Board Policy

References: Education Code Sections 70901(b), 70902(b), and 78016; Title 5 Sections 51000, 51022, 55100, 55130, and 55150; U.S. Department of Education regulations on the Integrity of Federal Student Financial Aid Programs under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended 34 Code of Federal Regulations Sections 600.2, 602.24, 603.24, and 668.8; ACCJC Accreditation Standards II.A and II.A.9

The programs and curricula of the District shall be of high quality, relevant to community and student needs, and evaluated regularly to ensure quality and currency. To that end, the Chancellor shall establish administrative procedures for the development and review of all curricular offerings, including their establishment, modification, or discontinuance.

These administrative procedures shall include:

• appropriate involvement of the faculty and Academic Senate in all processes;
• regular review and justification of programs and course descriptions;
• opportunities for training for persons involved in aspects of curriculum development and review; and
• Consideration of job market and other related information for vocational and occupational programs.

All new programs and program deletions shall be approved by the Board.

All new programs shall be submitted to the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office for approval as required.

Individual degree-applicable credit courses offered as part of a permitted educational program shall be approved by the Board. Non-degree-applicable credit and degreeapplicable courses that are not part of an existing approved program must satisfy the conditions authorized by Title 5 regulations and shall be approved by the Board.

Credit Hour

Consistent with federal regulations applicable to federal financial aid eligibility, the District shall assess and designate each of its programs as either a “credit hour” program or a “clock hour” program.

The Chancellor will establish procedures, which prescribe the definition of “credit hour” consistent with applicable federal regulations, as they apply to community college districts.

The Chancellor shall establish procedures to assure that curriculum at the District complies with the definition of “credit hour” or “clock hour,” where applicable. The Chancellor shall also establish procedure for using a clock-to-credit hour conversion formula to determine whether a credit hour program is eligible for federal financial aid. The conversion formula is used to determine whether such a credit-hour program has an appropriate minimum number of clock hours of instruction for each credit hour it claims.

References: Title 5 Sections 55002, 55002.5, 55256.5; Code of Federal Regulations: 34 CFR 668

Title 5 (§55002 and §55002.5) provides minimum hour to unit ratios and minimum unit increments at California Community Colleges. Specific hour to unit ratios and unit increments are defined locally. At West Valley and Mission College, 48-54 total student learning hours are equivalent to 1 unit of credit and the minimum unit increment is 0.5. Title 5 (§55256,5) provides specific hour to unit ratios for Cooperative Work Experience. The ratios are 75 hours of paid work experience for 1 unit of credit and 60 hours of nonpaid work experience for 1 unit of credit.

The Code of Federal Regulations defines clock hour programs (34 CFR 668). Clock hour programs are required to use the formula for calculating units of credit that is contained within the code.

References: Title 5 Sections 55002, 55100, 55130, 55150; ACCJC Accreditation Standard II.A

The West Valley Mission Community College District Chancellor shall ensure that procedures are written to establish the processes for approving individual credit and non-credit courses. Additionally, the Chancellor shall ensure that the procedures comply with Title 5 regulations and will include appropriate involvement with District faculty and the Academic Senates.

References: Title 5 Section 55061; ACCJC Accreditation Standard II.A

Courses that are designated to fulfill the general education and depth requirements shall meet the following philosophy.

The awarding of an Associate degree is intended to represent more than an accumulation of units. It is to symbolize a successful attempt on the part of the college to lead students through patterns of learning experiences designed to develop certain capabilities and insights. Among these are the ability to think and to communicate clearly and effectively both orally and in writing; to use mathematics, to understand the modes of inquiry of the major disciplines; to be aware of other cultures and times; to achieve insights gained through experience in thinking about ethical problems, and to develop the capacity for self-understanding.

In addition to these accomplishments, the student shall possess sufficient depth in some field of knowledge to contribute to lifetime interest.

Central to an Associate degree, general education is designed to introduce students to the variety of means through which people comprehend the modern world. It reflects the conviction of colleges that those who receive their degrees must possess in common certain basic principles, concepts and methodologies both unique to and shared by the various disciplines. College educated persons must be able to use this knowledge when evaluating and appreciating the physical environment, the culture, and the society in which they live. Most important, general education should lead to better understanding.

In the establishing or modifying a general education program, ways shall be sought to create coherence and integration among the separate requirements. It is also desirable that general education programs involve students actively in examining values inherent in proposed solutions to major society problems.

West Valley College and Mission College confer the Associate in Arts or Associate in Sciences degree upon a student who successfully completes the official requirements listed in the catalog of the respective Colleges. Students, who have remained in continuous attendance, as defined in the college catalogs, may elect to meet the degree requirements in effect at any time during their period of continuous attendance.

Each College shall set the course of study requirements for graduation, which conform to statute and applicable regulations and shall publish them in the College Catalog.

The Chancellor shall establish procedures to assure that courses used to meet general education and associate degree requirements meet the standards in this policy. The procedures shall provide for appropriate Academic Senate involvement.

References: Education Code Sections 66720-66744; Title 5 Section 51022(b); ACCJC Accreditation Standard II.A.10

Articulation between the Colleges with respect to curriculum is the responsibility of the departments at each College. The appropriate administrator shall ensure that such coordination will occur.

The Chancellor shall establish procedures that assure appropriate articulation of the District’s educational programs with proximate high schools and baccalaureate institutions.

The procedures also may support articulation with institutions, including other community colleges and those that are not geographically proximate, which are appropriate and advantageous for partnership with the District.

References: Education Code Section 70902(b)(3); Title 5 Sections 55060 et seq.

The District grants the degrees of Associate in Arts and Associate in Science to those students who have completed the subject requirements for graduation and who have maintained a 2.0 average in subjects attempted. Students must also complete the general education residency and competency requirements set forth in Title 5 regulations.

Students may be awarded a Certificate of Achievement upon successful completion of a minimum of 18 or more semester units of degree-applicable coursework designed as a pattern of learning experiences designed to develop certain capabilities that may be oriented to career or general education. Certificates in a program of study approved as a certificate by the State Chancellor’s Office in accordance with Title 5 regulations may also be issued.

The Chancellor shall establish procedures to determine degree and certificate requirements that rely primarily upon the recommendation of the Academic Senate of each College. The procedures shall assure that graduation requirements are published in the District's catalog(s) and included in other resources that are convenient for students.

References: Title 5 Sections 55000 (n), 55000 (w) & (y), 55023, 55023 (a) & (c), 55040, 55041, 55042, 55043, 55044, and 58161

Students are not permitted to enroll again in a credit course (also referred to as repeating or re-enrolling in a credit course) if the student received a satisfactory grade in a previous enrollment. An enrollment (attempt) occurs when a student receives an evaluative or non-evaluative symbol in a credit course. Evaluative symbols include A, B, C, D, F, P, NP, CR, FW and NC. Non-evaluative symbols include I, IP, RD, W and MW. A satisfactory grade is A, B, C, CR or P. Substandard work is course work for which the grading symbols D, F, FW, NP or NC have been recorded.

Students may attempt a course three times if a sub-standard grade was earned or non-evaluative symbols were noted. The Board has determined reasonable limitations on course repetition as described in Administrative Procedure 4225.

When course repetition occurs, the permanent academic record shall be annotated in such a manner that all work remains legible, insuring a true and complete academic history.

Course Repetition: Grade Alleviation

• A student who has earned a grade of “D,” “F,” “NP,” or “NC” in a credit course at any College in the District may repeat the course for the purpose of grade alleviation.
• A student may repeat a credit course for purposes of grade alleviation only once. A student may petition the appropriate College appeals body for permission to repeat a course more than once, but the petition will be granted only based on a finding that documented unusual circumstances exist which justify a second repetition.
• Upon satisfactory completion of the repeated course, the student may petition the Admissions and Records Office to have only the grade earned in the repeated course used in the computation of the grade point average.
• In no case will the unit value of the repeated course be counted more than once.
• The permanent academic record shall be annotated in such a way that all courses attempted will be indicated on the transcript in showing a true and complete academic history.

Course Repetition: Special Circumstances

• Under special educationally justifiable and documented extenuating circumstances, repetition of credit courses other than those for which substandard work has been recorded may be permitted. Under special circumstances, students may repeat courses in which a C or better grade was earned.
• A student may petition the appropriate College appeals body to authorize course repetition consistent with the California Code of Regulations.

The special circumstances are defined in administrative procedures.

Reference: Title 5 Section 55023

Courses shall be graded using the grading system established by Title 5.

The grading system shall be published in the college catalog(s) and made available to students.

Reference: Title 5 Section 55050

Credit may be earned by students who satisfactorily pass authorized examinations.

Credit may be earned by examination provided:

• The student is registered at the College and is in good standing
• The student can demonstrate that he/she is especially qualified, through previous training or instruction, to successfully complete such examination
• The course for which credit is desired is listed in the catalog of the College
• The course has been designated as challengeable by exam by the Department Chair in consultation with appropriate members of the department faculty within each College
• The examination is approved or prepared, administered, and graded by faculty and other proper authorities of each College.

A maximum of 12 units toward an Associate degree may be earned by courses for which credit has been earned by examination.

Credits earned by examination cannot be used to satisfy the 12-unit residence requirement for the Associate degree.

The student’s academic record shall be clearly annotated to reflect that credit was earned by examination.

A student may challenge a course for credit by examination only one time and the grade received on the examination will be recorded on the student’s permanent record.

The Chancellor shall establish administrative procedures to implement this policy.

The Chancellor is authorized to establish prerequisites, co-requisites, and advisories on recommended preparation for courses in the curriculum, upon the recommendation of the Academic Senate. All such prerequisites, co-requisites, and advisories shall be established in accordance with the standards set out in Title 5. Any prerequisites, corequisites, or advisories shall be necessary and appropriate for achieving the purpose for which they are established.

The Chancellor shall establish administrative procedures for the development and review of all prerequisites, co-requisites and advisories on recommended preparation, including their establishment, modification, or discontinuance, which rely primarily on the recommendation of the Academic Senate of each college.

The administrative procedures shall include a way to assure that courses for which prerequisites or co-requisites are established will be taught in accordance with the course outline of record, and that each section of the prerequisite or co-requisite is taught by a qualified instructor. The administrative procedures shall also include a way in which a prerequisite or co-requisite may be challenged by a student on grounds permitted by law.

To assure that they remain necessary and appropriate, prerequisites, co-requisites and advisories on recommended preparation established by the Chancellor shall be reviewed at least once each six years, except that prerequisites, co-requisites and recommended preparation for vocational courses or programs shall be reviewed every two years.

When the District chooses to use content review as defined in subdivision (c) of section 55000 to establish prerequisites, co-requisites and advisories on recommended preparation in reading, written expression or mathematics for degree-applicable courses not in a sequence, administrative procedures shall include the method to be used to identify courses to which prerequisites might be applied; assurance that courses are reasonably available to students, provisions for training for the curriculum committee; and the research to be used to determine the impact of new prerequisites based on content review.

Prerequisites, co-requisites, and advisories shall be identified in District publications available to students.

References: Title 5 Sections 51021, 55000 et seq., and 55100 et seq.; Accreditation Standard II.A; U.S. Department of Education regulations on the Integrity of Federal Student Financial Aid Programs under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended.

Program and Curriculum development is recognized as a collaborative and faculty driven process. West Valley College and Mission College shall offer curricula that meet regulatory requirements and align with the mission for the community college established by the state.

1. Each College establishes a curriculum committee, under the auspices of the Academic Senate with representatives from the academic disciplines of the College. Furthermore, the committee formulates procedures for curriculum development and review and act upon recommendations from all segments of the college concerning the establishment, modification, or discontinuance of courses or programs. Notwithstanding, the curriculum process allows for the various segments to actively participate with initiation, review, approval, and evaluation of courses and/or programs which includes modes of instruction and the range of delivery systems.
2. Actions of the curriculum committees shall be reported to the respective College President. If in concurrence with the recommendations of the curriculum committee, shall forward them to the Chancellor and the Governing Board for approval. If approved, the respective college will submit the program to the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges before the program is offered. If an educational program has been approved by the State Chancellor, the Board shall, in accordance with established procedures for curriculum development, approve individual courses that are offered as a part of the approved program.
3. The curriculum process will consist of following elements:
4. The District shall present to the Board the following program and course information and/or significant modifications for approval prior to offering programs and courses:
5. Course Title; Course Number
6. Prerequisites/Corequisites/Advisories
7. Program/Course descriptions
8. Credits/hours and supplemental hours
9. The District shall submit any program and course changes which reflect a substantial or material change for Board approval. The item shall include the information above and a written justification for the change. Changes shall be reflected in the schedule of classes, college catalog and program brochures.
10. District staff shall certify program and courses have been approved by the curriculum committee and satisfy all applicable requirements of Title 5 regulations. The certifications shall include the:
11. Approval by the Curriculum Committee
12. Approval by the Articulation Officer (if applicable)
13. Review by the Chief Instructional Officer
14. Approval by the Academic Senate
15. Review by the College President
16. Review by the District Chancellor
17. District staff shall authorize access to the listing of program and course changes to the appropriate Associated Student Organization for its review and comment.
18. Each College President shall designate one individual who will remain responsible for the following:
19. Ensuring the colleges maintain complete, written procedures for the curriculum approval process
20. Obtaining the appropriate certifications as required in this subsection
21. Maintaining adequate processes to comply with Title 5 regulations and California State Chancellor’s Office curriculum guidance
22. Evaluation of Educational Programs: The College Presidents, under direction of the Chancellor, shall provide for periodic evaluation of the educational programs of the Colleges.
23. Classification of courses
24. Credit Course Offerings:
25. “Stand-alone” credit courses that are not part of an approved educational program(s) are permitted as part of the local approval process established within the district and academic senates.
26. Non-Credit Offerings
    Courses identified for approval are identified into one of the following ten classifications of instruction areas as defined within California Education Code 84757(a):
27. Parenting, including parent cooperative preschools, classes in child growth and development and parent-child relationships
28. Elementary and secondary basic skills and other courses and classes such as remedial academic courses or classes in reading, mathematics, and language arts*
29. English as a Second Language*
30. Classes and courses for immigrants eligible for educational services in citizenship, English as Second Language, and workforce preparation classes in the basic skills of speaking, listening, reading, writing, mathematics, decision-,making ad problem solving sills and other classes required for preparation to participate in job-specific technical training.
31. Education programs for persons with substantial disabilities
32. Short-term vocational programs with high employment potential (includes apprenticeship)*
33. Education programs for older adults
34. Education programs for home economics (known as Family and Consumer Sciences
35. Health and safety education
36. Workforce preparation courses in basic skills in speaking, listening, reading, writing, mathematics, decision making and problem solving that are necessary to job specific training*.
    Four (*) of the ten noncredit categories designated as eligible for enhanced funding only if they are part of a sequence of courses or program that leads to employment or college level work.
37. Adopted program and curriculum development definitions include:
38. "Course" means an organized pattern of instruction on a specified subject offered by the West Valley-Mission Community College District.
39. "Educational Program" is an organized sequence of courses leading to a defined objective - a degree, certificate, diploma, license, or transfer to another institution of higher education.
40. "Class" means a community service offering.
41. Notwithstanding (3) above, "Contract Class" means credit offered in fulfillment of a contract with a public or private agency, corporation, association, or other body or person. (California Code of Regulations, Title 5 §55170).
42. A “credit hour” is one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out of class student work (15 weeks for one semester or trimester hour of credit) or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time
43. Or at least an equivalent amount of work as required in the paragraph above of this definition for other academic activities as established by the institution including laboratory work, internships, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.

References: Education Code Section 78016; Title 5 Sections 51022 and 55130

West Valley College and Mission College have developed procedures for Program Discontinuance that meet the requirements of Education Code Section 78016, Title 5 Sections 51022 and 55130, and Board Policy 4020: Programs, Curriculum, and Course Development. These procedures include provisions for the review of vocational or occupational programs every two years to ensure they meet legal standards, and termination by the Board of Trustees if the legal and other District standards are not met. Further, each college has developed procedures for program discontinuance pertaining to all other academic programs as well. The procedures are maintained by the Academic Senates of both colleges and are reviewed and revised by each on a regular basis.

References: Title 5 Section 55002, 55100, 55130, and 55150

In accordance with Board Policy 4020, Program, Curriculum and Course Development, the curriculum approval process is a collaborative and faculty-driven process. Each college has a curriculum committee, which acts as a designee of the college Academic Senate to develop and approve courses and programs. The committees follow state guidelines and regulations for degree-applicable and non-degree-applicable credit courses as well as noncredit courses as required by the California Education Code and Title 5 Section 55002.

In addition, the members of both college curriculum committees participate in annual trainings in the approval of stand-alone courses, which are not part of an approved educational program as required by Title 5, Section 55100. Each college certifies annually to the State that the membership of its committee has received this training. Additional training opportunities are provided by the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges and by the State Chancellor’s Office.

Each college has Academic Senate-approved processes for the development of new courses and programs, for regular review of curriculum through Program Review, for revision of existing courses and programs, and for removing courses from the college’s curriculum.

Process for Curriculum Approval

1. The process for curriculum approval at each college includes:
2. Approval of courses by the curriculum committee following review to indicate that all applicable requirements for the course outline have been met, per Title 5 regulations.
3. Review and approval by the Articulation Officer (if applicable).
4. Separate review and approval of all courses to be offered via distance education, per BP/AP 4105, to ensure that:
5. the same standards of course quality are applied to distance education courses as are applied to traditional classroom courses.
6. regular effective student contact between faculty and students will be maintained.
7. Review by the Chief Instructional Officer.
8. Approval by the College Academic Senate
9. Review by the College President.
10. Access to course proposals, as appropriate, by the student organization (WVC Associated Students Organization or MC Associated Student Government).
11. All curriculum must be approved by the Board before implementation.
12. The following minimum course information is presented to the Board for approval:
13. Course or program title
14. Prerequisites/corequisites
15. Course or program description
16. Credit hours (for credit courses) supplemental hours
17. Courses and programs that reflect a substantial or material change will include a written justification for the change.
18. Courses for which Distance Education is to be approved will be listed separately.
19. Courses that are classified to satisfy requirements for a certificate or degree must indicate the applicable number of units allowed.
20. Following approval by the Board of Trustees, curriculum will be submitted to the State Chancellor’s Office by the Office of Instruction at each college.
21. A course control number will be assigned to each course by the State.
22. New programs must be approved by the State prior to implementation.

References: Title 5 Section 55061; Accreditation Standard II.A.3

The development of the WVMCCD philosophy and criteria for the associate degree and general education includes the following elements:

1. The programs of the District are consistent with the institutional mission, purposes, demographics and economics of its community.
2. The associate degree references the policy of the California Community College Board of Governors that the associate degree symbolizes a successful attempt to lead students through patterns of learning experiences designed to develop certain capabilities and insight, including:
3. the ability to think and communicate clearly and effectively orally and writing
4. use mathematics
5. understand the modes of inquiry of the major disciplines
6. be aware of other cultures and times along with an appreciation for cultural diversity
7. achieve insights gained through experience in thinking about ethical problems
8. to develop the capacity for self-understanding;
9. ability to comprehend the modern world
10. to develop intellectual skills, information technology facility, affective and creative capabilities, social attitudes
11. General education requirements
12. Each college’s Curriculum Review Committee reviews proposals from various departments on course additions or deletions to its respective general education course lists.
13. A minimum of 24 units are required from the major disciplinary categories of general education:
14. Natural Sciences
15. Social (and Behavioral) Sciences
16. Humanities
17. Language and Rationality
18. Life Long Learning
19. Basic Competency requirements for the associate degree requires proficiency in the following areas:
20. Reading
21. Writing
22. Oral communication
23. Mathematics
24. Information
25. A minimum of 12 degree applicable units must be completed in residence at the college issuing the degree
26. An overall grade point average of 2.0 in 60 units of work reflected on all college transcripts

References: Title 5, Section 51022 (b) Accreditation Standard II.A.6.a Education Code Section 66720-66744

In accordance with Title 5 and Education code 66720-66744, the college shall designate a representative from the college as articulation officer and fulfill the following tasks:

1. Serve as a member on the College Curriculum Committee
2. Serve as a resource to faculty in the curriculum development process
3. Submit annual curriculum changes to the University of California, California State University systems and participating universities for acceptance of transfer credit.
4. Submit new and revised course outlines to the University of California, California State University and other participating universities for inclusion into general education agreements.
5. Initiate and maintain articulation agreements with public and independent baccalaureate institutions within and outside the State of California as appropriate and advantageous to the campus.
6. Initiate articulation agreements with high schools when appropriate
7. Submit new and revised course outlines to baccalaureate institutions for course to-course articulation.
8. Submit and maintain new courses/programs in statewide articulation databases.

References: Title 5 Sections 55060 et seq.

Associate Degrees

The requirements for an Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degree adhere to Title 5 and the guidelines from California Community College Chancellor’s Office. A student must petition to graduate for evaluation and have submitted official transcripts from all previously attended colleges/universities as part of the gradation evaluation process. Candidates for the degrees must fulfill the requirements as prescribed by the colleges and approved by the Board of Trustee of WVMCCD.

1. Demonstrate competence in reading, in written expression, and in mathematics with a 2.0 Grade Point Average in subjects attempted.
2. The student must satisfactorily complete at least 60 semester units of college work.
3. The work must include at least 18 semester units in general education and at least 18 semester units in a major listed in the Community Colleges “Taxonomy of Programs.”
4. The work must include at least 12 semester units in residency at either college within WVMCCD.
5. The general education requirements must include a minimum of work in the natural sciences, the social and behavioral sciences, humanities and language and rationality and each college’s competency requirement (s).
6. District policies and procedures regarding general education and degree requirements must be published in the college catalog and must be filed with the State Chancellor’s Office.
7. For the Career Technical Education Certificate Programs, a minimum grade of “C” is required in each college credit course taken. Refer to the college catalogs for specific details for individual certificate requirements.

Certificates

For a certificate of achievement, a student must successfully complete a course of study or curricula that consist of 18 or more semester units of degree applicable credit coursework unless approved the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office fewer units. Official approval from the Chancellor’s office is required prior to offering the certificate to students. The content and assessment standards for certificates shall ensure that the certificate programs are consistent with the mission of the District, meet a demonstrated need, are feasible and adhere to guidelines on academic achievement. Candidates for these certificates must full fill the following requirements:

1. The certificate of achievement the student has completed coursework and developed capabilities relating to career or general education.
2. A minimum grade of “C” is required in college credit course taken. Refer to college catalog for specific details for individual certificate requirements.
3. Two-thirds of the certificate coursework must be completed in residency.
4. The College may designate other certificates (not posted on the transcript) as appropriate that do not require Chancellor’s Office approval.

Periodically, the Chancellor will provide for a review and, if appropriate, a proposed revision of graduation and degree requirements under the auspices of the Academic Senates at each of the Colleges.

• Academic Senate recommendations on changes in the requirements and courses meeting the requirements must be approved by the Board before they are published in the College Catalogs as official graduation and degree requirements of the Colleges.

The earning of a double major is authorized under this provision established by Mission College and West Valley College. The major requirements for the double major shall be those major requirements listed in the College Catalog for the academic year in which the student begins the course work for the second major and maintains continuous enrollment.

References: Title 5 Sections 55600 et seq.; U.S. Department of Education regulations on the Integrity of Federal Student Financial Aid Programs under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended; 34 Code of Federal Regulations Part 600

Consistent with federal regulations pertaining to federal financial aid eligibility, the Chief Instructional Officer will ensure that the District complies with the United States Department of Education’s disclosure requirements for each of the District’s gainful employment programs, by disclosing federally-mandated information about the programs to prospective students. The District shall make the required disclosures available to prospective students in promotional materials and on its website.

The Chief Instructional Officer at each college shall establish procedures to ensure that the District meets these reporting requirements whenever the District intends to add a new gainful employment program.

In process

In process

In process

Reference: Title 5 Section 55035

Remedial coursework consists of pre-collegiate basic skills courses as defined by the College’s Curriculum Committee.

A student’s need for remedial coursework shall be determined using appropriate assessment instruments, methods, or procedures.

No student shall receive more than thirty (30) semester units for remedial coursework, reflected accordingly on the student’s educational plan. A student who exhausts this unit limitation shall be referred to appropriate adult noncredit education services.

A student who successfully completes remedial coursework or who demonstrates skill levels which assure success in college-level courses may request reinstatement to proceed with college level coursework.

Students enrolled in one or more courses of English as a Second Language and students identified as having a qualified learning disability are exempt from the limitations of this procedure.

Students who demonstrate significant, measurable progress toward development of skills appropriate to enrollment in college-level courses may be granted a waiver of the limitations of this procedure.

College catalogs shall include a clear statement of the limited applicability of remedial coursework toward fulfilling degree requirements and any exemptions that may apply to this limitation.

References: Education Code Section 76224; Title 5 Sections 55040, 55041, 55042, 55253, and 56029

In accord with limitations established in BP 4225, students may petition for approval to repeat courses in which the maximum number of substandard grades was awarded.

1. Substandard grades are considered to be D, F, NC or NP. A withdrawal from a course with a notation of “W” shall not be considered a substandard grade. The colleges are authorized to establish procedures for the exclusion of students from courses in which they have earned substandard grades or recorded withdrawals and repetitions beyond the specific limits established by the District.
2. When a student repeats a course that is not designated as repeatable and receives a satisfactory grade, then the student may not repeat the course again unless there is another provision that allows the repetition.
3. Students who have received three substandard grades (D, F, NC, NP) in a course shall normally be prohibited from re-enrolling in the same course within the District. The colleges may block students from re-enrolling in such courses. The colleges may implement its local processes for the consideration of requests from students to retake courses in which excessive “W’s” have been earned.
4. Title 5, Section 55041(b), allows repetition of courses for which substandard work has not been recorded in instances when such repetition is necessary for a student to meet a legally mandated training requirement as a condition of continued paid or volunteer employment. Students can repeat such courses any number of times, even if they received a grade of C or better, however, the grade received by the student each time will be included in calculations of the student’s grade point average.
5. Students are allowed to repeat an occupational work experience course if a college only offers one course in occupational work experience in a given field and that course is not offered as a variable unit open-entry/open-exit course. Where only one work experience course is offered subject to the above conditions, students may be permitted to repeat this course any number of times as long as they do not exceed the limits on the number of units of cooperative work experience set forth in Title 5 Section 55253(a).
6. Circumstances under which students may repeat courses in which a C or better grade was earned. Such course repetition requires a finding that circumstances exist which justify such repetition. Grades awarded for courses repeated under these provisions shall be included when calculating a student’s grade point average.
7. Courses that are repeated shall be recorded on the student’s permanent academic record using an appropriate symbol. Annotating the permanent record shall be done in a manner that all work remains legible, insuring a true and complete academic history.
8. Petitions are submitted to Admissions and Records.
9. Specific regulations regarding course repetition shall be published in the college catalogs.

Students should consult the college catalogs for specific procedures for courses that are exempt from repetition, provisions for repeating courses taken at another college, and provisions for repetition of work not recorded as substandard.

Activity Courses

Students may repeat activity courses where the course objectives are met by repeating a similar primary educational activity and an expanded educational experience occurs, each time the course is repeated for the following reasons: The student’s skills or proficiencies will be enhanced by supervised repetition and practice within class periods, and active participatory experience in individual study or group assignments is the method to learn the objectives. Examples of activity courses that qualify as repeatable courses include physical education courses and courses in music, fine arts, theater, and dance. Absent substandard academic work courses may not be repeated for more than three semesters or five quarters including summers and intersessions

Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities can repeat a special class for students with disabilities any number of times when an individualized determination verifies that such repetition is required as a disability-related accommodation for the student for one of the reasons specified in Title 5 Section 56029.

Disabled students who wish to repeat courses will meet with the Disabled Students Program and Services (DSPS) counselor and will submit the appropriate petition form.

Students with disabilities can repeat a special class for students with disabilities any number of times when an individualized determination verifies that such repetition is required as a disability-related accommodation for the student for one of the reasons specified in Title 5 Section 56029.

When a student with a disability repeats a class, the previous grade and credit shall be disregarded in the computation of grade point averages.

Nothing can conflict with Education Code Section 76224 pertaining to the finality of grades assigned by instructors, or with Title 5 or district procedures relating to retention and destruction of records.

Academic Appeals Committee

Students may petition the College’s academic appeals committee for approval to repeat up to a total of 8 units in which substandard grades (less than “C,” and including “FW,” “NP,” or “NC”) were awarded as long as the District does not claim apportionment under Title 5 Section 58161. The District may disregard the first two substandard grades if the student repeats the class two or more times. The committee will receive students’ records and progress and will make a decision on their request to repeat courses.

References: Title 5 Sections 55040, 55041, 55253, and 56029

Under special circumstances, students may repeat courses in which a C or better grade was earned.

Students are allowed to repeat a course with an approved petition when repetition is necessary to enable that student to meet a legally mandated training requirement as a condition of volunteer or continued paid employment. Students can repeat such courses any number of times, even if they received a grade of C or better; however, the grade received by the student each time will be included in calculations of the student’s grade point average.

The District must identify and designate such repeatable courses in its catalog. The District must also determine and certify that each repeatable course is one in which either the course content differs each time the course is offered or the course is an activity course subject to certain criteria. Foreign language courses, ESL courses and non-degree-applicable basic skills courses are not considered “activity courses” based on the above criteria.

Examples of activity courses that qualify as repeatable courses include physical education courses and courses in music, fine arts, theater, and dance. Absent substandard academic work courses may not be repeated for more than three semesters or five quarters including summers and intercessions.

Students with disabilities can repeat a special class for students with disabilities any number of times when an individualized determination verifies that such repetition is required as a disability-related accommodation for the student for one of the reasons specified in Title 5 Section 56029.

Students are allowed to repeat an occupational work experience course if a college only offers one course in occupational work experience in a given field and that course is not offered as a variable unit open-entry/open-exit course. Where only one occupational work experience course is offered subject to the above conditions, students may be permitted to repeat this course any number of times as long as they do not exceed the limit on the number of units of cooperative work experience set forth in Title 5 Section 55253(a).

Reference: Title 5 Section 55043

Students may be permitted or required to repeat courses in which a “C” or better grade was earned where there was a significant lapse of time since the grade was obtained and:

• The District has defined “significant lapse of time” or has established a recency prerequisite for a course or program; or
• An institution of higher education to which a student wishes to transfer has established a recency requirement that the student cannot satisfy without repeating the course.

When a student needs to repeat an activity course due to a significant lapse of time, each repetition attempt will be counted toward the established repetition limits. However, if a student has already exhausted the number of permitted repetitions, then an additional repetition due to significant lapse of time may be permitted or required by the District.

When a course is repeated due to a significant lapse of time, the District may disregard the previous grade and credit when computing a student’s grade point average.

Reference: Title 5 Section 55044

Students may be permitted to enroll in variable unit open-entry/open-exit courses as many times as necessary to enable them to complete the entire curriculum of the course once.

Students may not repeat variable unit open-entry/open-exit courses unless:

• The course is required for legally mandated training; or
• The course is a special class for students with disabilities which needs to be repeated; or
• Repetition of the course is justified by extenuating circumstances; or
• The student wishes to repeat the course to alleviate substandard work.

Whenever a student enrolls in a physical education activity course offered for open-entry/open exit, the enrollment will count as a repetition of the course.

Reference: Title 5 Section 55023

Evaluative Symbols

Symbol	Evaluation
A	Excellent
B	Good
C	Satisfactory
D	Passing (Less than satisfactory)
F	Failing
P	Pass (At least satisfactory)
NP	No Pass
UD	Ungraded Dependent

Non-Evaluative Symbols

Symbol	Evaluation
I	Incomplete
IP	In progress
RD	Report delayed
W	Withdrawal
MW	Military withdrawal
IMW	Incomplete Military withdrawal

The District has not adopted “plus-minus” grades

1.0

Grades from a grading scale shall be averaged on the basis of the point equivalencies to determine a student’s grade point average. The highest grade shall receive 4 points and the lowest grade shall receive 0 points, using only the following evaluative symbols, except as provided in subsection 2.0. The District has not adopted “plus-minus” grades.

1.2 Symbol Definition Grade Point

Symbol	Grade Point	Evaluation
A	4.0	Excellent
B	3.0	Good
C	2.0	Satisfactory
D	1.0	Passing, less than satisfactory
F	0.0	Failing
P		Pass, (at least satisfactory) units awarded not counted in GPA
NP		No Pass, (less than satisfactory) units not counted in GPA)

2.0 The following non-evaluative symbols are authorized

2.1 I – Incomplete

This symbol is to be used in cases of incomplete academic work for unforeseeable, emergency, and justifiable reasons. Conditions for the removal of the “Incomplete” shall be set forth by the faculty member in a written record which also indicates the grade assigned in lieu of removal. The student will receive a copy of this record and a copy will be filed by the Director of Admissions and Records or the responsible Vice President. A final grade will be assigned by the faculty member when the stipulated work has been completed and evaluated. The ‘I’ grade shall not be used in either calculating units attempted or for the computation of the grade point average.

An “Incomplete” grade must be made up no later than one year following the end of the term in which it was assigned. Work not completed in the one year allowable time will automatically result in a grade of F. Established College procedures may be utilized to request a time extension in cases involving unusual circumstances.

2.2 IP – In Progress

This symbol is to be used in the student’s permanent record to confirm enrollment and to indicate that the class extends beyond the normal end of the term. It indicates that work is “In Progress” and that unit credit and a grade will be assigned when the course is completed.

If a student enrolled in an open-entry, open-exit course is assigned an “IP” grade and does not re-enroll for the subsequent attendance period, the faculty member will assign an evaluative symbol, in accordance with evaluative symbols above, to be recorded on the student’s permanent record for the course. The “IP” grade shall not be used in the computation of grade point average.

2.3 RD – Report Delayed

This symbol is to be used only by the Director of Admissions and Records or the designee of the responsible Vice President for the purpose of indicating that there has been a delay in reporting the grade due to circumstances beyond the control of either the student or the Admissions and Records Office. It is to be replaced by a permanent symbol as soon as possible.

The “RD” grade shall not be used in the computation of the grade point average.

2.4 W – Withdrawal

A student may withdraw from a semester-length class through the end of the first census week and no notation will be made on the student’s academic record. (Census week is determined by figuring 20 percent of the weeks of instruction. Instructional weeks are weeks that include at least three class days.) In courses of less than a regular semester’s duration, a student may withdraw prior to the completion of 30 percent of the period of instruction and no notation will be made on the student’s record.

Thereafter, a student may withdraw from a semester-length class, whether passing or failing, at any time through the last day of the fourteenth week of instruction and a “W” grade shall be authorized. In courses of less than a regular semester’s duration, a student may withdraw prior to the completion of 75 percent of the period of instruction and a “W” grade shall be authorized.

The academic record of a student who remains in class beyond the time periods set forth above must reflect an authorized symbol other than “W.” However, after the end of the fourteenth week (or after 75 percent of the period of instruction in courses of less than a regular semester’s duration), withdrawal may be authorized in the case of extenuating circumstances beyond the control of the student. In such cases, the student must submit a petition in accordance with established College procedures. Approved withdrawal, under the conditions set forth, shall be recorded as a “W.”

2.5 MW – Military Withdrawal

“Military Withdrawal” occurs when a student who is a member of the active or reserve United States military service receives orders necessitating a withdrawal from classes. Upon verification of such orders, the withdrawal symbol of “MW” shall be assigned. Military Withdrawals shall not be counted in “satisfactory progress” probation and dismissal calculations. Further, the following courtesies are available to the student:

In lieu of an “MW” symbol, a student may directly petition the faculty member for an Incomplete (“I”) grade. If granted, the student will receive an “IMW.” This grade will default to a “MW” grade as opposed to one of the standard letter grades if the student fails to ever complete the class.

In the case of a student who is an active or inactive member of the military service and who receives orders compelling a withdrawal from courses, the District shall, upon petition of the affected student, refund the entire enrollment fee for courses in which academic credit is not awarded.

2.6 – Incomplete Military Withdrawal

Incomplete Military Withdrawal occurs when a student who is a member of the active or reserve United States military services receives orders necessitating an incomplete from classes. Upon verification of such orders, the withdrawal symbol of “IMW” shall be assigned. Incomplete Military Withdrawals shall not be counted in “satisfactory progress” probation and dismissal calculations. Refund of course enrollment fees is not applicable in which academic credit is assumed to be granted.

Appeals of Withdrawal Decisions

A student may appeal a decision regarding withdrawal in accordance with District policy, and the California Education Code. The District shall maintain procedures for such appeals and those procedures shall be published and widely available to students.

In process

References: Title 5 Sections 55000 et seq.

Prerequisites, co-requisites, advisories, and limitations are necessary to ensure that students have access and succeed in their coursework as well maintaining academic standards. Prerequisites, co-requisites, advisories, and limitations do not constitute unjustifiable obstacles to student access and success. Therefore, to foster the appropriate balance between these two concerns, the Education Code requires that prerequisites, co-requisites, advisories, and limitations be established based solely on content review:

1. Information in the Catalog and Schedule of Courses
   The colleges shall provide the following explanations both in the college catalog and in the schedule of courses:
2. Definitions of prerequisites, co-requisites, and limitations on enrollment including the differences among them and the specific prerequisites, co-requisites, and limitations on enrollment that have been established.
3. Procedures for a student to challenge prerequisites, co-requisites, and limitations on enrollment and circumstances under which a student is encouraged to make such a challenge. The information about challenges includes, at a minimum, the specific process including any deadlines, the various types of challenge that are established in law, and any additional types of challenge permitted by the college.
4. Definitions of advisories on recommended preparation, the right of a student to choose to take a course without meeting the advisory, and circumstances under which a student is encouraged to exercise that right.
5. Definitions of contract course, co-requisite, noncredit basic skills course, non-degree-applicable basic skills courses, prerequisite and satisfactory grade.
6. Challenge Process
7. Any student who does not meet a prerequisite or co-requisite or who is not permitted to enroll due to a limitation on enrollment but who provides satisfactory evidence may seek entry into the course as follows:
8. If space is available in a course when a student files a challenge to the prerequisite or co-requisite, the District shall reserve a seat for the student and resolve the challenge within five working days. If the challenge is upheld or the District fails to resolve the challenge within the five working day period, the student shall be allowed to enroll in the course.
9. If no space is available in the course when a challenge is filed, the challenge shall be resolved prior to the beginning of registration for the next term and, if the challenge is upheld, the student shall be permitted to enroll if space is available when the students registers for that subsequent term.
10. Grounds for challenge include the following:
11. Those grounds for challenge specified in Title 5 Section 55201(f).
12. The student seeks to enroll and has not been allowed to enroll due to a limitation on enrollment established for a course that involves intercollegiate competition or public performance, or one or more of the courses for which enrollment has been limited to a cohort of students. The student shall be allowed to enroll in such a course if otherwise he/she would be delayed by a semester or more in attaining the degree or certificate specified in his/her educational plan.
13. The student seeks to enroll in a course that has a prerequisite established to protect health and safety, and the student demonstrates that he/she does not pose a threat to himself/herself or others.
14. The student has the obligation to provide satisfactory evidence that the challenge should be upheld. However, where facts essential to a determination of whether the student's challenge should be upheld are or ought to be in the college's own records, then the college has the obligation to produce that information.
15. Curriculum Review Process
16. The curriculum review process shall at a minimum be in accordance with all of the following:
17. Establish a curriculum committee and its membership in a manner that is mutually agreeable to the college administration and the academic senate.
18. Establish prerequisites, co-requisites, and advisories on recommended preparation (advisories) only upon the recommendation of the academic senate except that the academic senate may delegate this task to the curriculum committee without forfeiting its rights or responsibilities under Title 5 Sections 53200-53204 and within the limits set forth in Title 5 Section 55003. Certain limitations on enrollment must be established in the same manner.
19. Establish prerequisites, co-requisites, advisories on recommended preparation, and limitations on enrollment only if:
20. The faculty in the discipline or, if the college has no faculty member in the discipline, the faculty in the department do all of the following:
21. Approve the course; and
22. As a separate action, approve any prerequisite or co-requisite, only if:
23. The prerequisite or co-requisite is an appropriate and rational measure of a student's readiness to enter the course or program as demonstrated by a content review including, at a minimum, all of the following:
24. involvement of faculty with appropriate expertise;
25. consideration of course objectives set by relevant department(s). The curriculum review process should be done in a manner that is in accordance with accreditation standards
26. be based on a detailed course syllabus and outline of record, tests, related instructional materials, course format, type and number of examinations, and grading criteria
27. specification of the body of knowledge and/or skills which are deemed necessary at entry and/or concurrent with enrollment
28. identification and review of the prerequisite or corequisite which develops the body of knowledge and/or measures skills identified under iv
29. matching of the knowledge and skills in the targeted course (identified under iv.) and those developed or measured by the prerequisite or co-requisite (i.e., the course or assessment identified under v.); and
30. maintain documentation that the above steps were taken
31. Limitations
32. Approve any limitation on enrollment that is being established for an honors course or section, for a course that includes intercollegiate competition or public performance, or so that a cohort of students will be enrolled in two or more courses, and, in a separate action, specify which.
33. Approve that the course meets the academic standards required for degree applicable courses, non-degree applicable courses, non-credit courses, or community service respectively.
34. Review the course outline to determine if a student would be highly unlikely to receive a satisfactory grade unless the student had knowledge or skills not taught in the course. If the student would need knowledge or skills not taught in the course itself, then the course may be approved for degree applicable credit only if all requirements for establishing the appropriate prerequisite have been met excepting only approval by the curriculum committee.
35. Review the course outline to determine whether receiving a satisfactory grade is dependent on skills in communication or computation. If receiving a satisfactory grade is sufficiently dependent on such skills, then the course may be approved for degree applicable credit only if all requirements have been met for establishing a prerequisite or co-requisite of not less than eligibility for enrollment to a degree-applicable course in English or mathematics, respectively.
36. A course which should have a prerequisite or co-requisite as provided in 5. or 6. but for which one or more of the requirements for establishing a prerequisite have not been met may only:
37. Be reviewed and approved pursuant to the standards for non-degree applicable credit, non-credit, or community service; or
38. Be revised and reviewed as required to meet the criteria for establishing the necessary prerequisites or co-requisites.

The curriculum committee also reviews the course and prerequisite in a manner that meets each of the requirements specified above.

1. Program Review

As a regular part of the program review process or at least every six years, except that the prerequisites and co-requisites for vocational courses or programs shall be reviewed every two years, the college shall review each prerequisite, co-requisite, or advisory to establish that each is still supported by the faculty in the discipline or department and by the curriculum committee and is still in compliance with all other provisions of this policy and with the law. Any prerequisite or co-requisite that is still supported shall be reviewed promptly thereafter to assure that it is in compliance with all other provisions of this policy and with the law.

1. Implementing Prerequisites, Co-requisites, and Limitations on Enrollment. Implementation of prerequisites, co-requisites, and limitations on enrollment must be done in a consistent manner and not left exclusively to the classroom instructor. Every attempt shall be made to enforce all conditions a student must meet to be enrolled in the course through the registration process so that a student is not permitted to enroll unless he/she has met all the conditions or has met all except those for which he/she has a pending challenge or for which further information is needed before final determination is possible of whether the student has met the condition.
2. Instructor's Formal Agreement to Teach the Course as Described. Each college shall establish a procedure so that courses for which prerequisites or corequisites are established will be taught in accordance with the course outline, particularly those aspects of the course outline that are the basis for justifying the establishment of the prerequisite or co-requisite. The process shall be established by consulting collegially with the local academic senate and, if appropriate, the local bargaining unit.
3. Review of Individual Courses
   If the student’s enrollment in a course or program is to be contingent on his or her having met the proposed prerequisite(s) or co-requisite(s), then such a prerequisite or co-requisite must be established as follows. If enrollment is not blocked, then what is being established is not a prerequisite or co-requisite but, rather, an advisory on recommended preparation and must be identified as such in the schedule and catalog. Establishing advisories does not require all the following steps.
4. Advisories on Recommended Preparation
   The college may recommend that a student meet a standard of readiness at entry only if recommended by the faculty in the discipline or department and by the curriculum committee as provided in above. This process is required whether the college used to describe such recommendations in its catalog or schedule as "prerequisites," or "recommended," or by any other term.
5. Limitations on Enrollment
   The types of limitation on enrollment specified below may only be established through the curriculum review process by the discipline or department faculty and the curriculum committee specified above including the requirement to review them again at least every six years; for example, as part of program review. The following requirements must also be met in order to establish these particular limitations on enrollment:
6. Performance Courses. The college may establish audition or try-out as a limitation on enrollment for courses that include public performance or intercollegiate competition such as but not limited to band, orchestra, theater, competitive speech, chorus, journalism, dance, and intercollegiate athletics provided that:
7. For any certificate or associate degree requirement which can be met by taking this course, there is another course or courses which satisfy the same requirement; and
8. The college includes in the course outline of record a list of each certificate or associate degree requirement that the course meets and of the other course or courses which meet the same requirement.
9. Honors Courses
   A limitation on enrollment for an honors course or an honors section of a course may be established if, in addition to the review by the faculty in the discipline or department and by the curriculum committee as provided above, there is another section or another course or courses at the college which satisfy the same requirements. If the limitation is for an honors course and not only for an honors section, the college must also include in the course outline of record a list of each certificate or associate degree requirement that the course meets and of the other course or courses which meet the same associate degree or certificate requirement.