Credit and Grading Issues |
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Curriculum classes are normally scheduled to last for 16 weeks, an academic semester. At times, especially during the summer, some classes are offered in abbreviated sessions. In developing the curriculum class schedule each semester, SCC tries to provide as broad a schedule as possible to allow for students' needs. Classes are generally available beginning at 8:00 a.m. on weekdays and continuing through the evening hours. Some are also available on weekends. Most curriculum credit classes are taught on the college campus in Dobson, NC. Some are offered at off-campus sites, and some are available through television via the Public Broadcasting System and on the Internet. SCC encourages students to take as many or as few classes at a time as they like. Some daytime classes may meet only two or three days each week; others meet each day. Evening classes usually meet one or two evenings per week. In deciding upon a schedule, students need to remember that study time outside of classroom hours is an integral part of academic success. Credit for curriculum courses is measured in semester credit hours, defined as one credit hour for one contact hour of class work, two contact hours of laboratory, or three contact hours of shop or clinical work per week for the sixteen weeks of the semester or its equivalent. Contact hours are the actual number of clock hours that are scheduled for a class each week. Fifteen to eighteen credit hours is considered a normal full-time academic load during fall and spring semesters. A maximum of 21 credit hours may be carried without special approval by the Dean of Student Development. A maximum of 18 credit hours may be taken during the summer without this approval. (Normal summer load is 9-12 credit hours.) Surry Community College recognizes that students gain knowledge and skills both inside and outside traditional classrooms. Therefore, students who can provide tangible evidence of preparation to successfully challenge a course, may request credit by proficiency for that course. Students who are interested in pursuing credit by proficiency for a course must do the following:
A written, oral, and/or performance examination will be administered by the instructor in a manner pertinent to the content of the course. If the student exhibits satisfactory performance on the examination, the appropriate credit hours and proficiency grade will be placed on the student’s transcript. The decision of the examining instructor will be final. Additional considerations guiding the implementation of this process include the following:
*Please note that the "CR" grade assigned for proficiency may have implications for financial aid awards, and the credit may not be accepted by all transfer institutions. Students who transfer to SCC from another accredited college or university, need to furnish official transcripts for evaluation. The college or university must be accredited by an entity recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Courses that are satisfactorily completed at other accredited institutions are evaluated in terms of the program the student selects at Surry Community College. Normally, grades of "D" or below do not transfer. AP and CLEP credits are granted based on scores recommended by the College Board and other accrediting agencies. (See Advanced Placement) In some cases, transfer credit can be granted for military training. In order to receive this credit, students must provide official documentation to support their claims. Normally, only course credit recommended by American Council on Education guides is granted. No credit is given for experiential training or for courses taken at non-accredited schools. Transfer credit presented is evaluated and then placed on an official transcript. These transcripts are available in Student Development upon request. Students receiving transfer credit toward an associate degree must complete at least 20 semester hours at Surry Community College in order to complete graduation requirements. These 20 hours may not be earned by proficiency. The college supports the requirements of the North Carolina Community
College System's common course library in regard to students' need
to meet specified course prerequisites before they enroll in some
classes. However, the college also recognizes that some students
enter the curricula
with previously earned credits and skills which may equate to some
prerequisites. Therefore, waivers of selected prerequisites may sometimes
be made upon documentation of such credits or skills. Documentation
may take the form of placement test scores, academic transcripts
from other institutions, course proficiency testing results, or
other appropriate
means. Final approval of prerequisite waivers rests with the Dean of Student Development, in consultation with the Vice President
for Academic and Student Affairs. Through the statewide College Tech Prep Articulation agreement among high school and community colleges and efforts of the SYSTEM (Surry Community College, Yadkin and Surry County Schools, and Elkin and Mt. Airy City Schools), students entering Surry Community College may receive advanced placement courses for a number of Career Technical courses completed in high school. To receive credit, the high school must provide documentation that the student completed the course with a grade of "B" or better and scored at or above the mastery level (Score of 80) on the end-of-course VoCats test, and the student must enroll in SCC within two years of high school graduation. The current SCC College Tech Prep Articulation Agreement is shown on the following pages. SCC Tech Prep Articulation Agreement (pdf - 395.91KB) Advanced Placement Examination AP exams are usually taken by high school students enrolled in advanced classes. Students are responsible for having scores forwarded to the Dean of Student Development for consideration. Students who achieve a score of 4 or higher will receive credit for two semesters of English composition. Students who achieve a score of 3 will receive credit for English 111. Written English Expression Test/CPT Sentences Students who do not take one of these tests at the time of their initial enrollment, may make arrangements for testing through the Student Development Office. Either of these tests may be taken only once in an attempt for advanced placement. Students who achieve acceptable scores will receive credit for English 111. Degree-seeking students who change their minds about the curriculum they wish to pursue must see a counselor to make this change official. Special Credit students who decide to complete the requirements for a diploma or degree program must see both a counselor (for orientation and testing requirements) and the admissions staff to be sure required transcripts and other pertinent information are on file. At times it may become necessary for the college administration to cancel a class appearing on a schedule. Normally this is done only when the enrollment for this class is not sufficient to allow it to be taught as scheduled. When class cancellations are made, Student Development staff will work with students to find an acceptable alternative. Students need to come to the Student Development Office if they want to replace the cancelled class. Students are automatically dropped from cancelled classes and refunds are issued if they are due. A student who withdraws should do so officially through the office of Student Development and the Business Office. Failure to withdraw officially could result in the assignment of an "F" grade for the work attempted and in a forfeit of refunds. It is the student's responsibility to be sure his registration is correct. During Drop/Add Period. The drop/add period consists of the first five days of classes each semester, except for summer semester. If students decide to drop or add a course, they should come by Student Development and fill out a withdrawal/add form. Instructor's permission is not required during this period. Students who do not attend a class at least once, and not officially drop the class, will receive a "NS" grade for the class. A grade of "NS" applies if a student never physically attends. Official drops for such classes must be completed by students within the drop/add period. After Drop/Add Period. If students decide that they need to drop a class after the drop/add period, they need to follow these procedures:
Students must make certain their registration is correct. This procedure is the responsibility of the students and is one of the most important functions they have as a college student. When a student officially withdraws from school or a class after the drop/add period, a "W" (withdrew) grade will be assigned unless the instructor determines that the student's performance at the point of withdrawal has been unsatisfactory. A student can only receive a "W" if they have actually attended class. A "NS" grade cannot be changed to a "W." If the instructor's evaluation of the student's status is unsatisfactory, an "F" grade will be recorded on the transcript at the end of the semester. If a punitive grade ("F") is going to be assigned, the student is encouraged to continue in the class in an effort to earn a passing or non-punitive ("W") grade. ACA Withdrawals. ACA 111 is required for all first-year, full-time students. Students who decide to drop this class will need to have their withdrawal/add forms signed by the appropriate dean, in addition to following the procedures described above. Students who have completed at least 24 semester hours during a previous period of enrollment, with a GPA of 3.0, will be waived from the ACA 111 requirement Fresh Start / In-house Transfer Two policies provide qualifying students a one-time opportunity to petition the Associate Vice President of Student Development to exclude, for GPA calculation purposes, all previously complete courses in which a grade of 'D' or 'F' was earned. Prior to submitting the written petition, the student must have completed at least twelve college-level semester hours and have a current overall GPA of 2.5. The only physical change to the transcript will be the placement of an asterisk beside the courses that will not be used in the GPA calculation. The Fresh Start Policy allows a former SCC student who returns after a minimum three year period of non-enrollment, to submit a written petition to remove previously earned D's and F's from the GPA calculation process. In-House Transfer of Program Policy enables a student who officially changes programs at SCC to submit a written petition to the Dean of Student Development to have D's and F's earned in the old program left out of the GPA calculation process for the new program. Note: Neither the "Fresh Start Policy" nor the "In-House Transfer of Program Policy" are applicable in meeting the "Satisfactory Progress" guidelines for financial aid students. The policies governing academic progress at Surry Community College are intended to assist students in successfully completing their programs of study and to prevent prolonged failure for all students. Procedures are designed to identify students experiencing academic difficulty and to ensure effective corrective action. These procedures are supported by both the staff and faculty, who are committed to
Students enrolled in degree, diploma, or certificate programs are expected to maintain satisfactory academic progress toward the completion of the requirements for their programs. Since a 2.0 minimum grade point average is required for graduation from all programs, students are expected to regularly maintain upward progress toward this average in order to be considered in good academic standing. For purposes of determining academic progress, final grades on all courses within the student’s program will be considered. Because a period of adjustment to college life is often necessary for new students, the following scales are used to determine satisfactory academic progress. Students who are receiving financial aid should also read and consider the STANDARDS OF ACADEMIC PROGRESS FOR ALL FINANCIAL AID RECIPIENTS section of this catalog, since some specific additional conditions apply for the continuation of their financial assistance.
The Deans List Published for fall and spring semesters to honor those students who achieve significant academic status in their classes. It recognizes each student who carries at least twelve college-level credit hours of coursework during the semester, maintains at least a 3.25 quality point average for the semester, and has no final grade lower than a "C" in any course taken. The Dean's List is posted each semester on bulletin boards around campus and published in local newspapers and on the website. Courses below 100 level (i.e., ENG 080) are not considered part of the course load for selection for the Dean's List or President's List. The President's List Used to recognize full-time students who achieve true academic excellence as measured by a minimum semester quality point average of 3.75, with no grade below a "C" in any course. Each President's List student receives a congratulatory letter from the College President. Honors Graduates In order to qualify as a honor graduate, a student must have completed the requirements for graduation (see Graduation Requirements) with a 3.25 average on all work required for the degree at Surry Community College with no grade lower than "C". In order to receive a degree, diploma, or certificate from Surry Community College, students must fulfill these requirements:
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