Program Completion and Graduation
SLCC is authorized by the Louisiana Board of Regents, LCTCS Board of Supervisors and its college accrediting agency the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS-COC) to offer Associate Degrees, Technical Diplomas, Certificates and Technical Competency Areas in both transfer and technical educational domains. A detailed listing can be found later in this catalog.
Associate Degrees, Technical Diplomas and Certificates
All SLCC’s Associate Degrees programs contain a series of general education courses applicable to the Associate Degree title. They further contain courses in the major or concentration or in the occupational or professional area and may additionally include electives that can be used to enhance or expand the major or occupational or professional major studies.
SLCC’s Technical Diplomas contain a series of mandatory courses in the occupational or professional area and may additionally include electives that can be used to enhance or expand the major or occupational or professional core studies. SLCC’s Certificates are composed of a relatively short series of mandatory courses in the occupational or professional area allowing the student focused occupational or professional studies and skills.
Degree/Diploma/Certificate Completion Requirements
SLCC’s academic catalog prescribes the requirements for each program as well as services offered by the College. The catalog is published biennially in May/June and it becomes effective with the beginning of the Fall semester and the start of a new academic year. Former and continuing students must adhere to all changes in college-wide policies, rules, regulations, and academic requirements each year changes are made. The educational programs and academic courses described herein may be altered by SLCC to carry out its stated mission.
A student is not officially in a declared major in an academic program or in an occupational or professional program until s/he files a curriculum plan with the coordinator of his/her degree program, and the curriculum plan is approved.
Students are required to meet on a regular basis with their academic advisors to assure progress is being made toward completion of their academic program. To qualify for an award, each student must meet the following requirements:
- Satisfy the degree requirements in place at the time s/he declares a major. If the student does not enroll at SLCC for two semesters or more without first obtaining an approved leave of absence from the Registrar, the student must satisfy the degree requirements as approved by the college and generally described, or amended, in the catalog at the time s/he re-registers. If degree requirements change during a period in which a student is continuously enrolled (no interruption), the student has the option of satisfying the new degree requirement, as amended, or completing those described in the catalog when the student first declared their major.
- Has a degree program adjusted SLCC cumulative average of 2.0 and earned at least a “C” in each major and core courses. For transfer education, at a minimum, core courses will include the first required course in mathematics and in both freshmen-level English courses. A student who earns a “D” or “F” in any of these courses must repeat the course. (The last grade earned is the official grade in any repeated course). Major courses will defined as all other courses in the transfer program excluding single terminal electives. Specific requirements are detailed with each transfer programs requirements. A core course, for occupational degree technical education will include all the five general education courses specified for the program (e.g. this is typically ENGL 1010 , MATH 1105 , SPCH 1010 or SPCH 1200 , a specified Humanities and a specified Physical science course). Core course in this context, will also include any occupationally related specific course (such as JOBS 2450, and any specific safety course, integrated workplace internship or experience). Major courses for occupational programs will include all other courses of the program also excluding single terminal electives. A student who earns a “D” or “F” in any of these courses must repeat the course. (The last grade earned is the official grade in any repeated course.)
Definition: The degree program adjusted grade point average is based on grades earned on all courses (adjusted for repeats), which are applied to a degree to meet graduation requirements at SLCC. The courses included may be from both transfer work and SLCC or only SLCC.
- Earned at least 25 percent of the semester hours required for the degree through SLCC.
- Used no more than a total of 50 percent of credit hours from non-traditional sources (CPL) to meet degree requirement, unless required by a specific program.
- Earned no more than one-third of the credits needed in required major courses from non-traditional sources (CPL) unless required by a specific degree program.
- No more than 49 percent of the credits toward a credential may be earned using distance learning technology (videoconferencing without an instructor physically present, online, hybrid).
- Completed at least the number of credits stipulated in the degree program. In cases where programs are revised and a course is no longer available, completion of the total number of credit hours required in the curriculum as listed in the Catalog being followed is mandatory; however, an appropriate substitution may be made.
- Received in writing through all administrative channels approval for any deviation from the curriculum, as stated in the Catalog being followed.
Students are reminded that remedial/developmental courses are not acceptable as electives toward an associate degree program. Neither are community education, continuing education, and/or adult education courses.
Graduation
Students assume full responsibility for awareness and completion of all procedural requirements for graduation. The following procedures and conditions apply to all students seeking to graduate from SLCC:
- Students are responsible for submitting a degree plan prior to the beginning of the final year of study but no later than the last day of the semester or session PRIOR to their expected semester of graduation. This degree plan is to include all courses in which the student is currently enrolled and all courses which must be completed in order to fulfill all degree requirements. The degree plan is to be approved in writing by the student’s advisor, the degree program coordinator or program coordinator, and the appropriate Division Dean. Once approved, any changes must be requested in writing by the student’s academic advisor and approved by the program coordinator and the appropriate Division Dean.
- A candidate for a degree is required to file a formal graduation application and pay a graduation fee in his/her final semester or session of enrollment with the office of his/her Divisional Dean prior to the deadline listed in the Academic Schedule of Classes. This form and other associated documents are available from the Registrar’s Office.
- A student is expected to be enrolled at SLCC when applying for graduation. Students who apply for degrees after leaving school must have completed course requirements for graduation. Students who apply for degrees after leaving SLCC will be required to have completed all the degree requirements of the program in the Catalog in which they commenced if continuous or of the Catalog of the last semester of attendance at SLCC. They will however be awarded the degree that is in effect at the time of their application.
- A student may apply for “Graduation Only” if the student has completed all graduation requirements of the program in the Catalog in which they commenced if continuous or of the Catalog of the last semester of attendance at SLCC by completing the application and paying the graduation fee.
- Graduates who cannot attend must submit a letter to the Registrar’s Office, in advance.
- Each student must complete a general education assessment during the final semester of enrollment.
- Each student is responsible for completing an order for cap and gown by the deadline stated in the graduation notification letter.
- A student is expected to fulfill all other obligations and regulations including financial obligations to the College. Students should contact the office of Student Financial Assistance for details.
- A student may not graduate from SLCC while on academic probation or suspension.
- A student is not permitted to participate in commencement ceremonies until all academic and procedural graduation requirements have been met.
Requirements for a Second Degree
A student may work toward a second degree concurrently with work on the first degree or after completion of the first degree. However, the student must meet all graduation requirements for the second degree and must earn an additional 15 semester hours for an associate degree in the second program. These fifteen hours cannot have been applied toward the first degree. In addition, an official declaration of major must be on file prior to applying for a second degree so that the appropriate Catalog requirements can be determined. In degree programs where there are several options, a different option is not considered a second degree. For example, more than one General Studies’ degree will not be awarded even when a different area of concentration has been completed.
Discontinued Major/Programs: Reentry Students and Students in a Teach Out
Any student who has completed two thirds of the required courses at SLCC in a major that is no longer available may be allowed to transfer credits from another institution of higher education into SLCC to complete the degree requirements. The student must complete all the missing requirements within two years after the semester in which the program was discontinued to be considered for the degree award.
Students currently enrolled in programs or majors at SLCC that are discontinued will be offered a pathway to completion through a directed teach out. Students must continue his/her enrollment during the teach-out period; they may not miss any directed semester and must follow the directed sequence of courses, substitutions or cross enrollments required to complete the major/program. The teach-out sequence is generally offered once and students who fail courses or fail to follow the directed pathway will not complete the discontinued major/program. Students may be readmitted into a discontinued major/program only if they able to complete their required courses during the established teach out period otherwise re-admittance is not allowed. No degree will be awarded in a discontinued program, excluding very extra ordinary circumstances, greater than two years after its conclusion. Students who find themselves incomplete after this time may seek assessment of their transcripts by an appropriate Divisional
Dean to evaluate their possible standing in other current SLCC programs.
Graduation with Distinction
Students with the highest academic achievement are designated as Chancellor Honor Graduates. Their academic record must consist of a cumulative average of at least 3.8 on the combination of all college work attempted at SLCC and all college work from other institutions applied to the degree (excluding work on which academic amnesty has been declared). In order to receive the distinction of Honor Graduate, the student’s academic record must consists of a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5 on the combination of college work attempted at SLCC and all college work from other institutions applied to the degree (excluding work on which academic amnesty has been declared).
Awarding of a Degree Posthumously
SLCC will award degrees or certificates posthumously to a student who has completed all graduation requirements with the exception of participation in the graduation ceremony or to a student who meets all of the following conditions:
- The student must be registered or enrolled for classes at the time of death;
- Registered or enrolled courses must be those that, if completed, would have fulfilled graduation requirements;
- The student must have a grade point average at the time of death that meets SLCC’s graduation requirements.
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