Student Records

1400.300 STUDENT RECORDS PROCEDURE

Student records are maintained in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. The WVC student records policy applies to a number of academic procedures such as grading, class attendance and academic deficiencies. The policies and procedures related to student records are regularly published in documents such as the college catalog and the student handbook. Questions about these procedures can be addressed to a counselor or the appropriate student services official. Financial aid eligibility and veterans’ benefits may be affected by the application of some of these policies and procedures.

A. CLASS ATTENDANCE

Regular class attendance is expected. The instructor may permit excused absences, but all class work must be completed. Students are responsible for making arrangements with the instructor for completion of missed work. Certain programs may require attendance and participation in clinicals, practicums, conferences and conventions. Transportation to and from these activities is the responsibility of the student.

B. EMERGENCY MESSAGES

A message will be delivered to a student during a class when there is a family or medical emergency during normal college business hours. The delivery of more routine messages cannot be accommodated. Requests to deliver emergency messages should be made to the admissions office.

C. FINAL EXAMINATIONS

Final examinations are given during the last week of each quarter. Final exam schedules are found in the college catalog and the college website. Unless otherwise noted, classes meet through the last day of instruction each quarter. Evening (starting 5 p.m. or later) or Saturday classes: final exams will be held during the last regular class meeting date, time and place.

D. GRADING SYSTEM

The following describes the grading system used at Wenatchee Valley College.

1. Grade Point Average
   Grades used in computing grade point average are:
   
   

   Grade	Point Value
   A	4.0
   A-	3.7
   B+	3.3
   B	3.0
   B-	2.7
   C+	2.3
   C	2.0
   C-	1.7
   D+	1.3
   D	1.0
   F	0.0

    
   Grades not used in computing grade point average are:

   Grade	Meaning
   P	Pass
   Y	Work in Progress
   W	Withdrawal
   N	Audit
   I	Incomplete
   NP	No Pass
   *	Remove Grade

   
   “Pass” defined: a C grade or higher earns a pass; a lower grade earns a no pass, or an F.
   
   A GPA is calculated by dividing the total number of grade points earned by the total number of credit hours completed. Here’s an example:
   
   

   Credits	Points
   5 credits of A equals (5 credits x 4 points)	20 points
   5 credits of B equals (5 credits x 3 points)	15 Points
   10 credits total equals	35 Points
   35 points divided by 10 credits = 3.5 GPA

2. Pass/Fail
   Students may enroll in classes on a pass/fail basis by submitting a written request to the admissions office by the 10th day of the quarter. Satisfactory completion of a course earns a “P” grade; failure to complete the course satisfactorily earns an “F” grade.
   Students are cautioned against taking courses in their major or minor on a pass/fail basis. In most cases, a maximum of 10 pass/fail credits may be applied toward degree requirements at WVC.
3. Grade Change
   A change of grade must be executed within two quarters, excluding summer, after the grade is earned. Initiating a grade change is the responsibility of the student. Appeal forms are available at the registration office. The course may still be repeated for a different grade after the deadline for grade changes has passed.
4. Work in Progress
   The “Y” designation indicates that a student is registered in an ongoing class. It may be used where the pace of work is largely dependent on the student in courses such as independent project classes or open laboratory/clinic classes. Work must be completed within one year of enrollment.
5. Withdrawal
   A “W” designation indicates that a student has dropped a class. The last day of each quarter to withdraw from classes is specified on the official college calendar. Information on withdrawing from a class is available in the admissions office and the WVC online catalog.
   The administrative withdrawal procedure at WVC permits course withdrawal without student consent, when the student has neither attended the class nor notified the instructor by the end of the second class meeting. Once this condition has been met, the withdrawal may be processed.
6. Audit
   The “N” designation indicates that a student has elected to take a class with the understanding that no credit will be earned and no grade given. Students who choose to audit a class do not have to take the tests, but the instructor may require reasonable attendance and class participation. Full tuition and fees are charged for classes taken on an audit basis. Changes from credit to audit are permitted until the end of the 30th day of instruction. The instructor’s written approval is required after the fifth day of instruction. The audit grade does not appear on an official WVC transcript.
7. Incomplete
   The “I” designation indicates that a student has been granted extra time by the instructor to complete required course work. Terms of completion are specified in a contract signed by the student and instructor. It is the student’s responsibility to initiate this contract. Contract forms are available in the admissions office. The maximum length of a contract is two quarters, excluding summer. An “I” grade is changed to an “F” if the terms of the contract are not met within the time specified.
8. Pass/No Pass
   The “P” or “NP” designation is given for ABE, ESL developmental and nursing classes only. A C grade or higher earns a “pass”; anything lower earns a grade of “no pass.”
9. Setting Aside Low Grades
   This provision permits students to remove poor academic records that no longer reflect the students’ current academic performance. Only petitions to set aside all grades in a particular quarter will be considered. This option is not available for singular courses within a quarter. Grades that are set aside are not removed from the student’s transcript. Rather an “*” notation is placed next to the grade which indicates that the course will no longer be used when calculating a new cumulative grade point average. Credits that are set aside cannot be used to fulfill any requirements for graduation. Please note that federal financial aid regulations do not recognize grades “set aside.” Limited enrollment programs may include set aside grades in calculating GPA for admission. Students may only petition for a set aside provision twice during their time at WVC. Students may petition to set aside a quarter which has at least one grade that is C- or lower or where the quarterly GPA is below 2.0.
   
   Two consecutive quarters of full-time class work with a GPA of 2.0 or better are required as evidence of a student’s changed scholastic performance. Part-time students can qualify for low-grade removal by completing 30 consecutive college-level credits with at least a 2.0 GPA. At least two calendar years must pass before a grade can be changed under this provision. Exceptions to these procedures can be made by petition to the academic regulations committee. Petition forms are also available in the student development office. Completed petition forms should be returned to the chief student development officer.
   
   Caution: Although WVC makes provisions for setting aside past grades for the purposes of GPA calculation, other colleges may not compute GPA in the same manner. They may or may not accept the credits and use the “set aside” grades for their calculations. WVC can only set aside grades earned at WVC. WVC cannot set aside grades from other colleges.
10. Repeating a Course
    A repeated course earns credit and affects the GPA in the last attempt only. The GPA on transcripts with repeated classes will not be updated unless the admissions office is notified.
11. Honors
    A president’s list and a dean’s list are compiled each quarter to recognize outstanding student achievement. Honorees are announced publicly. The following criteria must be met to qualify for honor roll:
    1. Earn at least 12 credits in courses numbered 100 or above. (“I”, “P”, “PP” and “Y” designations do not count toward the 12-credit minimum.)
    2. Maintain a 4.0 GPA for the president’s list.
    3. Maintain a 3.5 - 3.99 GPA for the dean’s list.

Honors are listed at graduation for students with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher.

Students who carry at least 12 credit hours and maintain GPA of 3.2 or higher are eligible to join the local chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, the national community college honor society. Phi Theta Kappa encourages scholarship, leadership and service. Members of Eta Rho (Wenatchee campus) and Alpha Kappa Eta (Omak campus) are active at the local, state, regional and international levels.

E. UNSATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

The academic standards at Wenatchee Valley College are established to ensure that the college resources are used in the best interest of all current and future students. The policy also ensures that students with academic difficulties are made aware of the many educational resources available to them. Students are encouraged to assume responsibility for their own academic progress.

1. First Quarter – Warning
   A student attempting six or more graded credits is placed on academic warning when his or her cumulative grade point average (GPA) falls below 2.0. All students on academic warning receive letters from the admissions department advising them of their academic standing, and the next steps to take. The transcript is endorsed “academic warning.” Students remain on academic warning status in subsequent quarters until their cumulative GPA is 2.0 or higher.
2. Second Quarter – Probation
   If a student on academic warning attempts six or more graded credits for a second time, and his or her quarterly GPA falls below 2.0, they are placed on academic probation. All students on academic probation receive letters from the admissions department advising them of their academic standing, and the next steps to take. The transcript is endorsed “academic probation.” Students remain on academic probation status in subsequent quarters until their cumulative GPA is 2.0 or higher.
3. Third Quarter – Suspension
   If a student on academic probation attempts six or more graded credits for a third time, and his or her quarterly GPA falls below 2.0, they are placed on academic suspension. All students on academic suspension receive letters from the admissions department advising them of their academic standing, and the next steps to take. The transcript is endorsed “academic suspension.” Suspended students are not permitted to enroll for any classes for one quarter. Students returning from academic suspension are required to submit a completed petition for readmission form to the student development office and be scheduled for a readmission interview with a counselor. The student remains on academic suspension status in subsequent quarters until their cumulative GPA is 2.0 or higher.
4. Academic Forgiveness
   If a student stops attending WVC while on academic warning, probation or suspension status, they remain at that level for a period of at least three years (12 academic quarters). If during that time they do not return to WVC, their student records are updated to remove them from academic deficiency status.

The WVC Academic Regulations Committee reviews student’s petitions for waiver of college policies. All petitions must be in writing, petitioners may appear in person before the committee. The committee makes recommendations on petitions and refers them to the appropriate administrator for action.

F. EARLY REINSTATEMENT FROM SUSPENSION OR DISMISSAL

A Wenatchee Valley College counselor approves petitions for early reinstatement from suspension or dismissal. The student must submit a completed petition for readmission form to the student development office. The petition must be in writing and must show extenuating circumstances that merit special consideration. Petition for readmission forms are available from the registration office.

In addition to the petition, the student must complete a readmission interview with a counselor. During the interview the student should be prepared to identify the reasons for poor academic performance, present a plan for eliminating these reasons, present a realistic educational goal and present an educational plan that includes courses the student wants to take for the next one to three quarters.

In the event the counselor does not approve the petition for readmission, the student can appeal that decision to the academic regulations committee.

The registrar reviews petitions for waiver of virtually any college policy or procedure, except for petitions for readmission, tuition/fee waivers, and issues related to faculty (i.e., disputed grades). After the review, the registrar will either make a decision on the petition, request more information from the student or forward the request to the appropriate administrator for action. Student petitions may include, but are not limited to:

1. Credit overloads for a specific quarter.
2. Removal/set asides of low grades for a specific quarter.
3. Substitution of graduation requirements.
4. Late changes in class status (withdraw, change to audit).

All petitions must be in writing. Petition forms are available from the registration office. If a petition is denied, the student can appeal the decision to the academic regulations committee.

Originally approved by the president’s cabinet: 8/23/05
Revised and approved by the president’s cabinet: 10/24/06, 2/26/13
Presented to the board of trustees: 11/15/06, 3/20/13
Last reviewed: __/__/__
Procedure contact: Student Services

Related policies and procedures
400.300 Student Records Policy