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Student Information

ACADEMIC POLICIES

Student Classification.
Freshman: 1-24 completed credit hours
Sophomore: 25+ completed credit hours

President's Honor List. Awarded fall and spring terms to students enrolled for 12 or more college credit hours who earn a grade point average of 3.90-4.00.

Dean's List. Awarded fall and spring terms to students enrolled for 12 or more college credit hours who earn a grade point average of 3.70-3.89.

Honors List.

1. Awarded fall and spring terms to students enrolled for 12 or more college credit hours who earn a grade point average of 3.00-3.69.
2. Awarded fall and spring terms to students enrolled in 6-11 college credit hours who earn a grade point average of 3.00 and above.

Graduation Honors. Hours are cumulative and include transfer credit hours.

Summa Cum Laude
Grade Point Average of 3.90-4.00

Magna Cum Laude
Grade Point Average of 3.70-3.89

Cum Laude
Grade Point Average of 3.50-3.69

Identification Card. Photo ID cards are available from the Student Activities office located off the Commodore Café' or at the following locations: the main office at the Gulf/Franklin Center, the main office at the North Bay Center and the GCCC office at Tyndall Air Force Base. Students must present current photo identification (driver's license or military identification) and a current fee payment receipt to have the photo ID taken. The student ID is valid as long as the student is enrolled in courses at GCCC. There is no charge for the original ID card; however, a fee is incurred for replacement cards.

Fines. Students cannot register for courses, graduate, and/or receive transcripts until all fees and fines have been paid.

Cheating. Cheating in any form will not be tolerated. Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken.

Plagiarism. See "Cheating."

Grades. Each faculty member will explain the grading system employed in each course. Students are responsible for obtaining a clear understanding of this process. Final grades are available the week after the end of each term. Students may access grades on-line through GCCC's Web Registration at www.gulfcoast.edu or by accessing FACTS at www.facts.org.

A -	Excellent	4 quality points/credit hour
B -	Good	3 quality points/credit hour
C -	Average	2 quality points/credit hour
D -	Poor	1 quality point/credit hour
F -	Failure	0 quality points/credit hour
P -	Passing	0 quality points/credit hour
S/U -	Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory	0 quality points/credit hour
	May be assigned to certain credit, PSAV, and Adult Education courses. "P" grades are assigned to continuing workforce education courses to designate award of CEU units.
S/U-	Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory	0 quality points
P-	May be used in certain PSAV courses to indicate whether or not exit level competencies have been met. S/U grades are used for non-credit courses for which CEUs are not awarded.
W-	Withdrawal.	See "Withdrawals."
I -	Incomplete	An "I" becomes an "F" within 30 calendar days from end of term.
X -	Audit	Audits must be declared before the end of the drop/add period and cannot be changed to credit.

Grade Change. All grade changes must be initiated by the instructor and approved by the appropriate division chair and the executive vice president. All grade changes must be made within 30 days of the close of each term. Exceptions for extenuating circumstances must be approved by the executive vice president.

Grade Forgiveness. Students may repeat a course when a grade of "D" or "F" has been earned. The last grade counts. However, universities may count forgiven grades in calculating the grade point average. Forgiven grades may also be calculated in determining financial aid eligibility.

Attendance. Students who are absent from a credit class more than one eighth of the course without the instructor's permission shall be withdrawn. Please consult with class instructors for specific class attendance and grading policies.

Total Attempts. This policy applied to college-level and college preparatory courses taken for the first time beginning with Fall Semester 1997. Only Gulf Coast Community College courses are counted in attempts. Repeatable courses, courses required to be repeated by a regulatory agency, or courses being repeated as part of a regulatory requirement for continuing education to stay current in a field, such as teacher certification, will not be applied to this policy.

A student can only repeat a course with a "D" or "F" grade. There is a maximum of two withdrawals permitted for each course. On the third attempt, a student cannot withdraw and must earn a grade.

A student may enroll three times in each course. On the third attempt and after, a student is assessed full cost of instruction (4 times matriculation). A fourth attempt may be allowed only for students who withdraw or fail due to extenuating circumstances. An exception may be granted only once for each course, provided approval is granted through an academic appeal.

The college has the authority to review and reduce fees paid by students, on an individual basis, due to continued enrollment in a course, contingent upon the student's financial hardship.

Exceptions may be granted through an academic appeal process for the following:

1. Repeating courses with a grade of "A," "B," or "C."
2. Requiring a grade on the third attempt.
3. Allowing only two withdrawals per course.
4. Enrolling more than three times.
5. Limiting to two the number of times a course grade may be forgiven.

Students who have successfully completed a college preparatory course with a "C" or better may request, through the appeals process, to audit the same preparatory course. Students will be allowed to audit the course only once. Audits for college and vocational courses declared prior to the end of the drop/add period shall not count as attempts.

Withdrawals. Two withdrawals are permitted per credit course. After that, a grade will be assigned. Please be concerned about withdrawals. When admitting students into certain programs, universities may calculate withdrawals as grades. There are two kinds of withdrawals---student and administrative.

1. Student Withdrawal - Student completes a withdrawal form and submits the form to the Office of Admissions and Records before the scheduled withdrawal deadline published in the college catalog. Student withdrawals initiated prior to the scheduled withdrawal deadline will be recorded as "W."
2. Administrative Withdrawal - This withdrawal is completed by an instructor for excess absences (see Attendance Policy) or upon the request of the student to the instructor after the scheduled withdrawal deadline published in the college catalog. Administrative withdrawals initiated after the published withdrawal deadline will be recorded as "W" if passing and "F" if failing. The withdrawal deadline for an off-term, distance education or condensed semester is midterm for the course or the date of the second examination, whichever occurs first.

Students cannot withdraw from developmental studies courses (college-preparatory classes) after the drop/add period without written permission from the instructor and a developmental academic adviser.

Graduation Procedures.

1. Fulfill academic program requirements for degree to include a minimum 25 percent of credit successfully completed at GCCC. The catalog under which a student graduates cannot be older than five years.
2. Earn a 2.00 grade point average on all GCCC courses attempted.
3. Earn a cumulative 2.00 grade point average (including transfer credit).
4. Associate in Arts degree graduates must satisfy the College Level Academic Skills Program requirements by taking and passing the four components of the College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) or document satisfaction of the CLAST requirement by a state approved alternate method (see "Associate in Arts Degree").
5. Request a graduation degree audit. Students pursuing an A.S., A.A.S., or a vocational certificate must obtain a program evaluation from their adviser.
6. Submit paid graduation application to Vice President of Student Support and Enrollment Management office by published deadline (see college calendar for dates).
7. Fulfill all financial obligations to the college.

Academic Grievance Procedures. Students who wish to appeal a final course grade should:

1. Meet with the involved faculty member.
2. If not resolved, meet with the division chair.
3. If not resolved, write a statement to the executive vice president.

A student may elect to remove credits which are older than ten years. Both Gulf Coast Community College credit and transfer credit apply. All courses prior to the date chosen will not be counted in the academic GPA but will count in the student Academic Standards of Progress for financial aid.

Maximum Course Load. The college recommends an average of 15-18 credit hours for Fall/Spring and 8 credit hours per Summer term. Students with "B" averages may carry additional credits with approval from the executive vice president.

Course Substitution. (Applies primarily to Associate in Applied Science, Postsecondary Vocational, and Certificate programs).

1. Student submits appropriate documentation to program manager.
2. If approved, program manager sends completed Course Substitution Form to the Office of Admissions and Records.

Students receiving VA educational assistance must notify the Veterans Affairs Office.

Transcripts. The Buckley Amendment prohibits the release of academic records without the student's signature and all requests must be made in writing by the student. To request an official transcript the student must complete the college Transcript Request Form located in the Office of Admissions and Records or you can download an online Transcript Request Form.

All written requests must include: student's full name (maiden/married), social security number, approximate dates of attendance, name and address of receiving institution, contact telephone number/e-mail address, picture identification (i.e., driver's license), and student's signature.

Requests should be mailed to the Office of Admissions and Records, Gulf Coast Community College, 5230 West U.S. Hwy. 98, Panama City, FL 32401 or can be faxed to (850) 913-3308.

Transcripts cannot be e-mailed or faxed by the college to the student, individuals, or other institutions. Transcripts can be sent electronically to other Florida schools. All requests must be made by the student. Please allow 2-5 working days for processing. Gulf Coast Community College reserves the right to place a restriction on a student's record that will prevent official transcripts to be processed if the student has an outstanding financial obligation. It is the student's responsibility to notify the Office of Admissions and Records when all obligations are satisfied in order to have the request processed.

NONTRADITIONAL CREDIT

Up to 45 hours of nontraditional credit (i.e., CLEP, AP, IB, and AICE) may be applied toward a degree. Duplicate credit will not be awarded. Credits earned will not be included on the official Gulf Coast Community College transcript until the student has successfully completed 15 credit hours.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP).
Students may receive CLEP credit for up to 30 credit hours. Information on credit awarded for subject matter exams is available from the transcript evaluation specialist in the Office of Admissions and Records and online at the GCCC website (www.gulfcoast.edu) under Prospective Students and click on the testing option.

The college accepts CLEP credit as follows:

1. Transcripts from a Florida public college/university.
2. Official CLEP test score.

Excelsior College Mobility Examinations. Students applying for the RN program with appropriate scores and LPN licenses may receive credit. Contact the Health Sciences Division for additional information.

Cambridge AICE (AICE). A list of courses and credits awarded for each examination is available from the transcript evaluation specialist in the Office of Admissions and Records and online at the college website (www.gulfcoast.edu) under Prospective Students and click on the testing option.

Advanced Placement (AP). Scores of 5, 4, and 3 may be accepted for credit. Students must submit official AP scores to the Office of Admissions and Records. Information on credit awarded for subject matters exams is available from the transcript evaluation specialist in the Office of Admissions and Records and online at the college website (www.gulfcoast.edu) under Prospective Students and click on the testing option.

International Baccalaureate (IB). A list of courses and credits awarded for each examination is available from the transcript evaluation specialist in the Office of Admissions and Records and online at the college website (www.gulfcoast.edu) under Prospective Students and click on the testing option.

1. Students who have received an IB Diploma may be awarded up to 30 semester credits.
2. Information on credit awarded for students without an IB Diploma is available from the transcript evaluation specialist in the Office of Admissions and Records.

Early Completion by Examination. Students may request permission to challenge a course by taking a proficiency examination. Students passing the proficiency examination will be excused from further class attendance.

Military Credit. Most military credit applies to the Associate in Science degree or certificate programs. Credit will be accepted when it applies to a degree and when it is comparable in content and credit value to a GCCC course. Information on credit awarded for subject matters exams is available from the transcript evaluation specialist in the Office of Admissions and Records.

Prior Training and Experience. Documentation and evidence of training or experience will be necessary to determine the extent of credit. This credit applies to the Associate in Science degree or certificate programs and must be evaluated by the program manager. Students with documented training certificates may be awarded credit if the training meets the academic standards and is relevant to the College's instructional program. For those with prior experience, credit may be awarded based on successful completion of the final exam for the course in which the student seeks credit.

Servicemembers Opportunity College. The American Association of Community Colleges has designated Gulf Coast as a Servicemen's Opportunity College (SOC). This means that military service members and their eligible dependents may pursue college programs without being penalized for unusual circumstances and transfers over which they have no control. Students who meet the Gulf Coast residency requirements (25 percent of credit successfully completed at GCCC) may complete degree requirements at other accredited colleges and transfer those credits to Gulf Coast as part of the degree requirements. For more information, please call (850) 283-4332.

STANDARDS OF ACADEMIC PROGRESS

1. College Credit and Vocational Credit

   In determining academic progress, college credit, vocational credit, and preparatory credit are combined. "Attempted" is defined as all courses in which a student has processed an official registration and in which a student remains enrolled after the drop/add period.

   Transfer courses, courses taken for audit, and courses for which a student receives a refund will not be included in the determination of academic standing.

   Academic Probation. A student will be placed on academic probation if any one of the following conditions is present:

   1. 13-35 credit hours attempted and cumulative grade point average below 1.50.
   2. 36-45 credit hours attempted and cumulative grade point average below 1.75.
   3. 46 or more credit hours attempted and cumulative grade point average below 2.00.
      
   4. 18-36 credit hours attempted and less than 50 percent completion rate. (Students on financial aid must have a 67 percent completion rate.)

   Academic Suspension. A student will be placed on academic suspension if any one of the following conditions is present:

   1. 36-45 credit hours attempted and grade point average below 1.50.
   2. 46 or more credit hours attempted and grade point average below 1.75.
   3. 37 or more credit hours attempted and less than 50 percent completion rate. (Students on financial aid must have a 67 percent completion rate.)

   Suspension Waiver. A student may appeal an academic suspension by participating in an academic appeals hearing with members appointed by the Vice President of Student Support and Enrollment Management. Through the appeals procedures, the committee will establish re-enrollment conditions and monitor the student's academic progress.

2. Maximum Credit Hour Limit for Need Based Aid Students
   

   Students who have attempted in excess of 90 credits (including credits transferred in from other institutions) prior to the beginning of an academic year are not eligible to receive federal, state, or GCCC need-based aid at Gulf Coast Community College. Students exceeding 90 attempted credits during the academic year will be allowed to receive, through the end of the academic year, any need-based aid for which they are otherwise eligible.

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