Student Attendance Policy General Attendance Requirement
Students are required to attend and participate in all class, clinical, laboratory, and studio sessions for the full duration
of each instructional session.
Faculty are required to record student attendance, and grade penalties for absence will be imposed when a student exceeds a ten-percent non-excused absence rate, not to exceed 10% of the final grade. Class participation may be considered, along with attendance, as a combined or separate grading component according to individual instructors’ syllabi. Additionally, students are responsible to be aware of and follow specific program requirements regarding attendance and participation.
Instructors will distribute their attendance and participation expectations at the beginning of the semester, and it is the student’s responsibility to understand and adhere to the expectations for each course. Faculty expectations for student attendance and participation are subject to review and approval by the appropriate division Dean.
Students are responsible for communicating with instructors to make reasonable arrangements for the completion of course requirements not completed due to absence.
Appeal Procedure:
Appeals of grades affected by this policy may be made using the most current grade appeals process.
Special Note for Students Receiving Financial Aid and/or Veterans Aid:
Attendance will be reviewed by Financial Aid and Veterans Aid programs, and benefits will be contingent upon compliance with the program’s regulations.
Credit Unit and Loads
A credit hour, the unit of credit, is the equivalent of a subject pursued one 50-minute period a week for 15 weeks or 750 minutes of instruction. In general, for laboratory courses, 100 to 200 minutes per week for 15 weeks equals one credit hour. The 15th week of the semester will be exam week. Credits for clinical instruction vary with the program.
The normal academic load for students in the fall and spring semesters is 15-17 credits; the minimum full-time load is
12 credits and the maximum full-time load is 17 credits.
Students who would like to register for an overload – 18 or more credits, must have an overall GPA of a 3.0 or higher. Signed permission from a counselor/academic advisor is required on a schedule which contains an overload.
The normal academic load for students in summer terms is not to exceed a maximum of 10 credits per term.
Students who are receiving financial aid, veterans’ benefits, Social Security or other types of aids/grants must carry a 12-credit hour load during the fall or spring semester for full benefits.
International students who have been issued a student visa to attend the college must complete at least 12 credits in the fall and spring semesters. This is a requirement of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service.
Students carrying a load of one to 11 credits are considered part-time students, during the fall or spring semester.
Student Classification (Applied to degree-seeking students only)
Earned Credit Hours Level
0–28 Freshman
29–64 Sophomore
Participation in Assessment Activities
Rowan College at Burlington County is committed to providing each student a quality college experience. In order that we continue to improve the quality of our programs and activities, it is necessary to assess our efforts in student learning, student satisfaction, student development and student involvement. Therefore, students will be requested to participate in college assessment activities.
Grading System
The following grades are used on the student’s permanent record (transcript) for all courses in which the student is enrolled after the initial registration and at the end of the schedule adjustment period (Drop/Add period):
A, B+, B, C+, C, D, F, PL, PS, I, AU, W, AW, NA, SR and ST
Grades remain on a student’s permanent record. They may only be changed by the course instructor following approval by the appropriate Division Dean. Extraordinary circumstances will be handled on a case by case basis.
Grades for Developmental Courses*
Developmental courses (those with numerical designations of less than 100) do not count toward graduation and are not computed into a student’s grade point average (GPA). Although no grade points are assigned, developmental courses count toward enrollment status (i.e. full-time, half-time, etc.). I contracts may be arranged with the instructor of the course.
Credit Course Grade Explanation Grade Points Per Credit Hour
A Mastery of essential elements and related concepts, plus demonstrated excellence or originality. 4
B+ Mastery of essential elements and related concepts, showing higher level understanding. 3.5
B Mastery of essential elements and related concepts. 3
C+ Above average knowledge of essential elements and related concepts. 2.5
C Acceptable knowledge of essential elements and related concepts. 2
D Minimal knowledge of related concepts. 1
F Unsatisfactory progress. This grade may also be assigned in cases of academic misconduct, such as cheating or plagiarism.
I Temporarily Incomplete. At the discretion of the instructor, a grade of ‘‘I’’ may be assigned when the student cannot complete the requirements of the course during the semester. The grade of ‘‘I’’ is given only by mutual agreement between the faculty member and the student and requires completion of an ‘‘I’’ contract form. The student must complete all grade requirements satisfactorily within 30 calendar days of the onset of the following semester or term. If this condition is not met, the ‘‘I’’ will automatically become the grade assigned in the ‘‘I’’ contract form.
PL Indicates a student received academic credit using prior learning assessment process. The courses will not affect the calculation of the RCBC GPA but will apply toward fulfilling the graduation requirement.
PS Pass (for nursing clinical courses only). The student met the objectives of the course with a grade of 80% or better. This is a non-numerical grade that is not calculated into the student’s GPA; credits will be applied towards graduation requirements.
AU A grade of audit is awarded to a student for a course that they registered for, but do not wish to accrue credit or grade points.
ST Designation for students in college-level courses who stopped attending before sufficient evaluations were completed. ST may be assigned in lieu of “F” grade. Instructors will include last date of attendance.
W Denotes withdrawal from a course or courses. Any student who withdraws must complete a withdrawal form, stating the reason(s) for withdrawal, within the established semester/term withdraw deadlines. Students may withdraw up to the ninth week of classes in a semester or up to an equivalent time in a given semester or term. The Withdraw Form must be initiated by the student and submitted to the Office of the Registrar in order for the withdrawal to be considered official. Students who fail to withdraw according to established procedures will receive a failing grade for all courses in which they are registered.
AW Denotes an administrative withdrawal due to exceptional circumstances.
NA Indicates that a student enrolled but never attended a course.
ESL and Developmental Course Grade
A* Outstanding: The student has done clearly superior work.
B* Advanced comprehension of course objectives.
C* Pass: The student has achieved the objectives of the course and is ready to proceed to the next level.
F* Unsatisfactory: The student has done unsatisfactory work during the semester.
SR Designation for students in Developmental courses who stopped attending before sufficient evaluations were completed. SR may be assigned in lieu of “F” grade. Instructors will include last date of attendance.
Final grades for all RCBC courses will be provided electronically at rcbc.edu under the listing for Self-Service
Grading System:
“3+1” Inclusive Education Program with Rowan University
The following grades and grading system will be used for junior year professional level courses in the RCBC-Rowan University 3+1 Inclusive Education program only. These grades will show on the student’s RCBC permanent record (transcript). Any non-professional level courses in the junior year will follow the standard RCBC grades and grading system outlined on page 34 of the catalog.
These grades are required to meet the requirements of alignment with Rowan University’s grading system, and to meet the New Jersey State teacher education requirements. The Office of the Provost, Registrar and the Rowan Relations Director maintain a list of all courses within the Inclusive Education program for which these grades apply. Please contact 3plus1@rcbc.edu for a list of courses.
The Inclusive Education Grade System standard to Rowan University include:
Course Grade Grade Points
Per Credit Hour
A 4
A- 3.7
B+^ 3.3
B 3
B- 2.7
C+^ 2.3
C 2
C- 1.7
D+ 1.3
D 1
D- 0.7
F 0
Semester Grades
Grades are issued at the end of each semester/term. Final grades for all RCBC courses will be provided electronically at rcbc.edu under the listing for Self-Service.
Grade Point Average
To determine grade point average (GPA), multiply the number of grade points for each grade received by the number of credit hours (cr) for the course; then divide the total number of grade points by the total number of credit hours attempted. Grades in courses transferred from another institution are not included in computing grade point average. Example:
HIS 103 3cr. with a grade ‘‘A’’
(4 points) = 12
ENG 101 3cr. with a grade ‘‘B’’
(3 points) = 9
BIO 101 4cr. with a grade ‘‘C’’
(2 points) = 8
CIS 101 3cr. with a grade ‘‘C’’
(2 points) = 6
Total points = 35
Divide 35 grade points by 13 cr.
2.69 GPA
Student Grade Appeals
The Student Grade Appeal policy applies to all students enrolled in credit bearing courses, offered under any mode of delivery. The Student Grade Appeal policy offers students an avenue to discuss and resolve problems, in a timely manner that may arise with his/her/their educational progress. This document establishes a policy that defines a grade appeal process that provides due process as articulated in Procedure 217, for students in the event of a final grade dispute with a course professor.
Grade appeals governed under this policy must be formally initiated by a student in a timely manner that shall not exceed the conclusion of the next successive semester of the regular academic year or, in the case of a summer term appeal, the next successive Fall semester. Student grade appeals that do not conform to this deadline for appeal shall be considered untimely and without merit.
This policy requires:
1. A written request for a formal meeting with the course professor related to the grade dispute,
2. A review and recommendation by the divisional Dean, and
3. An appeal to the Provost who will convene the Grade Appeal Committee to review the records relevant to any dispute and make a recommendation to the President or designee, whose decision will be final.
Recognition of Scholastic Achievement
Students who are recommended by the faculty are honored at the annual Academic Awards Ceremony.
Dean’s List
The Dean’s List is official recognition by the college of outstanding academic achievement. Students with a declared major are awarded this recognition during the fall and spring semesters. A break in enrollment of two or more semesters/terms results in a restart of the Dean’s List calculation. The new calculation will be based on the most recent enrollment.
Note: College Acceleration Program (C.A.P.) courses are not considered for the Dean’s List.
A student must complete a minimum of 12 college level credits with no grade lower than a “C” in any given semester, and who further has achieved a semester grade point average (GPA) of 3.50 or higher, to quality for this honor.
Audit Policy
A student may audit a course if they do not want credit for the course. A student may declare audit status at the time of registration or within the first eight weeks of each semester or up to an equivalent time in a given term. See the Academic Calendar for Audit Deadline dates for specific semesters/terms. An audited course may be dropped during the Drop/Add period. Fees for an audited course are based on the regular credit value of the course. The student record will indicate the no grade, grade points, or credits attempted/ completed will be awarded for an audited course. Once the request to audit a course is processed, the status of the course cannot be changed back to credit earning.
Repeating a Course Conditions
1. Any course may be taken two times. Students may be prevented from enrolling in subsequent course attempts. Permission to exceed this limit may be requested through the student’s academic advisor and approved in accordance with procedures as established by the college.
2. The grade of each attempt is entered on the permanent record of the student. However, only the highest grade is computed into the cumulative grade point average (GPA).
3. The credit hours assigned to the course will be counted only once toward meeting graduation requirements regardless of the number of times the course is repeated.
Change of Program or Degree Status
Students who wish to declare or change their major must complete a ‘‘Change of Degree Status’’ form and submit it to the Office of the Registrar. In addition notification of the change of major and a request for an updated evaluation should be sent to registration@rcbc.edu.
Declaring Courses Non-Applicable
The college recognizes that there are times in a student’s academic career, such as a change of major, where courses are no longer applicable towards a student’s current program. This process provides a means by which a student may have certain grades removed from the calculation of her/his/their grade point average (GPA) as a result of a change of her/his/their program of study. The initial courses and grades remain visible as a permanent part of the student’s academic record; however, their weight is removed from the cumulative grade point average (GPA) calculation. Credits earned in courses declared non-applicable are not considered as credits completed toward graduation.
A student must meet with an advisor to complete the application process. This policy may be applied for a student only one time.
Academic Amnesty
This policy allows a student to restart the calculation of her/his/their grade point average(GPA). The requirement and submission for Academic Amnesty are as follows:
1. Student has been away from RCBC for three or more years.
2. Student met with an advisor/counselor and completed the Academic Amnesty application.
3. If approved, all previous grades and credits will remain visible on the student’s permanent record, however, their weight is removed from the cumulative grade point average (GPA) calculation.
4. Credits earned in courses included in Academic Amnesty are not considered as credits completed toward graduation. The student’s record will restart with a 0.00 GPA. The approval for Academic Amnesty is limited to one time for any individual.
5. The transcript of the student will continue to reflect all of her/his/their previous grades. However, the transcript will include a line indicating where the old record ends and the new record begins.
This application may be filed only one time. For further details please contact the Advisement Office at (856) 222-9311, ext. 1559.
Calculation of GPA
1. All previous grades and credits will remain on the student’s permanent record but will be disregarded in the determination of the new GPA and the fulfillment of graduation requirements.
2. The student’s record will restart with a 0.00 GPA.
3. The transcript of the student will continue to reflect all of her/his/their old grades. However, the transcript will include a line indicating where the old record ends and the new record begins.
Standards for Academic Standing
The Office of Advising and Retention will calculate each registered student’s academic standing at the end of the fall and spring semesters. Only college level coursework attempted will be evaluated. The student’s academic standing will be noted on the student record. Students receiving financial aid from federal and state sources must also comply with the provisions of “Special Conditions of Satisfactory Academic Performance and Progress for Financial Aid Recipients,” in order to maintain eligibility for financial aid. Students using veteran education benefits must also maintain satisfactory progress toward degree completion and failure to maintain this progress must be reported to the Veteran’s Administration which may result in a debt to Veteran’s Affairs.
Academic Standing
A student is considered to be in good academic standing if she/he/they meets the following two criteria:
1. Has a grade point average (GPA.) of 2.0 or higher;
2. Has completed a minimum of 66% of all credits attempted by attaining grades of A, B+, B, C+, C, D, O, P,
I and marks, if applicable, of AW, NA, W, or AU in all courses attempted.
Early Warning
The first semester that a student’s cumulative GPA falls below 2.0 and the completion rate is below 66.67%, the student will be placed on Early Warning status.
Academic Probation
After the Early Warning semester, student’s whose cumulative GPA remains below 2.0 and the completion rate is below 66.67% will be placed on Academic Probation status.
There are restrictions on online and accelerated courses and a limit of 13 credits per semester. A student placed on academic probation will be notified of that action at the time grades are issued. Further, the student will be informed of the requirement to be interviewed by a college academic advisor/counselor.
A student will be allowed to continue on probationary status provided their semester GPA remains at 2.0 or higher.
A student will be removed from academic probation status when his/her /their cumulative GPA has risen to 2.0 or above and the completion rate at or above 66.7%. Once removed from probation status for one semester, any student returned to probation status will begin the probation cycle again.
Students using veteran education benefits who are placed on probation must be reported to Veteran’s Affairs and will be restricted from receiving benefits at another institution or from changing their program of study until their academic performance returns to satisfactory progress. Please note that veteran education benefits restrict the number
of times a course may be repeated.
Students who fail more than one course while using military education/tuition assistance benefits may be required to take two courses demonstrating satisfactory academic progress prior to eligibility for tuition assistance being restored.
Academic Dismissal
After the probation semester, students whose semester GPA remains below 2.0 will be moved to dismissal or pre-dismissal status. Students are dismissed annually at the end of the spring term. Students not meeting academic standing at the end of the fall term are assigned pre-dismissal status. The student will receive a letter from the college indicating that they are on dismissal status.
Conditions of Dismissal
1. A student who has been dismissed may not enroll in any course which carries academic credit for a period of at least one 15- week semester, with reinstatement occurring only in a fall or spring semester.
2. Permission for a dismissed student to re-enroll in a credit course(s) is granted only by the Academic Standards Committee.
If permission to re-enroll is granted by the Academic Standards Committee, the student must have written approval of a college academic advisor/counselor for course selection. Please note that the Academic Standards Committee will determine which course(s) and the number of credits students will take.
Petition to Re-Enroll in Courses that Carry Academic Credit
Students who are academically dismissed due to poor academic performance, based to the college’s Standards for Academic Standing, will need to sit out for a full 15-week semester.
Toward the end of the dismissal period, the student meets with an academic advisor/counselor and completes a Petition to Re-Enroll in Courses that Carry Academic Credit form.
The form is reviewed by the Academic Standards Committee and the student would appear before the Committee. As a result of the Committee meeting with the student, a decision will be rendered regarding a student’s next step.