Official Communications
Any request by an administrator or faculty member, by telephone, letter, or Vernon College e-mail for an individual student to report to them for an official conference must be honored by the student so contacted.
Early Alert
Early Alert is a proactive student support system initiated by faculty to inform students when there are concerns about academic progress in a class or classes. There are three primary reasons an Early Alert may be sent: attendance issues, academic concerns, or non-academic concerns. Early Alerts are sent to the Vernon College issued student email address. These notifications are also monitored by other Vernon College departments including Student Success, Admissions, and Financial Aid. The purpose of the Early Alert is to encourage students to seek student support services early in an effort to successfully complete the semester.
Student Classification
The freshman class of VC is composed of both beginning freshman (students who have never enrolled in college before) and freshman (students who have earned less than thirty semester hours of college credit). A sophomore is a student who has completed at least thirty but less than sixty semester hours and has not earned an associate degree. The unclassified category is for the student with sixty or more hours who has not earned an associate degree. The remaining two classifications are associate degree and baccalaureate or above, which are both self-explanatory.
A full-time student is one enrolled for twelve (12) or more credit hours in a standard academic semester.
Course Load
The normal course load during a sixteen (16) week semester or two (2) 8-week semesters within the 16-week semester is five courses of fifteen to seventeen hours. Physical education activity courses, labs, and other one-semester-hour courses are not included. The maximum load for a student is six regular courses or no more than 18 total hours in a Fall or Spring 16-week semester, and/or two (2) 8-week semesters (maximum load is restricted to three regular courses during each eight-week semester), without the approval of the Vice President of Instructional Services.
The maximum load for a student is restricted to two regular courses during each five and one-half week summer semester unless permission is granted by the Vice President of Instructional Services for an additional enrollment. No more than fourteen total hours may be attempted in a summer semester of eleven (11) weeks or two (2) summer semesters of five and one-half weeks each.
Schedule Changes
Students may change their schedules during the registration and schedule change periods. Students should check the registration guide for the last day on which changes can be made. These changes can be made through the Admissions and Records Office at either the Vernon Campus or the Century City Center. The change(s) will not be processed if the procedures, as outlined by the Admissions and Records Office, are not completed.
Student Initiated Drops and Withdrawals
There is a distinct difference between a drop and a withdrawal. A student initiated drop takes place during the schedule change period of a semester, up until the official census date (12th class day). Subsequently, drops do not appear on a student’s academic transcript. Withdrawals begin after the census date, and continue through the withdrawal deadline date listed for each semester. Please refer to each Advising and Registration Guide for published dates for each semester.
Students are strongly encouraged to visit with their instructor(s) and/or Student Success Specialist before seriously considering dropping a course or withdrawing from school.
To accomplish the drop or withdrawal, specific procedures must be followed. Students should contact the Office of Admissions and Records at their respective VC location. Students receiving Title IV financial aid funds must contact the Financial Aid Office concerning the calculation of return of funds before the drop or withdrawal will be completed.
Course Drop Limit
Texas Education Code (Section 51.907) limits the number of course drops for undergraduate students. This legislation enacted by the State of Texas, spring 2007, applies to students who enroll in a public institution of higher education as a first time freshman in fall 2007 semester or later.
The College may not permit a student to drop more than six (6) college level courses, including those taken at other Texas public institutions of higher education. All courses dropped after the Official Day of Record (census day) are included in the six-course limit unless (1) the student withdraws from all courses or (2) the drop is authorized by an appropriate College official as an approved Drop Exception.
Drop Exceptions can be approved if the student documents and/or attests that the drop was required for one of the following reasons, and that for such reason, the student could not satisfactorily complete the course:
- The student, a member of the student’s family, or a person of equally important relationship to the student experiences a serious illness or other debilitating condition.
- The student becomes responsible for the care of a sick, injured, or needy person.
- There is a death in the student’s family or of a non-family member of equally important relationship.
- The student or a member of the student’s family, or a person of equally important relationship to the student, is called to active duty service as a member of the Texas National Guard or the armed forces of the United States.
- There is a change of the student’s work schedule that is beyond the student’s control.
- The College determines that there is other good cause for the student to drop the course.
*Vernon College footnote regarding Texas Education Code (Section 51.907):
The legislature uses the word “drop,” which is equivalent in practice to the Vernon College use of the word “withdrawal.”
Enrollment and withdrawal activities of students affected by this legislation will be monitored.
Those who withdrawal from six or more courses without an approved Withdrawal Exception may incur registration and withdrawal restrictions during all subsequent semesters, and may incur other enrollment limitations or requirements.
Vernon College students liable under the legislation, and who plan to attend another Texas public college or university, should determine that institution’s policies and penalties for withdrawing from courses and for approving Withdrawal Exceptions.
Administrative Withdrawal
The College reserves the right to withdraw a student from one or more classes if, in the judgment of college officials, such action is deemed to be in the best interest of the student and/or the College. Examples of some reasons for administrative withdrawal are failure to pay registration tuition and fees, failure to provide admission credentials or meet course prerequisites, failure to follow Vernon College TSI policy, failure to remove “holds” in a timely manner, failure to comply with Title IV financial aid requirements, excessive absenteeism, and academic dishonesty.
Transcript of College Record
An official VC transcript is a chronological listing of all courses attempted at VC with the grade earned in each course. No course is removed or purged from the transcript for any reason. When a course is repeated, each attempt is shown along with the earned grade. Prior to the fall of 1987, all transcripts were kept manually and updated at the end of each enrollment period. Beginning with the fall of 1987, transcripts are computer generated and list all courses attempted since September 1, 1987. Transfer work accepted by VC is listed using VC course numbers and titles and is shown ahead of the VC resident work on the transcript. An official transcript, bearing the college seal and signature of the Director of Enrollment Management/Registrar, will be furnished to a student, an employer or an educational institution upon the student’s written request. Grades and official transcripts will not be released if the student has a “hold” on his/her records.
Hold on Student Records
Grades and official transcripts will not be released if the student has a transcript “hold” on his/her records. Holds may be placed on a student’s records for failure to meet admission requirements, for financial reasons (returned checks, overdue loans, defaulted loans, defaulted payment plans, overdue residence hall payments, etc.), for materials overdue at the library, or for other reasons deemed necessary by the College. These holds can be released only after the cause of the hold has been satisfactorily cleared.
Repeating Courses
A course may be repeated if a student desires to improve a grade received in the course. All grades earned will remain on the student’s transcript, but the higher grade will be considered the grade of record included in the GPA. Students planning to transfer to another college or university should check with the Registrar’s Office at that institution to determine the repetition policy at the receiving institution.
Honor Students
Full-time college-level students are eligible for the following honors: the President’s List, which recognizes full-time students who complete their enrollment period with a grade point average of 4.0; and the Vice President’s list, which recognizes full-time students who complete their enrollment period with a grade point average of 3.5 or above. Half-time students (enrolled in six or more semester credit hours) are eligible for the following: the Honor List, which recognizes students who complete their enrollment period with a grade point average of 3.5 or above.
Honor students are recognized each fall and spring semester.
Scholastic Standards
Vernon College degree and certificate plans require that students have a GPA of 2.0 or higher for graduation. Academic standard criteria are designed to monitor students’ progress so that students and college staff can intervene and explore options to assist students who have difficulty meeting minimum requirements for successful course or program completion.
Good Standing – Semester and cumulative GPA at 2.0 or above.
Academic Progress – Semester GPA of at least 2.0 or above but has a cumulative GPA below 2.0.
Academic Notice - Academic Notice occurs when the semester GPA has fallen below 2.0.
Academic Probation – Academic Probation occurs when the semester GPA has fallen below 2.0 for two subsequent semesters. A student on academic probation is required to meet with a Student Success Specialist prior to registration and will be enrolled in the Striving To End Probation Status Program (STEPS).
Academic Suspension – Academic Suspension occurs after academic probation when a student has a continuing history of low academic performance and their semester and cumulative GPA has fallen below 2.0. Students on suspension are denied enrollment and must sit out for one long semester* before re-enrolling. A student on suspension for a second time will not be allowed to attend VC for a full academic year. Academic suspension may be appealed by written petition to the Admissions Committee if a student feels extenuating circumstances, beyond his/her control, were responsible for the suspension.
* One long semester can either be the Fall 16 week, Spring 16 week or Summer 10 week semester.
Academic Dismissal – A student placed on academic suspension for a third time will be academically dismissed. Students who are academically dismissed cannot enroll in Vernon College for a period of three years. Academic dismissal may also be appealed by written petition to the Admissions Committee if a student feels extenuating circumstances, beyond his/her control, were responsible for the dismissal.
Semester Grade Point Average (GPA) – Includes all grades earned in all courses at Vernon College (includes developmental courses).
Cumulative Credit GPA – Includes grades earned in all college level classes at Vernon College (does not include developmental courses).
Students can confirm semester and cumulative GPA by visiting MyVC online, by obtaining a transcript from the Office of Admissions and Records, or by seeing a Student Success Specialist.
Due to the structure of some specific programs, scholastic standards may vary from the above guidelines. Students should review departmental handbooks for specific requirements.
Reverse Transfer
The opportunity to earn an Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degree at Vernon College is also available after the student has transferred to a Texas public university. This process is designed for students who transfer before completion of their associate degree. A student must earn at least twenty-five (25%) percent of the college-level courses for the degree in residence at Vernon College. Please contact the transfer university, after completion of the required course work, for additional information regarding reverse transfer.
Transfer of Credit
Academic courses (specified in the Community College General Academic Course Guide Manual and the VC core curriculum) successfully completed at VC should be fully transferable to and accepted as comparable degree credit by any Texas public institution of higher education where the equivalent courses are available for fulfilling associate and the lower division portion of baccalaureate degree requirements. It is the responsibility of the student, however, to determine prior to registration the transferability of any course. Since transfer of specific courses normally depends upon the applicability of the completed work toward a degree plan specified by the receiving institution, any program of study at VC should be planned to parallel the requirements of the program at the institution to which the student plans to transfer. Texas public senior colleges and universities will usually accept up to sixty-six (66) hours of credit from a two-year college. Developmental courses are not transferable.
Transfer Disputes
Occasionally, a problem may arise when a lower-division VC course is not accepted for credit by a Texas public institution of higher education. If this occurs, the following procedures should be followed for the resolution of credit transfer disputes involving lower division courses.
- If an institution of higher education does not accept course credit earned by a student at another institution of higher education, the receiving institution shall give written notice to the student and to the sending institution that transfer of the course credit is denied. At this point the student may dispute the denial of credit by contacting the VC Vice President of Instructional Services.
- The two institutions and the student shall attempt to resolve the transfer of course credit in accordance with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board rules and/or guidelines.
- If the transfer dispute is not resolved to the satisfaction of the student or the sending institution within 45 days after the date the student received written notice of denial, the institution whose credit is denied shall notify the Commissioner of Higher Education of the denial.
The Commissioner of Higher Education or the Commissioner’s designee shall make the final determination about the dispute concerning the transfer of course credit and give written notice of the determination to the involved student and institutions.