Chapter 6 Federal Compliance
As an institution, St. Clair County Community College complies with The Higher Learning Commission’s policies regarding credits, program length, and tuition; organizational compliance with the Higher Education Reauthorization Act; advertising and recruitment materials; and organizational records of student complaints. A description of how the College complies with these policies is detailed below, and documents relevant to federal compliance are available in the Resource Room.
Credits, Program Length and Tuition
Credits. All of the College’s credit courses are assigned semester credit hours with the majority of semester courses averaging 3 credit hours. The College offers students the opportunity to earn both certificates, which consist of a minimum of 30 credit hours, and associate degrees, which require 62 credit hours. In addition, all associate degrees require students to complete general education competencies in seven different categories. Students must complete a total of ten courses with a 2.0 or higher GPA in order to satisfy the competency requirement.
Program Length. The College operates on a semester schedule which consists of two major 16-week semesters, fall and winter. In addition, the College offers students both spring and summer sessions in a condensed 6-week format. The majority of credit courses are identified as lecture, lab, or a combination of both lecture and lab. A credit hour is earned by successfully completing 50 minutes of instruction per week during the 16-week semester. The College offers a variety of delivery formats for students to complete coursework including day, evening, weekend, and online offerings. Courses are available in a variety of lengths and at different start times but all delivery formats require the same amount of classroom instruction.
The College also provides students with the opportunity to transfer courses from other accredited colleges/universities and posts the courses as equivalent credits. All courses are evaluated to determine the equivalent College courses using input from faculty as necessary to ensure students an accurate transfer of previous coursework.
Tuition. Tuition is charged by the contact hour and is based upon the residency of the student. The College classifies students as either in-district, out-district or out-of-state/international. Each residency category has an established per contact hour fee which is used to calculate tuition for the student. In-district students are charged a lower tuition rate than others due to the property tax contribution of the taxing district. Tuition rates are approved by the Board of Trustees and are subject to change upon Board approval. The College posts the current tuition rates in the College Catalog, the printed course schedule, and on the College website. The College also assesses a per-semester registration fee of $33 per student. In addition, the College charges other fees as required by the course such as laboratory fees, online course fee, facility fees for off-campus classes, and a program fee for selected programs.
Tuition is established by the Board of Trustees in conjunction with recommendation of Administration. Recommendations include review by a cross-section of individuals, with the most recent recommendation reviewed by the Leadership Briefing Team (composed of faculty department chairs, mid-level administrators, and executives).
Special Tuition Program Fees. A program fee is in place currently for the Bad Axe Licensed Practical Nursing program. The purpose of the fee is to recognize the additional cost of a program located outside of the College district. Since the program is located outside the College district, property tax revenue is not considered as supporting revenue for the program. The students in the program primarily reside outside of the district and obtain employment outside of the district. The program fee was implemented in 2005 and saved the program from elimination. Significant cost reductions were put in place before implementation of a program fee to allow the lowest fee possible. The program fee is currently $69.50 per contact hour, in addition to tuition and other off-campus fees (i.e., the facilities fee). Job placement is 98-100% for graduates with a wage in the immediate area of $32,468 and in Michigan of $36,649 per year. Students are notified of program costs when applying to the program and in a pre-registration orientation program. The orientation is mandatory for all students prior to entry in the program.
Organizational Compliance with the Higher Education Act Reauthorization
Title IV Program Responsibilities. The College is in full compliance with all requirements of the Higher Education Reauthorization Act as amended in 1998. Documentation of the College’s approval to participate in and comply with the Title IV includes the Program Participation Agreement (PPA), the Eligibility and Certification Renewal (ECAR), and the official cohort default rates for the past three years (2002, 2003, and 2004).
The College demonstrates compliance by completing the Program Participation Agreement (PPA) every five years, which signifies the College’s agreement with the rules and regulations associated with good stewardship of the federal aid programs. The most recent PPA was submitted in December of 2006 and the College is awaiting a reply from the U.S. Department of Education. The College operates the federal aid programs with integrity by using information about students and financial aid responsibly. This is evidenced by yearly completion of the Fiscal Operations Report and Application to Participate (FISAP). The FISAP is the approved federal vehicle that the College uses to document prior-year usage of funding received in the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, and Federal Work Study programs.
The College undergoes an audit of its Office of Financial Aid each year by the College auditor (currently Rehmann Robson). The most recent audit, conducted during the 2005-06 academic year, did not reveal any negative findings. Results of the audit are available in the Office of Administrative Services. There have been no limitations, restrictions, or termination measures taken against any Title IV programs at the College. The College’s Office of Financial Aid has not been audited by the Office of Inspector General of the United States Department of Education.
The College’s Office of Financial Aid regularly monitors the College’s student loan default rate. On average, for the most recent three-year period, the default rate for the Federal Family Educational Loan programs (FFELP) at the College is 6.57%. The Office of Financial Aid has implemented default management procedures to ensure the rate is within an acceptable range. The table below illustrates default rates for the past three years.
Student Loan Default Rates at SC4 For Most Recent Three-Year Period
Institutional efforts to control student loan defaults include required loan-entrance counseling for all borrowers at the College. Loan-entrance counseling is available online through a web-based product, Mapping Your Future. When the student completes the counseling session, the College is notified. The notation is posted to the student’s financial aid record and the loan is processed. The College utilizes the National Student Loan Data System to track loan indebtedness of its federal aid applicants.
The College makes every effort to educate students about debt management and the consequences of default. The College’s financial aid packaging policy includes various components of default management such as:
- Student loans are not automatically packaged; student must complete and submit a separate loan request form.
- Students on probation for not making satisfactory progress may have loans limited to tuition, fees, and books.
Additionally, Office of Financial Aid staff members have been attending default management symposia this past year and are reviewing additional default prevention techniques that will be evaluated and potentially implemented.
The Office of Financial Aid keeps paper files on all applicants. Files are reviewed and purged according to Title IV record-keeping requirements. Training plays an integral part in ensuring compliance with Title IV programs. Staff members receive regular training internally as well as through financial aid training workshops offered at the state and regional levels.
Graduation/Completion Rates. The College complies with all reporting requirements such as IPEDS and the National Student Clearinghouse and provides graduation/completion rates as requested.
Crime Reporting. The College encourages any student or staff member to file an incident report form with the Campus Patrol when a possible criminal action has occurred. After investigation, the Chief of Campus Patrol will issue a report to administration for determination as to appropriate disciplines, sanctions or charges. The College reserves the right to refer any incident to local law enforcement agencies.
The College has a campus patrol department. Campus patrol personnel are not authorized to make arrests. All incidents of criminal activity are reported to the Chief of Campus Patrol’s Office for investigation and further legal action. Local law enforcement agencies work closely with the College, when needed.
Students and staff are encouraged, through student publications, the College website, and staff in-service programs to report all incidents of criminal activity. The College attempts to deal with student and staff concerns regarding campus security. Crime prevention is discussed during orientation activities for students and in-service activities for staff. Additional information is disseminated through student publications and staff email or interdepartmental memorandums. The College Drug Prevention Program is accessible on the website at www.sc4.edu.
Advertising and Recruitment Materials
The Office of College Advancement and Community Relations produces all publications and other advertising, marketing, public relations, and recruiting materials for the College. As documented in this self-study report, the College provides fair and accurate information about its programs and policies to students, employees, and the community.
The employees involved in the production of all print and electronic materials have been notified of the NCA mandate to include the Commission’s web address and telephone number whenever reference is made to affiliation with NCA, and all production of those documents will comply with the mandate as of summer 2007.
The following are examples of statements being used depending on the publication and placement:
- St. Clair County Community College is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools— www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org or (312) 263-0456.
- SC4 is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools—www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org or (312) 263-0456.
- St. Clair County Community College is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org or 312-263-0456).
Examples of materials referencing the accredited status include the St. Clair County Community Annual Report 2006, the College’s website (www.sc4.edu), the online College Catalog (www.sc4.edu/catalog) and the College’s “2007 Facts and Information” booklet.
Organizational Records of Student Complaints
The College follows the published procedure for instructional and non-instructional complaints. These procedures include a general process for concerns and complaints, specific procedures for grade appeals, discrimination and harassment, and guidelines for due process relating to academic and disciplinary matters. Guidelines are published in the College Catalog and available electronically on the College website on the Student and Instructional Support Service (SISS) and/or Human Resources (HR) pages. These can be located through “complaint” on the search option. Detailed procedures are available in the Office of the Dean of Students.
| Catalog 2006-07 | Webpage | |
| General Concerns and Complaints | page 65 | SISS |
| Grade Appeal | page 41 | SISS |
| Due Process | page 81 | SISS |
| Discrimination and Harassment | page 73 | HR |
Guidelines for Student Complaints Related to Academic and/or Support Services. The following guidelines have been established to provide students at the College with a process for resolving concerns related to academic and/or support services. When a concern arises that is covered by College Policy, including sexual harassment, sex discrimination, or those arising under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the issue should be referred to the Office of Human Resources. All others will be handled in the following manner:
- The student will meet with the faculty or staff member involved to attempt to resolve the concern.
- If a satisfactory resolution has not been reached, the student has the option to consult with the appropriate Department Chair or appropriate supervisor.
- If the issue has not been satisfactorily resolved with the Department Chair or appropriate supervisor, the student has the option to meet with the next appropriate supervisor for final resolution.
The student must provide specific documentation to support issues and concerns related to the complaint.
Written complaints are most frequently received by the Dean of Students, Dean of Instruction, or President’s Office. Concerns resolved by the prescribed informal process within the academic department, College office, or by Campus Patrol for non-criminal acts which are not logged as formal complaints. Formal complaints are defined as those submitted in written form and signed by the complainant. The logs and documentation for complaints related code of conduct issues and academic matters including grade complaints are located on the Student Success Center—Office of the Dean of Students. Logs for complaints related to discrimination and harassment are recorded and maintained in the Human Resources Office. All staff in key office have been trained in the complaint process.
| Page | Evidence |
| 2006-07 College Catalog, p. 65. |
