SYLLABUS ADDENDUM

 

Spring, 2009

 

 

In the event that topics listed in this addendum also appear in your syllabus, please note that you should rely on the addendum information as this information is the most current.

 

 

 

IMPORTANT COLLEGE POLICY REGARDING COURSE DROP-ADD PERIOD AND AUDIT INFORMATION

 

Students CANNOT add a course following the 1st day the class meets.  Students CAN drop a course during the 1st week of class and be eligible for a refund. (See a counselor/advisor to finalize your schedule, so you won’t be left without the classes you want or need).  Students may not change from credit to audit status after the end of the first week of classes.

 

GRADING AND REPEAT COURSE POLICIES

State policy specifies that students may not repeat a college credit course for which a grade of “C” or higher has been earned except by appeal to the campus Academic Appeals committee. Students may repeat a college credit course one time without penalty.  At the third attempt, students will pay the full cost of instruction.  The full cost of instruction rate for 2008/2009 is $280.39 per credit hour.  In addition, at the third attempt students may NOT receive a grade of “I,” “W,” or “X,” but must receive the letter grade earned.  This grade will be averaged into the overall grade point average.

 

ATTENDANCE/ACTIVE PARTICIPATION/WITHDRAWAL POLICIES

Each instructor must exercise professional judgment to determine if a student is actively participating in class.   Faculty will publish their own personal participation/attendance policies in their syllabi. This policy will be used to determine grades. Students who are not actively participating in class as defined in an instructor’s syllabus will be reported to the Administration during the week following the voluntary withdrawal date.

Instructors will verify that students are in attendance during the first two weeks of class.  Students classified as “No Show” for both of the first two weeks will be administratively withdrawn.

Immediately following the 60% point of the term, each instructor will verify which students are actively participating in class as defined in the course syllabus.  Students classified as not meeting the criteria for active class participation will be administratively withdrawn with a “WF.”  Students will be able to withdraw themselves at any time during the term.  However, requests submitted after the 60% deadline will result in a “WF.”  Students and instructors will automatically receive an email notification through their SPC email address whenever a withdrawal occurs.

Withdrawing after the “Last Day to Withdraw with a Grade of ‘W’” (see Academic Calendar below) can have serious consequences. If you withdraw from a class after this deadline posted in the academic calendar, you will receive a final grade of ‘WF,’ which has the same impact on your GPA as a final grade of ‘F.’ A ‘WF’ grade also could impact your financial aid and cause you to have to repay some of your assistance. If you are thinking about withdrawing from a class now, you should consult with your academic advisor or financial aid counselor first to be sure you understand all the possible outcomes of this decision.

 

FEDERAL GUIDELINES RELATED TO FINANCIAL AID AND TOTAL WITHDRAWAL FROM THE COLLEGE

The U.S. Department of Education has implemented rules for students who obtain a Pell Grant, Stafford Loan, and/or Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant and subsequently totally withdraw from the College.  The rule requires you to refund to the Department of Education a portion of your financial aid if you completely withdraw from St. Petersburg College prior to the 60% point in the term.  You also may be required to repay funds to the College if you are identified as not actively participating in all of your classes, or if you do not receive at least one final passing grade (D or higher).  Should you consider totally withdrawing from all classes before the published withdrawal date, it is important that you consult the Scholarships & Student Financial Assistance office on your home campus to understand your options and the consequences of total withdrawal.

 

DUAL ENROLLMENT, EARLY ADMISSIONS, & EARLY COLLEGE STUDENTS

A Dual Enrollment, Early Admissions, or Early College student may not withdraw from any college level course without consultation with the Early College/Dual Enrollment office.  Withdrawal from a course may jeopardize the student’s graduation from high school.  The Dual Enrollment office can be reached at 712-5281 (TS), 791-5970 (CL) or 394-6000 (SE).

 

ACADEMIC HONESTY

St. Petersburg College has an Academic Honesty policy. It is your responsibility to be familiar with the policies, rules, and the consequences of violations.  There is no tolerance for cheating and academic dishonesty. Discipline can range from a zero on a specific assignment to expulsion from the class with a grade of F. Note that copy/pasting published information, whether it's from your textbook or the Internet, without citing your source is plagiarism and violates this policy. Even if you change the words slightly the ideas are someone else's so you still have to cite your sources. Cheating, plagiarism, bribery, misrepresentation, conspiracy, and fabrication are defined in Board Rule 6Hx23-4.461. Student Affairs:  Academic Honesty Guidelines, Classroom Behavior.  http://www.spcollege.edu/webcentral/catalog/current/stu_affairs_honesty.htm

 

STUDENT EXPECTATIONS

All electronic devices such as cell phones, beepers, pagers, and related devices are to be turned off prior to entering the classroom, library, and laboratories to avoid disruption.  Use of any device in these areas is a violation of College Policy and subject to disciplinary action.

College computers are intended for academic work.  Inappropriate use of computers during class time is prohibited.  Students should understand that they may be required to use the Internet for some courses.  Furthermore, students may be required to have discussions of class assignments and share papers and other class materials with instructors and classmates via chat rooms and other mechanisms.  Therefore, Internet users may be able to access students’ work whether the access is secured or unsecured.  The College cannot protect students from the type of materials on the Internet or the potential piracy of students’ materials. 

Each student’s behavior in the classroom or Web course is expected to contribute to a positive learning/teaching environment, respecting the rights of others and their opportunity to learn. No student has the right to interfere with the teaching/learning process, including the posting of inappropriate materials on chatroom or Web page sites.

The instructor has the authority to ask a disruptive student to leave the classroom, lab, or Web course and to file disciplinary charges if disruptive behavior continues

 

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

In the event that a hurricane or other natural disaster causes significant damage to St. Petersburg College facilities, you may be provided the opportunity to complete your course work online.  Following the event, please visit the college Web site for an announcement of the College’s plan to resume operations.

 

Students should familiarize themselves with the emergency procedures and evacuation routes located in the buildings they use frequently.  Located in each classroom is an Emergency Response Guide (flip-chart) that contains information for proper actions in response to emergencies.  Students should be prepared to assess situations quickly and use good judgment in determining a course of action.  Students should evacuate to assembly areas in an orderly manner when an alarm sounds or when directed to do so by college faculty or staff or emergency services personnel.  Students may access additional emergency information by going to www.spcollege.edu/security. In face to face courses your instructor will review the specific campus plans for emergency events.

 

CAMPUS SAFETY AND SECURITY

For information on campus safety and security policies please contact 791-2560.  If there are questions or concerns regarding personal safety, please contact the Provost, Associate Provost, Campus Security Officer, or Site Administrator on your campus. http://www.spcollege.edu/tsc/security.htm

 

SEXUAL PREDATOR INFORMATION

Federal and State law requires a person designated as a “sexual predator or offender” to register with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).  The FDLE is then required to notify the local law enforcement agency where the registrant resides, attends, or is employed by an institution of higher learning. Information regarding sexual predators or offenders attending or employed by an institution of higher learning may be obtained from the local law enforcement agency with jurisdiction for the particular campus by calling the FDLE hotline (1-888-FL-PREDATOR) or (1-888-357-7332), or by visiting the FDLE website at http://offender.fdle.state.fl.us/offender/homepage.do

 

SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS

If you wish to request accommodations as a student with a documented disability, please make an appointment with the Learning Specialist on campus.  If you have a documented hearing loss, please contact the Program for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing at 727-791-2628.  If you will need assistance during an emergency classroom evacuation, please contact your campus learning specialist immediately about arrangements for your safety.  The Office of Services for Students with Disabilities can be reached at 791-2628 or 791-2710 (CL), 341-4758 (SP/G), 394-6108 (SE), 712-5789 (TS), 341-3721 (HEC) or 341-4532 (AC).  http://www.spcollege.edu/webcentral/catalog/Current/ossd.htm

 

 

ANGEL MAINTENANCE

The ANGEL system will be completely unavailable due to scheduled maintenance from 7:00am March 9th until 11:59pm March 10th.

 

COLLEGE CALENDAR:  http://www.spcollege.edu/calendar.