2004-2006 Catalog - Iowa Lakes Community College

Academic Policies & ProceduresClassification of Credit StudentsStudents are classified in one of several ways:Freshman: a student who has completed fewer than 30semester credits.Sophomore: a student who has completed 30 or moresemester credits.Full-time: a student carrying 12 or more credits of collegework in a regular term.Part-time: a student carrying 11 or fewer credits of collegework in a regular term.Grading SystemGrades are based on students’ levels of achievement in thosecourses in which they enroll. The following scale is used at IowaLakes:Grades for courses with attempted credits which count towardthe grade point average:A 4 honor pointsB 3C 2D 1F 0Grades for courses with no attempted credits which do notcount toward the grade point average:P passQ not passingT credit for testingL credit for experiential learningOther grade symbols which earn no credits or honor points:I incompleteW withdrawnK administratively withdrawn (appears as W on transcript)N auditNR grade not reported by instructorGrades may be accessed online via online services atwww.iowalakes.edu or will be sent each term via a student request.Grade descriptions:A excellentB above averageC averageD below average.F fail: counts as attempted credit, no honor points.I incomplete: assigned in cases where the student hasnot completed some portion of assigned course work during aregular term for extenuating circumstances such as illness,family emergency, etc. A change of grade will be accepted upto the end of the next term following the term in which thegrade is issued.W withdrawn: course formally dropped after the end of thefirst week of a term.K administratively withdrawn: same as W but for administrativereasons rather than student initiative.N audit: course taken for personal interest only; does notearn credits or grade. Must be elected during the first twoweeks of a term.P pass: course has been elected to be taken on a pass/nocredit basis during the first two weeks in a term. Only onecourse may be so elected each term, except that all coursesdesignated as developmental may be elected as pass/no credit.In addition, some courses are offered only on a pass/no creditbasis. No more than one-fourth of the total credits required forgraduation may be earned with P grades. A course which isbeing repeated may not be elected on a pass/no credit basis.Does not count as attempted credit.Q not passing: a failing grade which earns no credit; canbe issued only when a course is taken on a pass/no creditbasis. Does not count as attempted credit.T credit granted for testing. Does not count as attemptedcredit.L credit granted by virtue of prior education or occupationalexperience. Does not count as attempted credit.PROCEDURES FOR ACADEMIC CLASSESRegistrationRegistration consists of program planning, scheduling ofclasses through consultation with an advisor, and paying tuitionand fees to the college. New students who are enrolling for thefirst time in the fall are invited to attend an orientation-registrationprogram in the summer. Pre-registration is scheduled prior to thebeginning of each term. Regular registration dates and the lastdate to register are published each term. A current permanentmailing address must be on file as part of registration and must bekept up to date. Information sent to the address on file will beconsidered to be proper notification to the student. Registrationfor courses may also be completed online. A student must firstmeet with an advisor to receive advisor clearance before usingonline registration.Students may enroll after the first week of classes and beforethe end of the second week in a term with the permission of theappropriate dean and the director of records and registration.Students may register for independent learning courses in theSuccess Center at any time.Change of registrationA “change of registration” form must be completed and submittedto the business office to make any change in registration.Courses may be added during the first two weeks of a session;after the first week, the instructor and director of records andregistration must approve. Courses may be dropped at any timeprior to the last four weeks of a course in a regular length term;after the first week of the term, a ‘W’ grade is recorded for anycourse a student drops. Dates are pro-rated for shorter terms.11