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Academic Policies

Degree Requirements
Professional Certificate Requirements
Student Academic Classification
Academic Records
Adding/Dropping Courses
Academic Placement Policy
Advanced Standing
Commencement Requirements
Academic Standards
Academic Privacy
Academic Amnesty
Additional Associate Degrees
Independent Study
Directed Study
Acceptable Use Policy for Computing Resources
Elective Course Information

I. Degree Requirements

Associate in Arts Degree (A.A.)

Programs leading to this degree provide students with continuous education, career mobility, and full participation in community life. The Associate in Arts degree offers the equivalent of the first two years in a four-year Baccalaureate program.

The program is also consistent with the objectives to provide an educational background that is broad enough for the student to continue his/her education and training according to their and society's changing needs, and to provide the student with an educational experience ensuring flexibility of occupational choice. It also serves students who plan on directly entering the workforce or enhancing their career mobility by providing a planned sequence of arts and sciences courses that not only give the students the core competency skills required by today's business, but the ability to learn how to learn, thereby enhancing workers with flexibility and retraining for new and unanticipated application of knowledge and skills.

The Community College System of New Hampshire offers two types of Associate in Arts degrees; one which focuses on a general liberal arts education and the other which is developed for specialized transfer designed by the offering college. The Associate in Arts Degree program requires a minimum of 64 credits as follows:

Associate in Arts degree - general liberal arts education
English Composition	3 - 4 credits
English Electives	3 - 4 credits
Humanities/Fine Arts/Foreign Language	9 credits
Mathematics	6 - 8 credits
Lab Science	8 credits
Social Science	9 credits
Liberal Arts Electives	15 credits
Open Electives*	9-12 credits
Total Credits	64 credits

* A computer literacy course may be included within the open elective area.

MCC offers specialized Liberal Arts transfer degrees in Business and Education. (See the Program of Study section for specific degree requirements.)

Associate in Arts degree - specialized transfer
English Composition	3 - 4 credits
English Electives	3 - 4 credits
Foreign Language/Humanities/Fine Arts/	9 credits
Mathematics	6 - 8 credits
Lab Science	8 credits
Social Sciences	9 credits
Electives in specialized area of study	20 credits
Liberal Arts or Open Electives*	2 - 5 credits
Total credits	64 credits

* A computer literacy course may be included within the open elective area.

Associate in Science Degree (A.S.)

The minimum number of credits for the Associate in Science Degree is sixty-four (64). Remedial and developmental work does not count towards degree completion.

Major: Every Associate in Science Degree program shall have a major consisting of a minimum of thirty-two (32) credits in program specific courses.
Concentration: The Associate in Science Degree may have concentrations, which are curricula generally consisting of a minimum of twenty (20) credits of related/sequential course work. Students may choose among two (2) or more of such course groupings for a specialized focus.
General Education: A minimum of twenty-four (24) credits in General education. Courses fall into the areas as follows:

English Composition, Literature or Communication	6 credits
Science	3 - 4 credits
Mathematics	3 credits
Social Science	3 credits
Foreign Language/Humanities/Fine Arts	3 credits
Liberal Arts electives	6 credits
Total credits in General Education area = 24-25 credits

Associate in Applied Science Degree

The minimum number of credits for the Associate in Applied Science is (sixty-four) 64 credits. The degree emphasizes specific outcomes designed to meet competencies required for direct entry into employment and to provide a basis for transfer, at a minimum, of the general education component of the curriculum.

Although Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree programs are designed for direct entry into the workforce, they cannot be considered terminal. In addition to the necessity for lifelong learning in response to the rapidly changing technologies, students can expect to make several career changes during their lifetime. A.A.S. programs do not have a directly related occupational specific curriculum upper-division component. It should be noted, however, that some Bachelor's degree institutions have developed upper-division programs to recognize this degree for transfer purposes.

The A.A.S. Degree programs shall provide:

A minimum of 32 credits of specialized study in courses clearly identifiable with technical skills, proficiency, and knowledge required for career competency.
A minimum of 21 credits in General Education. Courses fall into the following areas:

English Composition and Literature and/or Communication	6 credits
Science	3 - 4 credits
Mathematics	3 - 4 credits
Social Science	3 credits
Foreign Language/Humanities/Fine Arts	3 credits
Liberal Arts electives	3 credits

Student Learning Outcomes

Manchester Community College has identified competencies which must be achieved by students in each degree program. Students will be awarded the Associate Degree upon completion of academic requirements and demonstration that those required program competencies have been achieved.

II. Professional Certificate Requirements

A Professional Certificate requires completion of a minimum of thirty-two (32) semester hours of credit to develop skills in an occupational field and a minimum of twelve (12) credits of General Education credits. Each is designed to facilitate transfer into an Associate Degree if the student decides to continue.

III. Student Academic Classifications

Each student is expected to demonstrate orderly progress in completing his/her educational objective at MCC. To help clarify each student’s status at MCC, students are assigned to one of the following categories.

Full-time student – a person who is enrolled in 12 or more semester credit hours.
Part-time student – a person who is enrolled in fewer than 12 semester credit hours.
Matriculated student – a person who has applied for admissionand been accepted into a degree, certificate, or professional certificate program. A matriculated student may attend either full or part time but must take at least one course per academic year to maintain his/her matriculated status. A student who fails to maintain matriculated status may be required to reapply for admission and meet any new academic requirements in force at that date. Only matriculated students may:
- enroll full-time
- apply for financial aid or scholarships
- challenge out / test out of courses
- be assigned an academic advisor
- be awarded a degree, certificate, or professional certificate
- receive priority placement in classes (non-matriculated students will be admitted on a space-available basis)
Non-matriculated student – a student who is taking credit or non-credit courses but is not enrolled in a degree, certificate, or professional certificate program. Students are encouraged to matriculate in order to secure the privileges and protections offered to matriculated students.

IV. Academic Record

Attendance Policy

It is the responsibility of MCC students to attend all classes, laboratory sessions, and clinical/co-op affiliations. Students must recognize that absence will interfere with academic success in their program of study. The instructor will be responsible for informing students of the attendance policy at the beginning of each course.

The College requires faculty to verify student attendance twice within a term: at the first class meeting of each term and at the conclusion of the Add / Drop period.

MCC requires an instructor have a published attendance policy. When applicable, the instructor is required to formally withdraw any student who has violated the instructor's attendance policy at any time during a term.

Auditing Courses

Under the Audit policy, students may enroll in courses which provide an opportunity to learn more about the challenges of college work, explore a discipline of interest, refresh prior learning, or supplement existing knowledge. Typically, a student attends lectures, seminars and/or labs but does not complete graded assignments. When enrolled as an audit, the student will not be given a final grade nor will credit towards graduation be given for the course (the academic transcript will reflect AU for the course).

Students must pay full tuition for the course. Financial Aid does not cover costs for an audited course.

Not all courses can be taken for audit, and entry into a course as an auditing student is by permission of the instructor. A student must complete a registration as an audit during the first week of classes. Once admitted as an audit, the student may not change to credit status; likewise, a student registered for credit may not change to audit status.

Change of Program

Students wishing to change their major should submit a Change of Major Form Adobe PDF . Credit will be transferred only for those courses that apply to the new program. Some programs with limited enrollment may not be available.

Changing Course Requirements

The college is constantly reviewing and upgrading the content of programs offered to ensure that each graduate receives adequate knowledge and training to perform competently in a chosen technical field. To accomplish this, the college reserves the right to modify course requirements based on its educational and professional objectives and the needs of its students.

Course Repeat

For purposes of calculating the cumulative GPA (CGPA), when a student repeats a course, the grade achieved in the most recent course will be the grade used in the CGPA calculation. All previous grades will remain on the transcript but not used in the calculation. Only those repeated courses completed at the student's college of matriculation will be used in the calculation of the CGPA; repeated courses completed at an institution outside of the student's college of matriculation and transferred into the student's college of matriculation will not be used in the calculation of the CGPA.

Third and subsequent attempts to repeat a course will require the approval of an appropriate adisor and course instructor.

Credit Hour Guidelines

1. A credit hour shall be the equivalent of one (l) hour of work per week for a 16-week semester.

2. A semester credit hour shall be comprised of the following:

Class;
Laboratory;
Clinicals;
Internships; or
Co-ops.

3. A credit hour shall be represented by either:

One (1) hour of classroom work per week for each week of the semester; or
Two (2) or three (3) hours of laboratory experience er week for each week of the semester; or
Three (3) to five (5) hours of clinical experience per week for each week of the semester; or
Three (3) hours of practicum, co-op, fieldwork, or internship experience per week for each week of the semester.

4. One instructional hour shall be equal to fifty (50) minutes.

Grading

Students are assigned grades based upon evaluations of their work. Grades are given at the end of each semester and are based on criteria listed on an individual instructor’s syllabus, but generally include quizzes, tests, projects, papers, and participation. Standards for grades are listed below.

Letter	Quality
A	4.0
A-	3.7
B+	3.3
B	3.0
C+	2.3
C	2.0
C-	1.7
D+	1.3
D	1.0
D-	0.7
F	0.0
AF - Administrative Failure	0.0
AU - Audit	0.0
CS - Continuing Study	0.0
I - Incomplete	0.0
NP - No Pass	0.0
P - Pass	0.0
W - Withdraw	0.0
WF - Withdraw Failing	0.0
WP - Withdraw Passing	0.0

Explanation of Grade: AF, AU, CS, I, NP, P, W, WF, WP

AF-Administrative Failure: Instructor or administrator initiated withdrawal at any time for reasons other than poor grade performance, such as attendance as outlined in the instructor's syllabus, violations of student Code of Conduct, disruptive behavior or other similar reason. The grade is also issued to students who are deemed unsafe or performing in an unsatisfactory manner in a clinical, practicum, internship or lab as determined by an evaluation by a faculty member/agency supervisor in accordance with the academic department criteria and procedure. The grade is calculated in the GPA as an "F".

AU-Audit: A course taken as an audit does not earn credit and cannot be used to meet graduation requirements. Admission by permission of the instructor. Not all courses can be taken for audit.

CS-Continuing Study: This grade allows a student to re-register for a developmental course if competencies have not been met by the end of the course. It is intended for students who have demonstrated progress and a commitment to succeeding in the course, but who need more time to achieve competencies. The CS grade does not affect the student’s GPA.

I- Incomplete: Indicates that a student has not completed a major course assignment due to extraordinary circumstances. It is not used to give an extension of time for a student delinquent in meeting course responsibilities. The I grade is not calculated into the GPA. However, all work must be completed by the end of the third week of the subsequent semester or the grade defaults to an F.

NP- No Pass: Unsatisfactory work; not calculated into the GPA.

P-Pass: Not calculated into the GPA.

W-Withdrawal: Student initiated withdrawal from a course at any time prior to completion of the drop deadline (60% of the course). Does not affect GPA.

WP: Student initiated withdrawal from a course after the drop deadline (60% of the course) student has a passing grade at time of drop, as determined by the instructor. Does not affect GPA.

WF: Student initiated withdrawal from a course after the drop deadline (60% of the course); student has a failing grade at time of drop, as determined by the instructor. The WF grade is calculated in the GPA as an "F."

Grade Point Averages

Scholastic standing at the end of each semester is determined via the grade point average (GPA), computed by dividing total semester points (grade equivalent multiplied by credit hours) by total credits attempted.

The cumulative grade point average (CGPA) is determined at the end of the second and subsequent semesters by dividing cumulative points by the total credit hours attempted, taking into account all previous work completed. Refer to the Student Handbook for additional information pertaining to calculating or determining GPAs and CGPAs.

Incomplete Grades

An Incomplete Grade (I) indicates that a student has not completed a major course assignment (usually a final exam or culminating final assessment) due to extraordinary circumstances, such as serious illness, death in the family, etc. The grade is applied only in those instances where the student has a reasonable chance of passing. It is not used to give an extension of time for a student delinquent in meeting course responsibilities.

The work must be completed by the student through formal arrangement with the instructor no later than:

the end of the third week in the spring semester for a grade issued in the fall semester;
the end of the third week in the fall semester for a grade issued in the summer term;
three weeks from the earliest start date of the summer term for a grade issued in the spring semester.

Should the student fail to complete the work within the designated period, the grade will automatically become an F. Exceptions to the above deadlines may be made by the Vice President of Academic Affairs or his/her designee.

"I”grades will not be included in the computation of the Grade Point Average. An “I” grade may affect a student’s financial aid. Students should contact the Financial Aid Office for further information.

Matriculation

A student who has taken individual courses and then decided to work for a degree should commit to a specific program and formally matriculate after proper counseling prior to the satisfactory completion of 9 semester hours in appropriate courses.

A student who has completed more than 9 semester hours may find that not all of them can be applied toward the degree he/she seeks; hence, the importance of matriculating before completing 9 semester hours.

V. Adding / Dropping Courses

Before adding or dropping a class or classes, students must consult their Academic Advisor and/or the instructors responsible for those classes.

Adding a Course

A course may be added at any time prior to the start of the second week of the semester or other prorated timeline. Students remaining in the same course who wish to change their section must do so through formal notification to the Registrar's Office by using the Add / Drop Form Adobe PDF with the instructor's approval.

Adding a 100% Online Course

A student may add a 100% online course up to the official start date of the semester. Once the semester has started, a student may add a 100% online course only with the permission of the instructor.

Maximum Enrollment for Online Courses

The maximum enrollment for a 100% online course will be set at twenty (20) students. Enrollments in excess of twenty students may be done by mutual agreement with the instructor.

Dropping a Course

The student should initiate the official drop procedure after consultation with his/her faculty advisor. Simply ceasing to attend classes or notifying the instructor does not constitute officially dropping a course.

Though there may be financial or academic penalties involved, courses may be dropped at any time, but only through formal written notification to the Registrar's Office and completion of the following procedure:

Before officially dropping a course, the student should first discuss the matter with the instructor and faculty advisor. If, after discussing the matter with both individuals, the student decides to drop, complete an Add / Drop Form Adobe PDF . The form must be completed by the student and submitted to the Registrar's Office.
Any student who officially drops from a course...

any time prior to the end of the eighth (8th) calendar day of the semester, will receive no grade in the course, and no notation will appear on his/her academic record.
up to the end of the tenth (10) week of a semester will receive a "W" grade on his/her transcript.
up to ten (10) days prior to the beginning of the final exam period, will receive Withdraw/Pass (W/P) or Withdraw/Fail (W/F) on the transcript. The W/P is not calculated in the GPA. The WF is calculated in the GPA as an "F."
When there are fewer than ten (10) class days remaining to the beginning of the final exam period, students will receive an appropriate grade other than W/P or W/F, and that grade will be computed on the transcript in the student's grade point average.

Please note the above timeline is specific to classes that meet 16 weeks. Any class that meets less than 16 weeks will follow a prorated timeline.

If you decide to drop a class. DO NOT JUST STOP ATTENDING. FILL OUT AN ADD/DROP FORM IN THE REGISTRAR'S OFFICE.

Re-admission to the College

Students who have withdrawn, or who have been suspended by the college, may apply for re-admission. Students may continue to take courses at the college on a non-matriculated basis if space is available. Contact the Office of Admissions for more information.

Withdrawal from the College

A student who finds it necessary to withdraw from the college is strongly encouraged to complete the established process, which includes completion of an official withdrawal form (available from the Registrar) and participation in an exit interview with the Vice President of Student and Community Services or his/her designee. The purpose of the exit interview is to communicate the college's academic and financial policies pertinent to the date of withdrawal, and to offer support and academic advisement as needed and desired. Failure to withdraw officially will result in a notation on the student's permanent record: Withdrawn-Not-in-Good-Standing.

VI. Academic Placement Policy

Any student admitted into a degree, professional certificate or certificate program at MCC must take placement tests in reading, writing and mathematics so that appropriate course placments can be made.

MCC’s placement policy may be waived, in full or part, for those individuals who have met one or more of the following conditions:

Earned a minimum score of 500 on the SAT verbal and a minimum score of 500 on the SAT quantitative. This condition applies only to the MATH portion of the Accuplacer; it may not be used to waive English placement requirements. A copy of the SAT scores must be provided when this waiver is requested.
Completed a computer-based placement test (CBT) within the past three years at MCC or another accredited postsecondary institution. After three years, students must retake the Accuplacer to determine appropriate course placement.
Transferred a math or English course from another accredited institution into an MCC program.

The online placement tests, ACCUPLACER, are administered by CAPS and can be done on a drop-in basis during the Center's open hours. Students may be asked to take portions of the Accuplacer Placement Test if coursework currency might affect the student’s ability to be successful in subsequent courses.

Students seeking to waive a math or English placement may either:

Retest one or more portions of the Accuplacer (minimum waiting period of 30 days required) OR
Initiate the course waiver request process by obtaining the request form from CAPS and submitting it to the appropriate department. Requests for a course waiver must be received no later than one week prior to the start of the semester; requests will be considered by faculty within the department after the submission cutoff date. Students will be informed of the department’s decision by email / phone.
While a decision is pending, students are encouraged to register for the prerequisite course in order to secure a space; students whose request for a waiver is approvedwill be assisted in finding an open section of the course.

Any student who has a disability that might interfere with his/her ability to take the assessment independently may request special testing accommodations from the Coordinator for Disability Services. Students who are non-native speakers of the English language may access a variation of the placement test (LOEP) that will determine course placement based on assessed levels of English proficiency.
* ACCUPLACER is a product of College Board, a division of the Educational Testing Service (ETS). Policy adopted: Dec. 3, 2003.

English Department Placement Policy

Before students may register for college-level English courses, they must demonstrate mastery of English at the high school level. Placements are determined as follows:

Placement Criteria	Course Placement
Accuplacer reading score of 54 or below.	ENGL 094
Accuplacer reading score of 55 - 79 OR completion of ENGL 094 with grade of C+ or better.	ENGL 097
Writeplacer score of 2 or 3 below.	ENGL 098
Writeplacer score of 4; Writeplacer score of 5 or above PLUS Accuplacer reading score below 80.	ENGL 099
Writeplacer score of 5 - 8 PLUS college-level reading skills determined by one of the following criteria: Accuplacer score of 80 or above Completion of ENGL 097 with a grade of C or better	ENGL 110

ENGL 098 is the first in a sequence of developmental writing courses designed to build the requisite skills for success in ENGL 110. A grade of C or better is required to progress from ENGL 098 to ENGL 099 or ENGL 099 to ENGL 110. Students wishing to move directly from ENGL 098 to ENGL 110 must retake Accuplacer and receive a placement of ENGL 110.

Computer Skills Placement (CSP) Policy

Before students may register for college-level computer course CIS 110 or CIS 111, they must take the Computer Skills Placement assessment. Placements are determined as follows:

A score of less than 84% placement is CIS 097 Computer Fundamentals designed to build the requisite skills for success in CIS 110. A grade of C or better is required to progress from CIS 097 to CIS 110.
A score of 84% or above placement will be CIS 110 Microsoft Computer Applications (89%) or CIS 111 Computer Technologies (90%).

VII. Advanced Standing

A matriculated student who is able to present evidence supporting education in one or more courses applicable to the student's program of study may request that those credits/experience be evaluated and applied to graduation requirements. Four methods of gaining advanced standing are as follows:

Transfer of credit from another institution
College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
Credit by Examination (Internal)
Credit for prior learning experience

1. Transfer of Credit from Another Institution

Students may transfer credits earned at other accredited institutions for coursework required by their MCC major program. It is the student's responsibility to furnish the college with (1) official transcripts of academic courses from each college they have attended and (2) catalogs from each institution attended with course descriptions for which transfer credit is sought. Grades of "C" or better in courses judged by the college to be equivalent in nature and content to MCC program offerings will be accepted. Students seeking a degree/professional certificate at MCC must fulfill residency requirements. A student must have a minimum of 64 credits in order to complete a degree and must complete all required courses for their academic program.

Transfer of a course to this institution does not guarantee transfer of that same course to subsequent institutions. See individual academic program descriptions for specific program transfer policies.

High School Advanced Placement Coursework
Students requesting credit for Advanced Placement Exams taken in high school, offered by the College Entrance Examination Board, must submit official documentation including score reports from CEEB, in order to have examinations evaluated for transfer credit. MCC will accept Advanced Placement scores of “4” and “5”.

2. College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

Students with previous academic experience in specific subject areas may choose to earn credits by taking a nationally standardized exam known as CLEP. MCC is an approved testing site for CLEP, providing examinations in the areas of Composition and Literature, Foreign Languages, Social Sciences, History, Science and Mathematics. A complete list of the CLEP exams accepted for credit by MCC, along with corresponding course names and credits, is available in CAPS (Center for Academic Planning and Support).

Successful completion of a CLEP exam is treated as a transfer credit. Students must request that a copy of their scores be sent to MCC for review. This request is made to College Board and can be done during or after the exam. Acceptance of CLEP exams for transfer credits will be based on the following criteria:

The student has earned a passing score as defined by The College Board and the college.
The student has been accepted into a program.
There is a course within the student's program of study that is equivalent to the CLEP exam.

Although CLEP credits count towards graduation, CLEP scores are not calculated into a student's GPA or in any way interpreted as a grade. Additionally, CLEP credits may not be applied towards MCC’s 25% residency requirement. Students may not transfer CLEP credits for a course they have successfully completed or for a course that is more advanced than the subject of the exam. Any student who fails an MCC course and wishes to take a CLEP exam in lieu of retaking the course must realize that the original grade received will remain on his/her transcript and will be counted in the CGPA. The CLEP exam score does not replace a grade for an MCC course. Students should speak with their academic advisor if they have questions regarding this process.

CLEP exams are administered on the computer (CLEP CBT) through the Center for Academic Planning and Support.

3. Credit by Examination (Internal)

Credit by examination may be earned only by a matriculated student who, by study, training or experience outside MCC has acquired skill or knowledge equivalent to that acquired by a student enrolled in the College. A student is eligible for a maximum of sixteen (16) credits through credit by examination.

If the student passes the exam, appropriate credits shall be applied to the student’s academic record. Credit will not be given for grades below C. A student receiving a grade below C is ineligible for another special examination in that course.

Students who have previously taken a course and failed it are not eligible for anexamination for credit in that course. For more information, contact the Office of Academic Affairs.

4. Credit for Prior Learning - Experiential Learning

Credit for prior learning offers students the opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge they have gained through life experiences and apply this knowledge towards credit in a degree, professional certificate, or certificate program. To prepare for this option, students will develop a portfolio to be assessed by the academic officer and faculty members. A student must be matriculated at MCC to be eligible to apply for experiential credit. Not all programs provide the experiential credit option; students should consult with their academic advisor.

A request for Credit by Prior Learning should initiate with the faculty advisor or faculty member who normally teaches the course for which you wish to receive credit. After initial discussion, the student should submit a portfolio minimally containing a cover letter and resume, extensive work experience explanations, letters from employers, certificates of accomplishment, samples of work, as well as any other information deemed appropriate. The responsibility of proof will be on the student requesting evaluation. The portfolio is then reviewed by an appropriate faculty member, the department chairperson, and the Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs. If credit is granted, the student will be charged a fee for credit for prior learning based on the formula below.

Fee for Credit for Prior Learning - Experiential Learning
Students will be assessed a fee based on 50% of the current tuition rate on the total credits awarded (e.g., for 12 credits awarded: 0.50 x current tuition rate x 12 credits).

College Success Seminar

This one-credit course is designed to provide specific skills to students that will maximize academic performance. At times, students come to the college possessing the skills discussed in this course. Students must demonstrate their level of skill if seeking credit or a waiver for the course. This is accomplished in one of the three following ways:

The student has previously completed an associate or a bachelor degree from an accredited college or university.
The student has previously attended an accredited college or university and has completed a minimum of 15 credits with at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average (cgpa).
The student successfully passes the challenge exam for College Success Seminar.

Exceptions will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Transfer to Other Institutions

Transfer policies vary from institution to institution. When transfer to another institution is sought, the number of transfer credits granted for courses completed at MCC is determined entirely by the institution to which the student transfers.

VIII. Commencement Requirements

Commencement occurs once a year in May. Students are required to complete all degree requirements with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 before being awarded a degree. Any fees associated with the Commencement ceremony are non-refundable if the student fails to complete outstanding credits.

A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 is required to receive a degree, professional certificate, or certificate from MCC. In addition, a student must earn a minimum number of college credits as identified by each curriculum. Deviations from this policy due to extenuating circumstances require the approval of the Vice President of Academic Affairs, or in cases of less than 48 hours notice, by the College President. All outstanding monies owed to the College must be paid before the degree, diploma or certificate is awarded. Students are urged to work closely with their academic advisors to ensure they are making satisfactory progress toward fulfillment of graduation requirements.

All students earning the Associate Degree shall earn a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 2.0 for graduation. All courses taken at the institution will be used to calculate the CGPA.
All students earning a Professional Certificate or Certificate must achieve a 2.0 grade point average (GPA). However, only those courses required in each of the above will be used to calculate the GPA.
Criteria for awarding non-credit certificates will be determined by the sponsoring department.

Petition to Graduate

Candidates for graduation from all degree programs should contact the Registrar in January to complete a Petition to Graduate form Adobe PDF . Commencement exercises are held each May.

IX. Academic Standards

Students falling below the following standards will be designated as not meeting satisfactory academic progress. Failure to meet satisfactory progress will result in either Academic Probation or Academic Suspension.

Academic Probation Definition: A warning which indicates the student may not be on track to graduate because of poor academic performance. The student may remain in the program,but his/her academic progress will be monitored. Students meeting the criteria below will be placed on Academic Probation.

0-13 Credits Accumulated:below 1.50 CGPA
14-27 Credits Accumulated: below 1.70 CGPA
28-40 Credits Accumulated: below 1.80 CGPA
41+ Credits Accumulated: below 2.00 CGPA

Academic Suspension Definition: Suspension may be from the program or the institution and is usually for one semester. Suspension from the program means that a student may continue to take courses outside of the program as a non-matriculated student. Suspension from the college prohibits a student from taking classes during the period of suspension.

Students meeting the criteria below will be put on Academic Suspension.

0-13 Credits Accumulated: below .50 CGPA
14-27 Credits Accumulated: below 1.10 CGPA
28-40 Credits Accumulated: below 1.25 CGPA
41+ Credits Accumulated: below 1.50 CGPA

A student who does not meet satisfactory progress for Academic Probation for three consecutive semesters will be placed on Academic Suspension. Financial aid may be in jeopardy if a student fails to achieve satisfactory academic progress as defined above.
Note: Credits accumulated are total credits earned by the student.

Nursing Readmission Policy

Students matriculated in the Nursing program who withdraw or do not achieve the required minimum grade in the Nursing or science courses and are not able to continue in the Nursing program may be eligible for readmission consideration. A student may be readmitted to the Nursing program one time only. Students who have failed a Nursing course because of unsafe practice involving actions or non-actions are not eligible for readmission to the Nursing program (see Nursing Course Syllabi: Evaluation methods). Readmissions are contingent upon space availability. The student applying for readmission will be required to meet the curriculum requirements in effect at the time of readmission.

Grade Appeal Procedure

Any appeal of a grade must be initiated by the student with the instructor before an ensuing semester has elapsed. Students should be advised that in most instances a grade may be changed only by the instructor. Only in a case of obvious computational error or blatant abuse of the grading prerogative, can the Vice President of Academic Affairs, the only other individual on campus empowered to change a grade, alter a student’s grade.

Students who believe they have a valid basis for a grade appeal will use the following process to resolve the issue:

Meet with the instructor
The student shall contact the faculty member and schedule a meeting to discuss the grade appeal and attempt to resolve the conflict. The faculty member and student shall meet within the next five (5) work days.
Meet with the Department Chairperson
If the issue was not resolved in Step 1 above, the student has three (3) work days from the date of the faculty member's decision to file a written appeal with the faculty member's Department Chairperson. Within three (3) work days, the Department Chairperson will mediate the dispute either through discussion with the instructor, or with the student in the company of thefaculty member.
Meet with the Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA)
If the issue is not resolved in Step 2 above, the student has three (3) work days to file a written appeal with the Vice President of Academic Affairs. The VPAA will meet with all parties concerned within the next three (3) work days to attempt to resolve the dispute. The VPAA will have three (3) work days from the last meeting to render a decision on the grade appeal. The decision of the VPAA is final.

Note: During the summer, when faculty are not on campus, students may begin the grade appeal process with the Office of Academic Affairs. Every attempt will be made to have the faculty member contact and meet with the student within the specified time. On occasion, however, these times may need to be adjusted.

Academic Warning

The instructor may give a student an academic warning at any time if the student is failing or in danger of failing a course.

X. Academic Privacy

Family Education Rights and Privacy Act

In compliance with the Family Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (The Buckley Amendment), it is the policy of the College to protect the educational/academic records of its learners, former learners, and alumni. All personally identifiable information in a learner's educational record is considered confidential. No one will have access to such records without written consent of the learner.

XI. Academic Amnesty

A student who has previously attended Manchester Community College and is admitted at a later time may be eligible for Academic Amnesty, which provides for the following:

All grades taken during the student's previous time at the college will no longer be used to calculate the student's new cumulative GPA. However, grades C- and above taken during the student's previous time at MCC will be used to meet course requirements (where appropriate), subject to the approval of the Vice President of Academic Affairs or his/her designee.
Even though previous grades will not be used to calculate the new cumulative GPA, all previous grades will remain on the student's transcript.

ITo be eligible for Academic Amnesty, a student must meet all of the following conditions:

The student has not taken any courses at the college for a period of at least three (3) years from the last semester of attendance.
The student applies for Academic Amnesty before the start of his/her second semester after re-admission.
The student has never before received Academic Amnesty.
The student achieved a cumulative GPA below 1.7 during previous attendance.

XII. Additional Associate Degrees

Students may earn additional Associate degrees either by concurrent completion of the requirements of the several degrees or by subsequent study after the first degree is received. The requirements for earning additional degrees are as follows:

Complete all requirements of each program of study, including general education requirements not in common with the additional program(s), and
Earn a minimum of fifteen (15) additional credits at the college beyond those required for the first and subsequent degrees.

XIII. Independent Study

Opportunities for credit-bearing Independent Study are available to matriculated students who wish to explore areas of a discipline not covered in the normal curriculum but related to the student's program. Independent Study is not available to non-matriculated students. Matriculated students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 to be eligible for an Independent Study.

The intent of the Independent Study is to expand a student's learning experience beyond the normal program curriculum. Typically undertaken for 1-2 credits, an Independent Study may not be done in lieu of any course existing in MCC's catalog. Students wishing to pursue existing Manchester Community College courses on an independent basis should consult the policy on Directed Study.

XIV. Directed Study

Under certain circumstances, a matriculated student may take a course in a semester when the course is not offered, either during the day or through the Division of Community Education. A directed study allows a matriculated student to pursue the published learning objectives/outcomes for a course independently under the guidance of a qualified faculty member. A matriculated student must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 to be eligible for a Directed Study.

The student must demonstrate compelling reasons why the course could not be taken in a subsequent semester or was not taken in the semester when it was originally offered in the curriculum. Barring exceptional circumstances, a directed study will not be granted for a course currently being offered in the day or DCE divisions.

XV. Acceptable Use Policy for Computing Resources

This section contains guidelines regarding the use of computing and networking facilities located at or operated by MCC. The definition of MCC computing facilities includes any computer, server or network system or system element provided or supported by MCC. Use of the computer facilities includes the use of data/programs stored on MCC computing equipment and data/programs stored on magnetic tape, floppy disk, CD ROM or other storage media that is owned and maintained by MCC. The "user" of the system is the person using the systems from any connection point (e.g. a keyboard) locally or by remote access, requesting an account (or accounts) or logging on to an existing account in order to access any MCC asset. The purpose of these guidelines is to ensure that all MCC students and authorized visitors use the MCC computing facilities in an ethical and lawful manner. It is implicitly understood that the MCC computing system is a private system and that network monitoring is used to ensure reliable performance and that the integrity of the network is maintained.
For more information, review the CCSNH Information Technology Acceptable Use Policy.

MCC computers are for non-sensitive and non-confidential use only. Students are warned that there is no inherent security in the system and should not use college systems for any work that should be protected.
Individual users are responsible for maintaining their own data. MCC is NOT responsible for the integrity of any student data stored on servers or systems maintained by the institution.
Users should report any weaknesses in MCC computer security and any incidents of possible misuse or violation of this agreement to the proper authorities by contacting the IT Department. Users shall not attempt to access any data or programs contained on the Manchester Community College network, or any other network accessed, for which they do not have authorization.
Users shall not make unauthorized copies of copyrighted software, except as permitted by law or by the owner of the copyright.
Users shall not make copies of system configuration files for their own, unauthorized personal use or to provide to other people/users for unauthorized uses.
Users shall not purposely engage in activity with the intent to: harass other users; degrade systems performance; deprive an authorized Manchester Community College user access to a college resource; obtain extra resources beyond those allocated; circumvent computer security measures or gain access to an MCC system for which proper authorization has not been given.
Fraudulent, harassing or obscene messages and/or materials shall not be downloaded, viewed, sent to/from or stored on Manchester Community College systems.
To ensure systems and software compatibility and to reduce chances of malicious code infections, users shall not download, install or run any applications programs without first consulting the course instructor.
Users will not run from any Manchester Community College system any software which reveals weaknesses in the security of a system or that can be used as a hacking tool, unless within the guidelines and under the supervision of an MCC course. For example, users shall not run password-cracking programs on Manchester Community College computers.

Non-compliance with these requirements constitutes a violation and will be reported to the Chief Campus Officer and the IT Department of Manchester Community College. Violations will be referred to a judicial committee. Serious violations may result in civil or criminal prosecution.

Use of Manchester Community College computing facilities constitutes implicit acceptance of and agreement with the Acceptable Use Policy for Computing Resources for Manchester Community College found in the Student Handbook Adobe PDF .

XVI. Elective Course Information

In addition to the required courses in a student's program, students are given the choice to select from a variety of elective courses. Each program offers a different set of electives, so please refer to each individual program for specific options. The following information will assist students with the variety of elective categories and the selection of elective courses. All academic subject codes and course numbers refer to courses only offered by MCC.

English Elective: any course with the academic subject code of ENGL and a course number of at least 100.

Social Science Elective: any course with the academic subject code of AN, ECON, GEOG, HIST, POL, PSYC, SOC, and a course number of at least 100.

Foreign Language/Humanities Elective/Fine Arts: any course with the academic subject code of ARTS, ENGL course listed below *, ASL, FREN, GERM, HIST120, HIST130, HUMA, PHIL, SPAN, and a course number of at least 100. * ENGL Literature Courses: ENGL200, ENGL201, ENGL205, ENGL218, ENGL220, ENGL225, Other ENGL courses: ENGL113, ENGL210, ENGL213, ENGL214.

Math Elective: any course with the academic subject code of MATH and a course number of at least 100.

Science Elective: any course with the academic subject code of BIOL, CHEM, ESCI, PHYS and a course number of at least 100.

Liberal Arts Elective: any course listed under the categories of English elective, Social Science elective, Foreign Language/Humanities/Fine Arts elective, Math elective or Science elective with a course number of at least 100.

Business Elective: any course with the academic subject code of ACCT, BUS, FINC, MKTG and a course number of at least 100.

Open Elective: any course that the college offers with a course number of at least 100. ESL courses are not considered open electives and cannot be counted toward graduation requirements.

Academic Opportunities

The college provides special academic initiatives designed to enrich students’ educational experiences.

Honors Program - The college's Honors Program is designed to challenge the level of the student's performance in the classroom. Courses within the Honors Program will incorporate greater complexity and sophistication in thinking and will be assessed with a higher level of intellectual outcomes.

Developmental courses, courses that do not count toward graduation, or are generally not transferable will not be considered for the Honors Program. Honors courses or components will be indicated by an Honors designation on a transcript. They do not carry extra credit.

Honors Coursework - Decisions on whether to offer honors coursework in a department or discipline will be made by the department. Honors Program courses are not intended to have a different set of objectives from similar courses in the discipline. Each department will develop criteria for differences between the honors' curriculum and assessment and regular course curriculum and assessment.

Learning Communities

A learning community is a combination of courses in different disciplines organized around a common theme or a specific cohort group. In a variety of college settings and in a number of forms, Learning Community approaches have been shown to increase student retention and academic achievement, increase student involvement and motivation, improve students' time toward degree completion, and enhance educational development.

The connection between subject matter in the separate courses is emphasized so that information and skills learned in one class can be applied to the other courses.
The same students enroll in all of the courses in a learning community. As a result, the same students and teachers are together in two or more classes each week. They get to know each other more than students in regular classes and sometimes work together on various projects and help each other learn.
At the end of the semester, each student gets a grade for each of the courses that are part of the learning community.

Service Learning

Service learning combines community service with academic instruction. Students enrolled in courses with a "service learning" component as part of the academic experience are guided through a critical analysis of what they observe in the field and what is presented in class.

This "service-learning" approach enhances the breadth and depth of student learning in at least three domains:

academics/higher order cognitive skills
life skills
sense of civic responsibility and ability to be an effective member of the communities where they will reside after graduation.

The service-learning program focuses on promoting service learning as an effective teaching strategy within the existing curricula of the college. Course learning outcomes are the basis for integrating projects that serve the college or the community at large. In order to preserve the academic integrity of a service-learning opportunity, students are not graded on simply “putting in the hours.” Rather, they are graded on specific assignments and/or projects that demonstrate learning from the service-learning experience. Some courses will provide built-in experiential projects; others will require the student to identify his/her own project. Service learning activities have been demonstrated as positive learning experiences for both students and faculty.

Please click here for Board of Trustee Policies Governing the College.