CITS Student Handbook

Greetings from Lake Superior College!

Welcome to Lake Superior College’s College in the Schools (CITS) program, a partnership between LSC and your high school that offers dual enrollment credits in both high school and LSC college courses.

CITS allows you to stay at your high school to take rigorous, college-level courses taught by a high school teacher and to receive highly transferable college credits free of charge. These courses provide a glimpse of what college is like and give you a head-start on in-demand career preparation.

Collage of student photos at Lake Superior College

By enrolling in CITS, you’ve taken an important step towards your goals for the future, and we look forward to your success in the program. We encourage you to visit our CITS Students webpage and contact your high school counselor with any further questions.

After graduation, we hope you consider LSC as a high-quality, affordable option to continue your college education, and we invite you to visit campus for a tour at any time in your high school career. Visit the LSC tour webpage or call (218) 733-5951 for more information. We look forward to seeing you on campus!

Sincerely,

The College in the Schools Staff

What is College in the Schools?

“College in the Schools” is an umbrella term for Lake Superior College’s (LSC) concurrent enrollment and PSEO (Post-Secondary Enrollment Options), but it generally refers to our concurrent enrollment program. Concurrent enrollment (sometimes called “dual credit” or “dual enrollment”) allows high school sophomores, juniors and seniors to earn both high school and college credit for classes offered through a high school and taught by a high school teacher.

Program Benefits

College in the Schools students:

  • Earn dual college and high school credit for CITS courses taken at the high school.
  • Receive LSC credit for free, potentially saving thousands in college costs.
  • Take challenging LSC coursework to prepare for future success in college.
  • Gain access to LSC student on-campus and online resources.
  • Explore interests or career paths early.
  • Stay at the high school, continuing to participate in high school sports and activities and interact with high school peers.

Student Risks and Responsibilities

Students should be aware that taking CITS courses carries risks. These are actual college courses that carry the same consequences of regular LSC courses and that will appear on an official Lake Superior College transcript. Additionally, since CITS students receive dual high school and college credit, failure to complete or pass a CITS course may result in failure to receive high school credit. This may result in a CITS student being unable to graduate with his or her class.
College in the Schools students agree to the following responsibilities and will:

  • Register within the registration timeline set by LSC.
  • Follow add/drop and withdraw policies.
  • Adhere to all rules and regulations in the CITS handbook and the LSC student conduct policy.
  • Meet all course requirements.
  • Observe deadlines, examination times, and other policies and procedures as stated on the class syllabus.
  • Attend course meetings as attendance is an important factor for student success in LSC classes.
  • Meet Satisfactory Academic Progress each term by maintaining a 2.0 GPA and 67% cumulative completion rate.

Website

Visit the College in the Schools website.

Registration

Critical Dates and Deadlines 2025-2026

September 2, 2025
Registration opens—fall, Q1, Q2 and all-year courses

September 16, 2025
Registration closes—fall and all-year courses

September 16, 2025
Last day to drop fall and all-year courses without penalty

October 13, 2025
Fall and all-year class roster available for high schools to review

October 17, 2025
Last day for high schools to notify LSC of roster errors

December 12, 2025
Last day to withdraw from fall courses – results in a “W” grade on LSC transcript.

January 20, 2026
Registration opens—Spring, Q3 and Q4 courses

January 30, 2026
Registration closes—Spring courses

Varies: 15 calendar days from start of term
Last day to drop spring courses without penalty

February 23, 2026
Spring class roster available for high schools to review

February 27, 2026
Last day for high schools to notify LSC of spring roster errors

March 30, 2026
Graduation requests due for students completing AA degree (must apply to program)

April 17, 2026
Last day to withdraw from all-year courses – results in a “W” grade on LSC transcript

May 8, 2026
Last day to withdraw from spring courses – results in a “W” grade on LSC transcript

June 9, 2026
Spring and all year grades entered by high schools

June 13, 2026
Spring and all year grades transcribed by LSC

Course Offerings, Prerequisites, & Student Qualifications

  • Seniors must rank in the top half of their high school class or have a cumulative GPA of 2.5.
  • Juniors must rank in the top third of their high school class or have a cumulative GPA of 3.0.
  • Sophomores who took the 8th grade MCA reading test and met the composite proficiency level of “meets or exceeds” may enroll in specific career and technical education (CTE) courses.
  • Students must also meet all course pre-requisites. For current CITS courses and prerequisites, see our CITS courses webpage.

Drop/Add/Withdrawal Definitions

  • Add: Register for a course
  • Drop: Remove a course from a student’s academic record
  • SAP: Satisfactory Academic Progress (2.0 GPA and 67% cumulative completion rate)
  • Withdraw: Remove a class and receive a grade of “W” on the transcript

Program Policy

Lake Superior College and partnering high schools work jointly to enroll students in the appropriate CITS courses and to ensure students meet CITS and LSC course requirements. High schools verify that all students who register for a CITS course meet class ranking or GPA requirements, and both the high school and LSC CITS program verify that students meet course pre-requisites.

Students must follow the calendar for adding, dropping, and withdrawing from courses set by the Lake Superior College CITS program. Students who do not add a course during the registration window cannot be added at a later date and will not receive LSC credit. Students who do not contact their high school counselor about dropping or withdrawing from a course by the stated deadlines cannot be dropped or withdrawn at a later date, risk receiving an F grade, and risk violating SAP policies.

See the Petition to Policy webpage for information on petitioning for a late add/drop/withdraw.

Procedure

When the registration window opens, CITS staff contacts each high school counselor with the registration instructions and reminder of important dates and deadlines. Counselors share the registration instructions with CITS teachers and students, according to the individual high school’s preferences and policies.
Immediately after registration, students receive a copy of their registration form via the email they provided. Students should keep this email, but this is not verification of enrollment in the CITS course. CITS staff must still check qualifications and register the student. Students should check with their CITS teacher or counselor to verify registration.

Students should contact their high school counselor to drop or withdraw from a College in the Schools course. High school counselors are responsible for contacting Lake Superior College CITS staff to drop or withdraw students. Until high school staff contacts LSC, a student is still enrolled in the CITS course.

Grades

CITS teachers assign a singular whole letter grade for each student. CITS students will not receive plusses or minuses for final grades. Students may possibly receive different grades for their high school and college courses as LSC course guidelines may be more stringent than the high school guidelines. View the chart below for grade point average calculation.

Table 2: GPA Calculations

Letter Grade Achievement Grade Points Per Credit
A Superior 4
B Above Average 3
C Average 2
D Below Average 1
F Failure 0
I Incomplete Not Computed
W Withdrawal Not Computed

Advising

Course options vary by school. A complete listing of current offerings, course descriptions and pre-requisites, and faculty liaisons is available on the LSC CITS Student web page. To determine your high school’s CITS offerings and whether you qualify for a CITS course, speak to your high school counselor.

Students taking College in the Schools courses must give up one regular high school course for each CITS course; students may not take CITS courses as additional coursework on top of an existing full load of high school coursework. Students must limit total college credits per semester to 18 unless granted special permission.

Transferability, Degrees, and the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum

To transfer your Lake Superior College credits to another institution, contact them directly as the receiving institution determines transferability of credits. If you would like to send an official copy of your transcript to another institution after your courses are complete, follow the links and instructions provided on the LSC Transcripts webpage.

To search how your LSC course will transfer to another institution (or vice-versa), visit Transferology. Transferology is a nation-wide network designed to help students explore their college transfer options and is not associated with Lake Superior College.

Students wishing to complete either the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (40 credits) or an Associate of Arts Degree (60 credits) can find more information on LSC’s Transfer Center’s webpage. For a full list of current programs, including degrees, diplomas, and certificates, please visit LSC’s program webpage.

Student-Related Policies

The following are some of the key policies that CITS students need to be aware of. These pages are informational and are meant to help students understand the policies that most affect them. The information on the following pages does NOT take the place of the official policy and is NOT a complete list of all policies/procedures that students must adhere to. For all LSC policies, including financial aid and nondiscrimination policies, visit LSC’s policy page. LSC policies are governed by the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system, the Higher Learning Commission, and the Department of Education.

Student Code of Conduct

The Lake Superior College Student Code of Conduct serves two purposes: the first purpose is to serve as a guide for student behavior; the second purpose is to outline the procedures to be followed, both by students and college officials, should violations of the Code occur. It is expected that all students will read the code available on the LSC website and will be responsible for knowing and abiding by its content.

Students found in violation of the Student Code of Conduct may face sanctions. For the procedure covering academic integrity, plagiarism, cheating, and more, visit LSC’s webpage concerning student conduct.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Lake Superior College requires that students maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 and complete a minimum of 67% of cumulative registered credits. Evaluation for determining SAP does not begin until after the student has attempted his/her 5th credit. Grades of A, B, C, D, and F will be included in the GPA calculation, and grades of W will be included in completion rate calculation. See the LSC SAP page for more information.

After the first SAP violation, students will be on “warning” status and may still enroll in regular or CITS courses. Students who fail to return to good academic standing after the next term of enrollment are placed on academic suspension, which requires a one-semester sit-out period. After this period, students are eligible to re-enroll in classes at LSC on probation after meeting with an academic counselor and defining an “Academic Success Plan.” Students failing to meet the terms of probation upon re-enrollment will be suspended again for a minimum of one year at the end of their next term of attendance at LSC. SAP violations may also affect students’ status when enrolling at another college or university.

Petition to Policy

Students seeking an exception to certain policies or procedures (such as a request to late add/drop/withdraw) may submit a completed Petition to Policy form for consideration. Petitions should be filed in the semester of occurrence, but typically be filed no later than one year following. Documentation of extenuating circumstances must be submitted for review past the one year deadline. Students will be notified of the decision via their LSC student email account within ten (10) working days of receipt of their request.

Students have the right to file an appeal to the designated administrator if their petition is denied. Appeals must be filed within ten (10) working days from the receipt of the petition decision. Appeal decisions will be communicated within ten (10) working days. Appeal decisions are final and binding.
For more information, visit the LSC Petitions and Appeals webpage.

FERPA

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, including the Office of the Chancellor, must comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), 20 U.S.C. §1232g, and the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, (MGDPA) Minn. Stat. Chapter 13, in handling education records. To read more about LSC’s policy governing the privacy of your records, visit LSC’s FERPA policy page (lsc.edu/policies/2-0-confidentiality-student-records).
Under this Act, CITS and LSC staff cannot discuss grades or any other aspect of a student’s performance with a student’s parents without a completed Release of Information form on file. Students wishing to complete the form can find it on the LSC Forms webpage.

Americans with Disabilities Act

LSC’s Student Accessibility Services department exists to provide reasonable accommodations to students with documented disabilities per the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Lake Superior College is committed to providing equal opportunities for qualified individuals with disabilities to participate in college services, programs, activities, and employment. Lake Superior College will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities to ensure access to programs, services, activities and employment as required by law. For more information, visit LSC’s Access for Individuals with Disabilities policy page.

Student Services and Resources

All Lake Superior College Resources for Current Students are also available to College in the Schools students although students may wish to first utilize their high school resources due to ease of access. While distance may prevent students from accessing some services, many are available via phone or the web.

Academic Advising

Lake Superior College Academic Advisors help students achieve their educational and professional goals. We can assist with:

  • Academic Planning and Course Registration
  • Assistance in navigating the college experience
  • Program and Career Exploration
  • Degree Requirements
  • Transfer Planning and Resources
  • Academic Challenges
  • Academic Warning/Suspension/Probation
  • Connections with support resources

Accessibility Services

Lake Superior College provides access to programs, services, and activities to students with documented disabilities, per the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Reasonable accommodations are individualized based on needs, disability documentation and courses/activities and may include test taking accommodations, alternative text, early registration, sign language interpreters and adaptive equipment. High school counselors can contact LSC’s Accessibility Services to discuss and arrange accommodations for CITS students with documented disabilities.

Location: S155

Contact: Accessibility Services at or . TTY 711/1-800-627-3529 or visit the Accessibility Services website.

Erickson Library

The Erickson Library serves the academic information needs of the campus population. CITS students are encouraged to first contact their high school librarian or teacher, and CITS teachers can contact Erickson Library staff to discuss research options.

Location: M203

For updated information on the library and its services, visit the library website or call .

Center for Equity and Inclusion

The Center for Equity and Inclusion provides a connecting point for students of all cultural backgrounds and a supportive atmosphere in which human diversity is recognized, respected and nurtured. The Center also provides a number of resources including: confidential support and personal advising to help balance personal, family, and educational concerns, advocacy and referral to college and community resources as well as access to a free private phone and campus food shelf. CITS high school faculty/instructors or high school staff should contact the Center for Equity and Inclusion for cultural support or to set up a visit from LSC’s Chief Diversity Officer.

Location: M125

Contact: or visit the Center for Equity and Inclusion website.

LSC Store

The LSC Store has everything students need for success, including new and used textbooks, backpacks, school and art supplies, and required specialty tools and equipment for certain occupational classes.

Location: M210

Contact: or visit the LSC Store website.

Tutoring and Learning Center

Lake Superior College’s Tutoring and Learning Center is a place to find free tutoring in many subjects as well as access to a variety of academic resources. Tutoring is available on-campus as well as online. Tutoring is provided by professional and student peer tutors. Tutors may be able to assist CITS students via phone or Skype; contact the Learning Center for details.

Location: L170 (Library)

Contact: (218) 733-5927 or visit the Tutoring and Learning Center website.

Technology Help Desk

The Technology Help Desk can assist students with LSC Accounts – StarID, LSC Email, D2L Brightspace/e-Campus, e-Services, software, printing accounts, and scanning. Students have access to 15 computers/laptops and laptop workspaces. LSC has campus-wide wireless access as well!

Location: L140

Contact: or email

Recreational Sports

Recreational sports and Outdoor Programs are free at LSC! We offer co-ed basketball, rock climbing, and volleyball. Outdoor programs include hiking, snowshoeing and snow tubing. Campus activities include bean bag toss, Esports gaming room, Miller Creek hiking trail and ping pong.

Location: Student Life – M130

Contact: Heather Grillo at or call .

Student Life – Engage in your campus community!

Studies show students who get involved in campus activities have a more successful college career. Funded by the Student Activity Fee, Student Life enhances the development of students through activities that provide leadership, community and cultural awareness. Student Life also promotes healthy lifestyle choices through recreational sports, outdoor programs, the Wellness Center and health education resources. Students can engage in their campus community by participating in Clubs and organizations, the Campus Activities Board or the Student Senate. Student Life offers a lounge for students to relax, play pool, or watch tv. It also provides a meeting space for clubs and organizations.

Location: M130

Contact: or email .

Student Clubs and Organizations

LSC has more than 30 student interest and program focused organizations on campus.

Contact: Heather Grillo at or call .

Location: M130

Wellness Center

At Lake Superior College, we value the health and wellness of our students and staff. Our Wellness Center features a wide variety of cardiovascular, strength and resistance training equipment and recreational fitness classes. Free to all current LSC students! To use the Wellness Center, present your LSC Student ID, sign-in, have proper fitness attire, and clean gym shoes. Shower and gym lockers available in restrooms across from WC. Key lockers available for use inside center.

Location: C110

Contact: .

Consumer Information and Disclosures

Lake Superior College (LSC) is committed to providing all interested persons with the information they need to make informed decisions about the educational programs the college provides. As a state-supported institution of higher education that participates in federally funded financial aid programs, LSC is required to make certain disclosures to current and prospective, students, parents, employees, and the public.

The materials are intended to provide interested persons convenient access, in one place, to important consumer information and disclosures. Visit the LSC Consumer Information and Disclosures webpage for more information.

Program Contact

LSC’s contacts webpage

Stephanie Wainionpaa
College in the Schools Director