Academic Policies

The College Catalog

The Baton Rouge Community College (BRCC) Catalog is an official document of the College. The Catalog guides students through their time of study at BRCC by providing them with critical information on the College’s academic programs and their requirements, the services, and programs BRCC offers to students and the community, the College’s regulations and policies, and its operational procedures. Students are responsible for knowing the regulations, policies, academic program, and graduation requirements cited in the catalog, and are required to adhere to them unless differing policies have been set by the LCTCS Board of Supervisors.

Governing Catalog
The most recently electronically published BRCC Catalog is the governing version and is effective in the Fall Semester of the academic year. Addendums to the catalog may be published as appropriate from time to time. The College Catalog is available on the College website at www.mybrcc.edu.

Catalog of Entry
The catalog in effect when a student declares his or her major is considered to be that student’s catalog of entry. This catalog is used to determine degree requirements. The catalog of entry remains in effect for a student unless he or she is out of school for a full semester or longer.

Change of Catalogs
Students can officially declare a subsequent catalog as their catalog of entry. A student who wishes to exercise this option must officially change his or her designated catalog of entry through the Registrar’s Office.

If a student remains out of school for two full semesters or longer, the student must re-enter the selected degree program under the governing catalog upon re-entry.

Change of Major or Program of Study
Students may transfer from one-degree, technical diploma or certificate program to another, and non-degree seeking students can declare a major/program of study at any time. Prior to changing their major, students should first consult with their assigned faculty advisor to ensure they fully understand the requirements of the new degree/program of study. In order to officially change their major/program of study, students must follow the necessary protocols established by the Registrar.

The requirements for a new major/program of study are found in the governing catalog at the time the major/program of study is declared. Coursework and grade point averages earned in an earlier major/program of study remain part of any transcripts and records. However, only courses and grades applicable to the new major/program of study are used to determine qualifications to graduate.

The Academic Year

Semesters and Sessions
The academic year consists of the following, in sequence:

• Fall semester/sessions
• Winter session
• Spring semester/sessions
• Maymester
• Summer term/sessions.

The fall and spring semesters include standard 16-week and 12-week courses and concentrated seven-week sessions. The summer term consists of a full-length eight-week session and two concentrated four-week sessions. The schedules for courses in some technical programs may differ, depending on the discipline.

Throughout this catalog, any of these periods of study (semester or summer) may be referred to generically as a term.

Course Load
The total number of credit hours a student takes during a semester or summer is referred to as his or her course load. Audited courses are included when calculating course loads.

For the fall and spring semesters, part-time students are those with a course load below 12 credit hours. Full-time students have a course load which ranges from a minimum of 12 credit hours to a maximum of 18 credit hours. An 18-hour course load is considered a maximum load; students must request permission from the dean of the student’s program of study to exceed this limit. Under no circumstances can a student enroll in more than 21 credit hours per semester.

During the summer, a student’s course load is calculated across all sessions collectively. For the summer sessions, part-time students are those with a course load of less than six (6) hours. Full-time students have a course load ranging from a minimum of six (6) credit hours to a maximum of twelve (12) credit hours; students must request special permission from the dean of the student’s program of study to exceed this limit.

When choosing courses for a semester or summer session, students should consider the difficulty of the courses selected and the number of hours required to study time should be set aside for reading, assignments, library research, reflection, and group projects. Concentrated courses are taught at an accelerated pace and typically demand regular, frequent blocks of study time. In general, a student should plan on reserving a minimum of two hours outside of class for every hour spent attending class. Students should consult with their academic advisor when selecting courses to ensure that they are on the correct path to degree attainment. The ideal course load is one which provides the necessary amount of time to invest in academic work (both in and out of class) and still allows the student sufficient time to meet other obligations, such as work hours, travel, and family responsibilities. 

Students who receive financial aid or veterans’ benefits should contact the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships for additional full-time status requirements.

Course Cancellations
BRCC reserves the right to cancel any course(s) listed in the schedule of classes. Students in their last semester of studies unable to schedule a required course should consult a College Navigator and the appropriate academic dean or department chair.

Assignment of Class Instructors
BRCC reserves the right to change instructors listed in the schedule of classes. Listing an instructor in the schedule of classes does not guarantee that this instructor will teach the course.

Prerequisites and Co-requisites
A prerequisite is a requirement that must be successfully completed before taking a particular class or enrolling in a program of study with selective admission requirements (e.g., Nursing). If a course or program of study lists other courses as prerequisites, students seeking to take that course or program of study must first pass the prerequisite courses with a grade of “C” or better. Prerequisites may also include specified test scores (e.g., “an ACT Composite of 22”) or conditions (e.g., “eligibility for College Algebra”). In any case, these requirements must be met before taking the course or enrolling in the program that demands the prerequisite.

A co-requisite is a course that is required to be taken at the same time as a companion course. A course that lists a co-requisite must be scheduled and taken in the same term as the co-requisite.

Placement Requirements for English and Mathematics
To enroll in English and mathematics courses, a student must achieve an approved score on the Directed Self-Placement Survey, ACT, SAT, or Accuplacer® placement test as designated by the Board of Regents.

Add/Drop and Withdrawal
During the specified time period on the academic calendar, registered students can adjust their course schedule. During this period, a student can add and/or drop courses online via LoLA. Dropped courses are removed from the student’s academic schedule for that semester and will not appear on the student’s transcript. Refunds for dropped courses are based on the school’s current refund policy (refer to the Academic Calendar on the BRCC website for dates and refund percentages). Students who do not attend a class during the first few days of the semester/term may be removed from the course. After the last day to drop a class, course schedules become fixed; from this point, each course on a student’s schedule is considered attempted.

After the last day to drop a class, students can withdraw from a course before the deadline published in the Academic Calendar for that semester. Unlike drops, withdrawals occur after a valid attempt by a student to complete a course - therefore, courses from which a student successfully withdraws are shown on the student’s transcript, with a letter grade of “W” for those courses.

Students must perform the proper procedure to withdraw from a course - they should never simply stop attending class. A student can withdraw from a course by accessing their student account online. No late withdrawals are allowed - students who do not officially withdraw from a class before the deadline published in the Academic Calendar will remain on the course roster and be given the grade earned for that class, which will appear on the student’s transcript.

Students may elect to withdraw from the term, which is to withdraw from all their courses for the current semester. Withdrawal from the term is a significant step and should only be done in cases of overwhelming difficulty or hardship. To successfully withdraw from the term, a student must simply withdraw from all classes being taken that semester/session before the published deadline for withdrawals listed in the Academic Calendar. As with all other withdrawals, students who successfully withdraw from the term before the deadline will receive a letter grade of “W” for all courses attempted during the term. Students who fail to officially withdraw from any course before the deadline will receive the grade earned for that class. All courses for the term and their corresponding grades will appear on the student’s transcript.

When considering withdrawal from courses, students should consult with their instructor(s) or a College Navigator. The staff and faculty at BRCC can provide alternatives and ensure that withdrawal is best for the student. Students withdrawing from all classes for the term are still responsible for any account balances.

Drops and withdrawals can impact a student’s financial aid. Students receiving financial aid who decide to drop a course, withdraw from a course, or withdraw from the term should contact the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships.

Class Attendance
Students are expected to regularly attend classes and be punctual. Absenteeism includes tardiness and early departure from class. Students must adhere to the attendance policies set by each instructor. Failure to attend classes jeopardizes scholastic standing, can disrupt the ability to receive financial aid, and/or may result in being dropped from class for excessive absences.

Faculty members set class policies regarding makeup exams, excused/unexcused absences, and how these factors affect grades; these policies are located on the instructor’s course syllabus and/or course handouts. Students are responsible for consulting with faculty regarding their absences and for completing any missed class work. Excused absences can only be granted by instructor faculty members. Examples of excused absences include (but are not limited to) student illness, religious holidays, college-sponsored activities, jury duty, or military obligations. Unavoidable circumstances should be discussed directly with the faculty. Students with frequent absences should meet with their instructor to discuss options regarding coursework and grades, or they should consider voluntarily withdrawing from the course.

Grades

A student’s academic progress is reflected in his/her grades. For each course, the instructor discusses the awarding of grades at the beginning of each term, and this information is included in course syllabi.

A student who believes that he/she has received an incorrect grade should discuss the discrepancy with the instructor of the class within 30 days of the date the original grade was posted.

Mid-term and Final Grades

Mid-term grades reflect student progress midway through the course and are not included in a student’s permanent academic record. In contrast, final grades are awarded at the conclusion of the term and become part of a student’s permanent record. Mid-term and final grade reports are made available online to students by the Registrar’s Office.

Final Examinations
To receive credit for courses, students must take the final examinations for those courses. Final examination dates are posted on the College’s website. The course instructor or respective division dean must approve an absence from a final exam. Students unable to take the final exam or otherwise complete a course should read the information regarding incomplete grades and withdrawal from courses.

Incomplete Grades
An “I” or Incomplete grade is a temporary grade that may be given by faculty (with academic dean approval) to a student when documented illness, necessary absence, or other reasons beyond the control of the student prevent completion of course requirements by the end of the academic term. All of the following criteria must be met:

• A final grade in the course has not yet been awarded.
• The student has completed coursework deemed by the faculty member as qualitatively satisfactory or significant towards completion of course learning outcomes and/or required competencies.

To receive a letter grade of “I,” a student should petition his/her instructor. The academic dean of the division should be contacted if the instructor is unavailable.

It is vital to note that “I” grades are temporary. When a grade of incomplete is awarded, students have 90 days from the end of the semester to complete all work and take the final examination for the class. Students are required to complete the course by this deadline whether or not they are enrolled at BRCC. Upon completion of the work, the student’s “I” grade will be replaced with the grade earned for the course. Failure to complete the required work within the prescribed time limit will result in an “F” for the class.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

A student’s overall grade-point average (GPA) is determined from grades received in all college-level courses. Students enrolled in developmental courses earn letter grades denoted with an asterisk (*), and students enrolled in co-requisite support courses earn a grade of Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. However, grades earned in developmental and co-requisite courses are not included in the calculation of the GPA and do not count toward fulfillment of degree requirements. The GPA reflects a student’s academic standing and determines eligibility to remain in college.

Each grade is worth a specific number of quality points, as shown below.

To determine overall GPA:

• Determine the quality points earned for each course: multiply each course’s credit hours by the corresponding quality points for the letter grade earned in that course.
• Determine the total number of quality points earned: Add the quality points earned for all courses.
• Determine the total number of hours attempted: Add the number of hours for all courses. Do not include developmental courses and courses with grades of “A*,” “B*,” “C*,” “D*,” “F*,” “P,” “W,” “AU,” or “I.”
• Compute the GPA: Divide the total number of quality points earned by the total number of hours attempted.

Grades of incomplete (I) are temporary; students with a grade of I should compute their GPA after a permanent grade has been assigned for the course.

Include/Exclude Policy
Students are permitted to repeat courses. If a student repeats a course, the earlier grade(s) in that course are excluded from that student’s Grade Point Average (GPA) calculations. The last grade received is the official grade for the course and is included in the calculation of the student’s GPA at BRCC. A grade of “W” is not taken into consideration when determining which grades are included and excluded. Students should note that other colleges/universities may include all grades earned when calculating a student’s cumulative grade point average.

Academic Honors
Chancellor’s Scholar is composed of students, who during the course of the semester, complete a minimum of 12 or more credit hours and earn a minimum grade point average of 3.85, with no grade below “C.”

The Dean’s List is composed of students, who during the course of the semester, complete a minimum of 12 or more credit hours and earn a minimum grade point average of 3.50, with no grade below “C.”

The Honor’s List is composed of students, who during the course of the semester, complete a minimum of 12 or more credit hours and earn a minimum grade point average of 3.00, with no grade below “C.”

Academic Standing
Good Standing occurs when a student’s overall institutional grade-point average is 2.00 or higher.

In considering the requirements for academic standing, good standing and not in good standing, the understanding of two concepts is vital: overall institutional GPA, which is the GPA of a student’s total course hours at BRCC only, and semester GPA, which is the GPA of a student’s courses taken during a given semester. Any overall institutional or semester GPA of less than 2.00 is considered unsatisfactory and can result in academic sanctions. The following rules govern a student’s academic standing at BRCC.

Students must maintain a minimum institutional GPA of 2.00. If a student’s overall institutional GPA falls below 2.00, that student is not in good standing. Students remain not in good standing until they regain an overall 2.00 institutional GPA.

Not in Good Standing occurs when a student’s overall institutional grade point average is below 2.00. Only courses included in the calculation of the overall institutional are used to determine academic standing. Once a student’s status is Not in Good Standing, the student must earn a semester grade point average of at least 2.00 to continue enrollment. A student is removed from Not in Good Standing when the overall institutional grade point average is raised to 2.00 or higher.

Academic Integrity

BRCC expects high standards of academic integrity from both its students and faculty. Academic integrity is a critical component for equitable learning and the effective evaluation of academic performance; thus, faculty and students share equal responsibility in creating and maintaining an atmosphere of honesty and integrity.

Students are expected to adhere to the academic rules and regulations set by the College and understand that personally completing assigned work is essential to learning. Permitting others to prepare one’s work, using published or unpublished summaries as a substitute for studying required materials, or giving unauthorized assistance in the preparation of work to be submitted for class are all directly contrary to the honest process of learning.

Faculty, too, are responsible for encouraging an atmosphere of academic honesty by being certain that students are aware of its value. Furthermore, faculty should make clear to students the regulations defining academic honesty and the penalties for violating those regulations.

Both students and faculty should realize that dishonest practices make it difficult for honest students to be evaluated and graded fairly. Their own interests and their integrity as individuals suffer if they permit dishonesty in others. Permitting dishonesty is not open to personal choice: anyone who is unwilling to act upon offenses is an accessory with the offender in damaging the integrity of the entire College.

Categories and Definitions of Academic Integrity Offenses
Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, the violations listed below, and encompasses any attempt to commit such acts. The following definitions are not limited by the accompanying examples given: each term applies to all acts that fit within the bounds of its definitions.

Cheating
Cheating is a fraudulent act of deception by a student to misrepresent his/her mastery of information on an academic exercise.

Premeditated cheating arises from advanced planning, contemplation, or deliberation, such as:

• Pre-arranged collaboration during a test with another person to give or receive information without authority.
• Using specially prepared materials during a test without authority to do so, such as pocket notes, formula lists, etc.
• Submission of written or other assignment copied from another person’s work from electronic or other sources such as another student’s paper or papers found online.

Cheating can also be unpremeditated acts of opportunity, such as:

• copying from another student’s test paper.
• using prohibited materials (e.g., course textbook, notebook, cellphone/PDA, etc.) during a test.

Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the unacknowledged inclusion of someone else’s words, ideas, or data (hereafter referred to as external material) within one’s own work submitted for credit. When a student submits work for credit that includes external material, the source of the external material must be acknowledged through specific, complete, and accurate citations/footnotes, as appropriate and, in the case of verbatim statements, quotation marks.

It is a common misconception that only external material that is presented verbatim must be acknowledged. External material must be acknowledged whether presented verbatim or paraphrased: simply rearranging words does not change the fact that the information/ideas originally came from someone else!

Similarly, the source of the material, the medium in which it is presented, and its copyright status are all irrelevant. Failure to identify any external material, published or unpublished, copyrighted, or non-copyrighted, constitutes plagiarism.

Collusion
Generally, collusion involves some form of collaboration with another offender, and encompasses several different actions:

• Unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing academic assignments offered for credit, such as working together as a team on a project assigned to each student individually.
• Facilitating, supporting, conspiring with, or collaborating with another person to commit a violation of any of the College’s academic integrity rules and/or standards. Even though the collaborating student may have only assisted and did not take part in the principal act, he or she is still liable for the offense of collusion. An example would be assisting another student in circumventing tamper-prevention measures on an electronic exam so that the exam’s questions can be altered. Even though the student providing the illegal circumvention may not take advantage of it personally, he/she has committed collusion by enabling another student to violate academic integrity by doing so.
• Ignoring academic integrity violations by others. Students who are aware that others in a course are cheating or otherwise acting dishonestly have the responsibility to bring the matter to the attention of the instructor, a faculty member, or other appropriate College official. If a student fails to do so, he or she becomes an accessory after the fact and commits collusion by failing to act.
• Providing false information (or omitting known relevant information) in any inquiry, formal or informal, regarding academic integrity violations.

Fabrication and Falsification
Fabrication is the intentional use of invented information; falsification is the manipulation or changing of research or its findings: for both, the intention is to deceive. Various examples include:

• Citing information not taken from the source indicated.
• Listing sources (in a bibliography, etc.) that were not used in the academic exercise.
• Inventing data or source information for research or other academic exercises.
• Inventing previous experience and/or accomplishments on an application for a degree program, internship, etc.

Misrepresentation
Generally, misrepresentation involves the misuse of identities and/or the inappropriate attribution of credit for work, experiences, and achievements. The acts misrepresentation encompasses include:

• Falsely assuming the identity of another, or allowing another to assume one’s own identity, through any means, for the purposes of deception in an academic exercise (completing an assignment, taking a test, etc.).
• Falsely or inappropriately assuming ownership, authorship, and/or credit for work, experiences, and/or accomplishments that actually belong to another.
• Submitting any work in fulfillment of academic requirements as one’s own, when in actuality said work was prepared totally or in part by another.
• Submitting substantially the same work previously used for credit in another course without explicit permission to do so.

Academic Interference
Academic integrity is more than simply being honorable in performing one’s own work - it also means respecting the work of others. Academic interference encompasses any activity undertaken with the express purpose of

• hindering or obstructing another student’s academic work, or
• obtaining an unfair academic advantage over another student’s academic work.

Unauthorized Access to Academic Materials, Records, or Systems
Students are required to respect College property, records, and academic materials, as well as those of its faculty and staff. The following acts constitute unauthorized access:

• Obtaining an unauthorized copy of all or part of an examination, through whatever means (theft, bribery, deception, hacking, etc.).
• Unauthorized dissemination of all or part of an examination, through whatever means (selling, freely distributing, etc.).
• Gaining entry and/or access to a building, office, or electronic system for the purpose of obtaining an unauthorized copy of an examination or changing academic records.
• Making unauthorized changes and/or alterations to a grade book, exam, transcript, or other official academic records of the College which relate to academic performance and/or grades.

Procedure for Reporting Academic Dishonesty

The instructor, upon receiving information or determining that a student may be guilty of a form of academic dishonesty, normally will confront the student with the alleged violation. If the student is unable to explain discrepancies satisfactorily, the instructor will have two options available:

1. The instructor can choose to fail the student for the assignment/test in question, and/or
2. The instructor can forward the allegations for adjudication under the procedures defined in the Student Code of Conduct to the Office of the Dean of Students for a formal or informal hearing.

Regardless of which option is selected, the instructor must address the situation directly with the student and is required to submit to the Chairperson/Dean of the Department, in writing, a detailed account of the violation, including the name of the course, type of assignment or test, date of the alleged violation, names of witness, and copies of all information which supports the allegation. Such information may be asked of the Office of the Dean of Students should the instructor/department submit the case for adjudication.

Disciplinary Procedure
Faculty have the authority to assign a failing grade on any academic work in which they have determined the work is the result of academic dishonesty. In addition, the matter may be referred to as a violation of the Student Code of Conduct and be adjudicated under the procedures defined in the Code to the Office of the Dean of Students.

Possible Disciplinary Sanctions
A listing of possible disciplinary sanctions can be reviewed under the Student Code of Conduct, presented in the Student Policies section of this catalog, and must be administered by the dean of students or designee.

Graduation Requirements

Graduation Eligibility
Students who believe they are eligible for graduation should:

• meet with a College Navigator or faculty advisor to ensure that all degree requirements have been met, then
• complete an Application for Graduation online through LoLA by the deadline published in the Academic Calendar.

However, if any student wishes to apply for a reverse transfer or a program different from what is listed on the student’s current program of study, a paper application must be submitted. These applications are available from the Registrar’s Office.

Students should meet with a College Navigator or faculty advisor on a regular basis to ensure that they are meeting all graduation requirements. A student should request an official degree audit from their departmental advisor after completing 42 semester hours toward an associate degree, or 27 semester hours toward a technical diploma, or 20 semester hours toward the completion of a terminal certificate. The audit identifies course(s) that the student must complete before being allowed to graduate, and answers questions about the awarding of a degree. After a degree audit is completed, the student should apply for graduation during his/her final semester. The deadlines to apply for graduation are listed in the “Academic Calendar”.

Commencement Ceremony

BRCC has one Commencement Ceremony at the end of the spring semester for fall, and spring graduates. Students who complete an academic award will have a graduation date that corresponds to the last day of the semester they completed their program. Students who graduate in the Spring semester will have a graduation date that corresponds to the date of the Commencement Ceremony. 

To participate in Commencement, a student must:

• Earn an academic award listed on BRCC’s admission application
• Satisfy all financial obligations to the College

Diplomas/Degrees
Diplomas are inscribed with the College name, degree title, graduate’s name, and date of award. The student’s name will appear on the degree/diploma as it appears in LoLA. Diplomas are made available to graduates 8-10 weeks following the final semester end date as posted in the “Academic Calendar”. If graduation requirements are not met, the student will be required to complete any deficiencies prior to a diploma being awarded.

Graduation Requirements

BRCC will automatically confer any academic award for which a student completes all of the graduation requirements stated below.

• All work in the curriculum described in the College Catalog in effect at the time of entry/reentry is completed at BRCC. If a student changes their program of study, they must use the Catalog in effect at the time of their program change.
• Twenty-five percent of the credit hours required for the completion of any academic award must be earned at BRCC.
• A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in all credit hours that are to be used toward the award, as well as any additional program specific requirements. 

To receive an Associate’s degree from BRCC via Reverse Transfer, a student must meet the following requirements:

• Previously enrolled as a degree-seeking student at BRCC
• Earned a minimum of 25% of the credit hours required towards an associate degree at BRCC
• Earned a combined minimum of 60 total college-level credits
• Previously not earned a college degree
• A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in all credit hours that are to be used toward the award, as well as any additional program-specific requirements

Concurrent Degrees or Credentials
Students can receive two academic awards both usually awarded at the same time. Prior to completing requirements for the two credentials, students must notify the Registrar’s Office of their intent to complete both programs.

To earn concurrent credentials, students must meet all graduation requirements for the concurrent/second credential. If the two credentials are associate degrees, students must earn at least nine additional semester hours for a second associate degree in a second major. Earned credit hours cannot apply toward the first degree, technical diploma, or certificate.

In degree programs where there are several concentrations, a different concentration is not considered a second degree, and, therefore, cannot be used to earn a degree twice.

Students completing the requirements for an associate degree in which a technical diploma and/or certificate credentials are embedded, or a technical diploma in which certificate credentials are embedded, will be awarded each certificate, technical diploma, and/or associate degree. Completing multiple credentials embedded in a single technical diploma or associate degree is not considered concurrent.

Graduation Honors
Academic honors are awarded to degree and terminal certificate candidates who maintained a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 and above and earned the required semester credit hours toward a degree at Baton Rouge Community College. Students who graduate from BRCC with an overall grade point average (GPA) within the ranges listed below are recognized with the appropriate honors at graduation:

Honors: 3.00 - 3.49 GPA
Dean’s List: 3.50 - 3.84 GPA
Chancellor’s Scholar: 3.85 and above