Academic
Advising
Each student will be assigned
an academic advisor as part of
the application process. Advisors
are staff and faculty members
who guide students in making wise
selections of course offerings
with careful attention to institution
policies, procedures and degree
requirements.
In addition, academic advisors
offer students opportunities to
enhance their education by making
them aware of the various internal
and external resources available
to them throughout the college
and community.
Academic advisors also play an
important role in the educational
progress of their advisees by
continually monitoring and evaluating
their progression, as well as
helping them to clarify their
educational goals and values.
Academic Advising at SCC follows
the developmental education success
model. Advisors are committed
to student success and so academic
advising for many students may
begin at the developmental level.
In cases where students score
below the tenth percent on the
college placement test in reading,
writing or arithmetic, an intensive
ABE academic foundation program
will be advised before developmental
or curriculum classes will be
assigned.
Regardless of class placement,
students are encouraged to have
frequent contacts with their advisor
while they attend SCC.
» List
of Advisors for each academic
program
Attendance
Requirements
All students are expected to be
present and regular in attendance
for scheduled classes and labs.
Absences will be considered justified
and excusable only in cases of
emergencies, serious illness or
death in the immediate family.
At the discretion of instructors,
students may make up work missed.
When a student must be absent,
it is vital that he/she remain
in contact with his/her instructors.
Change
of Schedule
Add/Drop
The add/drop period is
defined in the academic calendar.
Schedule changes are permitted
during this time without grade
penalty and are made on the “Add/Drop/Withdrawal
Form”. Courses dropped
after this period will result
in a grade of “W”.
Withdrawal
Procedures
To withdraw from a course(s) or
the College, a student should
contact his/her advisor and initiate
the “Add/Drop/Withdrawal
Form”. This form must
be signed by the advisor and the
appropriate instructor(s) and
returned to the Registrar’s
Office. If a student withdraws
by the official withdrawal date
for the semester (published in
the academic
calendar), the grade received
will be a “W.”
If a student withdraws from ALL
courses, they must follow the
steps outlined above, in addition
to meeting with an Enrollment
Counselor located in Student Services
for an exit interview.
If a student seeks to withdraw
from a course(s) after the official
withdrawal date, this may be granted
under extenuating circumstances
such as serious illness or job
transfer and will be considered
on an individual basis by the
instructor. It is the student’s
responsibility to provide compelling
documentation for this request
and to attach the documentation
to the withdrawal form. The withdrawal
form requires the signature of
the advisor, appropriate instructor(s),
and the dean and then is processed
in the Registrar’s Office.
It is the responsibility of the
student to initiate the withdrawal
process. If a student stops attending
class and does not complete an
official withdrawal, the student’s
final grade will be an “F”.
An exception will be made for
Developmental Education coursework.
The “W” will not influence
the quality point ratio for the
semester. However, withdrawing
from courses could affect a student’s
eligibility for financial aid.
Students who receive financial
aid should always consult the
financial aid officer before withdrawing
from a course.
COLLEGE
ACCESS
College Access is a partnership
between Southwestern and area
public schools that supports a
collection of programs, services
and resources designed to enhance
education and improve access to
college for area young people.
College Access is comprised of
integrated initiatives that together
present a continuum of services
responsive to the community’s
needs.
Concurrent
Enrollment
The Concurrent
Enrollment program can
help young people make the
most of their high school
years by earning college credit
while still in school—without
the cost of tuition. These
courses can be taken in a
traditional classroom, over
interactive television, through
the Internet or via telecourses. |
| Students can: |
| • |
take college-level courses
on their high school campus
through the Huskins-ACE Program |
| • |
take college-level courses
at a Southwestern campus site
through the Dual Enrollment
Program |
| • |
take selected high school
courses that, upon graduation,
earn college credit through
the Tech Prep Program. |
College
Tech Prep
The College Tech Prep program
allows students, upon graduation
from high school, to receive advanced
placement or college credit for
successfully completing selected
high school courses. To earn Tech
Prep credit, students must score
a minimum of 70% on the VoCATS
post-test or equivalent; have
a minimum grade of “B”
in the course; and enroll in SCC
coursework within two years of
high school graduation or obtain
approval of the SCC instructor.
| Huskins-ACE |
Huskins courses
are college classes generally
taught at area high school
campuses or
online by Southwestern instructors.
ACE (Accelerated College Education)
offers students pathways of
sequenced courses to give
the maximum number of credits
possible within the high school
day. Though SCC encourages
students to follow the sequences
of courses, they may take
courses in any combination.
The pathways are: College/University
Transfer, Web Design, Networking
Technology and Criminal Justice.
Credit is earned at both the
high school and SCC (or other
post-secondary schools based
on transferability). The courses
are tuition-free. Students
must be in 9th grade or higher
to participate and must have
the academic and social maturity
necessary to succeed in college-level
work. Students must have placed
into college-level classes
on the College Placement Test
or SAT and be recommended
by their high school principal.
Additional programs include:
|
| • |
Automotive |
| • |
Carpentry |
| • |
Cosmetology |
| • |
Early Childhood |
|
| • |
EMT Basic |
| • |
Computer Information
Technology |
| • |
Outdoor Leadership |
|
ACE College / University Transfer
Upon successful completion of
the College/University Transfer
sequence, a student will have
earned 30 hours of college credit.
To be eligible for transfer to
another college or university,
a grade of “C” or
better is typically required.
Fall Semester
• ENG 111: Expository
Writing
• COM 110: Intro
to Communications
• HIS 121: Western
Civilization I
• Humanities/fine
arts or social/behavioral science
course
• MAT 175: Precalculus
Spring Semester
• ENG 113: Literature-Based
Research
• ENG 131: Introduction
to Literature
• HIS 112: Western
Civilization II
• Humanities/fine
arts or social/behavioral science
course
• MAT 271: Calculus
I
ACE Networking/Technology
Pathway
Upon successful completion of
the Networking/Technology sequence,
a student is eligible to take
an external certification. In
addition, a student will have
earned 12 hours of college credit
that can apply toward a degree
in Networking Administration and
Support at SCC. Courses for this
pathway are only offered at the
Jackson Campus as they require
specialized equipment.
Fall Semester
• NET 125: Networking
Basics
• NET 126: Routing
Basics
Spring Semester
• NET 225: Routing
& Switching I
• NET 226: Routing
& Switching II
These courses are based on the
Cisco Systems coursework. Cisco
Systems is a world leader in Internet
networking.
ACE Criminal Justice Pathway
Upon successful completion of
the Criminal Justice pathway suggested
course sequence, a student will
have earned 12 hours of college
credit toward the Criminal Justice
degree (SCC offers an AAS degree
in Criminal Justice and WCU offers
a BS in Criminal Justice).
Fall Semester
• CJC 111: Intro
to Criminal Justice
• CJC 141: Corrections
Second Semester
• CJC 112: Criminology
• CJS 214: Victimology
ACE Web Design Pathway
Upon successful completion of
the Web Design sequence, a student
will have earned the SCC Web Design
Certificate and can apply 18 credit
hours toward the Web Technology
Degree at Southwestern Community
College.
Fall Semester
• CIS 110*:
Introduction to Computers
• WEB 110*:
Internet/Web Fundamentals
Credit for these courses may be
earned by taking equivalency high
school courses through College
Tech Prep Program
Spring Semester
• WEB 120: Introduction
to Internet Multimedia
• WEB 140: Web
Development Tools
Fall Semester
• WEB 111: Introduction
to Web Graphics
• WEB 160: Web
Design
| Notes: |
| • |
Upon completion of the Web
Design Pathway, a student
will have earned the SCC Web
Design Certificate. |
| • |
The second Fall Semester
classes can be taken in the
first Fall Semester if students
have completed the high school
equivalent of CIS 110 and
WEB 110. |
| • |
These classes are all available
online. |
Dual
Enrollment
Dual Enrollment allows students
to enroll in regularly scheduled
courses taught at a Southwestern
campus site or online, and credit
is earned at SCC (or other post-secondary
schools based on transferability).
The courses are tuition-free.
Students can attend any semester,
including summer, as long as they
are enrolled in high school. Students
must
be 16, enrolled in high school
for half a day (unless attending
summer semester),
recommended by the principal and
approved by the community college
president.
Early
College High School
An Early College High School is
a small, autonomous high school
located on a campus of Southwestern
Community College. Early College
High School provides high school
students, who enroll in the 9th
grade, the opportunity to earn
both their high school diploma
and an associate’s degree
(or two years of college credit)
within their five years of enrollment
in Early College High School.
The Early College High School
provides a safe, caring school
where each child is well-known,
intellectually challenged, and
celebrated by every adult in the
building. It is a unique high
school environment accepting students
of diverse ability levels through
an application process conducted
each spring. For more information,
contact your local school board
regarding Early College opportunities.
New Century
Scholars
The New Century Scholars is a
locally-funded initiative that
provides guaranteed
last-dollar tuition support to
attend Southwestern Community
College with the option
of continuing to WCU. Rising seventh
graders in Jackson, Macon and
Swain counties are selected by
public school personnel, students
take part in intervention strategies,
enrichment activities and college
awareness activities throughout
middle and high school that prepare
them to succeed in college and
beyond.
GEAR
UP
The Gaining Early Awareness and
Readiness for Undergraduate Programs
(GEAR
UP) program is intended to
significantly increase the number
of area students who are prepared
to enter and succeed in postsecondary
education. The program is designed
to impact all students in participating
schools in Jackson, Macon and
Swain counties and the Qualla
Boundary. Students receive supplemental
instruction and remediation, enrichment
experiences, cultural activities,
career and college awareness,
tutoring and mentoring.
Upward
Bound
The Upward
Bound program helps first-generation
and income eligible high school
students in Swain, Macon and Jackson
counties and the Qualla boundary
develop the skills and motivation
needed to succeed in high school
and college. Students take part
in weekly tutoring, academic advising
and support, college touring,
service learning opportunities,
monthly campus experiences, outdoor
adventures, cultural enrichment
activities and a summer institute
experience.
For more information about
these programs/services for high
school students, visit: www.southwesterncc.edu/collconn/
COMMENCEMENT
APPLICATION
Summer
08
Commencement application
deadline: Noon, Fri,
June 27, 2008
» more |
Commencement exercises are
held at the end of the fall,
spring and summer semesters
for all students who are candidates
for degrees, diplomas or certificates.
Students should apply between
the first and 50th class day
of the semester in which they
expect to complete their program.
Applications will
not be accepted after the
announced deadline.
Students wishing to submit
commencement applications
after the deadline must submit
an appeal to the Dean of Student
Services. Application steps
are as follows: |
| 1. |
For each major, obtain an
Application for Commencement
from the Registrar’s
Office or academic advisor.
|
| 2. |
Complete the Candidates
section of the application.
|
| 3. |
Take the application to
your advisor. |
| 4. |
Submit application to the
Registrar’s Office for
final approval by the announced
deadline. |
| 5. |
If applicant plans to participate
in commencement, purchase
graduation materials (cap,
gown, tassel, diploma cover)
at the college bookstore and
pay all debts owed to the
College at the Business office.
|
| 6. |
All applicants must have
completed all requirements
by the end of the semester
in which they plan to participate
in commencement. |
| Students
completing requirements
during each semester can
apply by the deadline for
commencement and purchase
graduation materials at
the end of the particular
semester. If the student
is qualified, the Registrar
orders credentials and mails
them to the student. Students
who apply and do not qualify
must reapply after deficiencies
are completed. Credentials
will not be ordered and
held for students to complete
requirements in a subsequent
semester.
A student must maintain
an overall average of C
(2.00 GPA) in order to graduate.
Some health science programs
have additional graduation
requirements as defined
by those programs.
No fee for graduation is
charged to the student when
he or she files an application.
The only fees charged are
for cap, gown and tassel
purchased in the bookstore.
Application for Commencement
forms may be obtained from
the Registrar's
Office or academic advisor
or may be downloaded here
in .pdf format - Application
for Commencement |
DEGREES
Associate
Degrees
Academic programs for which an
Associate of Applied Science degree
is awarded require the successful
completion of 64 - 76 semester
hour credits and are designed
to provide entry-level employment
training. An Associate of Arts
degree requires the successful
completion of 64 semester hour
credits and is designed to facilitate
transfer to one of the 16 public
universities in North Carolina.
Diploma
A diploma is awarded after successful
completion of 36 - 48 semester
hours credits in an approved diploma-granting
program. For a full-time student,
it generally takes three semesters
to finish a typical diploma program.
Certificate
A certificate is awarded after
successful completion of 12 -18
semester hour credits in a particular
certificate-granting program.
Certificate programs are designed
for specific skill development.
Completion
of General Core Requirements
College transfer students who
choose to transfer after completion
of the 44-hour general education
core must contact their advisor,
who will then notify the Registrar’s
office if the student has met
the core requirements. Upon certification
of completion, a notation appears
on the student’s transcript.
Minimum
Course Work Requirements (Credit
in Residence)
In order for an associate’s
degree to be awarded, (a) A minimum
of 25 percent of total coursework,
and (b) A minimum of 25 percent
of required major courses in the
degree program must be completed
in residence at Southwestern Community
College. Certain diploma and certificate
programs require less credit to
meet residency requirements. These
programs will be determined on
an individual basis by the Vice
President for Instruction and
Student Services.
Multiple
Degrees/Diplomas/Certificates
A student may pursue multiple
degrees, diplomas, and certificates
concurrently or consecutively.
Courses which apply appropriately
to more than one degree, diploma
or certificate may be counted
toward the completion of each
credential, but the specific requirements
of each must be met.
DISTANCE
LEARNING
Opportunities to Earn
College Credit via Distance Learning
A course that is taken outside
the traditional classroom is considered
a distance learning course. Southwestern
Community College offers distance
learning opportunities in several
ways: Telecourse, Instructional
Websites, TeleWeb, North Carolina
Information Highway (NCIH) and
Community Link - Interactive Television
(ITV). These distance learning
options allow flexibility in course
scheduling and often require less
time on campus.
Successful distance learners are
highly motivated individuals,
who are determined and
confident of their academic abilities.
Moreover, they are comfortable
working in an
independent learning environment
while actively participating in
the learning process by performing
tasks and projects assigned by
the instructor. Students interested
in pursuing
distance education courses should
read the “Prospective
Students” on
the Distance Learning website.
Students enrolling in distance
learning courses pay regular tuition
and fees, have access to all student
services, study under the College’s
rules and regulations and receive
academic credit.
Students who have Internet access,
e-mail, and are comfortable using
a computer, may take advantage
of SCC’s courses that use
distance learning. Students do
not need to be computer experts
to enroll in a distance learning
course; however, they should be
comfortable using e-mail, word
processing and Internet browser.
If students are not comfortable
using these tools, they may want
to consider enrolling in an introductory
computer class to help upgrade
their computer skills.
Hands-on Blackboard training sessions
will be offered for students.
The sessions, conducted on the
Jackson Campus, are announced
prior to registration each semester.
An online orientation is also
available. Visit the Online Student
Resources website for complete
information about online classes
at SCC and a tutorial on getting
started.
| Web-centered
(WC) |
| • |
Instruction will be delivered
using your computer over the
World Wide Web. |
| • |
A web-centered course is
|
| • |
actively led and monitored
by the instructor on the Internet. |
| • |
Because of the interactive
nature of a web-centered course,
access to a computer with
Internet capability and active
student participation are
requirements for satisfactory
course completion. |
| • |
Web-centered courses require
no in-class lecture
time and usually
require a preliminary course
orientation session with the
instructor. |
| Hybrid
(HY) |
| • |
A hybrid course is one in
which a substantial amount
of the course requirements
will be completed on-line
via the class website and
e-mail. |
| • |
Students may be
required to come to campus
on designated dates and times.
These dates will be communicated
to the student by the instructor. |
Web-enhanced |
| • |
These courses use websites
to enhance traditional face-to-face
classes. |
| • |
While most of the
instruction is accomplished
in the classroom, the web
enhancement allows instructors
and students to extend their
discussions and exchange information
throughout the week. |
| • |
When appropriate for the
course content and goals,
a reduction of face-to-face
class time may be permitted
at the discretion of the instructor.
|
| • |
It is most convenient for
students if they have a working
computer with Internet access
at home, but this is not required.
Many students choose to work
on their web- enhanced coursework
on campus in open computer
labs or the library. |
| Teleweb
(TW) |
| |
Teleweb course is
a telecourse with a web-enhancement.
Students enrolled
in a teleweb course work independently,
view televised programs and
read printed materials at
home with guidance from course
instructors who use a variety
of communication tools and
instructional techniques.
Lecture materials and course
assignments may be accessed
over the Internet. Additional
materials (which may include
professionally produced telecourses,
or video materials produced
“in-house” by
the instructor and college
media department) may be provided
to the student by UNC-TV,
local educational cable access,
or videocassette. If
students are unable to view
the regularly scheduled telecourse
broadcasts, SCC may provide
a complete set of videotapes
that can be used throughout
the semester and returned
to the College at the end
of the term. Students
may be required to report
to the campus for tests and/or
review sessions as determined
by the instructor. |
North
Carolina Information Highway
classes (NCIH)
NCIH classes are both sent
and received from an interactive
classroom over a statewide
broadband network. A NCIH
course meets at a regularly
scheduled time and place
in an “electronic
classroom” where students
at SCC, the instructor and
students at other community
colleges interact in a two-way
audio/video mode using television
monitors, tabletop microphones
and video cameras. NCIH
classes enable an instructor
at SCC to teach students
at distant sites or students
in the NCIH classroom to
receive instruction from
a remote site. This two-way
interactive system allows
the College to import courses,
giving students access to
courses that are not available
locally.
Community
Link – Interactive
Television (ITV)
Community Link - Interactive
Television (ITV) is an interactive
television network that
links 12 educational sites
in western North Carolina
through fiber-optic cable
and broadband T1. Community
Link provides fully interactive
audio and video communication
in real time using video
cameras, monitors and microphones.
The benefits of Community
link include increased course
offerings while reducing
drive time for students
and instructors. Though
Community Link is primarily
used for course offerings,
community groups and organizations
may also use the network.
Community Link sites include:
SCC Jackson Campus, Cherokee,
Swain and Macon County Centers,
Smoky Mountain High School,
Cherokee High School, Swain
County High School, Franklin
High School, Blue Ridge
School, Highlands School
and Nantahala School.
|
GRADES
Grading
System
Official grades are available
online at the end of each semester.
The college does not mail grades
to students. Students enrolled
in curriculum courses will be
graded by the letter grade system
and assigned a grade point average
(GPA) for each semester. Instructors
inform students about their specific
grading scales. The College does
not have a uniform grading scale.
The GPA is determined by dividing
the total number of quality points
by the number of credit hours
attempted. A GPA of 2.00 is required
for graduation. Transfer credits
are not included in the GPA computation.
»
Transcript
Release Form
» Access
Grades on-line »
Official
Transcript
| Grade |
Definition |
Grade
Points per Semester Hour
|
| A
|
The student
has, in a superior way, met
the objectives established
for the course. |
4 |
| B |
The student
has more than adequately met
the objectives established
for the course. |
3 |
| C |
The student
has adequately met the objectives
established for the course. |
2 |
| D |
The student
has minimally met the objectives
established for the course. |
1 |
| F |
The student
failed to meet the objectives
established or the course. |
0 |
| I |
Incomplete.
Indicates that a student has
been doing acceptable work
in the course but has not
completed all required work.
A minimum of 80 percent of
course requirements must have
been completed for the student
to be eligible for an “I”
contract. It is the student’s
responsibility to have this
deficiency removed during
the first two weeks of the
following semester or the
grade will be automatically
changed to an “F.”
An “I” does not
count as hours attempted or
as hours earned. |
0 |
| CS |
Continued
Study. Indicates that
a student must continue study
at his current level of Developmental
Education coursework. This
symbol does not count as hours
| |
