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COAST COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVES POLICY THAT MAKES LIFE EASIER FOR RETURNING AND TRANSFER STUDENTS
At its July 18 meeting, the Coast Community College District Board of Trustees approved changes to the district's academic renewal policy that will smooth the transition for returning students as well as students transferring to or from another college. The new policy broadens the scope of the old policy, which helps students get back on track faster by disregarding past poor academic performance under certain circumstances.
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CONTACT:
Erin Cohn
Public Affairs Director
(714) 438-4605
August 1, 2001
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
Copy by Julia Driscoll
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The Board has agreed to disregard a student's substandard performance when such work is not reflective of the student's current demonstrated ability. The policy recognizes that unusual circumstances can interrupt a student's academic endeavors and result in poor grades. In some cases it can even delay a student's ability to complete a degree or meet career objectives.
"Our new policy gives students who have run into difficulty a chance to improve their academic standing," said Board President Armando R. Ruiz. "We want to make it easier for returning students to get back on track."
The old academic renewal policy accepted only units earned within the Coast Community College District, while the new policy will allow the District to accept units from other accredited institutions, as well. Another change in the policy is the length of time required before the substandard work can be disregarded. The old policy required that students wait two years before seeking academic renewal status, while the new policy requires students to wait only twelve months. In order to have substandard grades disregarded, a student must first meet with a counselor to review transcripts. If certain criteria are met, the counselor will recommend to the Dean of Counseling that certain graded units be lined out. Coast Community College District colleges may disregard up to thirty semester units of coursework from a maximum of two semesters or three quarters. All coursework will still remain on the student's permanent record, but substandard units will not be used to calculate the student's grade point average.
"Student success is our number one concern," Ruiz said, "and this policy clearly reflects that. Coast District students heading for four-year colleges can get there faster, and the door is now open wider for those students who wish to transfer into one of our colleges."
The Coast Community College District is the seventh largest community college district in the nation in credit enrollment, serving 55,000 students each semester. The district is comprised of Coastline Community College headquartered in Fountain Valley, Golden West College in Huntington Beach, Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, and KOCE-TV, the district's public broadcasting station.
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