Definitions

THE COLLEGE YEAR

The College of Coastal Georgia operates on the semester system. The academic year is the fall and spring semesters and summer terms with sessions of various lengths. The fall and spring semesters each extend over a period of 16 weeks. The semester hour is the unit of credit in all courses. The primary session in summer semester is approximately eight weeks.

CLASSIFICATION OF STUDENTS

Students are classified at the beginning of each semester based on their overall cumulative earned hours.

CLASS LOAD - FULL/PART-TIME STATUS

A normal course load is 15 to 18 semester credit hours per term.  Students wishing to take more than 18 hours for any given term must complete a Request to Register for Over Maximum Hours form in the MyCCGA Portal in Student forms.  A student enrolled in 12 or more credit hours per semester, including summer, is considered full-time.

Credit Hour Policy

The purpose of this policy is to support the College of Coastal Georgia’s compliance with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges’ expectations regarding credits and federal regulations governing the award of financial aid. 

Academic credit has provided the basis for measuring the amount of engaged learning time expected of a typical student enrolled not only in traditional classroom settings, but also laboratories, studios, internships and other experiential learning, and distance and correspondence education.  SACSCOC is tasked with ensuring that the institution’s credit hour definition conforms to the definition of a credit hour outlined in the Federal Register (75 FR 66832 p. 66946):

 …a credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally established equivalency that reasonably approximates not less than:

1.  One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out of class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester …, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or

2. At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other academic activities as established by the institution including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.

At College of Coastal Georgia, academic credit provides the basis for measuring the amount of engaged learning time expected of a typical student enrolled not only in traditional classroom settings but also laboratories, studios, internships and other experiential learning, and distance education.

TRADITIONAL, SEAT-TIME-BASED APPROACH

The credit hour is typically related to seat time, as a minimum of one class work hour (50 minutes of instruction and an additional two hours of out-of-class student work) each week during a 15-week semester. Using a seat-time approach, one credit of instruction should be approximated by 15 hours of combined direct instruction (counting a 50-minute class as 1 hour of instruction) and student work and an additional thirty (30) hours of out-of-class student work.

• If the learning experience is offered in a different time frame (e.g., eight-week summer session), the student time required to complete the course should reasonably approximate 45 hours of combined direct instruction and student work per credit.

• If direct instruction is not the principal mode of learning for an academic experience (e.g., laboratory courses, clinicals, internships, studio work, some online courses), the student time required to complete the course should reasonably approximate 45 hours of student work per credit. 

HYBRID AND ONLINE COURSES

The credit hours awarded for a given course or academic experience must be reasonably equivalent to the standard of 3 hours of combined classroom instruction and student work per credit hour for a 15-week semester. For example, a five credit course should require the equivalent of 15 hours of combined classroom instruction and student work per week for the equivalent of a 15-week semester. These hours may consist of course activities including, but not limited to:

• Face-to-face course meetings

• Virtual course meetings or student-instructor and student-student interactions

• Time to read/view assigned texts or other assigned materials

• Experiential learning activities consistent with the learning objectives of the course

• Synthesis/processing/reflection time and activities (may be used for writing or production of creative work which may take many forms including but not limited to journals, formal papers, projects, blogs, art, music, etc.)

ALTERNATIVE, OUTCOMES-BASED APPROACH

Credit may also be awarded for an amount of learning “equivalent” to learning in a seat-time-based course as documented by intended learning outcomes and verified by assessment of student achievement.

Example: A traditional one-credit course (1 lecture plus 2 hours of on-their-own student work per week) is converted to a competency-based course. Since the course learning outcomes are identical for the two modes of delivery, students successfully completing the competency-based course would be awarded one credit. Successful completion of the competency-based course would be documented by direct assessment of student accomplishment of the course learning outcomes.

When there is no equivalent seat-time-based course for comparison, the equivalent effort required for the proposed number of credits must be established by the instructor and reviewed/approved by the Chair and Dean.

Your Class Schedule

SCHEDULE CHANGES

A student may change his or her original class schedule by adding, dropping or withdrawing from classes. The student's class schedule becomes the official semester schedule after the drop/add period is over. Specific dates for each semester are contained in the Academic Calendar, on the College website and in campus advertisements.

ADD/DROP

A student may add/drop classes through the last day of the posted add/drop period. Additional tuition and fees may be required.

DROP FOR NON-ATTENDANCE

In accordance with Federal Title IV funding guidelines, the College may remove any course from a student's schedule if they fail to attend during the first 9 days of the session to include all web-based courses. Students will not be allowed to re-enter a class that was removed for nonattendance without special permission of the faculty, Dean, and Registrar. Request to reinstate classes must be made within 7 days of initial notification by completing a Request for Reinstatement form located in MyCCGA Portal.

DROP FOR NON-PAYMENT

 Students who do not fully meet all financial obligations by posted deadlines will have their schedule cancelled by request of the Bursar. All requests for reinstatements must be made within 7 days and all payments are due immediately. Reinstatements will not be considered after the midterm of any given session. Students are responsible for charges accumulated, housing, food services and fines accumulated up to the date of withdraw.

CLASS CANCELLATIONS

The College reserves the right to cancel courses due to insufficient class enrollment, lack of availability of qualified instructors, lack of appropriate facilities, or due to unforeseen circumstances. A student who enrolls in a class that is later cancelled will have an opportunity to add another class in its place. This opportunity is available throughout the late registration period and the first week of school.

WITHDRAWING FROM A COURSE(S)

A student may officially withdraw from a class(es) without automatic academic penalty within the prescribed time noted in the Academic Calendar by completing a Request to Withdraw from Course form located within the MyCCGA portal. All students are encouraged to seek counsel from the instructor of the course, their advisor and financial aid counselor prior to submitting the form so repercussions of the action are fully understood. No refunds will be granted for a reduction in course load after the published Add/Drop period has closed.

WITHDRAWALS FROM ALL COURSES

An official withdraw from the College is conducted when a student submits a Withdraw from College request located in the MyCCGA Portal to notify school officials they will no longer be attending/participating for the remaining portion of the term.  A student who officially withdraws prior to the deadline listed in the academic calendar will receive a W or WF on the transcript. If a student stops attending classes and fails to officially withdraw, a grade of F will be assigned for each class. It is the student's responsibility to officially withdraw. Refund of tuition will be pro-rated according to the date it is submitted for processing.

UNOFFICIAL WITHDRAWAL

Students who stop attending all courses resulting in all failing grades will be retroactively withdrawn based on their last day of attendance as documented by the instructor.  A student who is Unofficially Withdrawn is subject to financial liabilities and will be placed on Academic Probation if their cumulative grade point average is below the required 2.0 minimum to maintain Good Standing.

WITHDRAWALS FROM A COURSE AFTER THE DEADLINE

Withdrawal after the published mid-session deadline will not be permitted without academic penalty: grades of WF for all courses will be assigned. Students who have experienced extreme hardship may petition to the Provost for a non-punitive Withdrawal by completing a Late-Term Withdraw application located in MyCCGA portal.  Documentation regarding hardship must be included with a request for the petition to be considered. 

ADMINISTRATIVE WITHDRAWAL - STUDENT AFFAIRS

The Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management may withdraw a student if it is determined that the student: (a) poses a significant danger or threat of physical harm to themselves or to the person or property of others or (b) engages in behavior that impedes the rights of other members of the college community or interferes with the exercise of any proper activities or functions of the college or its personnel or (c ) is unable to meet institutional requirements for admission and continued enrollment, as defined in the Student Conduct Code and other publications of the College.

MILITARY WITHDRAWAL

A student enlisted in the U.S. military is permitted to withdraw under the Board of Regents policy for military refunds (704.0401) upon receipt of emergency orders to active duty or reassignment, without penalty at any time during the term.  Military Spouses/Dependents that are affected by activation do not qualify, but are encouraged to request Withdraw/Late Term Withdraw if arrangements cannot be made to complete the term. 

ENROLLING IN MORE THAN ONE COLLEGE AT A TIME

Students wishing to enroll at another institution while enrolled at CCGA are encouraged to obtain transient permission from the Registrar's Office to ensure courses can be used toward their program of study. Students must be in Good Academic Standing before permission will be granted. Transient permission will not be authorized for a first semester student until after the end of the term.

AUDITING

Students who do not wish to receive credit or a grade for a course may audit the course. Registration for audit (no credit) is limited to the late registration period and is based on the availability of space in the individual class. Students who audit courses pay the same fees as those enrolling for credit. Registration for audit can be changed to credit no later than the last day of late registration. Registration for credit cannot be changed to audit.

PAYMENT

Students should be prepared to pay when they register for or add classes. The College of Coastal Georgia reserves the right to delete the enrollment of any student who has not paid the total amount due for courses and outstanding debts to the College.

CLASS ATTENDANCE

Attending class and being on time for class sessions is an important part of your success in the classroom. All students are required to attend/participate in all courses during the first week of term/session and failure to do so will result in that course being removed from the schedule.

 Attendance requirements may vary based on the needs of the course, the method of instruction or the instructor.  Course attendance policies are required to be in writing and will included on course syllabus and/or posted within D2L. Any penalties or repercussions to grades that may result from excessive absences or tardiness will be included.

When students are required to be absent from class for approved college activities, the student must assume responsibility for making up any missed work.

COURSE EXAMINATIONS

The course instructor administers tests and examinations.  On the first class meeting the instructor will provide a syllabus, either in writing or D2L (electronic) format that explains how the course grade will be determined. A student who is absent from a previously announced test may be given a zero on the test unless, in the judgment of the instructor and course policies, a make-up test is justified. A student will not be permitted to take a final examination at a time other than the regularly scheduled date/time unless approved by the course instructor and School Dean.

LEARNING SUPPORT POLICIES

Learning Support is a program designed to prepare students for, or to assist students with, collegiate work.  Learning Support programs are intended to serve students who need additional support in mathematics or English (reading/writing).  At CCGA, all learning support is delivered in the form of corequisite support courses where students enroll in a collegiate level English or mathematics course and concurrently enroll in a paired one- or two-credit hour support course.

ENGLISH – Students who do not exempt from English learning support will concurrently enroll in ENGL 0999 (Support for English Composition) and ENGL 1101.

MATH - Academic advisors will assist students in the selection of the appropriate mathematics pathway that aligns with their particular program of study. (For a list of the programs that are better served by each pathway see your advisor.)  There are four pathways, which each have different learning support requirements:

1. Quantitative Reasoning: Students who do not exempt from learning support in this pathway will concurrently enroll in MATH 0997 (Support for Quantitative Reasoning) and MATH 1001 (Quantitative Reasoning).

2. Introduction to Mathematical Modeling: Students who do not exempt from learning support in this pathway will concurrently enroll in MATH 0998 (Support for Intro to Mathematical Modeling) and MATH 1101 (Introduction to Mathematical Modeling).

3. College Algebra: Depending on the level of support needed, students who do not exempt from learning support in this pathway will either be placed directly into MATH 1111 (College Algebra) and concurrently MATH 0999 (Support for College Algebra), or they will be required to first complete MATH 1101 and concurrently MATH 0998 before enrolling in MATH 1111.

4. Elementary Statistics:  Students who do not exempt from learning support in this pathway will concurrently enroll in MATH 0996 (Support for Elementary Statistics) and MATH 1401 (Elementary Statistics).

After selecting a pathway, the advisor will assist the student in the selection of the appropriate course(s), which will be determined by High School GPA, ACT, SAT, Accuplacer, or the MPI (Math Placement Index, a measure that combines a student’s SAT or ACT scores and, if applicable, HS GPA and/or placement exam). 

For English and Math

• Students may not drop or withdraw from the support course without dropping or withdrawing from the gateway course and vice versa.

• Students who pass the support course but do not successfully complete the gateway college course must repeat both the support course and the gateway course.

• Students will exit Learning Support upon successful completion of the gateway college course (with a grade of C or better). Learning Support students must register for the gateway course and the support course every semester until they successfully complete the gateway course.

STUDENT ACADEMIC APPEAL POLICY

If a student believes a final grade was assigned incorrectly or unjustly, or that an established academic policy was violated or misused, the student may use the academic appeal process. Note that a student cannot appeal the professional judgment of the faculty member and, in all cases, the policy in the course syllabus shall prevail in determining the grade. Students wishing to file an academic appeal must follow the steps below. Students should also consult with any school or program-specific handbooks for additional requirements and limitations; the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, for example, has a more abbreviated timeline for grade appeals that must be followed given the structure of those programs.

Note: All appeals and documentation must be in writing. Grade appeals must be submitted via the Grade Appeal form, available on the College’s portal.

STEP 1: The student must start the process by reviewing the situation with the instructor in the case of a grade appeal or the responsible academic administrator in the case of academic policy.

STEP 2: If the issue is not resolved, the student may submit an appeal packet within 10 business days into the term immediately following the term in which the event occurred. If the appeal will impact enrollment in the subsequent term, then the student must submit their appeal packet within 5 business days of the last day of the semester in which the event occurred.

The appeal packet must include:

• a letter describing all points which the student considers to be pertinent to the appeal, and

• in the case of a grade appeal, a copy of the instructor’s syllabus as well as a copy of the student’s grades for the entire semester, as well as

• any other documentation the student considers pertinent to the appeal

Additional points will not be later considered if they are not in the initial appeal packet.

The appeal should be addressed to:

• for grade appeals in NURS, RADT, or CULN, the program coordinator, or

• for grade appeals in all other subjects, the department chair, or

• for appeals of academic policy, the immediate supervisor of the academic administrator responsible for the academic policy.

The student can contact the Office of Academic Affairs at 912-279-5711 if they are unsure of whom to address the appeal letter. 

STEP 3: A student who believes that the appeal was decided in an arbitrary, capricious, discriminatory, or unfair manner may submit their original appeal packet, along with a letter of rationale describing why they believe due process was not exercised at the previous appeal stage, within 10 business days of the notification of the appeal decision. If the appeal will impact enrollment in the subsequent term, then the student must submit their appeal packet within 2 business days of the notification of the appeal decision.

 The appeal should be addressed to the next level administrator, as follows:

• For grade appeals in NURS, RADT, and CULN, the appeal would be submitted to the department chair. Students wishing further to appeal the decision of the Department Chair would submit a subsequent appeal to the School Dean.  Students wishing further to appeal the decision of the School Dean would submit a subsequent appeal to the PVPAA.

• For grade appeals in all other subjects, the appeal would be submitted to the School Dean. Students wishing further to appeal the decision of the School Dean would submit a subsequent appeal to the PVPAA.

• For appeals of academic policy, the appeal would be submitted to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs (PVPAA) unless it is the PVPAA's decision that is being appealed in which case the student should move to step 4.

The student can contact the Office of Academic Affairs at 912-279-5711 if they are unsure of who the next level administrator may be. Additional points will not be considered if not included in the written appeal. The next level administrator will review the appeal, examine the facts, and render a decision. 

STEP 4: Appeals of decisions made by the PVPAA may be made in writing to the College President within 3 business days of notification of the PVPAA’s appeal decision. The student must submit their original appeal packet, along with a letter of rationale describing why they believe due process was not exercised by the PVPAA. The President may appoint a faculty committee to review all facts and circumstances connected with the case and submit its findings and report thereon to the President. The President shall make a decision which shall be final so far as the institution is concerned.  

If, at any stage, the deadline cannot be met due to legitimate documented reasons (e.g., medical or legal reason or the student is deployed in the military), the student can appeal to the Office of Academic Affairs for an extension. Such appeals must include documentation of the reason for the request. Throughout this document, business days refer to business days in which the College is open.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY

Academic and intellectual integrity is critical to all individuals comprising the community at the College of Coastal Georgia to develop a sense of ethics and social responsibility and maintain the validity of grades and degree programs. Any instance of dishonesty hurts both the individual(s) involved and the entire community.  No student shall perform, attempt to perform, or assist another student in performing any act of dishonesty on academic work of any kind. A student does not have to intend to violate the academic integrity policy to be found in violation. For example, plagiarism, intended or unintended, is a violation of this policy.

The full Academic Integrity Policy is located in the Student Code of Conduct, which can be found by visiting http://www.ccga.edu/StudentConduct.