ACADEMIC CALENDAR www.venturacollege.edu/calendars Ventura College offers two semesters of instruction, Fall and Spring, plus a Summer intersession. Within each semester, we offer short-term courses of varying lengths, which are identified in the semester Schedule of Classes. We also offer a variety of distance-learning classes, which we similarly set out in each semester’s Schedule of Classes. The Schedule of Classes may be accessed online or in print, in English or in Spanish. Please note that the add/drop deadlines set out here apply only to full-semester classes. For deadlines applicable to short-term classes, contact the Admissions and Records Office at (805) 654-7457, or go online to www.venturacollege.edu/deadlines, click on the Searchable Schedule of Classes and click on the CRN # of the specific class for which you need the deadline information. Fall Semester August 20 - December 19, 2007 August 18-19 First day of semester-length traditional Saturday and Sunday classes. August 20 First day of semester-length traditional classes. First day of late registration. August 31 Last day to add semester-length classes. Last day to drop a class and qualify for enrollment fee, health, and parking refunds. Last day account credited if dropping classes. No refunds or credits after this date for semester-length classes. September 1-2 No Saturday/Sunday classes. September 3 Labor Day – Legal Holiday – No classes. September 14 Last day to drop semester-length classes without a transcript entry. September 21 Last day to declare CR/NC grading option for semester-length classes. November 9 Last day to apply for Fall 2007 Associate Degree or Certificate of Achievement. November 12 Veteran’s Day – Legal Holiday – No classes. November 10-11 Saturday/Sunday classes will be held. November 21 Last day to drop semester-length classes with a “W.” November 22-25 Thanksgiving break – No classes. December 13-19 Final exam week for Fall 2007. Spring Semester January 7 - May 14, 2008 January 7 First day of semester-length traditional classes. First day of late registration. January 12-13 First day of semester-length traditional Saturday and Sunday classes. January 18 Last day to add semester-length classes. Last day to drop a class and qualify for enrollment fee, health, and parking refunds. Last day account credited if dropping classes. No refunds or credits after this date for semester-length classes. January 21 Martin Luther King Holiday – Legal Holiday – No classes. February 1 Last day to drop semester-length classes without a transcript entry. February 8 Last day to declare CR/NC grading option for semester-length classes. February 15-18 President’s Day weekend – No classes. March 14 No classes. Staff Flex Day. March 15-16 Saturday/Sunday classes will be held. March 17-23 Spring Break. No classes. April 11 Last day to apply for Spring 2008 Associate Degree or Certificate of Achievement. April 18 Last day to drop semester-length classes with a “W.” May 8-14 Final Exam week for Spring 2008. May 14 Graduation. ACADEMIC POLICIES Courses Open to Enrollment Each course offered by the Ventura County Community College District and its colleges is open to enrollment and participation by any person who has been admitted to the College and who meets the prerequisites to the class or program, unless specifically exempted by statute. Attendance and Absence All students admitted to Ventura College are expected to attend regularly. Continuity of attendance is necessary to both individual and group progress in any class. Financial support of the College is dependent upon student attendance. Absence for any reason does not relieve the student from the responsibility of completing all requirements of the class. For a returning absentee, the College does not designate an absence as “excused” or “not excused.” It takes the position that, since regular attendance is the student’s responsibility, the instructor may evaluate the absence in terms of class requirements and take whatever reasonable action he or she deems necessary. For credit students, when absence from a class exceeds in number 1/9th of the total class contact hours for the session, the instructor may recommend to the Registrar that such student be dropped from the class and a grade recorded in accordance with the withdrawal from class policy as stated in this Catalog. Classes missed because of late registration are counted toward the number of absences. Students may be suspended or dropped from a class at any time when absences result in missing necessary safety instruction when such instruction is routinely given. When possible, students will be given a warning and/or an opportunity to make up missed instruction. Exclusions of this sort will be made by instructors acting in consultation with their Division Deans. Failure of a student to appear at the first regular meeting of a class may result in exclusion, if the class has reached its assigned enrollment limit and other eligible students are present and are seeking admission to the class. The student may petition for reinstatement when just cause for the absences exists. Such petitions must be presented in writing to the Admissions and Records Office for administrative review. Units of Credit The Carnegie unit formula applies to all credit courses offered by the college, whether degree applicable or not applicable to the associate degree. “One credit hour of community college work is approximately three hours of recitation, study, or laboratory work per week throughout a term of 16 weeks.” Ventura College bases its semester unit on one lecture class period of 50 minutes each week of a minimum 16-week semester. For practical purposes, the following terms are synonymous: unit, semester unit, semester hours, credit, credit hour. For purposes of sections dealing with standards for probation and dismissal, all units attempted means all units of credit for which the student was enrolled in any college or university, regardless of whether the student completed the courses or received any credit or grade. Educational Work Load A student’s educational work load generally consists of fifteen (15) units of work per semester in order to make normal progress towards the AA/AS degree and/or transfer requirements. Students who want to take an overload of more than 19.5 units in a regular semester or more than 9 units in a summer session must have a counselor’s approval. Ventura College observes the following guidelines in reviewing a request for an academic overload: A student may petition for additional units (over 19.5 or over 9 for summer term) if he or she has a high school GPA of 3.6 or has completed twelve (12) college units with a cumulative GPA of 3.0. The petition for this purpose, Additional Units for Academic Overload, is available in the Counseling Office. The College strongly recommends that students who work part-time or engage in extracurricular activities (social and athletic) follow these proportions in distributing their hourly time per week: Academic Units Recommended Time Maximum Time Class/Study Work/Activities 15-18 30-36 0-8 12-15 24-30 8-15 9-12 18-24 15-20 6-9 12-18 20-30 3-6 6-12 30-40 Academic Record Symbols The quality of a student’s work is indicated by grade points. Grades from a grading scale shall be averaged on the basic of the point equivalence to determine a student’s grade point average. The highest grade shall receive four points, and the lowest grade shall receive no point, using the following evaluative symbols: A - Excellent 4 grade points per unit B - Good 3 grade points per unit C - Satisfactory 2 grade points per unit D - Passing, less than satisfactory 1 grade point per unit F - Failing 0 grade point per unit CR - Credit (satisfactory) 0 grade point (unit credit granted) CRE - Credit by exam (satisfactory) 0 grade point (unit credit granted) NC - No credit (less than satisfactory, or failing) 0 grade point (no unit credit granted) Student mark other than grade (nonevaluative symbols): I - Incomplete 0 grade point (no unit credit granted) IP - In progress 0 grade point (no unit credit granted) RD - Report delayed 0 grade point (no unit credit granted) W - Withdrawal 0 grade point (no unit credit granted) MW - Military Withdrawal 0 grade point (no unit credit granted) Courses taken on a credit/no credit basis are disregarded in calculating the grade point average. However, units earned on a credit basis shall be counted toward satisfaction of curriculum requirements. CR and CRE are used to denote “passed with credit” when no letter grade is given, for work of such quality as to warrant a letter grade of C or better. NC is used to denote “no credit” when no letter grade is given. See credit/no credit options section. Nonevaluative Symbols INCOMPLETE: Incomplete academic work for unforeseeable, emergency and justifiable reasons at the end of the term may result in an “I” symbol being entered in the student’s record. The condition for removal of the “I” shall be stated by the instructor in a written record. This record shall contain the conditions for removal of the “I” and the grade assigned in lieu of its removal. This record must be given to the student with a copy on file with the Office of the Registrar until the “I” is made up or the time limit has passed. A final grade shall be assigned when the work stipulated has been completed and evaluated, or when the time limit for completing the work has passed. The “I” may be made up no later than one year following the end of the term in which it was assigned. The “I” symbol shall not be used in calculating units attempted nor for grade points. Units of “I” shall not be counted to determine eligibility for athletics. Units of “I” may also effect the student’s status for financial aid and other programs. A districtwide process shall be provided whereby a student may petition for a time extension due to unusual circumstances. The student should be aware that other colleges or universities may have policies relating to the evaluation of incompletes on transfer student transcripts which could have an adverse effect on the student’s academic status. IN PROGRESS: The IP symbol shall be used only in those courses which extend beyond the normal end of an academic term. It indicates that work is in-progress, but that the assignment of a substantive grade must await its completion. The IP symbol shall remain on the student’s permanent record in order to satisfy enrollment documentation. The appropriate evaluative grade and unit credit shall be assigned and appear on the student’s record for the term in which the required work of the course is completed. The IP shall not be used in calculating grade point averages. If a student enrolled in an open-entry, open-exit course is assigned an IP at the end of an attendance period and does not re-enroll in that course during the subsequent attendance period, the appropriate faculty will assign an evaluative symbol (grade) in accordance with the academic record symbols to be recorded on the student’s permanent record for the course. REPORT DELAYED: The RD symbol may be assigned by the Registrar only. It is a temporary notation to be replaced by a permanent symbol as soon as possible. RD shall not be used in calculating grade point averages. WITHDRAWAL: A student may withdraw from a class through the last day of the first seventy-five percent (75%) of a class (see Calendar in Schedule of Classes). The academic record of a student who remains in a class beyond this time limit must reflect a grade other than a W. No notation (W or other) shall be made on the academic record of a student who withdraws during the first four weeks or thirty percent (30%) of a term, whichever is less. Withdrawal between the end of the fourth week and the last day of the fourteenth week of instruction for full-semester classes or through seventy-five percent (75%) of a class less than a semester in length shall be recorded as W on the student’s record. MILITARY WITHDRAWAL: This option is intended to accommodate students who are recalled to active military duty at any time during a semester. A student may petition for military withdrawal by submitting a written request and copy of military orders to the Admissions and Records Office. Military withdrawal will result in a W notation on the transcript unless the drop occurs within the first 30% of class meetings. The notation will not be counted in evaluation of satisfactory progress for purposes of determining academic standing, probation or dismissal. Scholastic Standing and Achievement Scholastic standing is based on a student’s work measured quantitatively in semester units and qualitatively in letter grades. This relationship is expressed as a numerical grade point average. To illustrate the calculation of a grade point average, a student who earns a grade of A in three units, B in three units, C in three units, D in three units, F in two units, and CR in two units, would have a grade point average of 2.14. The computation is shown below. 3 units A x 4 = 12 grade points 3 units B x 3 = 9 grade points 3 units C x 2 = 6 grade points 3 units D x 1 = 3 grade points 2 units F x 0 = 0 grade point 2 units CR x 0 = 0 grade point 14 graded units 30 grade points (+ 2 CR) 30 ÷ 14 = 2.14 grade point average In calculating a student’s degree applicable grade point average, grades earned in nondegree courses shall not be included. Credit/No Credit (Pass/Fail) Grade Options Colleges of the Ventura County Community College District may offer courses in two credit/no credit (CR/NC) grading options: (1) Courses which are offered on a credit/no credit basis only; and (2) Courses in which students may elect the credit/no credit option. The first category includes those courses as specified in the Announcement of Courses section of this Catalog in which all students are evaluated on a credit/no credit (CR/NC) basis. This CR/NC grading option shall be used to the exclusion of all other grades in courses for which there is a single satisfactory standard of performance and for which unit credit is assigned. Credit shall be assigned for meeting that standard; no credit for failure to do so. The second category of credit/no credit options is comprised of courses designated by the College, wherein each student may elect by no later than the end of the first thirty percent (30%) of the term or length of the class whether the basis of evaluation is to be credit/no credit or a letter grade. Once the thirty percent (30%) deadline has passed, the request cannot be withdrawn and the student becomes ineligible to petition for a grade change. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the instructor of his or her intent to be graded on a credit/no credit basis and to file the appropriate form, otherwise a letter grade will be assigned. The form for this purpose, Request for Credit/No Credit, is available in the Admissions and Records Office. All units earned on a credit/no credit basis in accredited California institutions of higher education or equivalent out-of-state institutions shall be counted in satisfaction of community college curriculum requirements. A student may apply a maximum of twenty (20) units of credit earned under the credit/no credit option to an A.A. or A.S. degree or certificate of achievement. Exceptions to this unit limitation will be granted only to students enrolled in the designated occupational programs specified in the credit by examination policy of this Catalog. Credit (CR) is used to denote “passed with credit” when no letter grade is given. Credit is assigned for work of such quality as to warrant a letter grade of C or better. Units earned on a credit/no credit basis shall not be used to calculate grade point averages. However, units attempted for which NC is recorded shall be considered in probation and dismissal policies. Other options for course credit are specified in the Advanced Placement Credit policy and in the Credit by Examination policy of this Catalog. Students should be aware that other colleges and universities may restrict the acceptance of courses taken on a credit/no credit basis, especially for satisfaction of major requirements. Remedial Course Limit The colleges of the Ventura County Community College District (VCCCD) offer courses which are defined as remedial: “remedial coursework” refers to pre-collegiate basic skills courses in reading, writing, computation, learning skills, study skills and English as a Second Language which are designated by the college district as not applicable to the Associate Degree. Students enrolled in remedial courses will receive unit credit and will be awarded an academic record symbol on transcripts as defined under other academic policies. However, the units earned in these remedial courses do not apply toward certificates of achievement or associate degrees. No students shall receive more than 30 semester units of credit for remedial coursework. This limitation of 30 units applies to all remedial coursework completed at any of the campuses of the college district (Moorpark, Oxnard and Ventura Colleges). It does not apply to remedial coursework completed at colleges outside the District. Students transferring from other educational institutions outside VCCCD shall be permitted to begin with a “clean slate” with regard to the remedial limitation. The 30-unit limit applies to all remedial coursework attempted; however, in the event that some of these 30 units are substandard and a student successfully repeats one or more courses in which substandard grades were earned, then the 30-unit limit would be modified by the application of the Course Repetition Policy. Students who exhaust the unit limitation shall be referred to appropriate adult non-credit educational services provided by adult schools or other appropriate local providers with which the colleges have an established referral agreement. Such a student may, upon successful completion of appropriate “remedial coursework” or upon demonstration of skills levels which will reasonably assure success in college-level courses, request reinstatement to proceed with college-level coursework. Procedures relating to dismissal and reinstatement are specified in the College Catalog under policies governing Probation, Dismissal and Readmission. The petition for this purpose, Petition for Continued Enrollment or Readmission, is available in the Counseling Office. The following students are exempted from the limitation on remedial coursework: students enrolled in one or more courses of English as a Second Language (to include ENGL V07, V08A, V08B); and/or students identified by one of the colleges as having a disability. Any student who shows significant, measurable progress toward the development of skills appropriate to his or her enrollment in college-level courses may qualify for a waiver of the unit limitation. Petitions for waiver can only be given for specified periods of time or for a specified number of units. The petition for this purpose, the Student Educational Plan, is available in the Counseling Office. The Office of Student Learning shall maintain a list for each academic year of remedial courses limited by this policy. The following courses are defined as remedial under the definition limiting units: ENGL V03, V04A, V04B; IDS V11, V12; MATH V09, V10; SS V01, V02. Students should be aware that this policy applies to all students enrolled in remedial coursework. However, students receiving financial aid have more restrictive limitations imposed upon them by the federal government. The federal rules specify a limitation of one year regardless of units, do not exempt learning skills, and do not provide for a waiver. Final Examinations Final examinations are given at the end of each semester. Students are required to take examinations for the classes in which they are enrolled. No examinations are administered prior to the regular schedule for examinations. Exceptions to this rule in emergency situations will require the approval of the instructor of record and the Division Dean. All student requests for examinations to be administered at a later date must be filed on the proper petition form in the Admissions and Records Office. Petitions for late examinations will not be considered if the student leaves prior to the last three weeks of the semester. Probation, Dismissal and Readmission Probation, dismissal, and readmission policies and procedures are designed to assist students in making progress toward realistic academic, career, and personal goals. Students applying for Veteran’s educational benefits should refer to the Veteran’s section in this Catalog (page 33) for information on unsatisfactory progress and eligibility to collect educational benefits, and see below. STANDARDS FOR PROBATION: A student who has attempted at least twelve (12) semester units as shown by the official academic record shall be placed on academic probation if the student has earned a grade point average below 2.0 in all units which were graded on the basis of the grading scale established by the Ventura County Community College District. A student who has enrolled in a total of at least twelve (12) semester units as shown by the official academic record shall be placed on progress probation when the percentage of all units in which the student has enrolled and for which entries of W, I, and NC are recorded reaches or exceeds fifty percent (50%). NOTE: probationary status is computed using courses taken since Fall 1981. Courses taken prior to Fall 1981 are not in the computer data file and may not be included in the calculation of probation. This may alter your probationary status. Special note to students claiming veterans benefits– UNSATISFACTORY PROGRESS: For the purpose of certification for educational benefits, academic probation is defined as the failure to complete a minimum of 50% of the total units attempted, and/or to maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average. Unsatisfactory progress occurs when a veteran has been placed on academic probation for two consecutive semesters. Unsatisfactory progress must be reported to the Veteran’s Administration, and the veteran may not be certified for future educational benefits. Any veteran placed on unsatisfactory progress must consult the campus Veteran’s Office and receive academic counseling before educational benefits can be reinstated. A student transferring to a college of the Ventura County Community College District from another college is subject to the same probation and dismissal policies as students of this college district. NOTIFICATION OF PROBATION: Each college in this district shall notify a student who is placed on probation at or near the beginning of the semester in which it will take effect but, in any case, no later than the start of the Fall semester. The student grade report, provided for each enrolled student at the end of each term, specifies the student status for both academic and progress categories as either “good standing” or “probation.” A student placed on probation is, as a condition of continuing enrollment, to receive individual counseling, including the regulation of his or her academic program. Each student shall also receive any other support services available to help the student overcome any academic difficulties. REMOVAL FROM PROBATION: A student on academic probation for a grade point deficiency shall be removed from probation when the student’s cumulative grade point average is 2.0 or higher. A student on progress probation because of an excess of units for which entries of W, I, and NC are recorded shall be removed from probation when the percentage of units in this category drops below fifty percent (50%), STANDARDS FOR DISMISSAL: A student who is on academic probation shall be dismissed if the student earned a cumulative grade point average of less than 1.75 in all units attempted in each of three consecutive semesters. A student who has been placed on progress probation shall be subject to dismissal if the percentage of units in which the student has been enrolled and for which entries of W, I, and NC are recorded in at least three consecutive semesters reaches or exceeds fifty percent (50%). NOTIFICATION OF DISMISSAL: Each college in the Ventura County Community College District shall notify a student who is dismissed at or near the beginning of the semester in which it will take effect but, in any case, no later than the start of the Fall semester. A student who is dismissed has the right of appeal. An exception to academic dismissal may be made only in the event of extreme and unusual medical and/or legal circumstances that can be supported by evidence provided by the student, or in the event of improved scholarship. The petition for this purpose, Petition for Continued Enrollment or Readmission, is available in the Counseling Office. CONTINUED ENROLLMENT OR READMISSION: A student applying for continued enrollment or readmission must submit a petition to explain what circumstances or conditions would justify continued enrollment or readmission. A student applying for readmission shall not be reinstated until a minimum of one semester has elapsed after academic dismissal. A student who is petitioning shall receive counseling to assess his or her academic and career goals and must have counselor approval of his or her educational program prior to registration. The petition for this purpose, Petition for Continued Enrollment or Readmission, is available in the Counseling Office. Academic Honesty Ventura College believes that honesty is vital to the integrity of our College programs, our courses, within our entire college community, and especially in the classroom. Our definition of academic honesty is included in our college policies and standards and informs our students of the expectations the College promotes and information on student’s rights when violations occur. Academic dishonesty (such as cheating) is defined as an act of obtaining or attempting to present academic work through fraudulent or deceptive means in order to obtain credit for this work. This dishonesty and/or cheating by whatever means, including electronic, is defined as, but is not limited to: * Submitting work previously presented in another courses * Copying in whole or in part from another student’s test or paper * Using sources or material not authorized by the instructor * Altering or interfering with grading policies * Sitting in for an exam for another student or by another students * Plagiarizing work, such as copying sentences, phrases, or passages without citing the source, while writing a paper or doing research and submitting this work as his/her own * Sharing your paper information during an exam, test, or quiz. Instructors have the responsibility and authority for dealing with any cheating or plagiarism which may occur in their classes. It is the policy of the Ventura County Community College District that an instructor may dismiss a student involved in such dishonest behavior from class with a grade of “F.” In additional, the faculty member may direct the matter to the appropriate Dean for further disciplinary action. Proof of cheating may lead to suspension, and the student or students are provided with due process that includes formal grievance procedures. Additional Information on Ventura College Web site. For additional information on Academic Honesty, please see the Ventura College Web site at: www.venturacollege.edu/honesty Grade Changes In any course of instruction in a college in the Ventura County Community College District for which grades are awarded, the instructor of the course shall determine the grade to be awarded each student in accordance with the grading system dealing with academic record symbols and scholastic standing and achievement. The determination of the student’s grade by the instructor shall be final in the absence of mistake, fraud, bad faith or incompetency. Procedures for the correction of a grade given in error shall include expunging the incorrect grade from the record. Grade change petitions must be initiated by the instructor of record. Students wishing to dispute a grade should first contact the instructor. Auditing Auditing allows a student to attend a class without taking exams, receiving a grade or earning unit credit. Students enrolled in ten units or more may, with instructor consent, be allowed to audit one class per term without a fee. Students enrolled in less than ten units may, with instructor consent, audit one class per term with an audit fee of fifteen dollars ($15.00) per unit per semester. Audit students must also pay the health fee. Audit fees are nonrefundable. All fees are subject to change. Priority in class enrollment shall be given to students desiring to take the courses for credit toward a certificate, degree or transfer certification. Therefore, students applying to audit may submit the completed audit petition only during the last two days of program adjustment as specified in the calendar of every semesters’ Schedule of Classes. Laboratory classes are not normally available for audit. Students auditing a course shall not be permitted to change their enrollment in that course to receive credit for the course. Students auditing a course are not permitted to take exams in class, nor are they permitted to challenge the course by exam at a later date. Instructors are under no obligation to grade assignments of students auditing a course. Attendance requirements for students auditing courses are the same for all other students as stated in this Catalog. The petition form to audit a class is available in the Admissions and Records Office. Withdrawal from Class It is a student’s responsibility to initiate a withdrawal when the withdrawal is desired by the student. Students or instructors may initiate a withdrawal through the end of the first thirty percent (30%) of a class. This action results in no record of dropped classes on students’ academic records (grade card or transcript). Students or instructors may initiate a withdrawal between the end of the first thirty percent (30%) and the last day of the first seventy-five percent (75%) of a class (see Calendar in Schedule of Classes). This action shall be recorded as a W on the student’s academic records. The W shall not be used in calculating grade point averages, but excessive Ws shall be used as factors in determining academic standing, probation, and dismissal. The academic record of a student who remains in a class beyond the 75% point must reflect a grading symbol other than W. Withdrawal from a class may be authorized after the designated time limit by petition only in extenuating circumstances of verified cases of accidents, illnesses or other circumstances beyond the control of the student. Approved petitions shall result in a W recorded on students’ academic records. The petition for this purpose, Petition to Change Grade to Withdrawal, is available in the Admissions and Records Office. A graded course that is used to satisfy degree, certificate or transfer requirements will not be changed to a W. Withdrawal from College It is the student’s responsibility to formally withdraw from all classes, if he or she withdraws from college. A student who withdraws after the end of the first thirty percent (30%) of a class shall have an entry made on his or her permanent record in accordance with the regulations specified in the withdrawal from class policy. Official withdrawals must be processed at the Admissions and Records Office. Academic Renewal Without Course Repetition Students may petition to have a portion of previous college work disregarded in meeting academic requirements in the colleges of the Ventura County Community College District. Academic renewal is intended to facilitate the completion of requirements necessary for an academic degree or certificate. A student may petition, once only, to eliminate grade point calculations and credits from selected portions of previous substandard college work which is not reflective of the student’s present demonstrated ability and level of performance. Substandard work is defined as coursework graded “D, F or NC.” The student may petition for academic renewal to disregard previous substandard college work by selecting one of the following options: 1. Disregard a maximum of fifteen (15) or fewer semester units of any courses with less than a C or equivalent grade taken during any one or two terms (maximum two terms), not necessarily consecutively; or 2. Disregard all courses from two consecutive terms (one Summer or intersession may be regarded as equivalent to one semester at the student’s discretion). Courses and units taken at any institution may be disregarded. Academic renewal may be granted only to a student who has completed at least twelve (12) units in residence in the colleges of the Ventura County Community College District; has submitted transcripts of all college work; has waited two years since the coursework to be disregarded was completed; and has subsequently completed at least thirty (30) semester units with a minimum 2.4 grade point average. The colleges of the Ventura County Community College District will honor similar actions by other accredited colleges and universities in determining grade point averages and credits. The petition for this purpose, Petition for Academic Renewal, is available in the Counseling Office. Upon approval of the Petition for Academic Renewal, the student’s permanent record shall be annotated in such a manner that all work remains legible, ensuring a true and complete academic history. The student should be aware that other colleges and universities may have different policies concerning academic renewal and may not honor this policy. Course Repetition SUBSTANDARD GRADE AWARDED. A course in which a grade of C or better has been earned may not be repeated except as identified in the Catalog course description or as stated below. Courses taken at any college in which a grade of D, F, NC or other substandard grade has been earned may be repeated one time for the purpose of improving the grade and grade point average (GPA). A course taken at another institution in which a substandard grade was earned may be repeated one time at the colleges of the Ventura County Community College District, subject to this policy. In order to identify acceptable equivalencies, course comparability shall be determined chiefly by content, as defined in the catalog course description, and not by course title or units. Upon completion of the repeated course, the previous grade earned shall be omitted from the computation of the cumulative grade point average. The permanent record shall be annotated in such a manner that all work remains legible, ensuring a true and complete academic history. Please note that subsequent repeats, if allowed based on Petition, will be omitted from computation of the grade point average, and the course will be annotated as above. The petition for this purpose, Petition to Repeat a Course with a Substandard Grade, is available in the Admissions and Records Office. SATISFACTORY (PASSING) GRADE AWARDED. Under special circumstances, students may petition to repeat a course one time only in which a nonsubstandard or satisfactory grade was received. These conditions require that the course was successfully completed more than three years prior, is required as part of the student’s designated educational goal, and/or is in a sequence of courses based on prerequisites. The grade earned in the repeated course in this circumstance shall not be counted in the computation of the cumulative grade point average. The grade received in the earliest course will remain and be counted in all calculations of grade point average, academic status and eligibility for various programs. The permanent record shall be annotated in such a manner that all work remains legible, ensuring a true and complete academic history. The Petition is available in the Counseling Office. MANDATED AS CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT. Another condition under these special circumstances permits indefinite course repetition when it is necessary for a student to meet a legally mandated training requirement as a condition of continued paid or volunteer employment. The units and grade earned each time the student repeats the course shall be included in the computation of the cumulative grade point average and units completed. The petition for this purpose, Petition to Repeat a Course with a Nonsubstandard (Satisfactory) Grade, is available in the Counseling Office. Students should understand that other colleges or universities may not accept credit for work which represents a repetition of high school work. In addition, there is no assurance that repeated courses resulting in an improvement in grade will be accepted by other colleges or universities. Credit by Examination Granting unit credit for a course by examination is based on the principle that previous experience, training, or instruction is the equivalent of a specific course taught by the College. If an examination indicates that the student possesses adequate equivalency and mastery of the subject, credit may be granted. All courses shall be open to credit by examination unless specifically exempted. Each division of the College shall determine the courses for which credit by examination may be granted and the Office of Student Learning shall maintain a current list of courses excluded from this policy. For the purpose of this policy, a course shall mean an organized area of instruction as described in the Ventura College Catalog. A student should be advised that the use of units given by credit by exam to establish eligibility for athletics, financial aid, and veterans benefits is subject to the rules and regulations of the external agencies involved. Exception to the above may be made when necessary to meet provisions of California State law or the rules and regulations of state agencies governing programs of the California community colleges. Credit by examination may be granted only to a student who is currently enrolled in at least one credit course in the College; has completed at least twelve (12) units in residence in the colleges of the Ventura County Community College District; is not on academic probation; has submitted transcripts of all previous coursework; has not earned college credit in more advanced subject matter; has not or is not enrolled in the subject course as an auditor; and, has not received a grade (A, B, C, D, F, CR, CRE, NC, or equivalent) in the course for which he or she is seeking credit, by examination at this or any other educational institution. A student seeking credit by examination will receive a CRE (credit by exam) if he or she satisfactorily passes the examination; no other grade will be recorded for credit by exam. Students who are unsuccessful in an attempt to challenge a course by examination will not receive an NC (no credit) and no record of the attempt for credit by examination will appear on a student’s transcript. However, students may challenge a course only once. A student may challenge no more than twelve (12) units or four (4) courses toward an Associate Degree or Certificate of Achievement. The amount of unit credit granted by examination to an individual shall not count toward the minimum 12-unit requirement for residency. Credit by examination may be granted in only one course in a sequence of courses, as determined by prerequisites, and may not be granted for a course which is a prerequisite to the one in which the student is currently enrolled. Exceptions to this policy are permitted for each college in those occupational programs where curriculum makes this necessary. The exceptions are as follows: l The 12-unit residency requirement is suspended, permitting students to petition for credit by examination prior to completion of that requirement; when the residency requirement has been met, the course(s) successfully challenged shall be added to the student's record; l Credit by examination may be granted for more than one course in a sequence of required courses, when approved by the administrator responsible for vocational programs. The petition for this purpose, Petition for Credit by Examination, is initiated in the Counseling Office. Approved petitions must be on file with the administering instructor by Friday of the tenth week of the semester. The examination is to be administered prior to the last day of the final examination period. Credit by examination (CRE) is assigned for work of such quality as to warrant a letter grade of C or a better. Transcript entries shall distinguish credits obtained by examination from credits obtained as a result of regular course enrollment. The student's academic record shall be clearly annotated to reflect that credit was earned by examination. Students should be aware that other colleges may not accept credit by examination for transfer purposes. Dean’s List Special recognition is accorded students who complete a program of twelve or more units of letter-graded coursework with a 3.50 grade point or higher during a semester. Credit/no credit units are not considered in the twelve-unit requirement. These students are placed on the Dean’s List and accorded appropriate recognition, including a letter of commendation for academic distinction. Graduation with Honors Graduation with Highest Honors The highest honors designation is placed on the transcript and diploma of the graduate who has achieved an overall grade point average (GPA) of 4.0. The highest honors graduate must have completed at least 30 units of coursework at Ventura County Community College District of which 18 units or more must be letter grades. All letter grades must be an A. Graduation with High Honors The high honors designation is placed on the transcript and diploma of the graduate who has achieved an overall grade point average (GPA) 3.75. The high honors graduate must have completed at least 30 units of coursework at Ventura County Community College District of which 18 units or more must be letter grades. Graduation with Honors The honors designation is placed on the transcript and diploma of the graduate who has achieved an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.5. The honors graduate must have completed at least 30 units of coursework at Ventura County Community College District of which 18 units or more must be letter grades. Departmental Honors Students who do outstanding work in their departments may receive special recognition by the faculty. Eligibility is determined by inclusion in the honors categories listed above. Selection is made by departmental faculty. Use of Listening or Recording Devices State law in California prohibits the use by anyone in a classroom of any electronic listening or recording device without prior consent of the instructor and the College Administration. Any student who has need to use electronic aids must secure the consent of the instructor. If the instructor agrees to the request, the notice of consent will be filed with the Office of Student Learning. Use of the Internet PURPOSE OF THE INTERNET: The student Internet account is to be used to support the instructional process of students who are actively enrolled in a designated course. Noneducational, recreational and commercial uses of the Internet are prohibited. RULES FOR USING THE INTERNET: You are responsible for ensuring that you use the Internet account in an effective, efficient, ethical and lawful manner. To this end, please obey the following rules: 1. Comply with the guidelines for acceptable use of networks or services which you access through the Internet. 2. Do not attempt to gain access to resources for which you have not been given authorization. Ventura College will not assume financial responsibility for unauthorized Internet-related expenditures. 3. Do not make any harassing or defamatory remarks using the Internet. 4. Do not create a personal link to any Ventura College home page, and do not represent Ventura College in any of your own pages. 5. Do not install any software. 6. Do not use any unapproved software. 7. Do not violate any federal or state law, including copyright laws. 8. Download data from the Internet onto your own data storage disk—any data found on the hard drive will be deleted. PRIVACY ON THE INTERNET: Please be aware that any electronic mail is not private since your class will be sharing a mail box, and that the College reserves the right to access any such information. RESPONSIBILITY FOR INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET: Through the Internet, the College provides access to public and private outside networks which furnish electronic mail, information services, bulletin boards, conferences, etc. Please be advised that the College does not assume responsibility for the contents of any of these outside networks.