OFTC - FY13 Handbook A Unit of the Technical College ... - OFTC.edu

- 36 - OFTC - FY13 Handbook
A student may be administratively withdrawn by an instructor if the
student does not comply with the attendance procedure outlined
in the course syllabus.
A student withdrawing from a course after the Drop/Refund period
on or before midpoint date of the semester will receive a grade of
“W”. A student who withdraws from a course after the midpoint
date will be assigned a “WP” or a “WF.” A student who withdraws
from a course by the end of the third instructional day of the
semester may be due a refund of tuition. Students on financial
aid should be aware that a drop or withdrawal might affect their
financial aid. Failure to withdraw from any course may result in a
grade failure and loss of financial aid.
Military Withdrawal
Oconee Fall Line Technical College is authorized to reimburse all
tuition and fees paid by students who are required to withdraw
from courses as a result of being called into active duty or
relocated in response to national emergencies.
In the event of a military emergency whereby a student who is
in the Armed Services, the National Guard or an Armed Forces
reserve is activated or otherwise called to duty and as a result
may no longer attend class(es), such student may within a
reasonable time withdraw from the College. Documentation
of such military service must be provided from an appropriate
military official. Students who received financial aid may be
required to pay the award back to OFTC.
Attendance
Regular and punctual attendance is an important part of
preparing a student for employment and is often a critical factor
when employers review a student’s record. Absences seriously
disrupt a student’s orderly progress in a course and significantly
diminish the quality of group interaction in class. Regular and
punctual attendance in all classes is the student’s responsibility.
Attendance is counted from the first scheduled class meeting
of each semester. Absence from class for any reason does
not excuse a student from full responsibility for class work or
assignments missed. The student is still responsible for preparing
assignments for the next class meeting and for completing all
work missed in accordance with the course syllabus.
All class meetings are important and require that a student abide
by the attendance policies adopted for individual classes by
instructors. Specific course attendance policies and penalties
imposed for absences are left to the discretion of individual
instructors. Programs governed by state and federal licensing
agencies may have more specific attendance policies, which
students must adhere to. The attendance policy will be stated
in the course syllabus, which is distributed to students at
the beginning of the semester in each class. The instructor
has the option of withdrawing students from the course
who exceed the maximum number of permitted absences
as defined by the course syllabus. Excessive absenteeism
and tardiness impact work ethics evaluations and may affect
course grades. If the withdrawal date occurs prior to or on
midterm/midcourse, the student will receive a grade of “W.” If
the withdrawal occurs after midterm/midcourse and by 80% of
the semester and the student has a “60” or above average, the
grade is “WP.” If the withdrawal occurs after 80% of the semester,
the grade is “WF.” Students will not be penalized when they are
absent due to attending pre-approved college-related activities.
However, the student is responsible for making up missed work
within the specified time period in accordance with the course
syllabus at the convenience of the instructor. Students who
anticipate an absence from class must contact their instructor
prior to the absence. Students who miss more than the
allotted number of scheduled class days indicated in the
course syllabus may be withdrawn.
Online Courses
The mistake most students make about online learning is in
thinking they only have to log on once a week. To receive credit
for accessing (attending) the class, students must log into Angel
and then click on each course they are taking. Just logging into
Angel does not count for attendance.
The recommendation is to check the site at least equal to the
number of contact hours for the course, just like attending class
on campus on a regular basis. For example, if the class is a
5 contact hour class, this would be the minimum number of
times per week to log on to check announcements, complete
assignments, etc.
The instructor has the option of withdrawing students from the
course who exceed the maximum number of permitted absences
as defined by the course syllabus. Excessive absenteeism and
tardiness impact work ethics evaluations and may affect course
grades. If the withdrawal date occurs prior to midterm/midcourse,
the student will receive a grade of “W.” If the withdrawal occurs
between midterm/midcourse and 80% of the semester and the
student has a “60” or above average, the grade is “WP.” If the
withdrawal occurs after 80% of the semester, the grade is “WF.”
Attendance Appeal Process
Students should FIRST discuss attendance matters with their
instructor. Students with EXTENUATING circumstances who
wish to appeal violation of the attendance policy must do so in
WRITING within 48 hours of being withdrawn from the course in
hard copy form or electronically. Students must attend class
or log on to their online classes until the appeal decision is
made. Students who fail to appeal the attendance decision in
writing within 48 hours will be immediately withdrawn from the
class or classes for which they initiated the appeal and will forfeit
their right of additional appeals for the incident.
Attendance Appeals—Credit Students
To initiate an appeal, the following procedure must be followed.
• A credit student who is not satisfied with the instructor’s
decision may appeal to the respective Dean for Academic
Affairs. The credit student must write a letter/email addressed
to the Dean for Academic Affairs stating the reason why he/
she was withdrawn from the course, stating the reasons