General Policies & Procedures

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR NON-CREDIT STUDENTS

SoLAcc views education as critical to improving quality of life and is committed to providing learning opportunities that are accessible, affordable and of the highest caliber. It seeks to achieve its goals through an open, welcoming environment that supports student achievement and encourages independence and maturity. Upon enrolling at SoLAcc, students are expected to become acquainted with the policies and requirements for the program in which they are enrolled and to remain cognizant of them while enrolled.

Program Manager, Program Coordinators, Student Advisors, and others assist all students in becoming acquainted with College regulations, but students must assume final responsibility for understanding all College procedures. In no case will a regulation be waived, or an exception be granted, because a student pleads ignorance of the regulation.

When changes are made between catalog publications, students are informed through the normal channels of communication. Changes become effective whenever the proper authorities so determine.

CLASS ATTENDANCE POLICY

The College recognizes the correlation between attendance and both student retention and achievement. Any class session or activity missed, regardless of cause, reduces the opportunity for learning and may adversely affect a student’s achievement in the course. Class attendance requirements vary by course.  Please review your course’s syllabus that list the maximum amount of class time you can miss.  You will be dropped from the class if you surpass the maximum amount of absent time.  

ATTENDANCE RECORDS

Instructors are required to report students who are attending/not attending class on specified census date.  Instructors are also required, in most courses within the College, to state in the course syllabus their expectations in regard to both class performance and makeup work due to all absences.

Instructors engaged in educating students in specialist programs involving specialist experiences (i.e. Health and Clinical experiences, Internships or Practicums) will be required to set attendance requirements that conform to the relevant programmatic accrediting body.

Whenever an absence is excused by the instructor, the student can be permitted to make up the work without penalty according to the makeup policies provided by the instructor in the course syllabus.

A student who encounters course consequences due to excused absences may seek a conference with the instructor, if not resolved then to the Program Chair, and if necessary to the appropriate Division Dean. Should these actions not be satisfactory to the student, the student should complete the course and upon receiving the final grade follow the Academic Grade Review and Appeal procedure detailed elsewhere in this catalog. The final decision of this process will be considered binding.

GRADING SCALE

A student registered in a non-credit (i.e. workforce or short-term) program will receive a grade of Pass “P” or Unsatisfactory “U.” An “I” is an option, in some cases, if a class is incomplete but has an option to finish the course or retake an exam.

SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS

Each non-credit/short-term program may have its own threshold for academic progress, and a description of this threshold will be presented in the course syllabus for that program. Periodic student/instructor conferencing regarding the student’s ability to progress in the program will occur when appropriate. Students should receive formal notice of their final grade no later 3 business day after the final day of class.

GRADE REVIEW AND APPEALS

A student who believes that the final grade which has been recorded in a course does not reflect a fair and accurate assessment of the student’s work may appeal the grade. The grade being appealed is the final grade; individual test scores in any course are not subject to this appeal procedure. The following appeal procedure shall not be used to question the professional judgment of an Instructor or the content of an examination.

CONDITIONS FOR APPEALING A FINAL GRADE

• Only final grades in a course may be appealed.
• In order to avoid any misunderstanding of the reasons that a final grade may be appealed, the following is a list of the only conditions which are grounds for appeal:
  1. When a student contends that the professor has violated the professor’s own specified grading standards or has imposed criteria different from those used to evaluate the academic work of other students in the class.
  2. When the student has been charged by the professor with violating Academic Integrity (e.g. cheating, plagiarism, or collusion) resulting in a reduced grade or a grade of “U” in the course. If the student contends that the charges are untrue and the penalty therefore unjust, this appeal procedure will afford them due process against such charges.
  3. When the instructor demands as a condition of passing a course any conditions not germane to the subject matter of the course.

GRADE REVIEW AND APPEAL PROCESS

The responsibility for evaluating student work and assigning grades resides with the instructor of the course.  As the grade review and appeal process concerns itself only with the allocation of the final grade, individual scores for assessment items cannot be individually appealed. Students are encouraged to meet with a faculty member to discuss and understand individual assessment outcomes. However, if this interaction does not resolve an understanding of a student’s performance and resultant assessment outcome, the student is required to wait until the final grade is awarded. At that time, the student can seek an overall review of the grade awarded following the review and appeal process.

The purpose of the grade review and appeal process is to:

• provide an initial informal opportunity for a student to understand the reasons a final grade was assigned by a particular Instructor
• allow an Instructor, at an initial stage, to become aware of and correct possible errors and an opportunity to informally consult with Department/Divisional peers to ensure that the grade has been appropriately assigned according to academic performance.
• in the case of the grade remaining disputed, provide a clear formal procedure for the student and Instructor to follow to a written decision. In this process, the student has the burden of proof to objectively demonstrate that the final grade assigned is inappropriate.
• provide an appeal process that is accessible to both student and Instructor that results in a final college-level written decision.

The grade review/appeal policy is only able to review the actions of an academic/instruction nature in awarding the final grade. This process should not be utilized in a case in which a student feels they have experienced discrimination. If the student feels that they have experienced discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, national origin, citizenship status (including document abuse), gender, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or sexual orientation, the student should refer to the Discrimination Complaint Procedures for Students as administered by the Vice-Chancellor of Student Services. Should the reasons in the written petition explain or allege that the grade was received as a result of an alleged discriminatory action, the materials will be immediately forwarded to the Vice President of Economic & Workforce Development.

INFORMAL RESOLUTION PROCESS

Before filing the formal Appeal of Final Grade, the student should contact and informally ask the instructor of the course to discuss and review the discrepancy in grading.  The informal appeal of grade between student and instructor must occur before a formal appeal to the grade will be considered. In such cases where the instructor is unable to meet or communicate informally on the student’s appeal, the formal process may proceed, but the student is expected to document attempts made to discuss the grade with the instructor.

FORMAL RESOLUTION PROCESS

If the case cannot be resolved through the informal process, the student has the option to follow the formal grade review and appeal process. To proceed, a student within five business (5) days, of the posting of the final grade must submit via email to the Dean of Workforce Programs:

• Any documentation that supports the appeal of the grade.
• A copy of the syllabus of the course

It must be written with a rational, clear argument and related evidence to support that position. Incomplete materials cannot be supplemented later in this process. The review and appeal will consider only the reasons provided in the original submission. The materials submitted must be complete.

*Note - grade appeals MUST be based on evidence of miscalculation of grade, error in reporting, evidence that grades were not administered equitably between students in the class (i.e. different standards applied), etc. The appeal must address issues of a grade being incorrectly awarded, not issues concerning the perceived quality of instruction. The responsibility is for the student to clearly show that they actually earned the grade, according to all standards set out in syllabi, but was incorrectly assigned a lower grade.

• 1^st Level Appeal Review (Dean): Within five (5) business days of the receipt of the grade appeal, the Dean or Director over the class in which the grade was received will review the appeal (including investigating the conditions cited as the reason for the appeal, obtaining documentation from Instructor and Program Manager and meeting with the student).  After this five (5) day review period, the Dean will have One (1) business day to grant or deny the Grade Appeal and notify the student of the outcome.

*Note: The student has the right to accept the decision and stop the appeal process at any stage of the above steps, thus ending the formal process. If the student is denied at all stages of the process (i.e. all levels thus far uphold the grade received) they may choose to avail themselves of the following step in the formal appeal process:

• 2^nd Level Appeal Review (EWD Appeals Sub-Committee of Standards comprised of the Vice President of Economic & Workforce Development and Continuing Education, Executive Director of Workforce Student Services and Operations, and Workforce Financial Manager ): If the student is unsatisfied with the outcome from the 1^st Level Review the student may request to continue the appeal to the SoLAcc EWD Standards Committee (or its designated Appeals sub-committee). The student, upon receipt of a denial of appeal from the 1^st Level Review, would email the Executive Director of Workforce Student Services and Operations within three (3) business days of receiving notice on the 1^st Level outcome. The committee, or its designated sub-committee, will then have a minimum of five (5) business days to a maximum of twenty (20) days from receipt of that request to meet and review the appeal and determine to grant or deny the appeal. The Chair of the Committee will have One (1) business day to notify the student of the outcome.   

The 2^nd Level is the final level to which a Final Grade may be appealed.  All completed Grade Appeals will be kept on file in the Office of the Vice President of Economic Development & Workforce and Continuing Education.

No Grade Appeal will be considered, under any circumstances, more than 1 year after the posting of final grades.

• Students undertaking the Formal Appeal process must be willing to schedule and meet with the varying levels of the process to discuss their Appeal, unless documented circumstances are provided by the student that they are incapable of meeting (Deployed under military orders). Students should request in their written petition to have their meetings waived and replaced with email communications and provide the documentation justifying this waiver. The appropriate Dean will have responsibility for approval of such waivers. The Appeal process will be ended for students who do not show approved reasons for this waiver and fail to schedule or show for the review process meetings.
• Students need to complete each step and reasonably submit all the required materials. Should the student not complete each step or submit all required materials within the appropriate time frame, the review and appeal process will be concluded.
• Students engaged in the formal grade review and appeal process will be able to register and enroll and commence studies in courses as if the disputed grade was at least satisfactory for a continuance. This is to ensure students are not disadvantaged by the appeal process if it extends into the proceeding semester. However, when the final appeal outcome is confirmed and if the grade confirmed allows the student to be enrolled in the classes being taken, they can continue. If not, the student will be immediately administratively withdrawn by the dean. Students will be removed without financial penalty through the drop-delete process. This withdrawal will be applied irrespective of their performance level.  *Note: If any courses are dropped/deleted as a result of a denied grade appeal, the student may be responsible for returning any unearned aid that may have been disbursed to them during the respective semester.

REFUND POLICY

This policy applies to payments and refunds for non-credit courses offered by Workforce Development. Any contracts and/or agreements for training conducted by Workforce Development may supersede this policy

Registration and Refund Guidelines for Students​

• Students are automatically considered enrolled in a non-credit class when the student is registered for the class and payment has been made or funding is secured. Registration is not guaranteed until tuition has been paid, particularly for high-demand classes.
• 100% refund will be granted if the student drops the class prior to the start of class. The term “refund” refers to reversing the charges associated with the registration.
• Any type of refund may require up to approximately six (6) weeks for processing. The College is a state agency, and therefore, all refunds must be substantiated in writing and are subject to review by the State of Louisiana Office of the Legislative Auditor.
• If a student is a no-show on the first day of class or the course has been cancelled by the college, there is no charge for tuition, fees, and other related charges. If payment has been made by the student, the student will receive a full refund.
• To receive a refund for extenuating circumstances after the start of class, students must complete the Tuition Appeal Form.
  • Refund Appeals may be granted on a case-by-case basis in the event of certain documented emergencies. The completed form, with supporting documentation, must be submitted within 7 days of the course end date.
  • A Non-Credit Refund Committee, comprised of appointed Workforce Economic Development representatives (department heads or their designees), will evaluate the requests on a monthly basis. Decisions of this committee shall be considered final and not eligible for appeal.
  • If the student receives Federal/State funding to provide tuition for a workforce training course and the student does not attend for the required time frame, the funding will be awarded according to Federal/State regulations and students could potentially be responsible for the tuition for this course.
  • Any remaining balance must be paid in full by the end of the course. Failure to pay any balance in full may result in the account being placed with the State of Louisiana Attorney General’s Office or another outside agency for collection. Students will be responsible for all collection and/or legal fees associated with accounts placed for collection.
• 100% refunds are automatically processed if a class is cancelled by SoLAcc.
  • Students will be notified when a class is cancelled by the College prior to the scheduled starting date. All efforts will be made to provide notice of cancellation at least three (3) business days before start date of course.
  • A written request from the student is not required to process a refund in this instance.

Processing Refunds

• The College has partnered with a third-party vendor to deliver refunds to students. Information on how refunds are processed, including refund options for students, is published on the College’s Refunds webpage.
• Refunds automatically process when a student is dropped from the non-credit course within the 100% refund period as stated above. Any amounts paid in advance will be refunded based on the published Refund Schedule.
• Refund requests approved by the Committee, and all supporting documentation, will be forwarded to SoLAccs Student Accounts Office for processing.

Payment Guidelines for Students

• If a student has any outstanding balance, SoLAcc reserves the right to withhold future services including but not limited to registration, transcript requests, issuing diplomas, use of facilities, and other services as deemed appropriate by the College.
• An NSF Fee will be assessed for all dishonored checks. The fee is $25. Online dishonored credit card or ACH payments will be charged a $25 fee, which must be paid directly to the College’s online service provider. Students who make dishonored payments may lose the privilege and convenience to pay with a check and/or pay online, including the eligibility to enroll in the payment plan.