Academic Policies & Procedures
Auditing
To audit a course means to enroll in a course for no credit. Auditors may participate in the class at the discretion of the instructor. A grade of “N” is assigned. A $2.00 per credit hour fee, plus a $35.00 registration fee will be charged for auditing (no credit will be earned).
Course
A course is a unit of instruction in a subject area offered in a single semester.
Class Schedule
SCC uses a 4-day class schedule and classes are held Monday through Thursday from 9:00a.m. to 7:00p.m. On several occasions classes are scheduled outside of the normal class schedule.
Credit
A credit is the unit used in computing the amount of work required for graduation. One credit is equivalent to 15 hours of instruction. In some cases, such as laboratory or field experience, more than 15 hours is required for one credit. In this catalog, credits given for a course are indicated in parentheses following the course title in the course description section of each program.
Curriculum
A curriculum is a combination of courses which constitute a program of study leading to a certificate or degree.
Departmental Distinction
Students maintaining a 3.25 GPA or higher and selected by the appropriate faculty will graduate with departmental distinction with transcript notation and listing on the graduation program.
Elective
An elective in a curriculum outline is a course opening which can be filled by any course of the student’s choice. Some electives require the student to choose from courses within a particular area of study.
Field Experience Credits
Field experience credits may be earned at the rate of one (1) credit for every two (2) hours per week for fifteen (15) weeks of supervised work experience.
Grades
The evaluation of student’s work is issued at the end of each semester, after the student’s credentials and financial obligations to the college are in order. Grade points are dependent on the letter grade assigned. Students must meet all requirements for the courses to receive a grade and credit. The course will not be recorded on the student’s official transcript unless one of the above grades is received. Instructors make the final determination on all grades.
| Grade | Interpretation | Grade Points |
|---|---|---|
| A | Excellent | 4 |
| B | Above average | 3 |
| C | Average | 2 |
| D | Below average | 1 |
| F | Failure | 0 |
| P | Pass (Not calculated into GPA) | 0 |
| I | Incomplete | 0 |
| R | Repeat | 0 |
| N | Audit | 0 |
| W | Withdrawal | 0 |
| * | Challenge (Indicated after letter grade) | 0 |
Grade Changes
Once a grade has been reported by the instructor to the Registrar, the grade will not be changed except in extreme circumstances or in case of an administrative error. The final determination of the change of a grade will be made by the Dean of Student Services, Dean of Academics, and the instructor.
Students can pick up their mid-term and final grades at the Admissions/Registrars’ office, or students can leave a self-addressed stamped envelope, should they wish the grades to be mailed to them directly. These grades will also be reported to the SCC Financial Aid Office, counselors, program coordinators and advisors.
Grade-Point Average
A student’s grade point average (GPA) is computed by assigning a numerical point value as follows:
| A - Excellent | 4 Grade Points | |
| B - Above Average | 3 Grade Points | |
| C - Average | 2 Grade Points | |
| D - Below Average | 1 Grade Point | |
| F - Failure | 0 Grade Points |
The GPA is the quotient obtained by dividing total grade points by total credit hours attempted. Grades of “I”, “P”, “N”, and “W” are disregarded in computing grade point averages (see grading). No “D” grades will be accepted as transfer credits from other institutions or be used for graduation requirements. All courses require a “C” or higher to be counted towards a degree or a certificate at SCC.
Honor Roll
Any student who completes 12 or more credits and attains a 3.00 GPA or higher for any one semester is placed on the Honor Roll. Students having an “I” during the current semester are not eligible for the Honor Roll or incentive awards.
Students obtaining a GPA of 3.00 to 3.24 will be placed on Honorable Mention. Students obtaining a GPA of 3.25 to 3.49 will be placed on the Dean’s List. Students obtaining a GPA of 3.50 to 4.00 will be placed on the President’s List. The names of students achieving these awards will be announced at the end of each semester.
Independent Study
Independent study credits are granted to students for work on an individual basis in a specific area of interest or for a required course. Students who wish to undertake an independent study should develop a suitable project to include a title, description, goals & objectives, and proposed activities or have approval from the course instructor.
The student will be required to complete and submit the “Request for Independent Study/Option” form and obtain approval from a faculty sponsor, the student’s advisor and the Dean of Academics. The project proposal or course syllabi must be approved prior to registration.
Incomplete Grades
If at the end of the semester the quality of a student’s work is satisfactory, but some essential requirement of the course has not been completed due to unforeseen circumstances, it is the student’s responsibility to request from the instructor a grade of “Incomplete.” Students receiving an incomplete must complete the course requirements within the time specified by the instructor and Dean of Academics with a maximum two (2) academic terms following the issuance of incomplete.
If the student fails to complete the requirements within this timeline, he or she will receive an “F” or the alternative grade assigned by the instructor. Exceptions for extreme circumstances may be made at the discretion of the Dean of Academics.
Pass/Fail Elective Courses
A maximum of nine (9) credits of pass/fail elective courses may be counted toward a SCC. However, courses that satisfy the requirements of a degree program cannot be taken on a pass/fail basis. Students must register for a pass/fail course before the last day to add. Exceptions for extreme circumstances may be made at the discretion of the Dean of Academics. Prerequisites apply to all courses taken on the pass/fail basis.
Repeating Courses
Courses may be repeated up to three times. The most recent letter grade will be recorded on the transcript as part of the GPA, with the earlier grade remaining on the transcript followed by an “R”. Repeated courses do not count for attempting credits in monitoring satisfactory academic progress.
Academic Warning
At the end of any semester, degree seeking students whose semester GPA falls below 2.0 will receive an academic warning. The effect of the academic warning is to serve notice to students that the quality of their work is below an acceptable level and that continuation of unsatisfactory work during their next semester or enrollment will result in academic probation. Students who receive an academic warning should contact their advisor or counselor before registering for the next semester.
Academic Probation
At the end of any semester, degree-seeking students who were placed on academic warning during their previous semester of attendance and their cumulative GPA is still below 2.0 will be placed on academic probation. An exception is made if they earn at least a 2.0 GPA for the semester without raising their cumulative GPA to a 2.0. In such cases, students will remain on academic warning. The purpose of academic probation is to issue to students a second and final reminder that they will be suspended from SCC if their academic performance does not improve. Students placed on academic probation should contact their advisor or counselor before registering for another semester.
Academic Suspension
At the end of any semester, degree-seeking students who were placed on academic probation during their previous semester of attendance and their cumulative GPA is still below 2.0 will be academically suspended. An exception is made is they are at least 2.0 GPA for the semester without raising their cumulative GPA to a 2.0. In such cases, the student remains on academic probation. The effect of academic suspension is that the student may not re-enroll. The student may petition to continue to attend SCC if it is a subsequent semester.
**NOTE: If this is your last semester on academic warning, please refer to academic probation. If this is your second semester on academic probation, please refer to academic suspension.
After a student is suspended, in order to be reinstated, students appeal to the Dean of Student Services within two (2) weeks of receiving their letter of suspension. Following the first suspension, students are automatically reinstated after a lapse of three (3) semesters, upon notification of the Registrar of their intent to return. All students reinstated after suspension are reinstated on academic probation and will be suspended again unless they meet the requirements as explained under academic suspension (above).
Semester
Stone Child College operates on a semester system consisting of three semesters in a year - Fall, Spring, and Summer. Each semester is approximately 16 weeks in length, except for Summer, which is 8 weeks; however, students are still required 15 classroom hours per semester credit. Summer session is also dependent on funding and student/community demand.