WHO MAY ATTEND?
Folsom Lake College is open to all residents who are high school graduates (or the equivalent) or who are at least 18 years of age and able to profit from the instruction offered. A completed application with declared residency must be submitted prior to enrolling classes. Others may be admitted upon approval by the college. If you are a permanent resident, verification of your residency may be required.

Courses Open to All
Every course, course section, or class offered by the Los Rios Community College District that receives state support is open to you if you have been admitted to the college and meet the course requirements (pre-requisites) unless specifically exempted by law, and as may be established to Chapter II, Division 2, Part VI, Title 5 of the California Administrative Code, commencing with Section 51006.

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS
Under California State Education Code regulations that govern the California community colleges, classification as a California resident requires that person be physically present in this state for two years prior to the beginning of the term for which he/she is applying. One year of physical presence may be acceptable if documentation of intent to reside can be provided.

Residency classification shall be determined for each student at the time of admissions and whenever a student has not been in attendance for more than one semester. Evidence may be required to prove physical presence in California and intent to make California the permanent home.

Physical Presence
1. Persons capable of establishing residence in California must be physically present in California for two years or one year if they have supporting evidence of a declaration of intent that is dated one year prior to the residence determination date to be classified as a resident student.
2. Physical presence within the state solely for educational purposes does not constitute establishing California residence regardless of the length of that presence.

Intent
Intent to establish California residence may be manifested in many ways: Documentation is required to verify both the intent to reside in California and your continuous physical presence in California for one year. Documentation submitted must include the name of the student and be dated prior to the residency determination date of the semester for which the student is applying. The residency determination day for any given semester or session would be one year and one day prior to the term. The following are acceptable documentation:

• California State income tax return filed as a resident (form 540)
• Valid California motor vehicle registration
• Valid California driver’s license or identification card
• Voter’s registration in California
• Rental or lease agreement in California
• Bank statements from an active bank account in California
• Maintaining permanent military address or home of record in California while in the armed forces
• Having paid non-resident tuition at an educational institution in another state

Burden of Proof
It is the student’s responsibility to demonstrate clearly both physical presence in California and the intent to establish California residence.

Exceptions to Residence Requirements
Exceptions to the residency requirements include, but are not limited to the following:

• Active Military personnel stated in California *
• Dependents of active duty military personnel stationed in California *
• Certain minors who remained in California when their parents moved *
• Self-supporting minors *
• Full-time employees of the college or a state agency, or a child or spouse of the full-time employee *

*Documentation will be required.

Non-Residents
Students who have not established residency in California for one year and one day prior to the beginning of the term in which they wish to enroll, residents of other states or territories of the United States, and residents of foreign countries must pay nonresident tuition in order to attend FLC.

Non-Immigrant Aliens who are in the USA under a non-immigrant classification such as B, C, D, F, H, J or M cannot gain a resident status since the law relating to him/her provides that he’she is required to maintain a residence in another country and is only allowed to remain in the USA temporarily.

Aliens with B-1, B-2, F, J, and M status may be admitted to the college as full-time students subject to admission to the college’s international student program.

California AB 540: Special exemption from out-of-state tuition
Due to recent legislation, certain non-residents who have attended a high school (public or private) in California for three or more years AND have graduated from a California high school or attained the equivalent in California prior to the semester may qualify for this exemption. ** Students who hold non-immigrant visas (for example, B-1, B-2, F-1, and J) are not eligible. If you feel you are eligible for this special exemption, please download, complete the AB 540 form and submit to the A&R office.

Petition for Reclassification
Reclassification for Residency petitions are available online or in the A&R office.

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ACADEMIC POLICIES
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
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 units must be earned with “C” grades or better.
• A minimum of 3 semesters must have elapsed between the time the substandard grades were earned and the 12 units of “C” or better grades were earned.
• 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.

Access to Student Records (Privacy Rights)
The Los Rios Board of Trustees, in order to meet the provisions of the Family 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. 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 a written statement to the Admissions & Records Office.

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.

Course Repetition
Generally, each course may be taken only once. There are five (5) exceptions:

1. A student may repeat, only once, a course that was taken in which a substandard grade was received. A student may not repeat a course in which he/she earned an Incomplete. Substandard grade is defined as “D”, “F”, or “NC”. The grade and credits earned in the second enrollment shall be used exclusively in determining the grade points earned for that particular course.
2. The college finds that the student’s previous grade is, at least in part, the result of extenuating circumstances. Extenuating circumstances are verified cases of accidents, illness, or other circumstances beyond the student’s control. Grades awarded for courses repeated under this circumstance shall not be counted when calculating a student’s grade point average.
3. The college recommends that a student repeat a course because there has been a significant lapse of time since the student previously took the course. Grades awarded for courses repeated under this circumstance shall not be counted when calculating a student’s grade point average.
4. Courses designated as “repeatable” are those listed as such in the college catalog and are designed to enhance students’ skills or performances through supervised repetition.
5. Students may repeat courses needed to meet a legally mandated training requirement as a condition of continued paid or volunteer employment.

Enrollment Fee Refund Policy
It is the responsibility of the student to apply for a refund. To be eligible for a refund, the student must:

1. Drop classes by the applicable deadline (see online calendar) using TES, online, or in person.
2. Submit a completed Fee Refund Application form by the end of the current session or semester in which he or she is enrolled. Application forms are available at the Admissions Office. You may also apply online for a refund by clicking on this link: https://www.losrios.edu/refundapp.htm

Enrollment and tuition fees are 100 percent refundable if the student meets policy items 1 and 2 above. Prorated refunds are not available under current legislative law. Checks will be mailed to eligible students within 4-6 weeks after the refund application is submitted.

Parking Fee Refund Policy
The parking fee is fully refundable through the first 10 days of the semester. To be eligible for a parking fee refund, the student must attach the parking decal he/she received to the Fee Refund Application form and submit it to the Admissions Office within the first 10 days of the semester.

Students’ Rights and Responsibilities
Citizenship – In joining the academic community, students enjoy the right of freedom to learn and share the responsibility in exercising that freedom. Students are expected to conduct themselves in ways appropriate to the educational purposes of the college.

Faculty Performance Review – Students may be asked to complete a questionnaire in each class where the professor is undergoing performance review.

Academic Integrity and Responsibility - Plagiarism Policy

What academic integrity and responsibility are:

Academic integrity and responsibility means acting honestly, conscientiously, and most importantly, with honor and integrity in all academic endeavors. You are accountable for all that you say and write. Since trust is the foundation of an intellectual community, and since your work is the basis for your instructors to evaluate your performance in courses, you should not misrepresent your work nor give or receive unauthorized assistance.

What academic integrity and responsibility are not:

The lack of academic integrity and responsibility takes the form of plagiarism. From the Latin word plagiarius meaning kidnapper, plagiarism is generally the taking of words, sentences, organization, and ideas from another source without acknowledging the source(s). Plagiarism can include:

1. Submitting papers, examinations, or assignments written by others;
2. Copying directly portions of another’s work without enclosing the copied passage in quotation marks for written work or without appropriate citation in an oral presentation and acknowledging the source in the appropriate scholarly convention whether the work is presented in written or oral form;
3. Using a unique term or concept without acknowledging the source;
4. Paraphrasing or summarizing a source’s ideas without acknowledging the source;
5. Replicating a visual presentation, representation, or performance without acknowledging the source;
6. Fabricating or altering a source or data in a laboratory or experiment;
7. Collaborating with others when collaboration is not permitted, or when the contributions of the others are not made clear;
8. Giving or receiving unauthorized assistance during an examination.

What the results of academic dishonesty are:

1. A faculty member has the right to choose whether or not to pursue suspected cases of plagiarism.
2. When a faculty member has reasonable evidence to suspect plagiarism, the faculty member should notify the student of the concern.
3. A faculty member may consult with other faculty, the pertinent Division Dean, and the Dean or Vice President for Student Services when evaluating whether plagiarism has occurred.
4. In situations where plagiarism has been confirmed, the faculty member will determine the consequences in compliance with Los Rios Community College District (LRCCD) Board policy and regulations. The consequences may include the following options:

• Giving the student a written warning
• Giving the student an additional assignment
• Giving the student a zero or “F” on the assignment
• Assigning a grade of “F” for the course
• Or other appropriate consequences that comply with LRCCD Board policy and regulations, including suspension or expulsion per Board regulations (Reg. 2441, par. 3.2e).

5. In situations where plagiarism has occurred, the faculty member may notify the student that a “Referral for Student Code of Conduct Violation” will be filed through the Division Dean to the office of the Dean or Vice President of Student Services.
6. Students have the right to grieve the action if they believe the action violates their student rights. However, students should be aware that grades per se are not grievable and should consult the Student Handbook and district policies and regulations for further information.
7. The office of the Dean or Vice President for Student Services will be responsible for maintaining records related to plagiarism.

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