These regulations pertain to Los Medanos College
as permitted under Governing Board Policy 4001 and Title 5 of the
California Administrative Code. A full text
of these policies are on file in each of the college administrative offices.
Attendance
Students are expected to be punctual and attend all courses in which they are
enrolled. Students may be dropped by the instructor for failure to attend
class in the following circumstances: 1) Failure to attend first class meeting.
2) Absence from three consecutive weeks of instruction.
3) At any point when it is concluded that
absences have irretrievably affected the student’s progress
in their coursework.
Grades should not be used as punishment for absences. However,
academic grades may be lowered to the degree that instructors can
estimate the loss of cognitive, affective, or skills learning due
to student absences.
Equally, students can expect the instructors also to be punctual
in their attendance. Instructors have a professional obligation
to enforce this institutional policy within the dictates of their
particular courses and within the bounds of professional discretion.
If a cancellation notice for that meeting has not been posted
and the instructor has not arrived, students are automatically
dismissed without penalty 15 minutes after the scheduled course
starting time. If a course session started late, the instructor
should still dismiss as scheduled.
To protect student rights against instructor error and opportunity
and to explain mitigating circumstances, the due process of appeal
will follow this order:
1) To the instructor;
2) If necessary, to the instructor and appropriate Dean;
3) In unusual cases, to the instructor, appropriate Dean
and the President.
All courses have a final examination appropriate to the type
of course.
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Grading
The evaluation in college-level courses is a prime responsibility
of the instructor. Such evaluation involves the measurements
of achievement against the objectives
of the course and the assignment of a grade to denote the student’s
degree of success.
The grade, as submitted by the instructor,
shall be considered final and permanent. Grades cannot be changed
by submitting additional
course work or taking examinations after the semester (or term)
is completed. Under state law, the instructor’s determination
is final unless the grade given was the result of 1) mistake, 2)
fraud, 3) bad faith, or 4) incompetency. (Ed Code Secion 76224.)
No grade may be challenged more than one year after the end of
the session in which the grade was assigned. For information on
the Policy regarding grade challenges, contact the Student Affairs
Center, Room 800A, Ext. 199.
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Final Grades
Final grades can be accessed at the end of a term, immediately following instructor
grade-entry online.
Students can learn their final grades in two ways:
- by calling the touch
tone phone registration system at (925) 370-9000
- by visiting
the college web site, www.losmedanos.edu. Go into the student menu
on WebAdvisor and click on “Grades”.
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Honors Status
Full-time students who achieve a term grade point average of
3.0 or better in 12 or more units of graded courses are recognized
with honors status.
Notation of this academic achievement is printed on the student’s permanent
record.
Alpha Gamma Sigma Alpha Gamma Sigma (AGS) is the California Community
College Honor Scholarship Society. As a statewide community college
organization, it has the purpose of fostering, promoting, maintaining,
and recognizing scholastic achievement.
For information on eligibility requirements and benefits available
for members in good standing, contact Hope Siino, Chapter Advisor,
in Room 236 or extension 345.
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Evaluative Symbols/Grading Scale
| Symbol |
Definition |
Grade Points |
| A |
Excellent |
4 |
| B |
Good |
3 |
| C |
Satisfactory |
2 |
| D |
Passing, less than satisfactory |
1 |
| F |
Failing |
0 |
| CR |
Credit (at least satisfactory -- C or better ) |
Units awarded not counted in GPA |
| NC |
No Credit (less than satisfactory or failing) |
Units not counted in GPA |
Credit/No Credit Grade Option
The purpose of the credit/no-credit (CR/NC) option is to allow students to
take challenging courses while avoiding undue concern for their grade point
averages. Students who select this option are, however, expected to complete
the course, comply with attendance requirements, and comply with all other
requirements of the course.
Selected courses have been labeled with “SC” to
indicate student choice for the CR/NC option. If students do
not choose
the CR/NC option before the deadline, they will be issued a letter
grade for the course. It is often best to discuss this choice with
a counselor.
In order to exercise this option, a petition must be filed with
the Admissions and Records Office at the time of registration or
no later than the end of the fifth week of the semester for a full-semester
class. Petitions for summer session and short-term courses must
be filed within the first thirty percent of the course. After the
deadline has passed, the grading choice may not be reversed.
Important information related to the CR/NC
option:
- A CR grade represents a letter grade of A, B, or C
- A NC grade represents a D or F letter grade
- Units earned on
a CR/NC basis will
not be used to calculate
grade point averages
- Units
attempted
for
which
NC
is
recorded
will
be
considered
in
factoring
probation
and
dismissal
status
- Units
earned
on
a
CR/NC
basis
will
apply
to
the
60
units
required
for
an
associate
degree
- Students
should
be
aware
that
other
colleges
and
universities
may
or
may
not
limit
the
number
of
CR
units
that
will
be
accepted
from
transfer
students.
Los Medanos College offers:
1) Some courses solely for a credit/no credit (CR/NC)
grade
2) Some courses solely for a standard letter grade
3) Some courses in which the student may choose to complete
the course for either a credit/no credit (CR/NC) grade OR a
standard letter grade (SC).
Courses offered as “CR/NC” or “SC” are
identified in the course description section of the catalog.
Non-Evaluative Symbols
I Incomplete: Incompletes will be given only in the event
of an unforeseeable emergency and justifiable reasons at the end
of a term; student must be passing course to be eligible for incomplete;
student cannot re-enroll in the course to complete pending assignments,
projects or exams. A final grade is assigned when the work has
been completed or after one year, unless a petition for time extension
has been approved by the Director of Admissions and Records and
the instructor.
IP In Progress: The course extends
beyond the end of the academic term. The grade and credit is
assigned on the student’s
record for the term in which the course is completed.
RD Report Delayed: A temporary notation to be replaced
by a permanent symbol.
W Withdrawal: A withdrawal reported
to the Admissions Office during the first four weeks of instruction
(or 30 per cent
of instruction in summer intersession and short-term classes) is
recorded as a “W”’ but is not printed on the student’s
official academic record.
A written withdrawal notice filed in the Admissions
Office between the end of the fourth week of instruction and
the end of the fourteenth
week of instruction (or 31-75 per cent of instruction in summer
intersession and short-term classes) is noted on the student’s
printed academic record as a “W.”
The printed academic record of a student who
has not officially withdrawn from a class within the time described
above must reflect
an authorized symbol other than a “W.” A student with
extenuating circumstances may petition for a “W” after
the deadline for withdrawal. Extenuating circumstances are verified
cases of accident, illness, or other circumstances beyond the control
of the student.
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Withdrawal and Drop Policy
Upon entering Los Medanos College students assume the responsibility of completing
each course in which they are enrolled.
Students are advised that adding or withdrawing from a course
is their responsibility to process through the Admissions Office.
Withdrawal is not an automatic process. Students
who do not attend classes should not assume the instructor has
dropped them from
a class. Students who do not drop, or are not dropped by the instructor
within the first 75% of the course are subject to an ‘F’ grade.
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Probation and Dismissal
Definition of Terms
Units Attempted: A, B, C, D, and F (for calculation of GPA).
Units Enrolled: A, B, C, D, F, W, I, CR, and NC (for calculation
of progress).
Consecutive Semester: The order shown on academic record including
summer session.
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Academic
Academic Probation: Cumulative GPA under 2.0 with 12
cumulative units attempted.
Removal from Academic Probation: Cumulative GPA 2.0 or better.
Academic Dismissal: Three consecutive semesters of Academic
Probation unless most recent semester GPA is 2.25 or higher.
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Progress
Progress Probation: With 9 cumulative “units enrolled,” 50
per cent or more are W, I, and/or NC.
Removal from Progress Probation: W, I, and/or
NC units are less than 50 per cent of cumulative “units
enrolled.”
Progress Dismissal: Three consecutive semesters
of Progress Probation unless most recent semester W’s, I’s, and/or
NC’s are under 50 per cent of “units enrolled.”
Notification of Probation and Dismissal
Students on probation or dismissal are notified as soon as possible but not
later than the end of the following term.
All students receiving a probationary notice will be required
to appear for special counseling and advisement before being allowed
to register for the semester after receipt of the probationary
notice.
Reinstatement for Academic or Progress Dismissal
A student may appeal his/her dismissal status by making an appointment to see
a counselor prior to the deadline date that is stated in the letter of notification.
The Director of Enrollment Management will review all appeals for possible
reinstatement. If reinstated, a student is subject to continued probation
or dismissal policies.
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Credit Accepted at Los Medanos College
Other College
Lower-division credit from any educational institution
accredited by the United States Regional Accrediting Association,
as listed in the American Association of Collegiate Registrars
and Admissions Officers Publication may be accepted.
Military Experience
1) Applicable lower-division credit for verified completion
of special military schools, as recommended by Guide to the Evaluation
of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services, published by
American Council on Education.
2) Six units of elective credit toward the associate degree
for honorably discharged veterans, upon verification of completion
of a basic or recruit training program with the U.S. Armed
Forces.
Credit by Examination
Credit by examination may be granted to eligible students, as authorized by
California Administrative Code, Title V, Sections 55750 and 55752, and Board
Policy 4001. The credit by examination process provides an alternate means
of receiving credit for designated courses offered at Los Medanos College
(LMC).
Eligibility:
1) The student must be currently enrolled at LMC.
2) The student must have completed a minimum of six units
in good standing (overall 2.0 GPA) at LMC.
3) The student may make only one attempt of credit by examination,
per course.
4) The student may be approved for no more than 30 units
of credit by examination.
5) Credit by examination may not be attempted for a course
lower in a sequence of courses than what has already been completed
by the student.
6) Courses that may be challenged will only be those that
are on the approved credit by examination list, available in
the Admissions Office.
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Course Repetition to Improve Grade Point Average
Courses are not normally repeatable unless noted within the course descriptions listed in the college catalog. However, with written approval of the Director of Admissions & Records, a course taken at Los Medanos College in which a grade of ‘D’, ‘F’, or ‘NC’ was earned may be repeated one time for the purpose of improving the grade.
When a course is repeated under these circumstances, only the new grade will be used to factor into the student’s cumulative grade point average. Although the original grade will remain on the student’s academic history, credit will only be applied one time. Course repetition to improve the grade point average can only be applied one time to a given course. Course repetition cannot be used to make up an incomplete (I) grade.
Exceptions to the course repetition policy:
- Repetition is necessary for legally mandated training. Such courses may be repeated any number of times, regardless of previously recorded grades and each grade will be included for purposes of calculating the student’s grade point average.
- Curriculum changes have occurred.
- Student’s previous grades are result of documented circumstances beyond his/her control.
- Students who have received two substandard grades or “W’s” or any combination in the same Biology 40, 45 or 50 course will be blocked from future enrollment in that course. Students may appeal the block using the Course Repetition Appeal Process.
Academic Renewal Without Course Repetition
A student’s performance under certain circumstances may not reflect the
student’s true academic ability. Academic renewal provides for the removal
of previously recorded substandard grade points and units, not reflective of
a student’s demonstrated scholastic ability. In such cases, a student
may petition the Director of Admissions and Records to have prior D or F grades
disregarded in computing grade point average. Petitions are available at the
Admissions Office. The following provisions apply:
- Immediately following the semester of course work to be alleviated,
the student must have completed at least 20 units with ‘C’ grades
or better at LMC or any other accredited college or university;
- There
is no time limit for academic renewal
- The units to be alleviated
may not exceed 15 units; and
- The student’s transcript will
reflect the adjustment for academic renewal by annotation in
a manner that shows the
complete academic history.
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Rights of Instructors
Los Medanos College instructors have the following rights:
1) The right to drop students who fail to attend the
first meeting of any course.
2) The right to deny permission to use a tape recorder in
class.
3) The right to send a withdrawal notice when students are
absent during three consecutive weeks of instruction or when
students are tardy to the degree that classes and learning
opportunities are disrupted.
4) The right to send a withdrawal notice
at any point that the instructor concludes that absences have
irretrievably affected
a student’s progress in a course.
5) The right to remove a student from a single course session
and one following for conduct disturbing to the class or the
instructor.
6) The right to recommend suspension of a student.
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