2014-2015 College Catalog 
    
    Mar 19, 2024  
2014-2015 College Catalog [Consult with Your Academic Advisor for Your Catalog Year]

NPCC Academic Policies



Academic Appeals

The College maintains an Academic Appeals Committee, appointed each year by the President. Committee membership includes both faculty and students. The committee reviews cases that cannot be satisfactorily resolved in the normal student-instructor classroom relationship, as well as cases in which college policy or procedure creates conflicts which cannot be resolved through informal means.

Students are entitled to full due process before this committee, and a student who feels that there are circumstances in a situation which warrant an academic appeals hearing may petition the Academic Appeals Committee to review the facts pertaining to the situation.

Students should contact the Vice President for Student Services for an explanation of the process and/or forms to begin the appeal.

Academic Clemency

Act 1000 of 1991 describes academic clemency as a second opportunity for undergraduate students who performed poorly at some point in their studies and who wish to return to college after having gained a new appreciation of the benefits of higher education.

Institutional Policy at National Park Community College is in compliance with Act 1000 and guidelines adopted by the State Board of Higher Education.

  • Academic clemency may be granted by the Registrar to returning students who have not been enrolled in any college or university for two calendar years, and who now demonstrate the commitment to succeed academically.
  • Students may request clemency for course work at NPCC for one semester only.
  • The original grades for the requested clemency semester will remain on the student’s transcript. However, the GPA will be 0.00 for that semester regardless of the grades earned. No credits for the requested semester will count toward graduation requirements. Courses passed during that semester need not be repeated; however, a sufficient number of additional credits must be earned to meet graduation requirements. The student’s transcript is a comprehensive academic record. Notation will be placed on the transcript to show that academic clemency has been granted. This information cannot be removed and will become part of the student’s permanent record.
  • Since the student’s GPA will have to be recalculated by the Registrar from the time that academic clemency is granted, there is a $25 fee.
  • Students seeking academic clemency must submit a written request and have a review conference with the Registrar. The request, signed by both parties, will become part of the student’s permanent record.
  • Under State Board of Higher Education guidelines, no post-secondary institution is required to honor academic clemency granted by another institution. However, students who receive academic clemency at NPCC and plan to transfer should be allowed to petition for academic clemency under the provisions established by the receiving institution.

In the case of transfer students to NPCC, the college will honor academic clemency allowed by any accredited college/university for admission purposes. In the interest of consistent application of policy, the Registrar will treat the academic clemency as if it had been granted at NPCC for graduation purposes.

Academic Honesty

Academic integrity is a vital element of any learning community. NPCC faculty hold themselves to the highest standards in this regard, and expects their students to do the same. Students who compromise the integrity of academic inquiry are subject to disciplinary action on the part of the college. A violation of academic honesty may include (but is not limited to) the following:

  • Cheating on written examinations, quizzes or other written work.
  • Plagiarism - the use of another’s intellectual property (thought, writing, etc.) without proper reference/citation, whether directly quoted or paraphrased.
  • Giving or receiving unauthorized assistance during a test.
  • Falsification, forgery, or alteration of academic records.
  • Obtaining or attempting to obtain copies of a non-circulating examination.

Penalties for breaches of academic integrity may include receiving an F for the assignment in question, receiving an F for the course, and/or dismissal from the course. In extreme cases, the administration reserves the right to suspend the student from all studies at the college.

Academic Standards

A 2.00 cumulative grade-point average is required for successful completion of all degree and certificate programs. This level of performance is considered satisfactory progress while undertaking any academic program.

Any student who falls below a total 2.00 NPCC grade-point average after the first semester will be placed on academic probation by the Vice President of Student Services for the next semester.

Students must regain a 2.00 NPCC grade-point average to be removed from probation.

At the end of two semesters on probation, if improvement has not been shown, students will automatically be restricted to a maximum of two courses for the next semester.

Any student who falls below a total 1.00 NPCC grade-point average after two semesters will be automatically suspended for the next semester. Upon re-admittance, the student will be restricted to no more than two courses. These courses will be determined after a conference with a counselor or academic advisor. Transfer students are subject to the same probationary requirements. Although all course work and grades earned at another institution will be recorded on the NPCC transcript, the total NPCC grade-point average will be determined only by grades earned while attending NPCC.

Adding/Dropping a Course

Classes may be added/dropped through the first four days of the semester (prorated for summer session). For evening classes which meet only once a week, the second class meeting will be the last opportunity to enroll.

Students are expected to successfully complete the courses for which they register. If a class change becomes necessary, the student must file an official drop form with the Counseling Center. The date this form is approved by the Registrar’s Office is the date used to determine eligibility for a refund or financial aid. Those who qualify for a tuition waiver (see Admissions Section or Financial Assistance Section) are not eligible for a refund at any time.

A class may be dropped up to the deadline specified in the official College calendar each semester.

Whenever a student stops attending class, or is absent excessively, and does not complete the necessary paperwork to drop the class officially, an “F” (failing) grade will be recorded by the instructor.

Admissions Policy

The Admissions Office of National Park Community College is responsible for evaluating applications and transcripts to determine the admissions status of all first-time, degree-seeking applicants.

Qualified applicants are admitted on a conditional or unconditional basis. Those applicants who do not qualify may be eligible for Alternative Placement. After review, the Director of Admissions for the College shall notify each applicant concerning his or her admission status.

Unconditional Admission Status

Applicants for Unconditional Admission status must meet one of the following requirements:

  1. Must have graduated from high school and completed the high school core curriculum, and must present American College Test (ACT) scores of 19 on English and Reading and 20 on Mathematics or the equivalent SAT, COMPASS or ASSET scores.
  2. Must present a minimum composite score of 19 on the ACT, a 910 on the SAT, a 43 on the ASSET Reading test, or an 83 on the COMPASS Reading test, if the applicant received a GED or graduated through home schooling or from a private high school after May 1, 2002. Applicants must also present ACT scores of 19 on English and Reading and 20 on Mathematics or the equivalent SAT, COMPASS or ASSET scores.
  3. Must present ACT scores of 19 on English and Reading and 20 on Mathematics or the equivalent SAT, COMPASS or ASSET scores, if the applicant graduated from high school, received a GED, or graduated through home schooling or from a private high school prior to May 1, 2002.

Conditional Admission Status

Applicants are admitted in the Conditional Admission Status, if they fall into one of the following categories:

  1. Have graduated from high school since May 1, 2002 and have not completed the high school core curriculum. Note: Transcripts of graduates of out-of-state high schools must be evaluated for meeting the core curriculum. Students not meeting the core curriculum requirement and 2.0 grade point average requirement must be admitted conditionally.
  2. Have graduated from high school and completed the high school core curriculum, but have an ACT Reading score of 15-18 or the equivalent SAT, COMPASS or ASSET scores.
  3. Have received a GED or graduated through home schooling or from a private high school after May 1, 2002, but have scores below an ACT Composite score of 19, 910 on the SAT, 43 on the ASSET Reading test, or 83 on the COMPASS Reading test.
  4. Have graduated from high school, received a GED, graduated through home schooling, or graduated from a private high school prior to May 1, 2002 and have an ACT Reading score of 15-18 or the equivalent SAT, COMPASS or ASSET scores.

Stipulations for Conditionally Admitted Applicants:

For Transfer Degrees: Applicants who have not completed the high school core curriculum and who are seeking an associate transfer degree (Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, and Associate of Arts in Teaching) must complete twelve (12) hours of core academic courses and any necessary developmental course requirements within their first 30 semester hours of continuous enrollment with a grade point average of a 2.0.

For AAS Degrees: Applicants who have not completed the high school core curriculum and who are seeking a career and technical education (CTE) associate degree (Associate of Applied Science) must complete six (6) hours of core academic courses, six (6) hours of technical courses required for the CTE associate degree, and any necessary remedial/developmental courses within their first 30 semester hours of continuous enrollment with a cumulative grade point average of a 2.0.

Notification of Completion or Non-completion:

Students will be notified by the Registrar’s Office in conjunction with Student Services when they have completed the requirements for Conditional Admissions. Students not meeting these requirements will be notified and will not be allowed to enroll for additional course work until they have developed a plan for completion with an academic advisor.

Alternative Placement

Applicants who score a Composite Score of 14 or below on the ACT or a 690 or below on the SAT, a 69 or below on the COMPASS Reading Skills test, or 35 or below on the ASSET Reading Skills test, will not be admitted to NPCC. However, applicants falling into this category may be reassessed using the COMPASS Reading.

Upon retesting, a score of 70 or better on the COMPASS Reading will allow the student to be reevaluated for admission to NPCC. Students who do not score at this level will be counseled to enroll in NPCC’s Adult Basic Education and GED Center. Students admitted into alternative placement must successfully complete basic education courses and demonstrate a readiness for transitional/developmental college coursework by retesting on the ACT or an equivalent test and earning at least the minimum scores for Conditional Admission. Alternative placement students are not eligible to apply for Title IV federal financial aid at NPCC.

Attendance

Regular attendance is a critical element in student success. Therefore, students are expected to attend all regularly scheduled class sessions and to complete all assigned class work. Instructors will provide written attendance policies that outline how attendance may affect students final grades.

Except for extreme circumstances, students are not permitted to be absent from scheduled tests without prior approval of the instructor. Make-up arrangements with an instructor is the responsibility of the student.

Students are required to attend 85% of all class hours scheduled for a course. A student who does not meet the 85% standard is considered to be excessively absent.

The College reserves the right to withdraw a student for excessive absenteeism. Excessive absenteeism may also result in failing grades, academic probation or suspension and loss of financial aid.

If a student is judged to be excessively absent, the instructor will report this immediately to the Counseling Center for follow-up action.

The Counseling Center will assume the responsibility of getting the student to a counseling session with the instructor as needed. Every effort will be made by faculty and staff to help the student with any academic difficulty.

Throughout this process, it is recognized that the instructor is the judge of the final grade a student receives in any course.

Auditing a Course

Students auditing a course will be wait-listed until the first day of class and then will be registered on a space-available basis.

Students auditing a course pay all tuition and fees associated with the course. Since no grade is assigned for this audit (visitor) status, it will not transfer to another college or university, it will not qualify a student for Pell Grant or Veteran’s benefits, and it will not be listed on the college’s transcript or count toward full-time status.

A registered student may change from an audit status to a grade status only during the specified period of late registration. Once instruction begins, no student may change from a grade basis to an audit status.

College-Level Exam Program (CLEP)

The College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) permits students to earn college credit by examination. Although the CLEP tests are standardized on a national level, each college or university sets its own standards for acceptance of CLEP scores. Students are encouraged to make use of the CLEP tests in order to receive credit for those courses and academic areas in which they already have knowledge.

Successful completion of CLEP tests and scores which meet the College CLEP policy will result in records of the credit earned being placed on the student’s transcript.

National Park Community College uses the following priorities for awarding college credit to students:

  1. A student must earn nine-semester credit hours at National Park Community College before petitioning for CLEP credits to be posted on a transcript.
  2. A student may earn a maximum of 30 CLEP credit hours toward an associate degree at National Park Community College.
  3. No grade is awarded for CLEP credit, and CLEP credit is not calculated in a student’s grade-point average.
  4. CLEP credit shall be entered on a student’s transcript as “Credit by CLEP Examination” with credit recorded in lieu of grade.
  5. CLEP Credit earned at other colleges and universities shall be accepted without challenge.
  6. The College makes no charge transcripting CLEP scores. There is, however, a charge required by the test publisher for taking the test.

National Park Community College is a CLEP testing center, and CLEP tests are given to any interested person on regularly scheduled dates. However, the process of applying to take a CLEP exam may take several weeks. Call the Counseling Center to obtain more information regarding CLEP test dates.

The following table contains CLEP general and subject exams, scores required for earning credit, and National Park Community College course equivalents:

CLEP Exam Std Score NPCC Credit Earned Semester Hours Credit
American Government 50 1113 American National Government 3
American History 50 2223 U.S. History to 1865 3
American History 50 2233 U.S. History since 1865 3
American Literature 50 2223-2233 American Literature I & II 6
College Algebra 50 1123 College Algebra 3
Freshman College Composition 50 1113-1123 English Composition I & II 6
General Psychology 50 1103 General Psychology 3
Human Growth & Development 50 2003 Human Growth & Development 3
Introductory Accounting 50 1103-1113 Principles of Accounting I & II 6
Introductory Business Law 50 2203 Business Law I 3
Introductory Macroeconomics 50 2203 Macroeconomics 3
Introductory Microeconomics 50 2213 Microeconomics 3
Introduction to Sociology 50 1103 Introduction to Sociology 3
Trigonometry 50 1113 Trigonometry 3
World Civilization 50 2253 World Civilization to 1500 3
World Civilization 50 2263 World Civilization since 1500 3

The scores are based on a national norm group of college sophomores who earned a grade of “C” on the course in question.

General Education Goals and Objectives

Upon successful completion of any degree at National Park Community College, the student will

1. Communicate effectively

         1.1. demonstrate a proficiency in the English language.

         1.2. utilize appropriate communication technology.

         1.3. present ideas and information orally and in writing in accordance with academic standards.

2. Reason scientifically and quantitatively

         2.1. demonstrate knowledge of mathematical and scientific principles.

         2.2. apply these principles to solve problems.

         2.3. interpret information presented in graphic form.

         2.4. apply scientific methods to the inquiry process.

3. Think critically

         3.1. read, understand, analyze complex ideas.

         3.2. locate, evaluate, and apply research information.

         3.3. draw inferences from facts.

         3.4. evaluate and present well-reasoned arguments.

4. Develop a global perspective

         4.1. recognize commonalities and differences among cultures.

         4.2. examine the significance of diversity in social interaction.

         4.3. interpret events and values within a given context.

The goals/objectives were adapted using the Capital Community College General Education Goals and Objectives.

Grading System

The College adheres to the following system of course grades:

Grade Interpretation Grade-Point Value
A Excellent 4
B Above Average 3
C Average 2
D Below Average 1
F Failing 0
X Incomplete 0
W Withdrawal 0
P Passing 0

Graduation/Degree Requirements

To be eligible for any associate degree at National Park Community College, a student must successfully complete at least 18 semester hours with the College regardless of transfer credits. Each additional associate degree will require another 18 semester hours with the College and the satisfactory completion of all required courses. Students must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 or higher for graduation.

Students may meet the graduation requirements listed in the catalog in effect at the time they enter the institution, or those listed in any later catalog. Exceptions to this policy include requirements from a catalog more than three years old, or changes in a program or curriculum mandated by external accrediting agencies.

Incomplete Grades

  1. An incomplete “X” grade may be requested by a student and given by an instructor only if a minimum of 75 percent of all semester class work, especially where laboratory work is involved, has been satisfactorily completed in the judgment of the instructor, whose decision is final. Consequently, an “X” grade may not be assigned at mid-semester.
  2. The student must have a passing grade in the judgment of the instructor when the request is made and before approval can be given.
  3. In requesting an “X” grade, a student automatically waives the right to request or to receive a withdrawal “W” grade or an “AU” audit grade at a later date.
  4. A student should not register again for the same course.
  5. To complete the necessary class work, the student and instructor must sign a written contract defining the work that must be completed to finish the course. Both the student and instructor will retain a copy of the signed contract.
  6. The resolution of incomplete academic work is to be negotiated with the instructor but may not exceed a time limit of the mid-semester date the following semester. At the end of this dead line, based on the judgment of the instructor whose decision is final, a change of grade will be issued by the instructor to the Registrar’s Office.
  7. The same instructor who assigned the “X” must contract with the student to affect a grade change.
  8. It is the student’s responsibility to arrange with the instructor for completion of all unfinished work, once an instructor has agreed to assign an “X” grade at the end of the semester.

Repeating a Course

If a student chooses to repeat a course, both grades earned for the course will be reported on the student’s transcript. However, only the repeat grade shall be used in determining the grade-point average.

Students who fail and/or drop a course may repeat the course up to three times. If a fourth attempt is necessary, the student has two options:

  1. Complete the course at another accredited college or university; or
  2. Sit out one calendar year and then seek permission from the Vice President for Instruction before re-enrolling in the course.

Students who plan to transfer to a four year college or university should be aware that some institutions may average both the original and the subsequent grades for determining transfer eligibility. Students should check with that college or the Counseling Center prior to enrolling for a course on a repeat basis.

As long as a student is making satisfactory academic progress as defined above, repeating a course will not adversely affect financial aid eligibility. Independent study may not be used to repeat a failed course.

The Veterans Administration will pay for given course only once. Repeating and accepting benefits for a course already passed and for which benefits have already been received will result in an overpayment and may be considered by the V.A. to be a deliberate attempt to defraud the Federal Government; repayment may be required.

The Division of Health Sciences has a policy that if a student is required to withdraw from a course due to unsafe clinical behavior, he or she may not reapply to repeat that course.

Student Outcomes Assessment

Systematic assessment of student learning is an integral element of the College’s academic programs. National Park Community College students participate in a variety of assessments throughout their course of study. These multiple assessments are a required part of the educational experience. Information collected in the assessment process is used to identify relative strengths and weaknesses in academic programs or courses, thus facilitating systematic improvement of teaching and learning at the College. Data collected from assessment activities is kept confidentia and will not affect the student’s academic standing in regular course work.

Transcripts and Records

Each student who completes a college course has an official transcript on file in the Office of the Registrar. This is the student’s official college record. Any student who feels a grade has been recorded in error has until the end of the following semester, excluding summer sessions to notify the Registrar’s Office. Any exceptions to this procedure will require a joint decision by the Vice President for Instruction.

Students who have attended another college or university must have an official copy of their transcript(s) forwarded to the Registrar for evaluation and recording.

The Registrar’s Office should be notified immediately of any name changes and address changes.

Official copies of a student’s NPCC transcript will be forwarded to other colleges and universities upon the receipt of a signed request by the student. All financial obligations to the College must be met before transcripts are released by the Registrar. Each transcript is $2.00.

Student records are private and may not be released to any individual, organization, group, or institution without prior written consent of the student. Access to student records is protected by the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (Buckley Amendment). Information concerning access and the procedure for challenging the content of student records may be obtained from the Office of the Registrar.