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General Academic InformationGeneral Academic InformationAcademic HonorsAcademic LoadTranscript EvaluationAcademic Standards of ProgressCancellation of Previous Academic RecordClass Attendance PolicyFinal Grades and RecordsGrade Appeal ProcessApplicable CatalogRecency of CreditGraduation HonorsSemester Credit HourSemester SystemGrade Forgiveness PolicyMaximum Attempts Per CourseCourse Pre-requisites and Co-requisitesStudent OmbudsmanAcademic Standards CommitteeAcademic HonestyFamily Educational Rights and Privacy ActBroward Community CollegeCatalog 2007-2008www.broward.edu81
General Academic InformationGeneral Academic InformationAcademic HonorsThe College recognizes exceptional scholasticachievement at the end of each regular term andposts them to transcripts and grade reports.The President's List includes the names ofstudents carrying 12 or more semester hours whohave a grade point average of 4.0.The Dean's List includes the names of studentscarrying 12 or more semester hours who have agrade point average of 3.50 to 3.99.The Honor Roll includes the names of studentscarrying 12 or more semester hours who have agrade point average of 3.25 to 3.49.Academic LoadTo be considered full-time, students must carry aminimum load of 12 semester hours per academicterm or an equivalent number of clock hours foran educational program using clock hours.Usually, the Offices of Social Security, RailroadRetirement, and Veterans Administration consider12 credit hours to be a full load.The maximum load that may normally be carriedis 18 credit hours per academic term or anequivalent number of clock hours. However,students who earn a grade point average of 3.2 orabove may carry an extra course, but in no eventshall the maximum load exceed 21 credit hoursper academic term or an equivalent number ofclock hours. The maximum load for a six-weeksummer session is nine credit hours or anequivalent number of clock hours. The normalload for a six-week summer session is six credithours or an equivalent number of clock hours.If the student must have the hours in order tograduate, a student in the last term of residenceprior to graduation may carry an overload eventhough his/her grade point is not high enoughunder the above policy. In no event should thestudent enroll for more than 21 credit hours,except with the approval of the AcademicStandards Committee.A student who has earned 25 or more semesterhours credit is classified as a sophomore.82www.broward.eduTranscript EvaluationTransfer students must provide official transcriptsfrom all previously attended colleges oruniversities.Transcripts should be sent toBroward Community College, College Registrar’sOffice, 225 East Las Olas Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale,FL 33301, prior to or within 30 days of the startof the initial term of enrollment. Students whohave completed post-secondary work outside ofthe United States are required to provide acommercial evaluation of all course workcompleted.An official evaluation of creditcourses’ transferability is made after the student isadmitted to the College. All official transcriptsfrom previously attended institutions must bereceived before an official evaluation is consideredcompleted. Transfer credits may be acceptedfrom regionally accredited colleges or universitiesand/or from institutions belonging to the FloridaState Common Course Numbering System orfrom out-of-country universities when commercialevaluations of those transcripts are provided. Insome instances, transferability of credits is doneon a course-by-course analysis.Previously earned credits and grades may transferin, but may not be accepted for a specific degreeprogram. All grades from other colleges arecomputed in the cumulative grade point average atBCC, including failing grades at previous colleges.Failure to report previous college-level workattempted constitutes a falsification of applicationand subjects the applicant to loss of all creditearned and may result in dismissal.An applicant who was not in good standing at thelast institution attended will be treated in the samemanner as if he/she was suspended from BrowardCommunity College. Transfer students who havealready completed an A.A. or baccalaureate degreeat another college or university, cannot enroll inan A.A. degree program at BCC.Academic Standards of ProgressBroward Community College strives to providethe highest quality of instructional and supportservices. Students accepted into certificate anddegree programs will be continually evaluated toensure that standards of progress are achieved andto identify and provide assistance to students whoexperience academic difficulties.BCC iscommitted to providing assistance for all studentsCatalog 2007-2008Broward Community College
The regulations regarding academic standards ofprogress apply to all degree and certificatestudents. In determining academic progress,college credit, vocational credit and collegepreparatory credit are combined. "Earned Credit"is defined as all courses in which the studentreceives a grade. Courses taken for audit, coursesfor which a student receives a refund, and coursesin which a student has withdrawn during thewithdrawal period will not be included in thedetermination of academic standing.Any students shall beAcademic Warningplaced on academic warning at the end of a term ifthe student has earned 0-29.9 college and/orvocational credits and has earned less than a 1.5cumulative grade point average. Students onacademic warning should see an academicadvisor or counselor prior to registering forthe next term.Any student shall beAcademic Probationplaced on academic probation at the end of a termif the student has earned 30-45.9 college and/orvocational credits and has earned less than a 1.5cumulative grade point average. Students onacademic probation should see an academicadvisor or counselor prior to registering forthe next term.Academic Suspension Any student shall beplaced on academic suspension at the end of aterm if the student has earned at least 46.0 collegeand/or vocational credits earned for GPA and hasearned less than a 1.5 cumulative grade pointaverage. Students academically suspended will notbe permitted to enroll for one semester (fall,winter, or full summer) following the term inwhich they were suspended.After the first academic suspension, and after thestudent has satisfied the penalty, the student mustsee the Dean of Student Affairs or designee at thecampus where he/she wishes to enroll. Thestudent must follow any instructions pertaining tocourse selection. Any subsequent suspensions willrequire the student to petition and appear beforethe Academic Standards Committee prior to reentry.Broward Community CollegeCancellation of Previous UnsatisfactoryRecordStudents in Associate in Science, Associate inApplied Science, Certificate or Diploma Programswho have previous unsatisfactory academicrecords may petition for cancellation of theirprevious academic record. If, at the end of 24credit hours, Associate in Science and Associate inApplied Science Degree students have achieved agrade point average of 2.0 or above, they may begranted cancellation of the previous unsatisfactoryacademic record, except in the case of studentsenrolled during or later than Term I, 1997-1998.For Certificate and Diploma students, the totalprogram hours and a grade point average ofrequirement is completion of one-third of the 2.0or above. Normally, this cancellation will not beapproved unless the unsatisfactory studentperformance is at least two academic years old.Canceled academic records will be completelydisregarded in the calculation of credit hours andgrade point average. However, these students'permanent records will show all work attemptedand all grades earned along with a notation aboutthe cancellation granted by the College.Under the articulation agreement binding theFlorida public community colleges and stateuniversities, this policy may not be applied toAssociate in Arts degree students.Class Attendance PolicyIf a student does not attend class within twoweeks after the drop/add period in each sessionhe/she will be withdrawn from classes or receive afailing grade for non-attendance. In either case,no refund will be given.Requirements for class attendance are determinedby the instructor and will be outlined in the coursesyllabus. It is the student’s responsibility to attendclasses to ensure that he/she is properly enrolled.By staying in the class, students are agreeing toabide by that attendance policy.Students will notify instructors in advance ofabsences(s) to observe a religious holy day(s) inhis/her own faith, and shall likewise notifyinstructors in advance of other absences whenpracticable under the circumstances. According toCollege policy, there shall be no penalty for astudent who is absent because of religious holydays, the student's serious illness, a death in theimmediate family, or statutory governmentCatalog 2007-2008www.broward.edu83General Academic Informationin order to provide an optimal learning experienceso that students will be able to succeed inachieving their educational goals.
General Academic Informationresponsibilities. If a non-penalized absence occurson the first day of class, the student shall notifythe instructor of the reason for his/her absence atthe next class meeting. The student shall presentdocumentation for non-penalized absences shouldthe faculty member request it. Students will beresponsible for material covered during anabsence.Excessive absences may result inwithdrawal from the course by the professor orthe assignment of an “I” grade when theinstructor authorizes non-penalized absences butthe work cannot be completed in the timeavailable.Campus/Center ClosingOwing to unanticipated circumstances that arebeyond anyone’s control, or when concerns areraised about the safety and/or security of thestudents, faculty, staff, and/or facilities, a campusor the College may be closed. For purposes ofgrading and attendance policies, the day(s) duringwhich the campus/College is closed shall beconsidered a non-class day(s). When this occurs,each Faculty member shall determine how best tomake up the lost class time.Final Grades and RecordsFinal grades for each term are retainedpermanently. Grade point averages for graduationand honors are calculated only on college andvocational level academic work and include workattempted at all colleges. The following gradesare used to calculate the grade point DPassing1FFailure0WFFailure - excessiveabsences0The following grades do not affect the GPA:GradePointsIIncomplete0WOfficial Withdrawal0WNNon-Attendance0XAudit0XWAudit Withdrawal0NCNon-credit course0NGNo Grade Assigned0NRGrade not rd.eduIncomplete Grade “I”An “I” grade may be given when a student who isin good standing and with documentedextenuating circumstances has not completed therequired coursework by the end of the term. Thestudent should make arrangements to completethe work prior to the end of the next majoracademic term. Summer terms are not consideredin this time limit. If no change is initiated duringthe next major term, the “I” will automaticallybecome an “F” on the student's permanentrecord. If the coursework is completed the gradeand recalculated GPA will be placed on thestudent’s transcript.Official Withdrawal “W”Florida State Board of Education requirescommunity colleges to adhere to the followingprocedures relating to the award of a “W” as aresult of a student’s withdrawal from a course. The student may withdraw without academicpenalty from any course by the mid-point ofthe semester. The student will be permitted a maximum oftwo withdrawals per course. Upon the third attempt, the student will notbe permitted to withdraw and will receive anA, B, C, D, or F grade for that course.Non-Attendance Withdrawal “WN”A student who does not attend class within twoweeks after the drop/add period in each sessionwill be withdrawn from classes for nonattendance. No refund will be given.Failure due to Non-Attendance “WF”“WF” is an assigned grade given for nonattendance or excessive absences after the lastpublished date to withdraw from classes.Audit-X and XWA student should indicate the desire to audit acourse when registering for the class and cannotchange from audit to credit after the drop/addperiod. Up to the end of the withdrawal period, astudent may change from credit to audit with thepermission of the Faculty member. A studentwho audits a course must adhere to attendancerequirements of the course and, if the Facultymember desires, class requirements. No grade willbe assigned and no credit will be awarded.Catalog 2007-2008Broward Community College
The transcript will indicate a course was auditedby listing an “X” grade, but an “XW” indicatingwithdrawal may be given to the student at thediscretion of a Faculty member for failure toadhere to attendance or class requirements of thecourse. A student may take a course previouslyaudited for credit but may not petition for crediton the basis of the previous audit.The cost for auditing a course is the same astaking it for credit. A department may exclude acourse from audit status. College preparatorystudents, who are required to be certified ascompleting competency-based college preparatoryinstruction may not be enrolled as audit students.Non-credit Course “NC”The “NC” is assigned automatically for any noncredit hour course. “NC” is used for continuingeducation, economic development, lifelonglearning, and other classes for which no credit isawarded.No Grade Assigned “NG”The “NG” is used to indicate that a student hasnot satisfied the requirements for a non-creditclass. It is also used for certain self-paced coursesand continuing education classes.No Grade Reported “NR”The “NR” is assigned by the Registrar's Office incases where class rolls have not been submitted intime for normal processing of grades.Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory “S”/“U”The “S” and “U” grades are used only for thosecourses that have received prior approval throughthe curriculum review process to award thesatisfactory/unsatisfactory grades.Grade Appeal ProcessThe Grade Appeal Processes apply to final coursegrades and grades received as a result of academicdishonesty. The appeal process described inProcedure 6Hx2-4.19 provides procedural dueprocess to students.Grounds for Using the Grade Appeal Processfor Final Course GradesAny appeal of a course grade shall be consideredin comparison with the standards in the Facultymember’s grading policy. Each Faculty memberBroward Community Collegeshall communicate in clear, detailed, written form,his/her grading policy within the first week of thecourse. The policy shall be included in the coursesyllabus. The elements to be considered incalculating the student’s grade shall be clearlyarticulated as to value and all factors to beconsidered in arriving at the final grade stated.The student’s appeal shall be based upon acomplaint of inequitable treatment that thestudent can demonstrate with reasonableevidence. The appeal shall show that the gradingpolicy was misapplied to the student.Grounds for Using the Grade Appeal Processfor Academic Dishonesty.The appeal shall be based upon the student’s claimthat academic dishonesty did not occur. Theacademic sanction imposed by the Facultymember and stipulated in the course syllabus maynot be appealed.Preliminary Action: If a student thinks thathe/she has been unfairly graded in a course, thestudent should meet or communicate no later thanthe second week of the next term with the Facultymember in an attempt to settle the disputed gradeand avoid the formal Grade Appeal Process.The complete grade appeal procedure can befound in the Student Handbook and in the GradeAppeal Brochure. A copy of the brochure can beobtained in the Academic Advisement offices oneach campus/center.Applicable CatalogA student who is continuously enrolled in degree,certificate or diploma programs (except summerterms) from initial enrollment to graduation maychoose to meet graduation requirements specifiedin either the BCC catalog in effect when initiallyenrolled or the catalog in effect at the time ofgraduation.If a student's attendance isinterrupted by two or more major terms (summerterms excluded), the student must meet therequirements of the catalog in effect at the time ofre-entry, or at the time of graduation. A studentcannot graduate under a catalog in effect at thetime of initial enrollment if the College haseliminated the degree, certificate or diplomaprogram.Students entering specialized programs, such asthe health science programs, may graduate underthe provision of the catalog in effect when thestudent was admitted to the specialized program.Catalog 2007-2008www.broward.edu85General Academic InformationHowever, an audit will count as an attempt if suchenrollment status is declared after the drop/addperiod.
General Academic InformationRecency of CreditCollege courses completed more than 10 years agomay require validation by examination.Graduation HonorsThe calculation of the grade point average forhonors includes the Broward Community Collegerecord and any previous credit transferred toBroward Community College. Students maygraduate with honors in three grade pointcategories.Honors:overall GPA of 3.250-3.499High Honors: overall GPA of 3.500-3.749Highest Honors: overall GPA of 3.750-4.000Honor Students are recognized at graduation andhonors designations will be shown on finaltranscripts.Semester Credit HourFor degree, technical certificate and AppliedTechnology programs the unit of credit is thesemester credit hour, representing 15-16 hours oflecture instruction with 50-minute class periods.Generally, 30-32 hours of laboratory work countas one unit of credit. Clinical courses will vary inthe number of hours per semester credit hour.For Vocational Certificates the unit of credit is thevocational credit.Each vocational creditrepresents 30 clock hours of instruction.Short sessions, weekend college, and classes thatmeet less than three times per week are adjustedto include the same time equivalent as the 16 weekterms.Semester SystemThe academic year is divided into three semesters,also known as Terms. Each Term containsseveral Sessions of varying lengths to provideflexibility in the scheduling of courses. To earn acomparable unit of credit, class meeting times areadjusted during the abbreviated Sessions.Terms I (fall) and II (winter) are approximatelyseventeen weeks in length. Each of these termsincludes a Session 2, and a Session 4 ofapproximately eight weeks in length; and a Session3 of approximately twelve weeks in length.Term III (summer) is approximately twelve weeksin length. Term III includes Session 1, which istwelve weeks in length, and Sessions 2 and 3which are six weeks in length.86www.broward.eduGrade Forgiveness PolicyA student who has completed a course and desiresto improve his/her grade for that course mayrepeat the course only if he/she has earned a “D”or “F” grade. The number of repeat attempts islimited to two per course. Repeating a courseremoves the previous grade only from a student'sgrade point average. The original grade remainson the transcript, but only the grade earned in thelast attempt is used for calculating the grade pointaverage. The State University System articulationagreement does not allow courses to be repeatedfor the purpose of changing a student's gradepoint average after the associate degree has beenawarded.Maximum Attempts Per CourseA student may have only three attempts percourse. An attempt is defined as enrollment afterthe 100% refund deadline for courses beginningTerm 1, 1997. Attempts include the originalgrade, repeat of courses, withdrawals and audits.Courses taken at other institutions are not countedas an attempt.A student may repeat only those courses in whicha "D" or "F" grade was earned. A fourth attemptmay be allowed only through a successful petitionto the Academic Standards Committee based onmajor extenuating circumstances.This rule does not apply to repeatable courses,such as music, choir, etc., that have beensuccessfully completed and are now beingrepeated for further skill enhancement; or tocourses that are required to be repeated by aregulatory agency; or those that are being repeatedas part of the regulatory requirement forcontinuing education to stay current in a field suchas teacher education.Florida law requires colleges to assessstudents the full cost of instruction after thesecond attempt. The law also provides forexceptions to this extra fee if there are extenuatingcircumstances, such as a student’s serious illness,involuntary call to active military duty, changes ofemployment, or other extraordinary situations.Petitions for exception to the full cost ofinstruction based on extenuating circumstancescan be obtained from any campus Registration orAdvisement office.Students are strongly encouraged to discuss,with their advisor/counselor and financialservices officer, the effect withdrawing orCatalog 2007-2008Broward Community College
Standards Committee in his/her role as theCollege Student Ombudsman.Course Pre-requisites and Co-requisitesPre-requisite and co-requisite courses are listedwith each course description. Pre-requisites areacademic requirements that must be completedbefore enrolling in the next subject level. Studentsare responsible for knowing and satisfactorilycompleting pre-requisite requirements.If astudent registers for a course for the next termwhile currently enrolled in a pre-requisite course,then the student must satisfactorily complete thepre-requisite course or withdraw from the higherlevel course. Otherwise, the student may bedropped from the course for which he/she isineligible. Students, who have completed a prerequisite course at another institution, mustfurnish proof before registering for the higherlevel course.Co-requisites are courses that must be completedtogether. An example is a science course and theassociated laboratory. You cannot take onewithout the other. If you drop one, you mustdrop the other.Co-requisite academicrequirements are stated within the coursedescription section of this catalog.Academic Standards CommitteeThe chief student affairs officer on each campusor center, in the role of campus/center StudentOmbudsman, shall be responsible for addressingstudent concerns.The Academic Standards Committee hears appealsfrom students on matters related to academicpolicies such as standards of progress, graduationrequirements, and repeating courses.TheCommittee makes recommendations to the VicePresident for Student Affairs in his/her role asCollege Student Ombudsman. The followingprocedure shall apply to requests for exceptions toestablished academic policies:Students should know what the academicrequirements are before attempting to register fora course. Check the course descriptions in thiscatalog.Student OmbudsmanThe campus/center chief student affairs officershall serve as the campus/center StudentOmbudsman, and will serve as an advocate forstudents’ general issues and concerns.Thecampus/center chief student affairs officer willguide students to appropriate personnel, andprovide students with appropriate College policiesand procedures.If a student’s issue is related to academic standardsof progress, graduation requirements, access tocourses, or other academic policies, thecampus/center chief student affairs officer willrefer the student to the Academic StandardsCommittee. The Academic Standards Committeemakes recommendations to the Vice President forStudent Affairs upon reviewing the student’spetition and interviewing the student. The VicePresident for Student Affairs shall approve ordisapprove recommendations from the AcademicBroward Community CollegeCatalog 2007-20081. The student shall complete the AcademicStandards Petition that is available at allstudent affairs offices. The Petition shallinclude all pertinent and relevantdocumentation such as transcripts, lettersfrom the transferring institution, medicaldocumentation. If the petition is arequest for admission while onsuspension or dismissal from anotherinstitution, the student should include aletter of support (if available) to attendBroward Community College from thepreviously attended institution.2. The campus/center chief student affairsofficer or designee must sign the petitionand forward it to the Associate VicePresident for Student Affairs/CollegeRegistrar’s Office no later than one weekprior to the scheduled meeting.Exceptions must be approved throughthe campus/center chief student affairsofficer.3. The dates, places and times of theAcademic Standards Committee arepublished in the College calendar and canbe obtained from the campus/centerstudent affairs offices.4. In cases involving entering or re-enteringBroward Community College aftersuspension, the student shall be requiredto attend the meeting. Students willappear before the Committee in order ofsign-in.5. After careful review of the petitions, theCommittee shall make recommendationsto the Vice President for Student Affairs.www.broward.edu87General Academic Informationrepeating a course may have on theiracademic programs and financial aid status.
General Academic InformationThe Vice President for Student Affairsapprovesordisapprovestherecommendations from the Committee.6. The student shall be notified in writing ofthe Vice President’s decision.Academic HonestyBroward Community College expects its studentsto be honest in all of their coursework andactivities. Breaches of academic honesty includecheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation, bribery,and the unauthorized possession of examinations,papers, or other class materials that have not beenformally released by instructors. A student'sacademic work must be the result of his or herown thought, research, or self-expression.The term “cheating,” includes but is not limitedto, copying homework assignments from anotherstudent; working together with another individualon a take-home test or homework whenspecifically prohibited from doing so by theinstructor, looking at text, notes or anotherperson’s paper during an examination when notpermitted to do so.Cheating also includes the giving of workformation to another student to be copied and/orused as his or her own. This includes, but is notlimited to, giving someone answers to examquestions either when the exam is being given orafter having taken an exam; informing anotherstudent of specific questions that appear or haveappeared on an exam in the same academic term;giving or selling a term paper, report, project orother restricted written materials to anotherstudent.The term “plagiarism” includes, but is not limitedto, an attempt of an individual to claim the workof another as the product of his or her ownthoughts, regardless of whether that work hasbeen published. Plagiarism includes, but is notlimited to, quoting improperly or paraphrasingtext or other written materials without propercitation on an exam, term paper, homework, orother written material submitted to an instructoras one’s own work. Plagiarism also includeshanding in a paper to an instructor that waspurchased from a term paper service ordownloaded from the Internet and presentinganother person’s academic work as one’s own.Individual academic departments may provideadditional examples in writing of what does anddoes not constitute plagiarism, provided that such88www.broward.eduexamples do not conflict with the intent of thispolicy.Breaches of Broward Community College's policyon academic honesty may result in academicpenalties and/or disciplinary action. At thediscretion of the instructor, academic penaltiesmay include, but are not limited to, a failing gradefor a particular assignment or a failing grade forthe course. In addition, the instructor or anotherBCC employee may refer a student to the Dean ofStudent Affairs for student disciplinary action inaccordance with the BCC Student Handbook.Such discipline may include suspension orexpulsion from the College.Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act(FERPA)The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act(FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is aFederal law that protects the privacy of studenteducation records. The law applies to all schoolsthat receive funds under an applicable program ofthe U.S. Department of Education.FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect totheir children's education records. These rightstransfer to the student when he or she reaches theage of 18 or attends a school beyond the highschool level. Students to whom the rights havetransferred are "eligible students."Parents or eligible students have the right toinspect and review the student's education recordsmaintained by the school. Schools are not requiredto provide copies of records unless, for reasonssuch as great distance, it is impossible for parentsor eligible students to review the records. Schoolsmay charge a fee for copies.Parents or eligible students have the right torequest that a school correct records which theybelieve to be inaccurate or misleading. If theschool decides not to amend the record, theparent or eligible student then has the right to aformal hearing. After the hearing, if the school stilldecides not to amend the record, the parent oreligible student has the right to place a statementwith the record setting forth his or her view aboutthe contested information.Generally, schools must have written permissionfrom the parent or eligible student in order torelease any information from a student's educationCatalog 2007-2008Broward Community College
School officials with legitimate educationalinterest; Other schools to which a student istransferring; Specified officials for audit or evaluationpurposes; Appropriate parties in connection withfinancial aid to a student; Organizations conducting certain studies foror on behalf of the school; Accrediting
82 www.broward.edu Catalog 2007-2008 Broward Community College General Academic Information Academic Honors The College recognizes exceptional scholastic achievement at the end of each regular term and posts them to transcripts and grade reports. The President's List includes the names of
