opportunities, options, excellence - Red Rocks Community College

Academic Standards
Academic Integrity
At Red Rocks, academic integrity is the ethical
foundation upon which the academic
community pursues professional, administrative
and scholarly endeavors. Everyone
associated with the college’s academic community
has a responsibility for establishing,
maintaining and fostering understanding and
respect for academic integrity. Following are
some principles associated with academic
integrity to which we expect students to
adhere:
• Assume responsibility and take credit
only for the words and/or ideas in an academic
exercise that are expressly one’s own.
• Use information, computer programs,
disks, another student’s work, study aids,
and/or other materials only when allowed
by the instructor.
• Remove materials from the library,
labs, and other college facilities only
when an official representative of the college
grants permission.
• Use copyrighted materials only with
permission.
• Refuse to help another commit an act of
academic dishonesty.
Academic dishonesty is the intentional act
of fraud when an individual claims credit
for the work of another, uses unauthorized
materials, or fabricates information in any
scholarly exercise. Academic dishonesty
also includes, but is not limited to, forging
educational documents, damaging or
destroying the works of another, or assisting
others in acts of academic deception. If you
are aware of an incident of academic dishonesty,
please report the occurrence to a
faculty member, department chair or administrator.
Those committing academic dishonesty
will be subject to disciplinary action:
failing the assignment or course, and/or
being expelled from the college.
Attendance
To get the most benefit from your instruction,
you should attend each class, come to
class prepared, arrive on time, hand in
assignments when due, and take exams
when scheduled. In addition, you need to
comply with attendance policies set by individual
instructors.
Course Load
For most students, a typical academic
course requires two hours of outside preparation
for each hour spent in class. For
example: A 15 semester credit load represents
a commitment of 45 hours per week—
consisting of 15 hours in class and 30 hours
of outside preparation.
The average full-time course load is 15
semester credits for each fall and spring
semester. During the summer semester, the
average full-time course load is 12 semester
credits. Students registering for fewer than
12 credits are classified as part-time. You
need written permission from your advisor
to enroll for more than 20 credits during any
semester.
Evaluation and Grading
The evaluation of your achievement or mastery
is based upon learning objectives.
Achievement means successfully reaching a
specified level of knowledge or understanding.
Mastery means successfully reaching a
level of competency in a skill. Your final
course grades are assigned at the end of
each semester for classes taken during that
semester. If you need an earlier grade report,
contact the instructor before the end of the
course and request an “early release of a
grade” letter. This letter is unofficial.
Grades
To review or obtain a copy of your grades:
1. Call the S.T.A.R. phone system at
303.572.STAR(303.572.7827), and press
“2” for grades. Enter your student identification
number (normally your Social Security
number) and personal access code (your
birth month and birth day e.g. 0423).
2. Use the World Wide Web.Log on to
www.rrcc.edu and follow the prompts to the
online enrollment system. After you enter
the CCCWEB area, enter your student identification
number and access number as
described above.
Grading Symbols:
Grade
A
B
C
D
F
Description
Distinguished achievement
for superior work
Better than acceptable
achievement
Acceptable achievement for
advancement in the same or
related studies
Less than acceptable achievement
for advancement in the
same or related studies
(credit may not transfer)
Failed to achieve or master
the learning objectives of the
course. A grade of “F” does
not apply toward certificates or
degrees.
Additional Grading
Symbols:
(AU) Audit.If you want to take a course
without earning semester credit, you can
register to audit that course. You must pay
tuition and fees for the course and declare
your intention to audit no later than the
course’s tuition refund date. Once you have
registered to audit a course, you cannot
change your registration from auditing to
earning semester credit for the course. The
college will not award semester credit for
any audited course.
(AW) Administrative Withdrawal. The
grade of AW may be given at the discretion
of the individual faculty member.
(W) Withdrawal.Through Admissions,
you have officially withdrawn from the
course or the college by the approved date
and time.
(CR) Credit.You have achieved the learning
objectives for the course with a grade of
C (or better). The instructor for that course
evaluates your achievement on a credit/nocredit
basis. The CR symbol is limited to
specific courses designated by certain disciplines.
(NC) No-Credit.You have not achieved the
learning objectives for the course with a
minimum grade of C. The instructor for that
course evaluates your achievement on a
credit/no-credit basis. The symbol is limited
to specific courses designated by certain dis-
opportunities, options, excellence 18