SCC Course Catalog

Stanly Community College recognizes the value of student work by establishing a grading system and guidelines based on the quality of the work submitted by the student throughout the course with a cumulative grade earned at the completion of the course.   All curriculum final grades, based on a four quality point system, are made available to the students electronically through their student accounts.  Certain Occupational Extension courses are based on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading system, with some grades based solely on attendance while others may have additional criteria to determine satisfactory completion. College and Career Readiness courses have grading systems based on the uniqueness of the program.  All students have the right to review with the instructor their grades if concerns are expressed.  Curriculum students may submit one grade forgiveness request for a maximum of five courses if they have experienced a lapse of enrollment at the College for a period of three consecutive academic years.  

Curriculum Grading System

Grades earned on course assignments are based on individual course grading systems.  Final course grades earn quality points based on a four-point system used to calculate grade point averages (GPA).  Final grades consist of the following options:

 

Due to the States of Emergency enacted by the President of the United States, the Governor of North Carolina, and governors of other states in March 2020, transfer courses completed during the 2020 Spring, 2020 Summer, and 2020 Fall semesters only, a grade of “P” or “S” will be accepted as equivalent to a grade of “C” or better for course transfer evaluation.

College and Career Readiness Grading System

College and Career Readiness (CCR) encompasses several different programs with unique grading systems. English as a Second Language (ESL) and Adult Basic Education (ABE) do not provide grades.  The High School Equivalence Program (HSE) does not provide grades.  Instead, completion of the HSE program is based solely on passing the HiSet, GED, or equivalent exam.  The Adult High School Program (AHS) provides reports on demand of progress and grades to both students and instructors via the APEX LMS system. The AHS grading system: Students must have a 70 average for course completion.  (The average is calculated with the final counting for 20% and the chapter tests/assignments counting for 80%.  Students need to achieve a minimum of 70% on the final exam before a course can be considered to be completed.) Upon completion of the course, the student will receive a grade of “NG” in Self-Service along with a numerical grade that shows on the student’s transcript.  The grading system for Human Resource Development (HRD) classes follows the Occupational Extension Grading System described in Section 3 below. 

Continuing Education (Excluding Non-HRD CCR Programs) Grading System

For purposes of grading procedures, Continuing Education encompasses Occupational Extension (OE), self-supporting classes (SEF), customized training program classes (CTP), and HRD. Continuing Education grades are earned based on attendance and/or other course unique criteria with final grades consisting of the following options:

 

Incomplete Grades

An incomplete grade is a temporary grade of "I" that is given at the discretion of the instructor for incomplete course work in curriculum or continuing education due to extenuating circumstances. Program heads/coordinators will complete any incomplete grade process initiated by adjunct faculty. It is the student's responsibility to contact the instructor regarding work to be completed for the removal of the "I" grade. Program heads/coordinators will sign the instructor's Incomplete Grade Request for Approval form which specifies the required work to be completed. A copy of the form must be submitted to that program’s Associate Vice President. A student receiving a grade of "Incomplete" in a given course must contact the instructor of that course to create a plan to complete the required work.  The instructor of the course will verify whether the required work is completed. If so, then the instructor will follow the grade change instructions listed below before the first day of the next term. If the instructor is no longer an employee of the college, the verification of the required work and the grade change will be handled by the program head, dean, or associate vice president. Grade changes on or later than the first day of the next term (the first day of classes) must be approved by the Vice President of Academic Affairs / Chief Academic Officer.  Otherwise, the Student Records Department will convert the “Incomplete” grade in a curriculum class on the first day of the following term to an "F” or “UN" grade. An incomplete grade is computed as an "F" grade in the curriculum student's grade point average until completion of course work. An incomplete grade cannot be changed to a "W" under any circumstances except as described below. If a student receives an ‘I’ grade in a curriculum course that is a prerequisite course needed to register for a course in the following term, the student must earn a grade of “C” or better in order to register for the following course. Continuing Education class grades of “I” will be changed at the discretion of the program head/ coordinator using the same grade change form as curriculum courses. The College reserves the right to extend the deadline for completion of an ‘I’ grade beyond the first day of the following term in the event of a declared state of emergency by federal, state, or local government officials or for other extreme circumstances as determined by the College’s Executive Leadership Team.

The deadline for completion of an “IE” (Incomplete - Emergency) grade will be for no longer than one year after the end of the term of the course for which the “IE” (Incomplete - Emergency) grade was awarded.  The College will assign a grade of “IE” (Incomplete - Emergency) to note that this incomplete is the result of the COVID-19 state of emergency.  Under those same circumstances, the College also reserves the right to allow Incomplete grades to be changed to a “W” or “WE” (Withdraw – Emergency) if the required course work cannot be successfully completed as the result of the COVID-19 state of emergency. 

Course Auditing

Students must request if they desire to audit a course by submitting a Course Repeat/Audit Form to the Student Records Department. Students who wish to audit courses shall be admitted on a space-available basis, shall not displace a credit-seeking student, and will be registered within the first 3 meeting dates, but no later than the census date of the course section. No credit is awarded, and no examinations are required.  Local fees and Self-Supporting course costs are the responsibility of the student for audited courses. Students who pay regular tuition for an audited course section will receive a grade of “AU”.  A student 65 years or older may audit a course section without payment of any required tuition or registration fee, thus earning a grade of "SR".  Local fees and Self-Supporting course costs are the responsibility of the student 65 years or older for audited courses. Students earning a grade of "SR" will not be counted in the computation of enrollment. 

Students auditing classes must adhere to the same attendance policy as other students.  Students may not change from audit status or to audit status after the first 3 meeting dates, but no later than the census date of the course section. Students receiving financial aid, veterans’ benefits, and/or other federally funded program benefits may not change to audit status after the third day of class. Courses in Health Sciences programs may not be audited without the permission of the program head and/or the dean.  Courses containing clinical, field experience, or work-based learning components are not eligible to be audited with the exception of a Nursing student with Advanced Standing.  Nursing students with Advanced Standing status may audit NUR prefix courses with the permission of the Associate Vice President of Health Sciences and Public Services.  Students wishing to audit a course must meet all pre-requisites and registration requirements for that course.  A “Course Repeat/Audit Form” should be completed, approved and submitted to the Student Records Department.

Students enrolled in Fire-related courses (FIP, WLF, EPT, COD) who complete the required course hours but do not attempt or do not pass the certification assessment at the end of the course will receive a grade of AU to indicate completion of the course hours. Students who retake and pass the certification within the window of time (usually 30 days) allowed by the Office of State Fire Marshal will have their AU grade changed to S. The faculty member will submit the grade change request to the Student Records Department to be processed. 

Grade Reports and Transcript Requests

All final grades will be posted to the student’s account at the end of the grading period.  Transcripts of coursework completed are the private property of the student and are protected under FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) regulations.  Stanly Community College ensures that these records are not released unless official authorization is granted by the student or they are subpoenaed by an agent of the court.  Official authorization is defined as a written request signed by the student and mailed or hand-delivered to the Student Records Department.  Transcript requests may also be made through the student’s account or through Stanly Community College’s website for pickup or mail delivery at no cost to the student. Alternatively, students can request their transcript to be delivered electronically through a third-party at a cost incurred by the student.  Every effort will be made to honor the request within 72 hours after receipt of the request.  An official copy of the student transcript will be sent to other colleges, employers, or the student provided all financial obligations to the college are satisfied.  All requests should include a complete mailing address of the party to whom the transcript is to be sent.  Official transcripts will not be faxed.

Curriculum Grade Forgiveness

Students who have experienced a lapse of enrollment at the College for a period of three consecutive academic years may, upon reenrollment, make a request with the Student Records Department to have prior course work forgiven. In instances in which grade forgiveness is granted for a course completed at Stanly Community College and then transferred to another college or university, the receiving institution is not required to disregard the forgiven grade. Other colleges or universities may elect to include the grades forgiven in computing the student's grade point average, possibly disqualifying the student from consideration for admission. The following criteria must be met: 

• The student must first complete at least 12 semester hours of credit with a 2.00 grade point average as calculated after the enrollment lapse before requesting grade forgiveness.
• The request must be made during the subsequent semester (excluding the summer session) after the 12 semester hours have been completed.
• Prior course work must be at least three years old.
• Only prior courses with grades below a "C" will be eligible for grade forgiveness.
• The student must complete a Grade Forgiveness Request form, which is available in the Student Records Department.
• Only one grade forgiveness request for a maximum of five courses will be accepted per student. If the request is approved, the record of the earlier course work affected remains on the student's transcript but is not calculated in the cumulative grade point average. Eligibility for student financial aid and/or veterans' benefits is subject to satisfactory academic progress requirements based upon all academic work attempted, regardless of the College’s grade forgiveness.

End-of-Course Grade Appeals

If a student disputes an assigned end-of-course grade, students must follow the Student Grievance Policy for filing a formal appeal.

Grade Change

All grades assigned to a student are considered final. To change a grade after the grade report is submitted to the Student Records Department requires an authorization for the change initiated by the instructor, recommended by the program head, and approved by the Associate VP of the School in which the course falls within. The change form must be submitted to the Student Records Department.

Curriculum Course Substitution

A student may request to substitute a course required in his or her program of study based on particular occupational goals. Action upon such substitutions must be initiated by the student’s academic advisor/program head, who will forward the Request for Course Substitution form to the Associate VP of the School in which the course falls within. A substitution must be in the same area of study or should be appropriate in meeting the requirements of the curriculum standards. Notification of approval of course substitutions must be submitted to the Student Records Department.

Curriculum Course Repeat

Curriculum students may repeat classes in which they have earned a grade below a “C” or a grade of “U”.  The higher of the grades will be used as the grade in computing the cumulative GPA, the hours, and the quality points for the course.  Both grades will be recorded on the student’s transcript.

Students wishing to repeat a course for credit in which a grade of “C” or higher, or a grade of “S”, has been earned may do so with the approval of the advisor, program head, or appropriate dean.  A “Course Repeat/Audit Form” should be completed, approved and submitted to the Student Records Department.  Students not wishing to receive credit for the repeated course will receive an audit grade.

Students who receive financial aid and/or veterans’ benefits may repeat courses in which a grade was earned; however, the repeated course may not be covered a second time by those benefits.  Students will be responsible for any tuition and fees not covered by financial aid and/or veterans’ benefits.

 

 

References: 1D SBCCC 700.1 Audited Courses

Revisions: 12/19/2013, 02/20/2014; 04-16-2018, 04/27/2020, 03/17/2021, 02/13/2023, 08/28/2023 (procedures)