Student Handbook - San Diego Mesa College

38
COLLEGE POLICIES & PROCEDURES
College to be of paramount importance.
Such a climate encourages learning for
students and fosters a productive work
environment by creating a collaborative
and positive environment among faculty,
staff, and students. We are committed to
building a community characterized by
freedom, mutual respect, and civility.
Such a commitment to intellectual
pluralism and the free exchange of ideas
will inevitably encourage debates on
complex and difficult issues about which
individuals will disagree. It is important,
then, that such discussions take place in
an atmosphere of openness, tolerance,
and civility. With due regard for the
principles of freedom of expression and
academic freedom, this policy seeks to
encourage attitudes of civility necessary for
meaningful exchanges between people.
CLASS ATTENDANCE POLICY
Policy 3110
All students are expected to attend each
meeting of all classes for which they
are registered, except when absences
cannot be prevented for reasons beyond a
student’s control.
Rules have been established by the
Board of Trustees for management of class
attendance:
• Students are responsible for dropping
or withdrawing from classes tey are no
longer attending.
• Students who remain enrolled in a class
beyond the published withdrawal deadline
will receive an evaluative letter grade.
See the details for each class in the online
schedule for these important dates.
• Students who do not attend the first class
meeting may be dropped by the instructor.
Students who cannot attend becasue of
illness, religious observation, or a serious
problem, should notify the instructor.
Students who miss the first class meeting
and do not plan to attend must log-on to
Reg-e to drop the class to avoid receiving
and “f” grade. IT IS THE STUDENT’S
RESPONSIBILITY TO DROP BY THE
PUBLISHED DEADLINES.
COMPLAINT
RESOLUTION PROCESS
Academic Related Complaints
If you have complaints about academic
issues, for example, concerns regarding
teaching methodology, evaluation or
grading criteria, you should seek to resolve
your problem or complaint by contacting
these people in order:
• Instructor of the class
• Department chair
• Instructional dean
• Vice-president of instruction
For information regarding names
of appropriate department chairs and
instructional deans, refer to the College
Operational Structure section.
Non-Academic and
Miscellaneous Complaints
If you have problems with non-academic
staff (bookstore, student services, etc.),
you should see:
• The employee
• The employee’s supervisor
• The supervisor’s manager
• Dean of Student Affairs
Complaints Involving Sexual
Harassment and Discrimination
If you have complaints involving sexual
harassment or discrimination, you should
meet with the Compliance Officer at
619-388- 2440 or contact the Dean of
Student Affairs at 619-388-2699.
Complaints Involving Violation
of Academic Accommodation for
Students with Disabilities
If you have academic accommodationrelated
complaints, contact Disability
Support Programs and Services (DSPS) at
619-388-2780, I3-101.
Complaints Involving Violations
of Policy 3100, Students Rights
(Section 1.0), or Student Code
of Conduct (Section 3.0)
Your complaints should be directed to the
Dean of Student Affairs in H-500; phone,
619-388-2699.
Copies of Policy 3100 are available in
the Student Affairs Office. The policy is
summarized beginning on this page.
CREDIT BY EXAMINATION
Policy 3900.1
Students who wish to receive credit for
academic work completed in non-traditional
ways or through non-educational sources
may be able to obtain credit by taking and
passing a departmental examination.
A list of courses approved for credit by
examination is established by the campus
and can be found in the Evaluations Office.
Examinations for courses not on the
approved list must be requested from the
chair of the department in which the course
is offered.
Credit by examination is not available
for any course that a student has audited
or for which a student has received a grade
or symbol of any kind on a transcript. If the
student is currently enrolled in the course,
no more than 20 percent of the class
meeting time may have elapsed.
A processing fee equivalent to the
current enrollment fee will be assessed.
Procedure for courses on the approved
list:
• Student files Application for Credit by
Examination in the Evaluations Office
where eligibility will be determined.
• Student must indicate whether a grade
of Pass/No Pass or a letter grade is to
be assigned, taking into consideration
graduation, major area, and departmental
policies.
• Upon approval by Evaluations Office,
student pays processing fee. Evaluations
Office then sends approved petition to
the appropriate department chair who
arranges for an instructor to administer
the examination
• Student is notified by mail, within
10 days of payment of the fee, of the
instructor assigned to administer the
examination; student contacts the
instructor to arrange a time for the exam.
• Upon completion of the examination,
the instructor records the results on the