If you have completed fewer than 13 cumulative credit hours at ACC and earned a cumulative GPA less than 2.0 you will be placed on academic alert.

The Registrar will notify you if you are placed on academic alert; the notification may be made via email to your student email account or regular USPS mail to your address on file.

Academic Probation

If you have completed at least 13 cumulative credit hours at ACC you must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0. Transfer credits from other institutions will not be calculated in the GPA. A cumulative GPA lower than 2.0 means you will be on academic probation.

The Registrar will notify you if you are placed on academic probation; the notification may be made via email to your student email account or regular USPS mail to your address on file. Probation will be in effect until your ACC cumulative GPA reaches a minimum of 2.0. The status is specific to the home institution and does not transfer or impact your academic standing at other Colorado community colleges. Academic Probation/Suspension rules do not apply to Developmental Studies courses.

Probation (initial): Cumulative GPA less than 2.0 for all classes completed in residence when 13 hours have been attempted.
Probation (continuing): Cumulative GPA less than 2.0 for all classes completed in residence and last semester GPA greater than 2.0.

Academic Suspension

While on academic probation, you must maintain a minimum semester GPA of 2.0 based on hours completed for EACH semester of attendance. If you fall below the 2.0 semester GPA for any semester while on probation you will be placed on academic suspension. If you are placed on academic suspension, all classes for which you are registered in future semester(s) will be dropped.

The Registrar will notify you if you are placed on academic suspension; the notification may be made via email to your student email account or regular USPS mail to your address on file.

Suspension denies you enrollment in credit courses at ACC for the next semester following the first suspension (Summer semester excluded), for the next two semesters following the second suspension (Summer semester excluded) and for the next two years (Summer semesters excluded) following the third suspension.

If you are on academic suspension you must petition for re-entry after sitting out your suspension period (as described above) by submitting an Academic Suspension Appeal / Petition for Re-Entry Form (available online at www.arapahoe.edu/admissions/forms) to the Director of Advising and Retention 30 days prior to the start of the term for which you want to return. You must complete the Academic Suspension Appeal / Petition for Re-Entry Form with an Advisor prior to submitting it to the Director. The Director will review your appeal and make a final decision (denial or approval).

Appeal of Academic Suspension

If you have unusual circumstances of a compelling nature, you may appeal your academic suspension by submitting an Academic Suspension Appeal / Petition for Re-Entry Form (available online at www.arapahoe.edu/admissions/forms) to the Director of Advising and Retention by the appeal deadline listed in your academic suspension notification letter. You must complete the Academic Suspension Appeal / Petition for Re-Entry Form with an Advisor prior to submitting it to the Director. The Director will review your appeal and make a final decision (denial or approval). If your appeal is approved, you may enroll under Probationary (continuing) status. Your academic standing is specific to the home institution and does not transfer or impact your academic standing at other Colorado community colleges.

Academic Renewal

Academic Renewal allows for a one-time exclusion of a maximum of 30 semester hours of credit from the calculation of the cumulative grade point average. Academic Renewal may be awarded for prior deficient or failing grades earned in ACC coursework.

The following criteria apply for Academic Renewal:

Up to 30 hours can be excluded from GPA, but those grades will remain on your transcript.
You must be out of school for a minimum of two years to be eligible for Academic Renewal.
You must be enrolled and have completed at least six hours with a minimum 2.0 GPA since returning to ACC.
You can only apply once for Academic Renewal, which is not reversible.
The original grade received will remain on the official transcript. The following note will be added to the official transcript: "Academic Renewal Awarded (excluded from GPA)."

To request Academic Renewal, students who meet the criteria must meet with an Advisor and submit the completed Academic Renewal Request form (available online at www.arapahoe.edu/admissions/forms).

Add & Drop

Adding a Class

For most courses, you have until the Census (add / drop) date to add the course. The Census (add / drop) date is established at the first 15% of the course term.

Dropping a Class

If you drop a course by the course census (add/drop) date (the first 15 percent of the class term), you will receive a full refund of tuition and fees for that dropped course. Students may access their Detailed Student Schedule via myACC to view the census (add/drop) deadline for their course(s).

You can drop online at www.arapahoe.edu by accessing myACC or by submitting a Schedule Adjustment Form to Information Central prior to the census (add/drop) date. No refunds are granted after the census date for a course.

Drop for Non-Attendance

You are expected to attend all classes. If you do not attend any class sessions between the start of the course and the census (drop) date of the course, you may be identified as a "no-show" by the faculty member and dropped from the course. Being dropped as a no-show student can have significant negative consequences for students using financial aid and / or veterans benefits. If you are identified as a no-show student and dropped from a course, you may not be re-registered in that same section.

Attendance in an online course is defined as accessing the course and completing at least one academic activity. What constitutes an academic activity may vary from course to course based on the uniqueness of each course.

Instructors will inform you of their individual attendance policies. If you miss too many sessions you may be advised to withdraw from a course.

Attendance

You are expected to attend all classes. If you do not attend any class sessions between the start of the course and the census (drop) date of the course, and the faculty identifies you as a "no-show", you will be dropped from the course. Being dropped as a no-show student can have significant negative consequences for students using financial aid and / or veterans benefits. If you are identified as a no-show student and dropped from a course, you may not be re-registered in that same section.

Instructors will inform you of their individual attendance policies. If you miss too many sessions you may be advised to withdraw from a course.

Auditing

You may take a course without earning credit, but you will be charged full tuition and fees (COF not applicable). You can request to audit a course or change back to credit status through the census (add / drop) deadline of the course with Instructor permission. Audit students are expected to follow attendance and withdrawal policies. No credit is earned for courses taken by audit. Courses taken by audit are not eligible for the College Opportunity Fund, financial aid or veterans’ educational benefits. To audit a course, a Course Audit Request must be submitted; the form is available online at www.arapahoe.edu/admissions/forms.

Credit for Prior Learning

You may be able to earn credit for your non-college or experience-based learning attained outside the sponsorship of accredited postsecondary education institutions. Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) includes learning acquired from work and life experiences; correspondence and extension courses; individual study and reading; civic, community and volunteer work; and participation in formal courses and in-service training sponsored by associations, business, government and industry. CPL is not awarded for experience but for college-level learning, which entails knowledge, skills and competencies that you obtained as a result of prior learning experiences. ACC may award a maximum of 50% of credit requirements toward a degree or certificate (maximum of 25% may be used for Portfolio method) for prior learning.

Prior learning credit will be awarded only to courses listed in the ACC Catalog. No letter grade is assigned for prior learning credits. Students must be enrolled in at least one credit hour to seek CPL. Credits granted through prior learning are not eligible for financial aid or veterans’ education assistance. CPL may not be applied to courses in the core general education curriculum for the purpose of determining whether the core curriculum has been completed and the transcript should be stamped "core program completed."

Fifty percent of degree requirements may be earned through a combination of the following four methods available for awarding Credit for Prior Learning: Standardized Tests, Institutional Challenge Examinations, Industry Certifications, Published Guides and Portfolios.

National standardized placement tests such as College Level Examination Program (CLEP), both general and subject examinations; Advanced Placement Program (AP); Defense Activity for Nontraditional Education Support program (DANTES); Regents College Exams; and other nationally recognized testing, training, licensing or certification programs will be used to assess levels of knowledge, skills and competencies. The institutional copy of official scores from the national standardized placement test must be submitted to the Admissions and Records Office.

Institutional Challenge Examinations such as objective tests, essays and oral, hands-on or simulated demonstrations will be used to evaluate the competency of students in specific courses. Institutional examinations are the equivalent of the comprehensive final examination for the courses challenged.

Experience in the Armed Forces or Industrial and Corporate Training programs may transfer in as credit after it has been evaluated through published guides.

Learning which has been acquired through work and life experiences must be substantiated through a formal portfolio assessment program. The learning must be demonstrable, must have both a theoretical and an applied component and must be college level, currently applicable and the equivalent of a specific course to the student’s certificate or degree requirements.

For more information about credit for prior learning options, call the Graduation Coordinator at 303.797.5630, or visit www.arapahoe.edu/admissions/transfer-college-credit/credit-prior-learning.

Course Substitutions

If you believe you have mastered the subject matter of a class required for your degree or certificate, you may seek to have the course(s) substituted. Obtain a Course Substitution Petition from the Graduation Coordinator / Transcript Evaluator. Substitutions must be approved by the Department Chair or Coordinator and appropriate Instructional Dean. Credit is not granted by a substitution; the petition must include how the credit requirement will be satisfied.

Grading Systems

The Admissions and Records Office keeps a permanent academic record of your college progress. If you are attending ACC under VA benefits, we advise you to study the section on Grades and Veterans’ Benefits in the following pages.

Letter Grades

We use a grading system to evaluate the level of your academic achievement. The following grades are awarded for each course and entered on your academic record.

A	Superior
B	Above Average Achievement
C	Average
D	Deficient, but passing
F	Failure
I	Incomplete
S	Satisfactory Completion
U	Unsatisfactory Completion
CR	Credit
S/A	Satisfactory (A-level) work in a developmental course
S/B	Satisfactory (B-level) work in a developmental course
S/C	Satisfactory (C-level) work in a developmental course
U/D	Unsatisfactory (D-level) work in a developmental course
U/F	Unsatisfactory (F-level) work in a developmental course

These symbols may also appear on your academic records, but they are not awarded by an Instructor:

AU	Audit
AW	Administrative Withdrawal.
CNG	Conversion – No Grade
CPL	Credit for Prior Learning
W	Withdrawal
SP	Placeholder – Satisfactory Progress
Z	Placeholder – Grade not yet reported

Guidelines for Grades and Symbols

ACC faculty use the following guidelines to establish grading criteria. They may be applied differently according to program requirements.

Grade A – Superior

The student has demonstrated superior mastery of achievement of course objectives.

Grade B – Above Average Achievement

The student has demonstrated better-than-acceptable mastery of the course objectives and/or additional objectives.

Grade C – Average

The student has demonstrated acceptable mastery or achievement of the course objectives.

Grade D – Deficient but Passing Grade

The student has demonstrated less-than-acceptable mastery or achievement of course objectives. In some programs it may be necessary to repeat the course in order to advance, as D-level achievement is not satisfactory for advancement in the same or related studies. Credit may not transfer.

Grade F – Failure

The student remained enrolled in the course but has not demonstrated achievement of course objectives.

I – Incomplete

An incomplete may be given to students who, because of illness or circumstances beyond their control, are unable to complete their coursework within the semester. An Incomplete is given only if the student has completed at least 80% of the term with a "C" or better and has provided evidence to the Instructor that they are unable to continue.

A faculty member enters the Incomplete online, along with the incomplete final grade and extension date. The student can view the assigned Incomplete Final Grade and Extension Date on the unofficial transcript, available via myACC.

Incomplete Final Grade is the grade the student will earn if they submit no additional work.
Extension Date is the maximum amount of time that a student has to complete the course requirements.

The faculty emails the student at their student email address confirming that the Incomplete grade has been posted, what work the student needs to complete, and the Extension Date for the work to be completed. This email serves as the contract between the faculty and student for the Incomplete and must detail:

Work that the student must submit to complete the course.
The time period in which the work must be completed (not to exceed the following semester – Summer excluded), and
The grade to be assigned if the work is not completed. The grade assigned by the Instructor will be posted on the transcript and the "I" removed if the work is not completed in the time period established on the form.
To remove an Incomplete and have it replaced with a grade, following the successful completion of the course requirements; the faculty must submit a Removal of Incomplete form to the Admissions & Records Office.

AU – Audit

Some students prefer to "audit" a course for self-enrichment or review without earning a grade or college credit. You can request to audit by submitting the Course Audit Request Form to Information Central by the census (add / drop) date for the course.

Courses taken by audit are not eligible for the College Opportunity Fund, financial aid or veterans’ educational benefits.

AW – Administrative Withdrawal

College administration withdrew the student from these courses. These courses are not calculated in hours completed or GPA.

SP – Placeholder - Satisfactory Progress

This symbol is used in limited situations. If the course is not completed by the date it should end, a grade of ‘F’ will be posted.

W – Withdrawal

You may withdraw from a class at any time within the first 80 percent of the class term; you may withdraw online by accessing myACC, the student information system, at Information Central or the Admissions and Records Office. Once withdrawn from a course, the student may not be re-registered back into the same section of that course during that semester. The class will still appear on your transcript along with a "W" grade. However, a "W" will not affect your credit or cumulative GPA. Students who do not officially withdraw by the deadline date will be graded by the Instructor. A "W" cannot be submitted by a faculty member as a final grade.

The College may initiate withdrawal in some instances, such as death, veteran non-attendance, or disciplinary action, or if the student does not meet the specific prerequisite(s).

Z – Placeholder - Grade not yet reported

No grade has been submitted by Instructor. Should a grade not be submitted by the end of the next term, a grade of ‘F’ will be posted.

Grade Point Average

Grade Point Average calculation

Grade points indicate the achievement for the number of credits completed. To calculate a grade point average, multiply the course credits by the grade points for the grade earned. Total the course credits and total the grade points. Divide the total grade points by the total course credits. The result is your GPA.

Grade	Points
A	4
B	3
C	2
D	1
F	0

2. Only the credits and grade points you earn at ACC will be used to compute the semester and cumulative GPA appearing on your ACC transcript.
3. Grades awarded for developmental courses (courses numbered under 100) will not be included in a student’s grade point average. Grading for developmental courses will utilize the Developmental grade mode (S/A, S/B, S/C, U/D, U/F). The credits will count toward earned and attempted credits. GPA’s for term recognition such as President’s List and Dean’s List will not include developmental courses in the calculation.

Term Academic Honors

If you complete a minimum of 12 credits during the semester you can achieve honors designations on your transcripts as follows:

President’s List – 4.0 term GPA

Vice President’s List – 3.75 to 3.99 term GPA

Dean’s List – 3.5 to 3.74 term GPA

Grade Corrections

Grades are not grievable.
If you find omissions or errors in your grade report, ask the Admissions and Records Office to review the record.
If you find a computational error or you wish to have an I (Incomplete) converted to a letter grade, notify your Instructor of the appropriate department. All requests to review errors must be filed within one year from the end of the course; requests made after one year will not be considered.

Grade Reports

Your grades will be available to you after grades are posted at the end of each semester. You may access your grades online at www.arapahoe.edu by accessing myACC.

Grades & VA Benefits

Grades and Veteran Benefits

If you are eligible to receive veteran educational benefits, you must make sufficient academic progress to retain your full educational benefits. Your cumulative GPA will be computed by your A, B, C, D, F and S grades. Grades of "I" or "U" are reported to the VA Regional Office as non-punitive grades. The VA may deny some of your benefits for the semester you received an "I" or "U" grade, unless those grades are corrected by the end of the next regular semester. Under "mitigating circumstances," you may appeal this decision.

Grades of "W" are also reported to the VA Office and include the date of withdrawal. Once again, you may be denied some of your benefits, unless your mitigating circumstances are accepted by the VA.

VA students must earn at least a 2.0 GPA each semester or risk being placed on probation. Those who do not improve their grades by the end of the next semester may be subject to suspension of their benefits.

If your benefits are suspended, reinstate them by 1) undergoing academic progress counseling with Advising, or 2) completing a semester of credit hours equal or greater to the hours you were taking in the semester your benefits were terminated. The VA will certify payment if your cumulative GPA for the semester is 2.0 or above.

Veterans are not awarded benefits for courses assigned an "AU" (Audit) designation or for credit awarded through prior learning (i.e. portfolio, challenge, etc.).

You are responsible for keeping the Veteran Services Coordinator (Room M2330) informed of any changes in your enrollment status, address and/or phone number while attending ACC. You must make sure that the classes you are registered for apply toward your degree. Failure to do so may affect payment of your monthly benefits.

Repeat Courses

You may repeat any course; however, all records of the course(s) and grades will remain on your transcript. A new grade will be recorded under the following guidelines:

If you complete the repeat of a course after June 1, 1987 and before August 27, 2006, you can request that the original course and grade have a notation under the course title which reads "Repeat (excluded from GPA)." If you do not make this request, all instances of the course will remain on the transcript and be calculated into the GPA. For graduation purposes, a course will only count once within any single degree or certificate program and will be "flagged" as repeated during the degree check process.
If you repeat a course beginning Fall semester, 2006, the highest grade will be used in the GPA calculation. There will be no limitations on course grades that are eligible to repeat.
All credit hours earned for initial and repeated courses will be deducted from students remaining College Opportunity Fund Stipend eligible hours.

Repeated courses may be applied only one time to a certificate or degree, except for variable credit courses and other designated courses, such as Special topics.

Make your request to have the previous instance of a course flagged as a repeat by submitting the Repeat / Exclude from GPA form, available online at www.arapahoe.edu/admissions/forms.

Student Bill of Rights

The General Assembly implemented the Student Bill of Rights (C.R.S. 23-1-125) to assure that students enrolled in public institutions of higher education have the following rights:

A quality general education experience that develops competencies in reading, writing, mathematics, technology and critical thinking through an integrated arts and science experience.
Students should be able to complete their Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree programs in no more than sixty credit hours or their baccalaureate programs in no more than one hundred twenty credit hours, unless there are additional degree requirements recognized by the commission.
A student can sign a two-year or four-year graduation agreement that formalizes a plan for that student to obtain a degree in two or four years, unless there are additional degree requirements recognized by the commission.
Students have a right to clear and concise information concerning which courses must be completed successfully to complete their degrees.
Students have a right to know which courses are transferable among the state public two- and four-year institutions of higher education.
Students, upon successful completion of core general education courses, should have those courses satisfy the core course requirements of all Colorado public institutions of higher education.
Students have a right to know if courses from one or more public higher education institutions satisfy the student’s graduation requirements.

A student’s credit for the completion of the core requirements and core courses shall not expire for ten years from the date of initial enrollment and shall be transferable.

Student Rights, Freedoms and Responsibilities

Through its procedures, Arapahoe Community College (ACC) ensures the rights of all its students to pursue their educational objectives. The ACC community includes students who are enrolled in ACC courses for credit or non-credit courses, including Community Education courses. The ACC community also includes faculty, staff, administrators and guests.

A student is subject to two sources of authority: College authority and civil-criminal authority. ACC also expects students who are enrolled in specialized programs to follow the standards specified in their respective program handbooks (e.g., Nursing, Law Enforcement Academy and Emergency Medical Technician).

Judicial processes, including code of conduct, academic honesty statement and grievance procedures are stated in the ACC Student Handbook. The Handbook is available in the Student Affairs Office, Room M2820 or at http://www.arapahoe.edu/campus-life/student-handbook . For answers to specific questions, contact the Director of Student Affairs and Support Services.

Graduation

We are ready to help in any way, but you bear the responsibility for fulfilling your graduation requirements. We encourage you to file your graduation application 12 months prior to your projected term of graduation or at least by the semester deadline before you plan to graduate. Please check that you have completed at least 50 percent of your degree or certificate before filing your graduation application.

Utilize DegreeCheck, available via myACC, to monitor progress toward your degree or certificate. You can informally check on your degree/certificate through the Office of Advising.

Occasionally, degree requirements change. You will be allowed; however, to go by the requirements listed in any Catalog published while you were a student, with the following conditions:

You must select from a Catalog that contains your program
You cannot combine Catalogs
If you have not attended ACC for 365 days or more, you must reapply for admission and may only select from Catalogs in effect after your re-admittance
You cannot use a Catalog more than six academic years old at the time of your graduation.

To obtain a degree or certificate from ACC, you must:

File an application for graduation, available online at www.arapahoe.edu/graduation. Deadline Dates are: Summer Semester - June 30; Fall Semester - October 31; Spring Semester - March 15
Achieve a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or better in coursework applicable to your degree. Some programs also have minimum "C" grade requirements.
Fulfill the published course and program requirements applicable to your degree or certificate.
If Physical Education is a requirement for your degree, you may also meet this requirement through active military service. Credit will be awarded as recommended by the ACE guide. This requirement may also be substituted, if:
1. You submit a medical exemption from your physician, chiropractor or podiatrist to the Admissions and Records Office
2. You are 35 years of age or older at the time of your most recent admission to the College, unless specifically required by your program
3. If you are using a Catalog for your graduation requirements that was in effect before your 35th birthday, you must satisfy the physical education requirement (if this requirement is to be substituted, you must complete the appropriate credit to substitute for physical education).
Fulfill published degree or certificate residency requirements in any of the following ways:
1. Complete all of your program requirements at ACC or
2. Complete a minimum of 25% of credits required for your degree or certificate at ACC*.
3. *Certain degree and certificate programs may have more restrictive residency and / or transfer credit requirements.

If you wish to enroll in additional courses at ACC after you graduate from your declared program of study, you will need to declare a new major.

Special Graduation Considerations

There is a specific policy (AP9-9) governing the awarding of multiple degrees. Before beginning a second degree, please request a copy of the policy from the Graduation Coordinator.

Content in a course may change as new information or technology becomes available. Some changes are so critical that dated courses may no longer satisfy current requirements for the degree or certificate. Courses taken within the six year Catalog limit will not be subject to this review unless otherwise specified in the Catalog by the department.

If any of the following apply to you, please refer to the appropriate sections of this Catalog for specific requirements and limitations:

Credit for Prior Learning
ROTC Credit
Developmental Studies Courses

Graduation Checklist

If you complete your degree and/or certificate requirements, you may receive your diploma(s) in the semester in which you satisfy the requirements, provided you complete the graduation application process below.

A full semester before you intend to graduate:

		View your DegreeCheck program audit available online via myACC to ensure all requirements are completed or in progress.
		Complete and submit a Graduation Application online at www.arapahoe.edu/graduation.
		Verify your address on file with ACC by logging into myACC or by calling the Admissions and Records Office at 303.797.5621.
		Expect an e-mail, sent to your student e-mail account, from the Graduation Coordinator officially informing you of your remaining requirements.
		Initiate any Course Substitution Petitions.
		If qualified and interested, join Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.

Commencement Ceremony:

Students are encouraged to participate in the annual Commencement ceremony held each May. Students must indicate their interest in participating in the Commencement Ceremony on the Graduation Application.

ACC graduation and commencement are two separate events. Graduation is the actual conferral of degrees/certificates and the mailing of diplomas. Commencement is the ceremony that celebrates graduation.

During the following Spring Semester (in which you intend to walk at Commencement):

		Update your contact information (mail, email, telephone) with the ACC if necessary (see above).
		Summer, Fall and Spring semester graduating students who indicated on their graduation application that they were interested in participating in the commencement ceremony, should expect to receive detailed ceremony information at their student e-mail address by the second week of March. If you do not receive information by the third week of March, call the Graduation Coordinator at 303.797.5630.
		The annual commencement ceremony will be at Orchard Road Christian Center with unlimited guest seating. The ceremony date is listed on the Academic Calendar.
		Purchase your cap, gown and tassel for the ceremony from the Bookstore on the date(s) published in the ceremony information packet.
		Expect to receive additional information at your student e-mail address by the end of April with instructions for the day of the ceremony. If you do not receive an e-mail, call the Graduation Coordinator at 303.797.5630.

Within 6 weeks after the Ceremony:

Expect to receive a proof of your graduation photo and order form from the photographer so you may place an order. If you do not receive this after six weeks, and you want to see your photo, contact the photographer listed in your information packet.

Graduation Honors

Graduation honors recognize outstanding academic achievement throughout a student’s academic career at the home institution. The honors are awarded to students who complete the requirements for an Associate Degree and earn a 3.5 or better cumulative grade point average at the institution. Only college level courses completed at the institution will be included in the GPA calculation. Students must earn 30 degree-applicable credit hours in residence at ACC to be eligible for graduation honors. The three levels of recognition are defined as follows and will be posted on the student’s transcript.

CUM LAUDE ("with honor"):

3.50 to 3.749 Cumulative GPA

MAGNA CUM LAUDE ("with great honor"):

3.75 to 3.99 Cumulative GPA

SUMMA CUM LAUDE ("with highest honor"):

4.00 Cumulative GPA

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