Academic Policies

Academic Policies

As a comprehensive, open-door community college, the mission of South Puget Sound Community College is to provide quality educational opportunities to meet the intellectual, academic, vocational, career, personal and developmental needs of its students and members of the community.

Every attempt is made, through testing, counseling and advising, to guide each student into a program of study that is appropriate to his or her level of ability and interest. Policies are developed and standards are enforced to ensure satisfactory academic progress.

Attendance

Students are expected to attend all classes for which they are registered, including the first class session. Instructors may set an attendance policy for each class, and it is the responsibility of the student to know and comply with each individual attendance policy.

Instructors who want to drop a student for attendance reasons will include their attendance information in their class syllabi.

Students who fail to attend the first class session and/or comply with the established attendance policy for the class forfeit the right to continue in class and will be subject to an administrative withdrawal.

Students unable to attend the first class session may leave a message for the instructor by calling the appropriate division office.

Grading Policy

Instructors are responsible for explaining their grading policies at the beginning of each course. This will be in the form of a course syllabus.

The following grades apply:

Y Course in progress; the course must be completed and graded by the end of the following quarter.

I Incomplete, no grade points calculated. (see note)

S Passing with credit; not computed in grade point average.

W Student withdrawal; no grade points calculated.

V Professor withdrawal for non-attendance before the 40th day; no grade points calculated.

N Audit; not calculated in grade point average. (must be done during the first 10 days of the quarter)

Note: "I" indicates that the student has not completed specific requirements for a class due to extenuating circumstances beyond the student's control. Prior to issuing an "I" grade, the instructor must complete an Incomplete Agreement form indicating what requirements must be completed, the expected completion date and method of evaluation. The form must be signed by the instructor and the student. Failure to complete the requirements by the end of the subsequent quarter will result in a grade of "F."

Academic Standards Policy

It is the intent of the college to offer programs of study in which students can succeed. Every attempt is made, through testing, counseling and advising, to guide each student into a program of study that is appropriate to his or her level of ability and interest. Standards are enforced to ensure satisfactory academic progress.

All students are expected to maintain a satisfactory grade point average for credits attempted. A minimum GPA of 1.75 must be maintained through 29 credits attempted; a minimum GPA of 2.0 must be maintained once the student has attempted 30 or more credits; and a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 is required for graduation with a degree or certificate.

Academic deficiency is defined as failure to maintain the minimum grade point average requirements, as stated above. After the first quarter in which a student is academically deficient, he or she will be placed on academic probation.

The college may suggest a reduction in credit-hour load, counseling, enrollment in developmental classes or a change in program. After the second consecutive quarter in which a student is academically deficient, the student will be dismissed from the college. The Academic Standards Committee monitors the college's policy and the academic progress of students. A student may appeal an Academic Dismissal by completing the appeal process. Please see Re-Admission Procedure for information on returning to classes following dismissal.

Re-admission Procedures

Students who are dismissed may seek readmission through an appeal process. A letter outlining the appeal process will be mailed to the dismissed student at the address on file with Enrollment Services. Additionally, this information can be found on the SPSCC Counseling Services web-site under the heading Academic Appeal Counseling, or at this link: http://www.spscc.ctc.edu/current-students/services/counseling/academic-appeal-advising.  The Appeal process will include a letter to the Academic Standards Committee, an Academic Appeal Plan completed with a College Counselor, a printout of the Student’s Degree Audit and/or unofficial transcripts, and CPT scores if needed. Students are encouraged to attend Academic Appeal Workshops for detailed information on completing this process. To sign-up for a workshop, contact (360) 596-5306. Students are expected to complete the appeal process by the deadline for appeals prior to the quarter in which they plan to return to the College.

Grade Renewal

Grade Renewal is a process of eliminating courses from the computation of the cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) with the intent of re-computing the cumulative grade point average under the listed conditions.

Grade Renewals cannot be done on “V” and/or “W” grades since those grades are not computed into the overall GPA. Students who receive financial aid may jeopardize their future eligibility to receive funding when undergoing grade renewal for unrepeated courses. Contact the Financial Aid office before seeking this option.

To request a Grade Renewal you will need to complete the Petition for Grade Renewal Form and submit it to Enrollment Services – Building 25. Your petition for grade renewal will be processed within five (5) business days. You can confirm that this process has been completed online.

Grade Renewal for Repeated Courses:
Eliminate credits and grade(s) from computation of GPA for courses that I have repeated satisfactorily at South Puget Sound Community College. I understand that although the lower grade will not be calculated into my GPA, all grades will continue to appear on my transcript. An “R” will appear next to the lower grade that won’t be calculated into your GPA.

Grade Renewal for Unrepeated Courses:
Eliminate credits and grade(s) from computation of GPA for courses that I have not repeated. I understand that all grades will continue to appear on my transcript. An “ * ” (asterisk) will appear next to the course that is no longer calculated into the GPA. In order to qualify for this option:

a) A period of two years must have elapsed since the grades were earned or the student has changed the program of study.
b) Since earning those grades the student has attained a GPA of 2.5 or greater in any 12 concurrent or consecutive credits at South Puget Sound Community College.
c) The student has not withdrawn from more than five credits per quarter after the quarter(s) in question.
d) Any “forgiven” grades carry the loss of credit that may have previously been earned.
e) All credits taken prior to the requested quarter for grade forgiveness will also be eliminated from GPA computation.

Grade Reporting

Students may receive final grade reports at the end of each quarter through the college's Web site or a campus kiosk. Grades may be accessed at www.spscc.ctc.edu. Click Current Students, View My Grades/Unofficial Transcript. Grades are withheld if the student has not fulfilled all obligations to the college, financial and otherwise. If you need to dispute a grade you received, then you will need to contact the Instructor of the class and/or the Division Dean before the end of the academic year.

For more information on academic policies and procedures, e-mail Olivia Strout, Academic Records Coordinator at  .