etc.
● ADW – Administrative Withdrawal from Online Courses after Midterm
A student in an ONLINE class may be assigned an administrative withdrawal (ADW) between midterm and the last day for student-initiated withdrawal if the instructor determines that the student is not actively pursuing completion of the class, based upon the instructor’s active pursuit criteria. Note: a student who logs into the learning management system (Brightspace) or another e-learning platform and engages in no other academic activities is NOT actively pursuing the class. That is, merely logging in to an online course does not constitute active pursuit
● Reinstatement
Students who have been assigned an ADW by the instructor may, at the request of the instructor, be reinstated (RNS) into the class. See RNS – Reinstate (in a Class) for more information.
● If a student receiving an ADW repeats that course, only the last grade received will be included in the Grade Point Average (GPA) calculations; however, both grades will appear on the permanent academic record, will appear on the transcript, and will be counted as registered hours to determine Satisfactory Academic Progress and Academic Standing status. See Graduation Grade Point Average for more information.
● CCC policies for class withdrawals and refunds apply (see Class Withdrawals & Refunds for more information).