Academic Policies & Procedures

Definitions

Academic Credit Hour

As adopted by our accreditor, NECHE, Connecticut State Community College defines a credit hour in compliance with the U.S. Department of Education.

A credit hour represents academic work requiring the equivalent of:

1. One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out of class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester or trimester hour of credit, or ten to twelve weeks for one quarter hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or
2. At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other academic activities as established by the institution including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.

Matriculated Student

A matriculated student is one who has been admitted to the College and is enrolled in a credit certificate or degree program. A non-matriculated (or non-degree) student is one who is taking classes at the College but has not enrolled in a credit certificate or degree program. Non-matriculated students are not eligible for Financial Aid.

Associate of Arts (AA)

A degree designed to build a foundational education in a particular subject, typically focused on the liberal arts. Some emphasize general education credits for transfer to a bachelor’s degree.

Associate of Science (AS) 

A degree designed to build a foundational education, typically in the sciences, mathematics, or technology. Some emphasize general education credits for transfer to a bachelor’s degree.

Associate of Applied Science (AAS)

A degree that provides skills and knowledge, often in the form of a credential or qualification, that allow for direct entry into the work force; these degrees may serve as transfer degrees with or without a guarantee that additional credits will not be needed at the baccalaureate level within the CSCU system.

Credit Certificate

Credit certificate programs may be comprised of a single course or small groups of courses generally intended for occupational training, upgrading, or retraining. Regardless of their duration or composition, certificate programs:

• require fewer than 60 credits. 
• are comprised of courses for skills development required for employment or for career advancement and do not contain broad General Education requirements.

Grades and Grade Points

Letter grades are given at the end of each semester to indicate how well a student has met the goals established for each course. For each letter grade, there is a corresponding number called a grade point. These are used to calculate a student’s grade point average, or GPA. 

Grade Point Average (GPA)

Temporary Grades

 Administrative Marks

Developmental grades 

Grades earned in courses numbered below 1000 will appear with the “#” sign after the letter grade to designate their status.

NOTE: These grades are not included in College GPA calculation, but are included in the calculations that determine eligibility for Financial Aid.

Incomplete Grades

I - Incomplete

Used as a temporary grade assigned by a faculty member when coursework is missing and the student agrees to complete the requirements.

A student may request an Incomplete from the faculty member; that faculty member is not required to agree to the request. Faculty members should assign an Incomplete when there are extenuating circumstances, such as illness, that prevent a student from completing the assigned work on time. Further consideration should be given to determine if the student has participated in and completed at least 61% of the course, and, in the judgment of the faculty member, the student can complete the remaining work no later than the tenth week of the next standard semester.

Any faculty member that assigns an Incomplete shall document such an activity, and inform the student, the campus Dean of Faculty or campus dean responsible for faculty affairs, the campus supervisor of enrollment services, and other appropriate parties, as needed, using a common form. Supporting documentation, agreed upon by both the faculty and student, must include:

• A brief description of the requirements to be completed;
• The date by which the coursework must be submitted to the faculty member;
• A statement that the Incomplete will change to a specific letter grade if the work is not completed by the tenth week of the next standard semester.

If a student fails to complete the required work or fails to submit the work by the specified time, or if the faculty member fails to submit a replacement grade, the Campus Supervisor of Enrollment Supervisor or their designee shall convert the Incomplete on the student’s transcript to the letter grade specified on the original paperwork. Specially accredited programs may have specific progression criteria where a student cannot progress in their program with an incomplete on their transcript.

Students with an Incomplete are temporarily ineligible for semester or graduation honors. Upon conversion of the Incomplete to a letter grade, students may retroactively receive semester or graduation honors, and such recognition shall appear on the transcript, provided the student has earned the required GPA.

Repeating a Course

No course may be repeated for credit more than twice without approval. The highest grade received will be used in calculating the student’s cumulative grade point average. This does not apply to those courses that are designed to be repeated for additional credit. Programs with professional and regulatory standards may have different requirements for repeating courses in which case, those standards shall be applied.

Auditing a Course

Used for students not wishing to be awarded college credit for a course taken. This status allows students to participate in class activities without being required to meet the examination or assessment requirements of the course. Students may ask to have coursework critiqued, but audited courses do not earn a grade and faculty members are not required to grade an auditor’s coursework. Full tuition and fees are charged for courses audited. Students must be informed that State and Federal regulations prohibit the College from awarding aid for audited courses. A student who wishes to change from credit to audit status must request this within the first 20% of a term in which the course is offered, using such forms and procedures as the college may prescribe. Audit deadlines for terms will be published in term calendars. Students auditing a course may not change to credit status. Students may only audit the same course two times, and any additional requests to audit must be approved by the campus Dean of Faculty or campus dean responsible for faculty affairs. Certain degrees or certificates, such as selective admissions programs, may not allow for courses to be converted to audit.

Calculation of GPA

The grade point average (GPA) is a composite score used to determine the relative standing of a student, either for a single semester or for the total number of semesters at the college.  Grade points are calculated by multiplying the numerical weight allocated to each grade by the semester hours of credit assigned to each course.  The GPA is determined by dividing the total number of grade points by the total number of semester hours attempted by the student.

Grade Appeals

Policy

An academic appeal is an allegation by a student that an employee of the college has violated federal or state laws and regulations, college or department policies, accreditation standards, or the policies stated in the course syllabus related to an assigned grade, notation, or other academic decision. A student may seek campus-level review of the assignment of a grade, notation, or other decision affecting academic status in accordance with the procedure outlined in the college catalog.  

The campus-level appeal will take place at the campus where the grade, notation, or course being appealed took place. The student shall be afforded the right to present a statement of appeal and relevant information in support of it. The faculty member shall also be afforded the right to present a statement of relevant information regarding the appeal.  It is the student’s responsibility to show that the decision in question is arbitrary, i.e., without a reasonable basis, or was made for improper reasons in violation of this policy. The student is entitled to a written response upon completion of the appeal procedure outlined in the college catalog. 

The procedural time frames provided may be modified by the Campus CEO for good cause shown.  

The decision of the Campus CEO, or designee shall be final.

Procedure

There are three procedural options for responding to a student’s campus-level review of the assignment of a grade or other decision affecting academic status: Regular Appeal, Expedited Non-Clinical Appeal, and Expedited Clinical Appeal. For all three options, Step 1 of the campus-level appeal process will not take place prior to the Registrar’s posting of final grades. 

The Regular Grade Appeal Procedure  should be followed if the grade being appealed would not prevent a student from graduating, transferring, or progressing in their designated program the following semester or term. The regular appeal procedure would likely be completed within 40 business days of the start of the next full academic semester. 

The Expedited Non-Clinical Grade Appeal Procedure  should be followed if the grade being appealed is from a non-clinical program and would prevent a student from graduating, transferring, or progressing in their designated program the following semester or term. The expedited (non-clinical) appeal procedure would likely be completed within 15 business days from the Registrar’s Office posting of the official final grade.   

The Expedited Clinical Grade Appeal Procedure   should be followed if the grade being appealed is for a specialized course in a clinical program and would prevent a student from graduating, transferring, or progressing in their designated program the following semester or term. The expedited clinical appeal procedure would likely be completed within 10 business days from the Registrar’s Office posting of the official final grade plus, if applicable, any additional days required for the completion of program-level appeal procedures stipulated by specialized accredited clinical programs.  Some clinical programs may permit program-level appeal procedures to be completed prior to the Registrar’s Office posting of the official final grade; however, Step 1 of the campus-level appeal process will not take place prior to the Registrar’s posting of final grades.   

Each Students may reach out to their Guided Pathways Advisor and/or program advisor for assistance in navigating the appeals process. Every type of appeal is initiated by a student with the CT State Academic Appeal Form.

Academic Engagement

Academic Engagement
While CT State is not considered an attendance-taking institution, they are required to verify the academic engagement of each student in each registered course by demonstrating “academic attendance” or an “academically-related activity” for Title IV purposes. This must be completed prior to the predetermined census date of each traditional semester, as well as during periods of enrollment shorter than the traditional 15-week semester (i.e. summer terms). The purpose of this practice is to identify students who have enrolled in coursework, but have not demonstrated an academically-related activity as a means to accurately report official college enrollment and meet the regulatory standard of compliance.

Required Activity Prior to Census
All students are required to demonstrate academic engagement (defined below) in each of their registered courses no later than the predetermined census date of each period of enrollment. Students who make this demonstration in at least one of their registered courses shall be considered to have begun the period of enrollment. Students who do not make this demonstration in any registered courses shall be considered to have not begun the period of enrollment.

Students Who Begin a Period of Enrollment
Students who begin a period of enrollment shall be counted in official census data, reflective of their actual enrollment status. Students who then cease engagement in their coursework, without officially withdrawing from the college prior to the end of the withdrawal period, shall be assigned a letter grade of “F” with a corresponding last date of academic engagement for each affected course. These students shall be considered an unofficial withdrawal from the college, and be subject to Return of Title IV regulations, if applicable. The latest date reported by faculty shall be the date of determination for unofficial withdrawal from the college.

Students Who Do Not Begin a Period of Enrollment
Students who are determined to have not academically engaged in a period of enrollment leading up to census shall be assigned a registration status of “Never Participated (NP)” for each affected course. Students assigned an NP for all courses shall be removed from the period of enrollment, and shall be counted as “never attended” for enrollment reporting purposes. Courses with an NP designation are not counted toward a college’s official census, and affected students are not eligible to receive financial aid for courses assigned this status.

NP - Never Participated
A registration status used for students who have enrolled in coursework, but have failed to engage in an academically related activity by the predetermined census date. Students who receive an NP designation are no longer permitted to attend a course section after an NP has been reported. Additionally, they are not eligible to receive a final grade, and not eligible to access the learning management system for the affected course section.

Academic Engagement
In accordance with federal regulatory definition, academic engagement (otherwise known as “academic attendance” and “attendance at an academically-related activity”) includes, but is not limited to:

• Physically attending a class where there is an opportunity for direct interaction between the instructor and students;
• Submitting an academic assignment;
• Taking an exam, an interactive tutorial, or computer-assisted instruction;
• Attending a study group that is assigned by the institution;
• Participating in an online discussion about academic matters; and
• Initiating contact with a faculty member to ask a question about the academic subject studied in the course.

This does not include activities where a student may be present, but not academically engaged, such as:

• Logging into an online class without active participation; or
• Participating in academic counseling or advising.

The institution must make a determination of “academic attendance” or an “academically related activity;” a student’s certification of attendance that is not supported by institutional documentation is not acceptable.

Academic Standing

The Connecticut State Community College Academic Standing Policy is explicit to a student’s academic performance and does not address Financial Aid standing. Financial aid students must meet the standards provided under the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy, which is separate from this Academic Standing Policy.  Academic Standing is designed to help ensure students who fall below a 2.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA) are provided with structured levels of support and advising to guide students towards academic success. 

Determination of Good Standing:

Any student whose cumulative grade point average GPA is 2.0 or higher is considered in good academic standing. Students in good academic standing may register for up to 19 credits in a regular (fall or spring) term.

Academic Warning

Students whose cumulative (GPA)  falls below a 2.0 at the conclusion of the semester, including winter and summer intercessions, will be placed on First Level Academic Warning. Students shall return to good standing when their cumulative GPA reaches 2.0 or higher. Academic Standing includes three progressive levels of warning and suspension, each with varying credit caps. Students whose cumulative GPA falls below a 2.0 cumulative GPA are notified in writing of their academic standing. Students are required to work with their Guided Pathway advisor and in collaboration with their faculty advisor as needed to create an individualized plan to increase their cumulative GPAs.

Students who have attempted more than 31 credits toward an associate degree or 13 or more credits toward a certificate program and have been on the first three levels of Academic Warning shall be placed on Academic Suspension and will not be permitted to enroll in the subsequent fall or spring semester.

The grid outlines each level of Academic Standing and the maximum number of credits permissible.

Credit Cap Appeals

Credit Cap is the maximum number of credits a student may register for in a semester. Students with extenuating circumstances may request Credit Caps be increased. Students seeking a credit increase may submit a Credit Cap Appeal to the Dean of Students and Faculty, the Dean of Academic Affairs, or their respective designee at any level of Academic Warning.

Re-Enrollment Following Academic Suspension

In the first semester following Academic Suspension, students may enroll in up to 7 credits. Credit Caps shall automatically continue each semester until a 2.0 cumulative GPA is achieved.

Academic Suspension Appeals

Students placed on Academic Suspension may appeal the requirement to take a one semester leave of absence through the Dean of Students and Faculty or the Dean of Academic Affairs, or their respective designee. Decisions will be issued in writing within 10 business days of receipt. If an initial appeal is denied, the student may request a second appeal in writing requesting a hearing with the Campus Academic Standing Appeals Committee. The committee’s decision will be communicated in writing, and their decision will be final. Students on Academic Suspension may not appeal summer or winter intercession credit caps.

Students on Academic Suspension who are granted an appeal are placed upon Third Level Academic Warning for their appeal semester. If students fail to earn a 2.0 semester GPA during their appeal semester, they will be returned to Academic Suspension and will be required to take a one semester leave from the college. If the student’s semester GPA after their return semester is above 2.0, but the student’s cumulative GPA after their return semester is still below 2.0, the appeal will be continued, and the student will remain on Third Academic Warning.

Readmission

Students who wish to return after an academic suspension should schedule an appointment with their Guided Pathways Advisor begin that process.

Academic Fresh Start

The Academic Fresh Start Program is a one-time opportunity for eligible students, returning to college after an absence of one or more years (two standard semesters), to refresh their grade point average (GPA). A student must be re-enrolling with a cumulative GPA below 2.00 to qualify for this program.

All grades previously earned remain on the student’s transcript and the student retains credit for courses with a grade of “C-minus” or above, including “P” (Pass), “CR” (Credit), and “CRT” (Credit Transfer). The courses for which Academic Fresh Start is invoked include a transcript symbol (^) indicating that the policy has been applied to the student’s academic history.

The Academic Fresh Start Program can only be used once, including at previous Connecticut Community College campuses, and does not apply to any completed degree or certificate. Fresh Start is exclusively for academic purposes and is not related to any/all Financial Aid guidelines regarding previous credits enrolled. Students should consult with the Financial Aid Office for such details.

Once approved as a candidate for the Fresh Start, a student must complete a minimum of 9 credits with grades of “C” or better for the Fresh Start to be applied to the entire academic history prior to the application term.

The Enrollment Services Office will document the semester of implementation and notify the student. The student is responsible for notifying the Enrollment Services Office once they have completed the required 9 credits so that the pending Fresh Start can be applied to the student’s academic record.

Change of Major

Students will find the “Change of Major” form through myCTState, the information portal for CT State students, faculty, and staff. Students can access a variety of enrollment forms, as well as the status of financial aid, search for courses, register for classes, access student orientation, access college email, complete coursework in Blackboard, manage college finances, with one single sign-on.

Graduation Credit Variance Procedure for Legacy Students

Purpose:

To hold harmless all students who complete legacy Connecticut community college degree or certificate requirements but, due to credit discrepancies solely created through the curriculum alignment process, are missing one or more credits to graduate from an equivalent CT State Community College (“CT State”) degree or certificate program.

Conditions:

For any student who CT State has determined meets all requirements of a legacy Connecticut community college degree or certificate program, but does not meet the minimum CT State credit threshold required for the equivalent aligned degree or certificate, the following criteria must be met prior to the awarding of the credential:

• The student was previously enrolled in an equivalent degree or certificate program at a legacy Connecticut community college
• The student meets the minimum number of credits required for graduation from the legacy degree or certificate program
• The student has met the required outcomes of the legacy degree or certificate program
• The minimum number of credits completed for a degree equals 60 credits or more
• The student has met all other CT State Community College requirements for graduation

Selective admissions or specialized accreditation programs will be required to follow accrediting agency standards regarding credit variances.

Graduation Honors

Students with exemplary academic performance shall be recognized at graduation with the following designations, in Latin:

Summa Cum Laude for students with a 3.9 - 4.0 grade point average

Magna Cum Laude for students with a 3.7 - 3.89 grade point average

Cum Laude with a 3.4 - 3.69 grade point average

All graduation honors are recorded on the student’s academic transcript. Students with an Incomplete grade on their transcript at the time of graduation may become eligible retroactively for graduation honors upon completion of the course requirements. Such recognition shall appear on the transcript, provided that the student has earned the required grade point average.

Earning Multiple Associates Degrees

Earning a Second Associates Degree

A student may earn a second Associate degree under the following circumstances:

• All program requirements are met for both degrees.
• The residency requirement of one-quarter (25%) of the complete degree is met for any degree earned at Connecticut State Community College 
• The second degree includes a minimum of 15 credits which are different from the first degree
• If both degrees are to be earned at Connecticut State Community College, the student has earned a minimum of 75 credits and has met the residency requirement within each degree.

Earning More Than Two Associates Degrees

Any request to earn more than two Associate Degrees requires approval of the Campus Dean prior to the program being added to the student’s record. Additional degrees must meet the following criteria:

• All program requirements must be met for each degree earned.
• The additional degree must be 15 credits different from any other degree earned (three Associates degrees are a minimum of 90 total credits, etc).
• The residency requirement of one-quarter (25%) of any complete degree is met for any degree earned at Connecticut State Community College.
• No two degrees can be a part of the same group of options under a parent degree.

Discipline Groups Limited to One Associate-level Credential

Per Board of Regents Policy: completion of the requirements of an additional program option under the same parent degree does not constitute a different degree.

This policy applies in these disciplines:

A detailed list of affected programs is available on the Academic P&P: Parent Degrees and Their Options  page of this catalog. While multiple Associate degrees may not be earned in these areas, many offer credit certificates that can be earned alongside the chosen Associate degree.

Graduation

Requirements

Candidates for an Associate Degree at CT State Community College shall have successfully completed the following requirements*:

• Minimum of 60 credits
• Min of 25% of credits completed at CT State
• Overall GPA 2.0
• Completion of 21-credit General Education Core
• Completion of program requirements as proscribed by the department

Candidates for a Credit Certificate at CT State shall have successfully completed the following requirements*:

• Min of 25% of credits completed at CT State
• Overall GPA 2.0
• Completion of program requirements as proscribed by the department

These requirements are college-wide minimums. Programs with specialized accreditations, endorsements or other standards may have additional graduation requirements which are described in the College Catalog or Program Handbook.

Graduation Application

Students will find the “Graduation Application” form through myCTState, the information portal for CT State students, faculty, and staff. The application should be submitted in the term when a student is registered for their final requirements for the relevant certficate or degree program. This form can also be obtained through any campus-based enrollment offices or through the Guided Pathways advisors.

Expectation of Academic Integrity

All colleges and universities have an expectation that the work done by students and faculty will be conducted honestly and fairly. Maintaining this academic integrity is central to a successful learning environment. It is important for members of the community to understand and avoid actions that are considered academic misconduct.

Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to, plagiarism and all forms of cheating. Students are expected to do their own work on assignments, laboratory exercises, quizzes, examinations, and any other academic work.

Plagiarism is defined as the submission of work by a student for academic credit as one’s own work of authorship which contains work of another author (whether purchased, borrowed, or otherwise obtained, from any source, including the Internet) without appropriate attribution, either intentionally or unintentionally.

Cheating includes, but is not limited to: (i) use of any unauthorized assistance in taking quizzes, tests or examinations; (ii) use of sources beyond those authorized by the instructor in writing papers, preparing reports, solving problems or carrying out other assignments; (iii) the acquisition, without permission, of tests or other academic material belonging to a member of the College faculty or staff or any other individual or entity; (iv) falsifying laboratory results or other data; (v) submitting, if contrary to the rules of a course, work previously presented in another course; (vi) knowingly and intentionally assisting another student in any of the above, including assistance in an arrangement whereby any work, classroom performance, examination, or other activity is submitted or performed by a person other than the student under whose name the work is submitted or performed; and (vii) engaging in any other behavior specifically prohibited by a faculty member in the course syllabus.

Unauthorized recording or transmissions includes, but is not limited to, the use of any electronic media or device for the transmission and/or recording of class material, unless authorized by the instructor.

Faculty can assign a grade of “F” to any student found guilty of academic misconduct. Such an “F” cannot be overridden by a student-initiated “W” (withdrawal from the specific class or withdrawal from all classes). If a student is found to have multiple infractions, a stronger penalty may be observed. Academic dishonesty can also result in other disciplinary sanctions as defined in the CSCU Student Code of Conduct.

Academic dishonesty also includes the unauthorized, undisclosed use of generative artifical intelligence (AI) to complete classwork.