St. Clair County Community College 2004-2005 Catalog

Time frame for Degrees and Certificates

SC4 continuously reviews all academic programs to ensure students receive up-to-date curriculum. Due to the ever-changing nature of the degree programs, SC4 monitors the timeframe in which students complete their degree.

Students may follow the degree requirements included in the catalog year upon initial enrollment at SC4 or select any of the subsequent catalog years for which they are enrolled. Students are permitted five (5) years to complete the degree requirements listed in their selected catalog. For example, students entering SC4 in 2004 may graduate using the 2004 degree requirements until 2009. Students not in attendance for a period of five years or more must satisfy the requirements listed in the catalog year upon which they return to SC4.

MULTIPLE ASSOCIATE DEGREES

Following the first associate degree earned, students may wish to pursue additional degrees at SC4. Multiple degrees may be granted if the student:

1. Completes the specified degree requirements for each degree;

AND,

2. Earns a minimum of 15 additional credit hours for each degree awarded.

APPLICATION FOR GRADUATION

Graduation applications and a graduation process checklist are available in the Enrollment Services Office, Room 213 MB, or on the SC4 website. SC4 students can graduate at the conclusion of each semester. Applications must be submitted by the following deadlines:

Graduation Semester Application Deadline

May January 20

June July 3

August July 3

December September 10

Students must satisfy all degree requirements and have a minimum overall GPA of 2.0 to earn a degree or certificate. Students who do not meet the requirements for graduation may have their application reconsidered for one year.

COMMENCEMENT

All graduation candidates are invited to attend Commencement, hosted annually following the winter semester (May). Honors will be calculated from the end of the previous SC4 semester attended for commencement purposes only. Actual honors will be calculated once the final semester grades are submitted. A bulletin with detailed commencement information is published in early March and mailed to all prospective graduates.

Graduation candidates satisfying all degree requirements and financial obligations to the college will receive their diploma in the mail by approximately:

Graduation Semester Diplomas Mailed

May August 30

June November 30

August November 30

December March 30

Replacement degrees and/or additional copies are available for a fee. Please contact the Registrar for details.

FRESH START

It is the philosophy of St. Clair County Community College that students may need a "Fresh Start" at some point in their college career. The Fresh Start procedure allows students who were enrolled in one program or degree and have now re-enrolled in a different program or degree, the opportunity to have their cumulative grade point average reflect their present academic success in their current program. Interested students should contact the Career and Counseling Services Office, Room 206 MB, or at 810-989-5520 for a complete outline of this procedure or visit the SC4 website (www.sc4.edu).

COURSE SUBSTITUTIONS/WAIVER

Students are expected to take the courses required by the program of study in which they are enrolled. If the circumstances necessitate a substitution, the student must obtain a Course Waiver/Substitution Request form from the Enrollment Services Office. The form must be completed by the student in consultation with the department chairperson, listing the required course to be waived, the course to be substituted, and the rationale for such action. Both the department chairperson and the Registrar must approve all substitutions. Having a course waived will not reduce the total number of credits required for an associate degree/certificate, the requirements for completion of the General Education competencies, nor the course distribution requirements for the associate degree or certificate program.

REPEATED COURSES

A college credit course taken at SC4 for which a final grade has been recorded may be repeated a total of three times. The nursing retake policy is located in the Nursing Policy Handbook. Non-credit courses can be repeated indefinitely. A withdrawal ("W") from a class does not count in the retake policy.

The last grade earned becomes the officially recorded grade. All attempts remain on the official transcript, including the semester, course number, and grade earned, although the previous credit and honor points will be removed from calculation.

TRANSFER CREDIT TO SC4

Students wishing to transfer credit to St. Clair County Community College must have an official transcript sent from their previous college(s). Transfer credit is accepted with grades of "C" or better from fully accredited institutions. Recognized regional associations of colleges and schools include Middle States, North Central, New England, Northwest, Southern, and Western. Contact the Registrar at 810-989-5550 for additional information on transferring credits to SC4.

TRANSFER CREDIT FROM SC4

Students wishing to transfer credits from SC4 to another college/university should work closely with their advisor to ensure the credits will transfer to the school of their choice. As a general policy, colleges and universities will not accept courses for transfer with a grade less than "C." Since colleges and universities vary as to the prescribed curriculum for the first two years, it is very important that an entering student chooses a specific school(s) where they would like to transfer. In addition to using transfer equivalency guides and working with an SC4 advisor, students are strongly encouraged to contact the transfer institution to ensure the credits they are taking will transfer. Transfer information is also available through the Michigan Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (MACRAO) website at www.macrao.org.

Transfer students should also be aware that some four-year colleges and universities treat "I" and "W" grades as less than satisfactory; therefore, it is important to check the transfer policy of the receiving institution.

ACCESS TO RECORDS

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 was developed to protect the privacy of education records, to establish the right of students to inspect and review their education records, and to provide guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading data. Copies of the guidelines can be obtained in the Enrollment Services Office, Room 213 MB.

St. Clair County Community College, in compliance with FERPA regulations, has identified the following "personal identifiable information" as Directory Information:

• Student name

• Address

• Telephone Number

• Dates of attendance

• Degrees received/dates conferred

• Major program of study

• Awards

• Honors

• Clubs/sports participation

• E-mail address

• Student status: full-time/part-time, freshman/sophomore

• Weight and height of athletes

Students opposed to the release of information related to one or more of these areas should contact the Registrar to obtain a Non-disclosure form. Completed forms should be submitted to the Registrar no later than 30 days subsequent to the first semester of enrollment.

For your information as a part of the college's instructional program improvement efforts, and to meet the requirements of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act, Section 113 and the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, Section 122, we will be using student Social Security Numbers to compile certain data for the purpose of instructional program improvement and Perkins and WIA reporting. This in compliance with FERPA.

SOLOMON AMENDMENT DIRECTORY INFORMATION

Effective March 29, 1997, schools are required to provide the Department of Defense, upon request, access to directory information.

Directory information is defined as:

• The student's name, address, and telephone number

• The student's date and place of birth

• The student's level of education, academic major, and any degrees received

• The educational institution in which the student was most recently enrolled

Students may request in writing to withhold the release of any or all information to the Department of Defense. Requests should be sent to the Registrar.

ADVANCED STANDING CREDIT

SC4 provides students with a variety of alternative ways to earn college credit. Awarded credits will be placed on the transcript as "Credit By Exam/Work Experience" and may/may not transfer to other institutions. The following list provides details of the many options available.

• Credit-By-Exam _ Students pay a fee to complete an exam and may earn college credit based upon the results. The following are samples of Credit-By-Exam options available at SC4.

• Advanced Placement (AP) _ high school students taking AP courses may pay to take an exam sponsored by the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB). SC4 grants credit for scores of 3 or above. Students must request an official copy of their scores sent directly to the Registrar from The College Board www.collegeboard.com or 212-713-8000.

• College Level Examination Program (CLEP) _ national standardized tests in selected academic areas. SC4 grants credit for scores of 50 or above, with the exception of ENG 101, which also requires an essay. Contact the Student Learning Center/Enrichment Center, Room 117/115 MB, for details.

• Departmental Exams _ course specific exams developed by SC4 faculty that give students the opportunity to earn credit for a specific course. Contact the Student Learning Center/Enrichment Center, Room 117/115 MB, for details.

• Experiential Credit _ Students who can demonstrate they have gained the knowledge contained in a particular course(s) may receive a maximum of 12 credit hours of "Experiential Credit." Credits are only applicable to a specific Applied Arts and Science (AAS) degree program. Students must pay a fee and enroll in the appropriate AAS program for the credits to be applied. For complete details, contact the Registrar, Room 213 MB.

• Military Credit _ SC4 may award credit(s) based upon military training. Credits must be directly applicable to the program of study and the student must submit an official military transcript to the Registrar. No fee is required.

• Articulation Agreements _ SC4 has established articulation agreements with numerous high schools, vocational/technical centers, trade academies, etc. which enable students to receive specific credit(s) within an AAS program. No fee is required. STANDARDS OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS

SC4 monitors the academic progress of all students on an annual basis. A student must make satisfactory progress towards completion of their degree or certificate in order to continue enrollment at the college. The Standards of Academic Success for SC4 students are:

1. Students that have attempted 12 or more credit hours at SC4 with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or above will be considered Satisfactory.

2. Students that have attempted 12 or more credit hours at SC4 with a cumulative GPA of below 2.0 will be considered Unsatisfactory.

Students identified as "unsatisfactory" will be subject to probation and/or dismissal from the college. Details of the complete procedure are available by contacting the Registrar, Room 213 MB.

GRADE APPEAL PROCESS

Any appeal for a change of grade, other than a final grade, must be initiated in the semester during which the student is enrolled in the course. Appeals of a final grade for the semester must be made prior to the end of the fourth (4^th) week of the subsequent semester, excluding spring and summer sessions. There will be no formal grade appeals during the week of final exams or during semester breaks. Time lines for grade appeals occurring during the spring and summer sessions will be established by the Dean of Students and Instructional Support Services (or designee), based upon availability of faculty and staff. The only grounds for a student grade appeal shall be as follows:

1. The grade is allegedly based on an error in calculation.

2. The grade is allegedly based on a factual error.

3. The criteria for establishing the assigned grade allegedly have been violated.

It shall be the responsibility of the student to prove that the grade is incorrect or unjustified. A student wishing to file a grade appeal begins by contacting Career and Counseling Services or Students and Instructional Support Services. Procedures for the formal grievance are available in the Office of the Dean of Student Success Services, 206 MB, or on the college website. GRADING SYSTEM

Following final examinations, grade reports are distributed to students, except to those who owe tuition to the college.

Grades are recorded as follows:

Letter Grade Grade Points Letter Grade Grade Points

A 4.0 points D+ 1.3 points

A- 3.7 points D 1.0 points

B+ 3.3 points D- 0.7 points

B 3.0 points E 0.0 points

B- 2.7 points I Incomplete

C+ 2.3 points W Withdrawn

C 2.0 points X Audit

C- 1.7 points S 0.0 points

U 0.0 points

The grade point average (GPA) is computed for each semester as well as for the total credit hours attempted at SC4. In accordance with the scale above, students earn "grade points" for each credit completed at SC4. The GPA is calculated as follows:

Total grade points earned ÷ Number of credit hours attempted = GPA.

INCOMPLETE GRADES

The "I" incomplete grade is used by the instructors to note that the student, for good reason, has not completed the course requirements by the time final grades were recorded. To qualify, the student: (1) should have completed at least 80% of the work (excluding the final exam), (2) must have been in good attendance, and (3) can be reasonably believed to complete the course independently with a passing grade. If agreed to by both faculty member and student, an agreement delineating exactly what is required, how it is graded, and when it is to be completed must be signed by both parties and placed on file in the Enrollment Services Office.

Unless otherwise agreed to in the contract, work must be completed by the end of the next regular semester. In extenuating circumstances, an extension beyond the normal period may be obtained by the presentation of a petition by the student, endorsed by the instructor, and presented to the appropriate dean. Incomplete grades, are not counted in the cumulative average until the grade is completed. If a grade of "Incomplete" is not removed within the specified time, the grade of "I" will be changed to the grade specified by the instructor on the incomplete grade form.

HONORS

Academic Honors will be awarded to Students who have earned a minimum of 62 credits for an associate degree and 30 credits for a certificate, based upon the following scale:

• Summa Cum Laude = Overall GPA of 4.0

• Magna Cum Laude = Overall GPA of 3.5 _ 3.99

• Cum Laude = Overall GPA of 3.0 _ 3.49

STUDENT CLASS LEVEL

Freshmen = 1 - 26 credit hours completed

Sophomore = 27 or more credit hours completed

PRESIDENT'S HONOR LIST