ACADEMIC POLICIES/PROCEDURES
Academic Philosophy Academic HonestyOriginal thinking and intellectual honesty are central to a college education. Research projects require the ongoing use of existing works, but students must conduct themselves with proper regard for the rights of others and of the college, in a context of mutual respect, integrity and reason. Activities such as plagiarism and cheating are not acceptable and will not be condoned by the college. Students involved in such activities are subject to serious disciplinary action. The following are presented as examples of academic dishonesty:
There may be other instances of academic dishonesty, which will be identified by a faculty member. Academic dishonesty is not tolerated at NHCTC-Laconia. There is the expectation that coursework will be done honestly, whether in lab projects, or examinations, or for term papers. The individual faculty member will make the initial response to an occurrence of academic dishonesty. The instructor should discuss the matter with the student, and should include what happened to cause the instructor to think cheating had taken place. The instructor should be specific: cheating was seen first-hand, cheating was reported by another student, work handed in was of much higher quality than usual, etc. Judicial Procedural levels in the Student Handbook outline consequences and procedures. Academic Honors Students whose academic performance warrants recommendation and recognition will receive academic honors. The President's List recognizes students enrolled in a degree or professional certificate program carrying a minimum of 12 semester hours and earning a grade point average of 3.75 or higher. The Vice President's List recognizes students enrolled in a degree or professional certificate program carrying a minimum of 12 semester hours and earning a grade point average of 3.3 to 3.74. At the graduation ceremony, the student with the highest cumulative grade point average in an Associate Degree program receives recognition as the class valedictorian. The student must complete a minimum of 64 credits at this college, exclusive of transfer credits and waivers. Competition for this award has traditionally been very strong, with students winning by fractions of a point. National Honor Society Determination of GradesThe college posts grades on our student web system at the end of each semester/session for each course to students who have met all financial and other college responsibilities. Grade reports include the semester grade point average, cumulative credits and the cumulative grade point average. Current semester and Cumulative Grade Point Averages are not re-calculated until at least one week after the end of each semester in August, December and May once grades are received for all courses. Grade Point Average 1. Multiply the grade points earned in each course by the number of credit hours associated with that course. For each course, this gives a value known as quality points. 2. Add the quality points from all the courses taken in the semester. Separately total the number of credits. 3. Divide the total quality points by the total number of credits. This gives the semester grade point average.
Grades are recorded as follows:
.When a student repeats a course (either voluntarily or because it is required to make up a failure), only the latest grade is computed in the GPA/CGPA, but both grades will appear on the academic transcript. Cumulative Grade Point Average The cumulative grade point average (CGPA) reflects a student's academic standing through the most recent semester. To compute the cumulative grade point average, divide the total quality points earned in all semesters by the total credits attempted in all semesters. Incomplete Course Grade An Incomplete Grade (I) indicates that a student has not completed a major course assignment (usually a final exam or culminating final assessment) due to extraordinary circumstances, such as serious illness, death in the family, etc. The grade is applied only in those instances where the student has a reasonable chance of passing. It is not used to give an extension of time for a student delinquent in meeting course responsibilities. The work must be completed by the student through arrangement with the instructor no later than:
Should the student fail to complete the work within the designated period, the grade will automatically become an F. Exceptions to the above deadlines may be made by the Vice President of Academic Affairs. Incomplete grades will not be included in the computation of Grade Point Average. Continuing Study CS - Continuing Study allows students to register for a developmental course if competencies have not been met by the end of the course. Intended for students who have demonstrated progress and a commitment to succeeding in the ocurse but who need more time to achieve competencies. This grade applies to Basic Skills courses only and does not affect GPA. Academic Standing Committee ReviewStudents must show orderly progress toward their degrees and continue to display an ability to benefit from their programs and courses. Each semester the Vice President of Academic Affairs and the Academic Standing Committee review the academic performance of matriculated students whose: 1) cumulative grade point average (CGPA) is below 2.0; 2) semester grade point average (GPA) is below 1.0; or 3) semester grades include Incompletes and/or F grades. This review may result in a status of Warning, Probation, Mandatory Part-time or Suspension Academic Status Report The instructor may issue status reports at any time during the semester/session when a student’s academic performance is unsatisfactory. The status report identifies the problem and makes recommendations for corrective action. The advisor, counselor and instructor receive copies, and a copy goes in the student’s file. A student may receive a failing grade without having received a course warning. The Academic Standing Committee may also issue warnings if a student’s semester or cumulative grade point average falls below 2.0. Academic Probation The Academic Standing Committee may assign students to probation if they fall within one of the following categories:
Students placed on Academic Probation may not participate in any extracurricular activities. They are encouraged to focus on improving their academic performance and to take advantage of the college’s student assistance program. Mandatory Part-Time The Academic Standing Committee may assign mandatory part-time status to students who fall within one of the following categories: Students placed on mandatory part-time cannot take a full course load. After consultation with their advisor, they may register for a reduced load that allows them to continue to work toward completion of their program. If they demonstrate improved academic progress for that term, they may appeal the status and the committee may reinstate them to full-time. Suspension The Academic Standing Committee may suspend students from the college for one or two semesters if their academic performance falls under one of the following categories:
Appeal of Academic Standing Committee DecisionsThe student may appeal in writing all decisions of the Academic Standing Committee. The student must submit a letter clearly defining the basis for the appeal to the Vice President of Academic Affairs within seven (7) college days following the date of the Committee’s letter to the student. The student may have a hearing before the Academic Standing Committee as soon as possible after receipt of the appeal letter. The student may have a representative at the meeting, and is encouraged to meet with the college counselor or the academic advisor for assistance in presenting his/her case. If the student is not satisfied with the results of the appeal, he/she has the option to appeal directly to the President of the college within five (5) days of the outcome of the appeal. The appeal to the President must be in writing, and must clearly define the basis for appealing the Committee’s decision. Each student must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 to graduate. NOTE: Co-op students must have a 2.0 or permission of their advisor to be eligible to participate in a co-op work experience. Academic Amnesty All grades earned during a student’s previous attendance at the college will no longer be used to calculate the student’s new cumulative GPA. Grades of C- and above taken during that time will be used to meet course requirements, subject to the approval of the Vice President of Academic Affairs. All previous grades will remain on the student’s transcript. In order to be eligible for Academic Amnesty, a student must meet all of the following conditions:
Academic Advising All students have an academic advisor who serves as a critical contact/mentor for the students during their time at the college. The academic advisor helps students register for courses and must approve all registration decisions, including course add/drop changes and withdrawals. The advisor assists students in identifying academic and personal resources on campus, conducts graduation audits, and helps students select and choose various program options. Advisors help students with decisions about career goals or further education. The more clearly students define and communicate their own goals, the more productive the student/advisor relationship will be. Each semester, the academic advisor will conduct degree audits with the students. The purpose of the audit is to identify student progress towards the completion of the program, and to offer early intervention in making necessary schedule changes when the student fails a course, or when the student takes a course out of the normal sequence. The student bears the ultimate responsibility for making sure that he/she completes the required coursework for his/her program. Academic Environment The learning environment at the college encourages free discussion, inquiry and expression. Student performance is evaluated only on the basis of performance in class or lab, not on the basis of their individual views. Students are responsible for learning the content of any course of study, but in so doing have the right to take exception to the views presented in class. Students shall maintain academic standards and are accountable for the honest and timely completion of assigned work, consistent participation in all class, shop, laboratory or clinical activities, and for conducting themselves in an appropriate manner. At the beginning of each semester the instructor will provide students with a syllabus that contains a description of the course, its objectives, grading procedures, special academic requirements, prerequisites and specific class participation and attendance standards. The syllabus will include a schedule indicating (on a weekly basis if possible) when various course topics will be covered. Copies of syllabi are also available from the Academic Affairs Office. Attendance Successful college students attend class regularly. Most failures, dropped courses and poor grades result from poor attendance. The college has designed a schedule of classes for each course that meets the Carnegie unit definition of class time necessary for the average college student to complete the course. This time at the college, under the supervision of a professional educator, contributes to academic success. Students who elect not to attend all scheduled classes or laboratory hours should notify and consult with the instructor of the course for special instructions. Students should in all cases notify and consult with their instructor on all absences. Absence for any portion of scheduled class time may constitute an absence. In some cases students must keep their own attendance records because a financial sponsor requires this for use in advising and recommending students to employers. The instructors will make every effort to accept advance notices of absences due to college events and/or emergencies. It is, however, ultimately the student’s responsibility to make arrangements for missed assignments, tests, lectures, deadlines and other academic activities associated with the lack of attendance. The college encourages attendance in class for several reasons:
Registration for any course presupposes that the student will attend all scheduled classes, laboratories, and clinics. Any student who does not attend the first two weeks of the semester and has not processed a course drop in writing with the registrar’s office will be removed from the class roster; however, the student is still responsible for tuition and fees. Each student is responsible for meeting all class requirements. After two consecutive absences, or an absence rate that reasonably precludes making up missed coursework, barring mitigating factors such as major illness, accident or family emergency, faculty will process an administrative withdrawal. Course FailureThe student must make up a course for which a grade of F was received, either by retaking the course at NHCTC-Laconia or by taking a comparable course at another institution. Courses transferred from other institutions count towards credits only; the F remains as part of the CGPA. The student should consult the advisor and department chairperson to determine if a course will transfer. Course failures cannot be made up by taking a credit by examination. See policy on Credit by Examination. Grade for a Repeated CourseAll grades are entered on the grade report and academic record, and are used in figuring semester and cumulative grade point averages. Students may retake a course, whether to replace an F or to improve their prior grade. The grade achieved in the most recent course will be the grade used in calculating the students CGPA. higher of the two grades is used to determine the cumulative average. When a student retakes a course at this college, the course and credit hours appear on the semester’s grade report and academic record with the letter grade entered. The course grade and hours are included in the semester and the cumulative grade point average computation. The original grade and credit hours will not be figured in the cumulative grade point average, but will appear on the student’s academic record. Third and subsequent attempts to repeat a course will require the approval of the student’s advisor or Vice President of Academic Affairs. Appeal of a GradeAny appeal of a grade must be initiated by the student with the instructor before an ensuing semester has elapsed. Students should be advised that in most instances a grade may be changed only by the instructor. Only in a case of obvious computational error or blatant abuse of the grading prerogative, can the Vice President of Academic Affairs, the only other individual on campus empowered to change a grade, alter a student’s grade.
Note: During the summer, when faculty are not on campus, students may begin the grade appeal process with the office of Academic Affairs. Every attempt will be made to have the faculty member contact and meet with the student within the specified time. On occasion, however, these times may need to be adjusted. . |
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New Hampshire Community Technical College / Laconia |
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