Academic Regulations

Grading System

The following grading system is used:

“AU” AUDIT –Indicates a student is registered to audit a course and attend classes without meeting all admission requirements for the course and without receiving credit. Students are not permitted to change from audit to credit after the drop/add period without meeting recommended admission requirements or from credit to audit after the drop/add period at the beginning of each term.

“I” INCOMPLETE –Indicates that a student has satisfactorily completed a substantial portion of the required coursework, but for non-academic reasons beyond the student’s control, has not been able to complete the course. It is at the discretion of the instructor as to whether an “I” grade is issued. The student must contact the instructor to develop plans for a timely completion of the course. If the required work is not completed on or before midterm of the following term, the “I” will automatically become an “F.” If a grade of “I” is received in a course that is a prerequisite to other courses, the student must complete the required prerequisite and receive a final grade to be eligible to enroll in other courses.

“IP” IN PROGRESS –Indicates that a course continues beyond the end of the term.

“TR” TRANSFER OF CREDIT - ‘Course grades less than “C” are not acceptable as transfer credit. Prior to spring semester 2012, courses accepted for transfer credit were assigned a grade of “TR” on the transcript. Transfer credits accepted beginning spring semester 2012 are assigned a grade of “TRA”, “TRB”, or “TRC”. The third letter indicates the grade earned in the course.’

“W” WITHDRAW –Signifies the student withdrew from the course.

"Z" WITHDRAW COVID-19 - Z grades are used to denote unsuccessful completion due to COVID-19 emergency.  Z grades are excluded from attempted hours and GPA calculation.  In March 2020, the Georgia Governor instructed colleges in Georgia to limit instruction to a fully online format due to concerns regarding the COVID-19 virus. In an attempt to assist students who may have been negatively impacted by changes relating to COVID-19, the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) created a ‘Z’ grade for students who withdrew/failed/or stopped attending classes because of a qualifying emergency related to COVID-19.  In response to this, the ‘Z’ grade was implemented by Augusta Technical College beginning the Spring 2020 semester to credit the student with a no-penalty withdraw from classes.

Grade Change Policy

If a student questions a grade received in a course, the student should contact the instructor with a petition to change a grade. The Registrar cannot change a grade without the approval and notification by the instructor. A student must petition for a grade change and have the change resolved by mid-term of the subsequent term.

Grade/Academic Decision Appeals

A student may appeal a final grade or any other academic decision. The student should first discuss the issue with the instructor who awarded the grade or made the academic decision. This appeal should take place within two weeks. If the consultation with the instructor does not satisfy the student, he or she may submit a written appeal to the academic dean. This appeal should occur within four weeks of the contested grade or decision. If the student is not satisfied with the decision of the dean or director, the student may appeal in writing to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. This appeal should occur within six weeks of the contested grade or decision. The decision of the Vice President for Academic Affairs concerning the approval of a grade change is final.

Program/Course Grade Requirements

Specified courses in degree/diploma/technical certificate of credit programs of study may require a grade of "C" or higher as stated in the program description or course description sections of the College catalog. A grade of "C" or higher may be required for a specific course that is a prerequisite to a more advanced course.

Electives

In the program section, some programs list elective hours (general core, occupational specific and/or program electives). This number of elective hours is required for graduation from the program. Students may contact their program advisor for suggestions for appropriate course selections. Students on financial aid should have the course selections approved before registering. Students who have transfer credit that can be used for the elective hour requirement may not receive financial aid coverage for the cost of any additional elective courses.

Upper Level Course Substitution

Students, including those on financial aid, in diploma or Technical Certificate of Credit (TCC) programs may take the upper level equivalent of the required English, math, and/or psychology course(s) if their ACCUPLACER, other acceptable entrance test scores, and/or prerequisites meet the degree level requirement for those areas.

Directed Independent Study (DIST)

On a limited basis, a directed independent study course may be offered. Permission of the instructor and the dean are required prior to registration for a directed independent study course where the following general guidelines apply:

1. There must be a legitimate hardship, usually one precluding a student’s graduation, to justify not enrolling in the regularly scheduled course.
2. The course in question must be one which can be adequately taught on a directed independent study basis.
3. The student must provide eveidence of his/her ability to complete the course successfully.
4. All directed independent study requests must be approved in writing by the instructor and the dean, and be assigned the proper course reference number (CRN), before the student can register for that course.

Practicum/Clinical/Internship Travel

Students enrolled in off-campus practicum or clinical courses will be required to travel to businesses, industries, or hospitals. All travel arrangements and costs for practicum/clinical courses must be provided by students.

Work Ethics

The Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) and Augusta Technical College instructs and evaluates students on their work ethic in all programs of study. Ten work ethic traits have been identified and defined as essential for student success. These traits are as identified:

• APPEARANCE: Displays appropriate dress, grooming, and hygiene.
• ATTENDANCE: Attends class; arrives/leaves on time; notifies instructor in advance of planned absences.
• ATTITUDE: Demonstrates a positive outlook; demonstrates mannerly behavior; follows chain of command.
• CHARACTER: Displays loyalty, honesty, trustworthiness, dependability, reliability, initiative, self-discipline, and self-responsibility.
• COMMUNICATION: Displays appropriate nonverbal, verbal, and written skills.
• COOPERATION: Handles criticism, conflicts, and complaints appropriately; works well with others.
• ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS: Prioritizes and manages time and resources effectively; demonstrates flexibility in handling change; follows directions and procedures for the work environment.
• PRODUCTIVITY: Completes tasks assigned efficiently, effectively, and timely; demonstrates problem-solving capabilities.
• RESPECT: Tolerates other points of view; acknowledge and appreciates rights of others, has regard for diversity.
• TEAMWORK: Works collaboratively with others toward a common goal in a respectful and cooperative manner; participates appropriately as a team member.

A semester work ethic grade (3, 2, 1, or 0) for all non-developmental occupational courses completed is issued to students and placed in the student's permanent academic record. The assignment of a work ethic grade in developmental and general education courses is optional. The work ethics grade will not affect the academic grade point average (GPA) of a student. The work ethics grade will be printed on the transcript.

Dean's List

The Dean's List is compiled each term. Students who attempt and earn 10 or more credit hours with a term grade point average of 3.5 or higher are placed on the Dean's List. Learning support classes are not calculated in the GPA.

Academic Probation and Suspension

A student who earns a term grade point average of less than 2.0 will be placed on academic probation during the next term of registration and enrollment. A student will be suspended for one term if a grade point average of less than 2.0 is earned during the term the individual is enrolled on academic probation. During the first term of enrollment after academic suspension, a student is placed on academic probation.

A student who fails or does not successfully complete (earn a grade of “C” or higher as required for courses specified in the college catalog) a course twice will not be allowed to repeat that course for one year and will be allowed to retake a third time on a space available basis only. After receiving academic counseling, the exception is general education courses for which the student may register for on a space available basis during the add/drop period for the term; however, a new or continuing student will be given registration priority over a student retaking a course(s) for the third time. A student who is academically suspended from a program twice will not be allowed to reenter that program. Students in either of the above categories are required to have academic advising by their advisor(s) before repeating a course. Reapplication for admission does not mandate acceptance to the same program after the first suspension from that program.

Students who do not earn a grade of “C” or higher in any two courses attempted in their program of study as specified in NOTES as listed in the Program of Study section of the College catalog will be suspended from their program for one year. Before reentering the program, the student must complete an individualized remedial program assigned by the department head. Students who do not earn a grade of “C” or higher in any three courses with these prefixes will not be allowed to reenter that program or course(s).

Academic Suspension Appeals

If a student desires to appeal an academic suspension, the student must submit an appeal letter within two days of receiving the suspension letter to the appropriate dean. If the student is not satisfied with the decision of the dean, the student may appeal in writing to the Vice President for Academic Affairs within two days of receiving the decision. The decision of the Vice President for Academic Affairs concerning the approval of a suspension appeal is final.

Academic Good Standing

Academic Good Standing means that students are eligible to enroll or re-enroll. However, it should be noted that a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher is required for graduation.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Students are considered to be making satisfactory academic progress if they are in good standing or on academic probation.

Unsatisfactory Academic Progress

Students are considered to be making unsatisfactory academic progress if they have been placed on academic suspension because of term grade point averages.

Drop/Add Period

A student may drop or add a course(s) without academic penalty before the first day of the term (drop/add period is one day before the term begins). Course(s) dropped during the drop/add period will not appear on the student’s transcript. Additionally, students with no financial obligation to the College may withdraw from courses during the first three (3) instructional days of the term without penalty.

Course Add Period

Students may add open and approved sections of courses through the first seven (7) calendar days of the term. Students who would like to add a course after this period must sign and submit a Schedule Change Form to the Student Records Office with accompanying signatures from the instructor and dean of the course the student would like to add.

Attendance

Students must establish enrollment and course participation each semester before financial aid funds are disbursed. Student attendance will be monitored for the first seven calendar days of each semester. Monitoring attendance beyond the seventh (7^th) day is at the instructor’s discretion.

Students are expected to be punctual and attend all classes for which they are registered. Course participation includes completing activities such as submitting assignments, taking exams/quizzes, interactive tutorials or computer-assisted instruction. Students enrolled in online courses are expected to participate in the online class by completing assignments, contributing to online discussions, and maintaining contact with their instructor. Logging into the online class does not establish student enrollment and participation in the course.

Withdrawals

Withdrawal Policy

Students are responsible for withdrawing themselves from any or all of their classes through Banner Web; students may also submit a signed Schedule Change Form to the Student Records Office or send an email from their SmartWeb email address to the Registrar to withdraw from classes. Students who do not withdraw from classes will be assigned the grade(s) earned. No student initiated withdrawals will be processed after the withdrawal period ends. The withdrawal period runs through the end of the twelfth (12th) week of fall and spring semesters, and the eighth (8th) week of the summer semester. Students may withdraw from any, or all, courses from their schedule through that period. A student who withdraws from a course will receive a ‘W’ for that course.

Any student receiving federal student aid (Pell, SEOG, etc.) who completely withdraws from all classes during a given period of enrollment, and completes less than 60% of the term, may be required to return funds to Augusta Technical College and/or the US Department of Education.

**Important Note: The date in which you withdraw from all coursework will be the date utilized to calculate your percentage of course completion.**

In certain instances, the Registrar or Vice President of Student Affairs may act on behalf of a student to withdraw the student from classes. This may include various situations such as active duty, suspension, incarceration, injury or illness, death, or additional formal requests for withdrawal. Depending on the circumstances, documentation (e.g., proof of incarceration, a letter from a physician/hospital, or a death certificate) may be required to accompany a withdrawal in these instances. 

Dual Enrollment

Dual-enrollment students need to contact their high school counselor in order to withdraw from a course. The high school counselor will be expect to contact an Augusta Technical College Dual Enrollment Advisor to process the withdrawal. Active high school students will not be withdrawn without confirmation from the high school counselor.

Unofficial Withdrawals

A student who earns all Fs in a given term or a combination of Fs and Ws (meaning the student withdrew from a class) may be considered an ‘unofficial withdrawal’. Unofficial withdrawals are those who cease attending class(es). Faculty must enter a last date of attendance for students who earn a grade of ‘F’ for the class.  Once grades are submitted and faculty rosters are verified at the end of a term, unofficial withdrawals (those who earned the F due to ceasing participation) may be required to return funds to Augusta Technical College and/or the U.S. Department of Education. Students who truly earned Fs that were not due to ceasing attendance are not considered to have withdrawn; therefore, those students’ aid is not recalculated for the class(es) in question.

The institutional refund policy and federal aid refund policy (Return to Title IV) can be found in Financial Aid. We encourage you to be aware of these policies and how you are affected by them should you withdraw or otherwise cease attendance before a term concludes—officially or unofficially.

Repeat of Course

When a student repeats a credit course(s) for which he or she has already earned credit, the student’s official grade for graduation purposes will be the highest grade earned of all attempts. All grades earned remain on the official academic record and are computed in the cumulative grade point average.

Graduation Information

Graduates are students who have achieved regular program admission status and have successfully completed a program of study as outlined in the college catalog with a program grade point average of 2.0 or higher. In addition, a grade of “C” or higher must be earned in courses specified in the college catalog. A student who has completed all courses in a program with less than a 2.0 program grade point average is not eligible to be a graduate, but may receive a transcript. When a student reenters after withdrawal or termination, the program of study in effect at the time of reentry must be completed. A student must complete at least 25 percent of the credit hours required for graduation in residence regardless of the amount of transfer and exemption credit awarded.

All Advisor Recommendation for Graduation forms will be evaluated by the Registrar. Students should see their advisors prior to midterm of the term before their last planned term of enrollment for graduation eligibility information. All eligible graduates are encouraged to participate in the ceremony. For participation in the graduation ceremony, applications for graduation must be submitted with the required fee to the college bookstore.

Graduates who do not wish to participate in the graduation ceremony may request their degree/diploma/certificate by submitting a signed Request for Diploma form to the Student Records Office. No fee is required for the first copy of each credential.  A $25 dollar fee will be assessed for each subsequent copy.

Honor Graduates

Degree and diploma graduates who have achieved a program grade point average of 3.5 or higher are recognized at graduation as honor graduates.

College Honor Code

“It is my honor to be an Augusta Technical College student. I pledge to do honor to myself, my classmates, and the College by doing my best and by following the Student Code of Conduct. I will not dishonor myself or the College by lying, cheating, stealing, or doing harm to another person or property. I understand that following an honor code is a reflection of my work ethic which is important to my success on the job and in life.”

Technical Certificates of Credit

Students enrolled in a technical certificate of credit program will receive a certificate upon successful completion of all program requirements with a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher.