Contact Us
Clarkston Campus: 678-891-3530
Dunwoody Campus: 770-274-5180
Email: Mike Wallace
Frequently Asked Questions
| 1. | Do I have to be enrolled at the college to take the ESL courses? |
| Yes, students must be enrolled at the college to take the ESL courses. They must go through the application process and submit required transcripts and other documents. | |
| 2. | How many credit hours are the ESL courses and how many courses will I need to take? |
| At each level of the ESL program, there are 9 credit hours. However, students may not need to take all the courses at each level. (See the program structure chart.) The number of courses and hours that students are required to take depends on their placement scores. | |
| 3. | Can I take other courses while I am taking ESL courses? |
| There are a limited number of courses that students may take while they are also taking ESL courses. (See the list of courses.) However, each semester, students must be registered for all required ESL courses before they can take any other non-ESL courses. Students must also complete all required ESL courses before they complete 30 hours of college credit. If students do not complete all their ESL courses by the time they have completed 30 hours of college level credit, they may only register for ESL courses until all ESL courses have been completed. | |
| 4. | How many times may I repeat an ESL course? |
| Students are allowed to take any ESL course three times with no penalty. However, if they do not successfully complete any ESL course on the third attempt, they are suspended from the college for one year. They cannot register for any courses. | |
| 5. | Can I withdraw from an ESL class and continue to take my other courses? |
| Students may withdraw from an ESL and remain in their other ESL courses and Learning Support math courses. However, they cannot remain in any college level courses if they withdraw before midterm. When students withdraw from an ESL course, or if their instructor withdraws them from any ESL course because of attendance problems, before midterm, they are also withdrawn from all their college level courses. This includes college level math courses. Withdrawing from an ESL course may have serious consequences for students on student visas and for students receiving financial aid. They are advised to talk with a counselor from the Office of International Student Entry Services and the Financial Aid office. | |
| 6. | Whom do I talk to about visa questions? |
| Students need to speak with the Office of International Student Admissions and Advising. Their phone number is 678-891-3235, or they may email gpcisaa. | |
| 7. | What grades must I make in ESL courses? |
| To pass any ESL course, student must make at least a 70 average in the course. ENSL 0091 also requires that students pass an exit writing sample. Some courses also require that students pass the final exam. | |
| 8. | Do the ESL courses count toward my graduation credit? |
| No, the ESL courses do not count toward graduation. They are required pre-college courses. For that reason, the grades do not count in a student's GPA (grade point average). However, the courses do count for full-time enrollment status for visa or insurance purposes, and the grades do count in HOPE scholarships and financial aid evaluations. | |
| 9. | Whom do I speak to for more information? |
|
For more specific information and for specific campus information, you may contact the following people:
Colleen Ijuin, Chair of ESL, College-wide: 678-891-3530 or Colleen Ijuin Eugenia Novokshanova, Assistant Chair of ESL, Dunwoody campus: 770-274-5198 or Eugenia Novokshanova |