It is very important that you attend every session of every class in which you enroll. Class attendance is highly associated with success. It is doubly important that you attend the first class meeting of all courses since it is during this meeting that instructors determine whether or not to add students attempting to crash. So, if you are not there that first class meeting, someone else may get your seat and you are out of the class. Even if you contact the instructor, she or he is not required to “save” a seat for you.
There are two easy ways to earn an “F” in a course. First, do not show up for class and expect that the instructor will drop you from the course. While instructors are asked to drop students who do not show for classes or whose attendance does not meet state requirements, some do not. If you have decided not to attend a class after the term begins, it is your responsibility to withdraw, either online or in person. The other easy way to get an “F” is to fail to do the work expected of you in the course. With few exceptions, all courses at AVC will require homework. For every hour you are in a lecture or the lecture section of a laboratory course, you will be assigned at least one hour of homework. If you do not do the homework, you may very well fail the class.
Tools for Success
There are two very important documents with which you need to become familiar. These are the college catalog and the class schedule.
The catalog contains information about our policies, programs, courses and services. You may purchase a copy of the catalog at the College Bookstore or you may access the current catalog from our web site. You have been and will be doing just that during this orientation.
It is important that you understand our policy related to catalog rights as they pertain to the general education requirements for all Associate’s degrees and as they pertain to your specific major.
Catalog rights for general education are determined by maintaining continuous enrollment from the year in which you first enrolled either here or at another community college, a CSU or a UC. This is established based on your first semester of enrollment. Summer and Intersession cannot be used to establish catalog rights under AVC’s policy. Should the general education requirements change during the time you are attending AVC, you will be required to meet those in the catalog of the year of the first semester in which you enrolled, if you remain continuously enrolled. In order to be considered as continuously enrolled you may not miss more than two consecutive semesters.
Catalog rights for majors is somewhat different. Should the requirements for your major change during the time you are attending AVC, at the time you apply for graduation, you will have the opportunity to choose to complete your major requirements as they were in the catalog at the time you first enrolled, or the requirements in place in the year in which you are graduating.
The class schedule is published for each term in which courses are offered. You will need to know the following information and where it is found in the schedule.
What is a CRN?
This is the five-digit number that identifies each section of each class being offered. It appears immediately to the left of the course number.
What is a Prerequisite?
This is a condition you must meet before you will be allowed to enroll in a course. A prerequisite may be another course completed with a grade of “C” or better or it may be an assessment score. Prerequisites are stated at the beginning of the course description in the schedule and the course description in the catalog.
What is a co-requisite?
This is usually another course or a laboratory in which you must enroll when enrolling in a course.
What is a limit on enrollment?
Limits on enrollment describe conditions other than courses or assessment results you must meet in order to enroll in the course. Examples include an audition for some theater arts courses, a try out for our intercollegiate sports, or a medical exam for our nursing programs.
What are advisories?
Advisories are courses that are “recommended” to be completed prior to registering in another course, in order to assure the greatest probability of success in that course. Whereas failure to meet a prerequisite will prevent you from enrolling in a course, an advisory will not. However, you should take advisories seriously since they are warning you about the level of reading, writing or math skills necessary to be successful in the class. If you choose to enroll in a course and you do not meet the advisory, be sure to utilize some of the support services you will be reviewing shortly.
How can I tell if a course is transferable?
At the end of the course description in the schedule and the catalog, you will see a notation in parentheses. These are letters indicating what system of higher education accepts the course. AVC means the course only applies to a certificate or degree at AVC. CSU means the course transfers to the California State University system and UC indicates that the University of California system accepts the course for credit. The different requirements each course meets may vary and you should check with the Transfer Center or the Counseling Center to determine this. You can find this information in the catalog and in the section on transfer requirements. Catalog
How do I know if I can repeat a course for credit?
At the end of the course description, there will be a notation concerning repeatability. If a course is repeatable for credit you will note the letter R with a number in parentheses at the end of the description. The number indicates the number of times the course can be repeated after the first attempt (e.g., 2 means you can repeat the course twice, for a total of three attempts).
Probation and Dismissal Policy
The policy on probation and dismissal is found in the catalog at the following link. Catalog
Let us look at this policy.
How do I get on probation?
First, you must have attempted at least 12 units at AVC. Second, your cumulative grade point average (G.P.A.) for all the courses you have attempted is below 2.0. This is “academic probation.”
You could also be on “progress probation.” Progress probation is not determined by your G.P.A. but by the number of W, I, and NC notations on your transcript. Again, you must first have attempted at least 12 units. Then, if more than 50 percent of those units have notations of W, I, or NC, you would be on progress probation.
How do I get off of probation?
That is easy to answer. You must raise you G. P. A. to 2.0 or higher and/or you must successfully complete 50 percent or more of all the classes you attempt. However, when you are on probation you must attend a probation workshop and complete a probation contract before you will be allowed to enroll for the next term.
One of the fastest ways to improve your grade point average is to repeat courses in which you earned a grade of D or F. Another way to improve your grade point average is to petition for academic renewal. The policy on academic renewal is presented in the catalog at the following link. Catalog Note that the grades you wish to renew must be at least two years old. Also note the evidence of academic success that you must document, based on your G.P.A., in order to renew these grades. In order to qualify for academic renewal you must present evidence that, since your last inadequate grades, you have completed 12 units with a G. P. A. of 3.0, OR you have completed 18 units with a G. P. A. of 2.5, OR you have completed 24 units with a G. P. A. of 2.0. This can be documented with an AVC transcript or a transcript from other colleges or universities.
Furthermore, failure to raise your G. P. A. or improve your success rate for two consecutive semesters will lead to dismissal from the college.
If I am dismissed, how do get back in AVC?
To be reinstated and allowed to enroll after being dismissed, you must file an appeal for readmission through the Counseling Center. A committee will determine whether or not you should be reinstated after a review of your appeal. You will be notified of the committee’s decision by telephone.
Attendance Policy
We have already discussed the attendance policy at AVC but it is worth going over again. We have discussed the importance of attending the first class meeting of the classes in which you enroll. You should also read the statement on attendance in the catalog found at the following link. Catalog
As you will see, you can be dropped from a class from excessive absences, defined as absences exceeding the number of hours a class meets in a week. So, if you are in a class that meets twice a week for one and a half hours at a time, being absent three times could lead to being dropped from the class. Note, too, that there is no provision in this policy for “excused” absences. Excused absences are completely at the discretion of the instructor to determine.
Academic Honesty
Read the statement on plagiarism in the catalog at this link. Catalog
You will note that plagiarism occurs whether intentionally or unintentionally and is taken seriously by AVC. Remember, you will be held accountable for this policy so be sure you understand it. Failure to abide by its provisions could result in failure of a course, probation and/or dismissal from the college.
Student Code of Conduct
One last issue before we move on to an exploration of the support services available at AVC. You should read the Student Code of Conduct in the catalog at this link. Catalog Know your rights and responsibilities. While there are behavior standards to which you are expected to adhere, you also have recourse if you believe you have been mistreated. That is called “due process.” You always have the right to appeal any decision or action of any college official, but be sure you can document your position just as the college officials must document their claims.
