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Academic Policies

POLICY INFORMATION:
Auditing Courses
Academic Renewal Without Course Repetition
Course Repetition
Pass/No Pass Grading
Privacy Rights of Students (Access to Records)
Student Code of Conduct

AUDITING COURSES
Los Rios Community College District policy not permit auditing, which is defined as attending a course or courses, without completing the registration process.

ACADEMIC RENEWAL WITHOUT COURSE REPETITION
Previous substandard work (“D” or “F”) earned at Folsom Lake College may be discounted at the student’s request, if it meets certain criteria.  Courses and grades that no longer reflect the student’s current educational objective and current level of academic success may upon petition be discounted in the computation of the grade point average.  The following conditions must apply:

No more than 30 units of substandard grades may be discounted.

A minimum of 12 consecutive months must have elapsed between the time the substandard grade was earned AND a minimum of 12 units must be earned with “C” grades or better.  If coursework outside of Los Rios is being used to meet these criteria, that college's official transcript must be on file with the FLC Admissions & Records office.

Current educational objectives must be discussed with a counselor, whose recommendation must be included on the petition.

Under no circumstances may course work be discounted if it has been granted to fulfill degree requirements.

All grades will be recorded on the student’s permanent record and transcripts.  Specific grades that have been discounted from the grade point average will, however, be noted on the transcript.

Once elected, the Academic Renewal cannot be reversed.

COURSE REPETITION
Courese repetition occusrs when a student who has previously received a grade in a particular course re-enrolls in that course.  Typically, a student cannot repeat a course in which they received a standard grade (as defined by A, B, C, CR or P) except as noted below.  When course repetition occurs, the student's permanent academic record shall be annotated in such a manner that all work remains legible, insuring a true and complete academic history. 

Repetition of courses where substandard grade has been recorded (Title 5, section 55042; Board regulation 7252) –
“Substandard grade” is defined as D, F, FW, NP, or NC. Where a student has received a substandard grade, a student may repeat that course up to a maximum of two times in an effort to alleviate the substandard grade(s). The grade or credits earned in the final enrollment shall be used exclusively in determining the grade points earned for that particular course.

Repetition absent substandard grades (Title 5, section 55041; Board regulation 7252) –
Typically, a student cannot repeat a course in which they received a standard grade (as defined by A, B, C, CR or P). There are the following exceptions:

Legally Mandated Training - Students may repeat a course where repetition is required for a student to meet legally mandated training requirements as a condition of continued paid or volunteer employment. These repetitions are not limited.

Activity and Other Designated Courses – The college shall identify courses that are repeatable up to a maximum of three times beyond the first enrollment on the basis that the course content differs each time it is offered OR on the basis that the student who repeats it is gaining an expanded educational experience for one of the following reasons:  Skills or proficiencies are enhanced by supervised repetition and practice within class periods; or Active participatory experience in individual or group assignments is the basic means by which learning objectives are obtained.

A student may petition with a counselor to repeat a course in which a standard grade has been received based upon the claim that the student's previous grade is, at least in part, the result of extenuating circumstances.  Extenuating circumstances are defined as verified cases of accidents, illness, or other circumstances beyond the control of the student.  The college may also find that there has been a significant lapse of time since the first grade was obtained.

Repetition of Withdrawn Classes (Limitation on Withdrawals for Same Course) -
The maximum number of times a student may withdraw from the same course and receive a "W" is four times.  After the fourth "W" notation, the student will be assigned a grade unless the class is dropped before the "no notation" deadline date as printed in the add/drop calendar.  Withdrawal after the "no notation" deadline date will result in a F or other grade as determined by the instructor.

PASS/NO PASS GRADING
A student may elect one course per semester to be graded on a Pass or No Pass basis (formerly Credit/No Credit).  A petition must be filed with the Admissions Office for this option prior to the deadlines published in the class schedules and in the calendar in the front of the college catalog.  The equivalent of an “A”, “B” or “C” received for the course will be recorded as a “P”, with units earned.  The equivalent of “D” or “F” will be recorded as “NP”, with no units earned.  Units attempted for Pass/No Pass grades are not computed in the grade point average, but are used for determining Progress Probation and Progress Dismissal.

A maximum of 15 credit units may be applied toward the Associate in Arts or Science degree.  Once elected, the Pass-No Pass grade may not be changed to a letter grade assigned by the instructor.

PRIVACY RIGHTS OF STUDENTS (ACCESS TO STUDENT RECORDS)
The Los Rios Board of Trustees, in order to meet the provisions of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) and the Education Code, has established policies giving students and parents of dependent students access to certain designated records. 

The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act gives students three important rights:

          The right to inspect their student records,

          The right to challenge incorrect information in those records, and

          The right to keep their student records private.

A summary of the rights and procedures for access are contained in the Students Rights and Responsibilities section of the Los Rios Community College District Policy manual.  Complete copies of the Act, Education Code, and Board policies are available in the offices of Admissions and Records and the Vice President of Student Services.

District Regulation 2265 provides for the release, without student consent, of Student Directory Information, i.e., student’s name, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, and most recent previous public or private school attended.  In addition, federal law provides that representatives of the U.S. Department of Defense shall be provided a student’s name, address and telephone number for recruitment purposes.  Students have the right to refuse the release of one or more such designated categories by submitting the Opt-Out form to the Admissions & Records Office.  Click here to download the FLC Request to Withhold the Release of Student Information form.

Access to Student Records by Parents
FERPA gives certain rights to parents regarding their children’s educational records; however, rights transfer to the student upon reaching 18 years of age OR student is attending any school beyond the secondary level.

When may a parent access a student’s educational records?

Law allows parental access if student is claimed as a dependent for Federal income tax purposes.  Per Federal income tax guidelines, dependent is defined as under the age of 24 years old).

Access is granted to both the parent who claims the student as well as the parent who is not claiming the student.Parent must complete Parental Affidavit for Academic Information form each time information is requested (also available in Admissions & Records office). 

Request is submitted to the Admissions & Records Supervisor.  Parent is also required to provide the most recent Federal Income Tax Return filed with the IRS – which shows dependency status of student.  The supervisor will verify the Tax Return and note the status on the Affidavit. 

The Admissions & Records Office will send a letter of notification to the student of the parent's request.  After five working days, the parent will be contacted regarding the availability of the student's records.  Copies will be made of any record so requested.
 

How can a parent access student information if the student is not being claimed by either parent for Federal Income tax purposes?

Parent can have access only if the student is willing to release information.

Student must complete the Student Consent for Release of Records form (available online and in Admissions & Records office) each time the information is to be released.

Request is submitted to the Admissions & Records Supervisor for processing. 

STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT
A student enrolling in one of the Los Rios colleges may rightfully expect that students, faculty and administrators will maintain an environment in which there is freedom to learn.

Student conduct must comply with federal and state laws, college rules and regulations and district policies and regulations.  Students who violate such rules and regulations are subject to disciplinary action.

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