South Louisiana Community College

SLCC’s academic programs are comprised of general education courses, courses in the major or concentration, and electives that can be used to enhance or expand the major.

General Education Requirements

At South Louisiana Community College “general education” requirements represent a conviction on the part of the faculty that all students need to reason logically, solve problems, communicate effectively, and relate to the world around them. General education courses not only enhance awareness of the world and the people in it but also foster an appreciation of the arts and humanities, encourage insight into the social and behavioral sciences, and provide a basic understanding of mathematical and scientific principles. The realistic expectations of a general education program are to empower the student with a reliable set of skills and understanding that move a lifelong learner forward in academia or the workforce.

Requirements For Degree Completion And Graduation

SLCC’s academic catalog prescribes the requirements for each academic program as well as services offered by the College. The catalog is published biennially and becomes effective with the beginning of the summer session. Former and continuing students must adhere to all changes in policies, rules, regulations, and academic requirements each year changes are made. The educational programs and academic courses described herein may be altered by SLCC to carry out its stated mission.

A student is not officially a declared major in an academic program until she/he files a curriculum plan with the coordinator of his/her degree program, and the curriculum plan is approved.

Students should meet on a regular basis with their academic advisors to assure progress is being made toward completion of their academic program. To qualify for an award, each student must meet the following requirements:

· Satisfy the degree requirements in place at the time s/he declares a major. If the student does not enroll at SLCC for two semesters or more without first obtaining an approved leave of absence from the Registrar, the student must satisfy the degree requirements in place at the time s/he re-registers. If degree requirements change during a period the student is continuously enrolled without interruption, the student has the option of satisfying the new degree requirement or the requirement that was replaced.

· Has a degree program adjusted SLCC cumulative average of 2.0 and earned at least a “C” in each major course, in the first required course in mathematics and in English, and, if required, in Reading 0092. A student who earns a “D” or “F” in any of these courses must repeat the course. (The last grade earned is the official grade in any repeated course.)

Definition: The degree program adjusted grade point average is based on grades earned on all courses (adjusted for repeats) which are applied to a degree to meet graduation requirements at SLCC. The courses included may be from both transfer work and SLCC or only SLCC.

· Earned at least 25 percent of the semester hours required for the degree through instruction offered at SLCC. This translates into a minimum of 18 hours for the associate degree. (Non-traditional credits awarded by SLCC may not be used to meet this requirement except for credit earned through credit by examination.)

· Earned at least one-half of the hours in the major or concentration of the associate degree through courses taken at SLCC.

· Completed 12 of the final 18 hours of required courses applied toward the degree in residence at SLCC. Non-traditional credits (with the exception of credit earned through credit by examination) may not be included in these final hours.

· Used no more than a total of 24 credit hours from non-traditional sources to meet degree requirement, unless required by a specific program.

· Earned no more than one-third of the credits needed in required major courses from non-traditional sources.

· Completed at least the number of credits stipulated in the degree program. In cases where programs are revised and a course is no longer available, completion of the total number of credit hours required in the curriculum as listed in the catalog being followed is mandatory; however, an appropriate substitution may be made.

· Received in writing through all administrative channels approval for any deviation from the curriculum, as stated in the catalog being followed. Students may not receive credit for a lower-level course in a sequence after earning credit in the higher-level course (for example, may not receive credit for Math 1100 after completing Math 2020 [see the section of this Catalog entitled “Prerequisites”]).

Students are reminded that remedial/ develop-mental courses are not acceptable as electives toward an associate degree program. Neither are community education, continuing education, and/or adult education courses.

Graduation

Students assume full responsibility for awareness and completion of all procedural requirements for graduation. The following procedures and conditions apply to all students seeking to graduate from SLCC:

· Students are responsible for submitting a degree plan prior to the beginning of the final year of study but no later than the last day of the semester or session PRIOR to their expected semester of graduation. This degree plan is to include all courses in which the student is currently enrolled and all courses which must be completed in order to fulfill all degree requirements. The degree plan is to be approved in writing by the student’s advisor, the degree program coordinator, and the appropriate academic dean. Once approved, any changes must be requested in writing by the student’s academic advisor and approved by the program coordinator and the appropriate academic dean.

· A candidate for a degree is required to file a formal graduation application and pay a $20.00 graduation fee in his/her final semester or session of enrollment with the office of his/her academic dean prior to the deadline listed in the Academic Schedule of Classes. This form and other associated documents are available from the Registrar’s Office.

· A student is expected to be enrolled at SLCC when applying for graduation. Students who apply for degrees after leaving school must have completed course requirements for graduation and must have been enrolled within the ten-month period preceding their late application for graduation. Students who apply for degrees after leaving school are awarded the degrees as of the semester in which they apply.

· Graduates who cannot attend must submit a letter to the Registrar’s Office, in advance.

· Each student must complete a general education assessment during the final semester of enrollment.

· Each student is responsible for completing an order for cap and gown by the deadline noted in the Academic Calendar of the class schedule.

· A student is expected to fulfill all other obligations and regulations including financial obligations to the College prior to established dates. Students should contact the office of Student Financial Assistance for details.

· A student may not graduate from SLCC while on academic probation or suspension.

· A student is not permitted to participate in commencement ceremonies until all academic and procedural graduation requirements have been met.

Requirements For A Second Degree

A student may work toward a second degree concurrently with work on the first degree or after completion of the first degree. However, the student must meet all graduation requirements for the second degree and must earn an additional 15 semester hours for an associate degree in the second program. These fifteen hours cannot have been applied toward the first degree. In addition, an official declaration of major must be on file prior to applying for a second degree so that the appropriate catalog requirements can be determined.

In degree programs where there are several options, a different option is not considered a second degree. For example, more than one General Studies degree will not be awarded even when a different area of concentration has been completed.

Re-Entry Students And Students In A Discontinued Major

Any student who has completed 50 percent of the required courses in a major that is no longer available may be allowed to transfer credits from another institution of higher education into SLCC to complete the degree requirements. The student must complete the requirements within three years after the semester in which the program was discontinued. Students in discontinued majors will be allowed to complete their major at SLCC provided the necessary courses are offered at SLCC or through cross-enrollment, or if appropriate substitutes are approved and the student continues his/her enrollment without missing a fall or spring semester. Students will not be readmitted to complete discontinued majors.

Graduation With Distinction

Students with the highest academic achievement are designated as Chancellor Honor Graduates. Their academic record must consist of a cumulative average of at least 3.8 on the combination of all college work attempted at SLCC and all college work from other institutions applied to the degree (excluding work on which academic amnesty has been declared).

In order to receive the distinction of Honor Graduate, the student’s academic record must consist of a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5 on the combination of college work attempted at SLCC and all college work from other institutions applied to the degree (excluding work on which academic amnesty has been declared)

Awarding Of A Degree Posthumously

SLCC will award degrees or certificates posthumously to a student who has completed all graduation requirements with the exception of participation in the graduation ceremony or to a student who meets all of the following conditions:

· The student must be registered or enrolled for classes at the time of death;

· Registered or enrolled courses must be those that, if completed, would have fulfilled graduation requirements;

· The student must have a grade point average at the time of death that meets SLCC’s graduation requirements.

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South Louisiana Community College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of South Louisiana Community College.