Academic Regulations

Final grades will be issued to all students at the end of the term, based on the criteria outlined below (with the exceptions given). At the end of each semester, quality points are assigned in accordance with the following formula. (The minimum grade-point average for graduation is 2.00 or an average of grade “C.”) Grade point averages are determined by dividing the total number of quality points by the number of hours attempted. If a course is repeated, the latest grade will be used in determining a student’s quality points.

Numerical Grade	Letter Grade	Quality Point Equivalent
90-100	A - Excellent	4 points per credit hour
80-89	B - Above Average	3 points per credit hour
70-79	C - Average	2 points per credit hour
60-69	D - Below Average	1 point per credit hour
Below 50	F - Failure	0 grade point (punitive)
	AU- Audit	No effect on grade point average
	CR - Credit by Examination	No effect on grade point average
	I - Incomplete	After the first day of the subsequent semester, an incomplete grade becomes an F
	NS - No Show (never attended)	No effect on grade point average
	P1 - Pass Developmental Tier 1	No effect on grade point average
	P2 - Pass Developmental Tier2	No effect on grade point average
	P3 - Pass Developmental Tier3	No effect on grade point average
	R - Repeat Developmental	No effect on grade point average
	W - Withdrawal	No effect on grade point average
	No Withdrawals allowed after 75%	Student receives grade earned

The above Numerical Grade does not apply to the Cosmetology and Esthetics Programs. Please see individual program handbooks for program requirements. A grade of 80 or above is required to pass courses in Developmental Studies and Health Sciences Programs (HIT, Nurse Aide, Practical Nursing and ADN).

Incompletes

The grade “I,” incomplete, may be assigned when a student is unable to complete a course by the end of the semester. The student must present valid reasons why the course cannot be completed and obtain the instructor’s approval to receive an incomplete grade. This grade will be replaced with the grade earned when the work to be completed is satisfactorily accomplished prior to the first day of class in the following semester. If the incomplete course is a prerequisite to a course the student is registered for in the following semester, and if the student is unable to complete the requirements to satisfy the incomplete grade, the student will be withdrawn from the subsequent course. An incomplete grade is treated as a failing grade in GPA computation after the first day of the subsequent semester when the work has not been completed. The faculty member of the course will complete a Change of Grade Form to document that the incomplete has, in fact, been satisfied.

Only under extenuating circumstances may the Chief Academic Officer (CAO) extend the deadline for the completion of an incomplete grade. In such a rare case, the student, faculty and Chief Academic Officer (CAO) will sign a memo of understanding outlining the terms of the extension.

Standards of Progress

All MTCC students are expected to make academic progress toward graduation. The grade point average required for graduation is 2.00, indicating that the student has a C average in all course work. The calculations listed below are the acceptable grade point averages which students are expected to maintain for the number of semester hours they have accumulated.

Associate Degree Program		Vocational Diploma Programs
Cumulative Semester Hours	Minimum Grade Point Average	Cumulative Semester Hours	Minimum Grade Point Average
0 - 10	1.00	0 - 10	1.0
11 - 20	1.25	11 - 20	1.35
21 - 30	1.5	21 - 30	1.75
31 - 40	1.75	31 - Completion	2.00
41 - 50	1.90
51 - Completion	2.00

There are additional regulations for Health Science (ADN, Practical Nursing, HIT) and Public Safety (BLET, EMS & Paramedic) and Cosmetic Arts Programs. Check with the Student Services Officer, the Health Science Department, or your advisor for these regulations. Also reference Graduation Requirements in this Catalog.

Academic Advisement/Probation

The above cumulative grade point averages are the minimums which must be attained in order for a student to make reasonable progress toward graduation. A 2.00 grade point average is required for graduation. Students who fall below the specified minimum will be placed on Academic Probation for the following semester and will be required to reduce their course loads and develop a plan of corrective action with their success coach or advisor that is approved by the Dean of Students and the Chief Academic Officer and submitted to the Registrar’s Office.

Academic Suspension and Readmission

Students who fail to earn a 2.00 GPA during any semester of academic probation may be suspended from their program of study. The period of suspension will not be less than one semester, nor more than one year. Students who have been suspended for academic deficiencies should submit requests for readmission to the Chief Academic Officer (CAO). Requests for readmission will be considered in light of the applicant’s ability, evidence of growth and maturity, time elapsed since suspension and other extenuating circumstances. Additional consideration will be given to those who have completed course prerequisites. Enrollment limits and class sequencing will also be considered in evaluating a request for readmission.

Recognition of Academic Honor Students

Students enrolled full-time (12 credit hours or more) who receive no incompletes are eligible for the following academic honor’s lists:

President’s List - Grade point average of 4.00
Dean’s List - Grade point average of 3.75 - 3.99
Honor List - Grade point average of 3.50 - 3.74

Academic honor lists are posted on-campus and provided to newspapers each semester.

Faculty Advisors and Success Coaches

Each student enrolled at MTCC will be assigned an onboarding and faculty advisors. The onboarding advisor will provide each student personal assistance in orientation to MTCC’s policies and procedures, confirm the student’s program major, and help the student register for first semester classes. The onboarding advisor will serve as a success coach for the student throughout the duration of enrollment at MTCC.

The student’s faculty advisor will work with the student after the initial enrollment in classes at MTCC. The faculty advisor will provide assistance in developing an educational plan, evaluating the student’s progress, and registration for courses for the remaining semesters at MTCC. The student’s faculty advisor may be consulted regarding various problems, but must, in all cases, be consulted by the student in the following instances:

When planning each semester’s schedule (after the first semester).
When changing courses within the current program.
When changing programs of study.
When preparing to enter a final semester of studies to determine graduation eligibility.

If a student is unsure who his or her current advisor is, the student should contact Student Services at 828-652-0622 to obtain the advisor name, office location, phone number and email address. Advisors maintain office hours as posted on their office doors.

Registration

MTCC operates on the semester system (Fall, Spring, and Summer). All students are expected to register during the time set aside for that purpose. MTCC offers Pre-Registration dates to give students more time and flexibility to register and meet with their advisors as well as offering a one-time Late Registration Day. These dates are listed in the MTCC Catalog, the Schedule of Classes, and the MTCC website.

Students may not register for a semester until they have paid any deferred or past due charges owed to the College. These fees are paid through the Business Office. Students are responsible for obtaining registration clearance each semester before they are permitted to register for classes.

Procedure for Schedule Changes

Students may change their academic schedules during the prescribed period without scholastic penalty. Courses dropped after the 10% point in the semester are not subject to a refund. Courses dropped after the 10% point in the semester will be marked “W” (Withdrawal). Withdrawal is not permitted after the 75% point of a semester. The steps below must be followed before schedule changes are official:

Students must speak with a Success Coach before withdrawing from courses.
The student secures an Add-Drop-Withdrawal Form from the Student Services Office and completes it.
Individual course changes must be approved by the appropriate instructor with a signature on the form.
The Add-Drop-Withdrawal Form is submitted to the Registrar’s Office, where the change is recorded.
Students who do not withdraw officially from a course and who must be administratively withdrawn from the course because of absences will be dropped with a grade in accordance with the rules above.

Procedures for Student Initiated Withdrawal

Students must consult their Success Coach before withdrawing from any course.
The Success Coach will initiate the Withdrawal Form and is responsible for obtaining the instructor’s signature, last date of attendance, and withdrawal grade. The completed form must be returned to the Registrar’s Office.
Students may withdraw without academic penalty up to the 75% point of the semester. If the proper process is followed, a grade of “W” will be recorded on the student’s transcript. This indicates the student left in good standing and remains eligible for readmission, though it may impact financial aid.
Withdrawals are not permitted after the 75% point of the semester. Students still enrolled after this date will receive the grade earned based on completed and remaining coursework.
Failure to officially withdraw may result in a grade of “F.” Students are strongly encouraged to initiate and complete the official withdrawal process.

Procedures for Faculty Initiated Withdrawal

The instructor initiates the Withdrawal Form and is responsible for submitting the completed form to the Registrar’s Office.
Students may be withdrawn without academic penalty up to the 75% point of the semester. If this process is followed, a grade of “W” will be recorded, indicating good standing and eligibility for readmission, though financial aid may be affected.
Withdrawals are not permitted after the 75% point of the semester. Students still enrolled after this point will receive the grade earned based on all coursework completed and remaining.
Students who do not complete the official withdrawal process may receive a grade of “F.” Prompt communication and follow-through are essential.

Course Substitutions

Students may be allowed to substitute one course for another to meet graduation requirements. The substituted course must contribute to the goals of the degree program equally as well as the original course. Students must obtain approval from the instructor, advisor, Dean and the Vice President of Academics and Student Services/Chief Academic Officer to gain approval. A course substitution form may be obtained in the Student Services Office or on the MTCC Website at Resources > Student Forms .

Repeating Courses

A course may be repeated for credit for the purposes of obtaining certification hours, gaining additional knowledge, improving a grade or for the purposes of auditing a class. A student may receive credit hours toward graduation only once for a course. In the case of a course which has been repeated, only the quality points and hours earned in the most recent enrollment will be calculated in the GPA. However, all grades will be shown on the transcript during the semester in which the course was taken.

Students may receive financial aid one additional time for a repeated course that was previously passed if the student is attempting to better that grade. Students may also receive financial aid for a repeated course in which they previously received a grade of “F,” regardless of the number of prior attempts, as long as they are maintaining satisfactory academic progress per financial aid guidelines.

Veteran’s benefits may not be received by students repeating a course unless it is to achieve the minimum grade required for graduation.

Auditing Courses

Students who wish to audit courses must register and pay the same tuition and fees as students taking courses for credit. Unless the instructor makes an exception, auditing students are subject to the attendance policy (as stated in the College Catalog and Student Handbook). Students auditing courses which involve laboratory work may work in labs only during the course’s scheduled laboratory hours and under the direct supervision of the instructor. Otherwise, labs are closed to auditing students. No financial aid is received for audited classes. Audited courses are not eligible for Veterans educational benefit payments.

Note: If auditing a course that is a prerequisite, a student cannot receive credit and progress to the next course. Contact your advisor for additional questions.

Change of Program

All MTCC students wishing to change their program of study must pick up a Major Change Form located in the Student Services Office or https://mcdowelltech.edu/student-forms. A change of major will be applied at the beginning of each semester. Once your program change has been processed, a new advisor will be assigned for the purpose of re-evaluating your new program and transferring applicable credits.

Students who request a major change from a certificate or diploma program to an associate degree program may have to update placement tests through the Testing Center.

Credit or Contact Hours

Credit for course work is recorded in semester hours. One semester hour credit is given for one hour of class work, two hours of laboratory or three hours shop work/clinical per week during a 16 week term. Work-based Learning credit is one semester hour of credit for 160 hours of work per semester.

Maximum Course Load

Students are encouraged not to enroll in more courses than they can successfully complete. Students enrolling for 19 credit hours up to 22 maximum credit hours must have special permission from the faculty advisor and Chief Academic Officer and have a GPA of 3.00 or higher.

Class Attendance

The following attendance requirements shall apply to all college students. Faculty members are responsible for administering these attendance rules for their respective courses, for excusing absences, for determining how missed work should be made up, and for assessing grade penalties. Departments and programs may establish stricter attendance policies as required by program accreditation or secondary approving agencies.

Students are expected to attend and be on time for all classes, lab or shop sessions and clinical, preceptor, work-based learning and apprenticeship. Students should refer to each course syllabus for individual course attendance requirements. At the instructor’s discretion, students may make up missed class, lab, shop or clinical work. When students must be absent, it is vital that they remain in contact with their instructors. Students who are absent for high-school or college related extracurricular activities, sports, clubs, etc. and are current in their class assignments shall be allowed to make up missed work at the instructor’s discretion.
Any student who has not attended at least one seated class or completed and submitted one assignment in an online course by the date in which ten percent (10%) of the class has passed will be reported by the instructor as a “no show”. A student who has never attended a course by the ten percent (10%) date is no longer enrolled in the class and will not earn credit or receive a tuition refund for the course.
The instructor may withdraw any student who has been absent from a course for fourteen (14) consecutive days in a 16-week term or seven (7) consecutive days in a shorter academic term. A student in an online, hybrid, blended, or hy-flex course will be withdrawn following fourteen (14) consecutive days in a 16 week term (or seven (7) consecutive days in shorter academic terms) of missed assignments, missed attendance (for hybrid, blended and hy-flex), and lack of communication with the instructor regarding course participation. Holidays, breaks and weekends are not included when calculating consecutive days. Consistent with policies establishing attendance in online courses, logging into a course site but failing to submit completed work does not constitute attendance.
Please note: Under extenuating circumstances, a student who has never attended by the ten percent (10%) date may petition for reinstatement in the class and earn course credit. The student should notify the instructor, in writing, of the extenuating circumstances prior to the ten percent (10%) date of the class and provide compelling documentation to support the request for reinstatement. Reinstatement will only be considered by the instructor when the absences were due to unforeseeable and uncontrollable circumstances. Reinstatement requires the recommendation of the instructor of the course, the consent of the appropriate dean, and the approval of the chief academic officer.
A student’s absence while participating in a college-sponsored, school-sponsored or approved activity will be considered an excused absence for participating students. Such excused absences will not be considered in the student’s class attendance for withdrawal purposes, nor will excused absences be included in the determination grade for “participation” of which class attendance is a part. The responsibility for making up missed work rests entirely with the student. All assignments, tests, labs, class time and final exams to be missed will be rescheduled prior to the excused absence or otherwise rescheduled at the discretion of the instructor.
Withdrawals: If a withdrawal is processed prior to the 75% point of a course, a grade of “W” (Withdrawn) will be assigned. After the 75% point, the student will receive the grade earned, including coursework for the remaining portion of the semester. (For Individualized Instruction, a student must complete 100% of required hours.)
Absences for Religious Observance
In compliance with North Carolina Administrative Code, Title 23, Chapter 2, Sub-Chapter 2C, Section .0213 requirement as authorized by Section 115D of the NC General Statutes, McDowell Technical Community College will grant any student of the College two excused absences each academic year for religious observances required by the faith of the student. The college provides reasonable accommodations including a minimum of two (2) excused absences each academic year, for religious observances required by a student’s religious practice or belief.

An academic year shall be defined as starting on July 1 in one year and ending on June 30 in the following year. The Academic Term consists of fall, spring, and summer semesters.

The two excused absences may be taken at any time during the academic year either on separate days or on two consecutive days.
The excused absences shall be taken within the absences allowed in the College’s approved attendance policy as published in the Academic Information Section of the MTCC Catalog and Student Handbook.
The student must submit a “Request to be Excused for Religious Observance Form” to the Chief Academic Officer or his/her designee for the excused absences at least two (2) weeks prior to the date the student intends to be absent for the religious observance.
A “Request to be excused for Religious Absence Form” must be completed for each class missed. Forms may be obtained from the Student Services office
The Chief Academic Officer or their designee shall notify appropriate faculty within 72 hours of receiving the request. Faculty members are expected to note the excused absences as appropriate in class record documents.
Students granted an excused absence for the purpose of religious observance shall be given the opportunity to make up any work or tests missed due to an excused absence within a reasonable accommodation and without undue hardship.
No more than two tests per day may be given to a student who is making up a test or tests due to the excused absence(s).
Instructors/faculty are prohibited from implementing unnecessary sanctions, requiring additional work, or making unreasonable requests of students who are duly granted excused absences for religious observance.
Should other provisions of the NC Administrative Code or the General Statutes apply, the College shall implement requirements to comply with those provisions.
- Reasonable accommodation: Any change in an academic course or program of study with respect to the ways tasks or responsibilities are customarily done that enables a student to observe his/her religious practice or belief without creating an undue hardship.
- Religious practice or belief: A practice or observance that is sincerely held within the tenants of that religious belief.
- Undue hardship: An accommodation that would require significant expense or difficulty for the college or would result in the inability of the student to perform an essential function of his or her course/ program of study. The determination of undue hardship is dependent on the facts of each individual situation.
- Absences for Active Military Duty. The college shall allow any enrolled student who is in the United States Armed Forces who has received temporary or permanent reassignment as a result of military operations and a National Guard service member placed onto active duty status during an academic term to be given an excused absence for the period of time the student is on active duty.

The college shall provide the student the opportunity to make up any test or other work missed during the excused absence.
The college shall give the student the option, when feasible, to continue classes and coursework during the academic term through online participation for the period of time the student is placed on active duty.
The college shall give the student the option of receiving a temporary grade of “incomplete” or “absent from the final exam” for any course that the student was unable to complete as a result of being placed on state active duty status; however, the student must complete the course requirements within one (1) semester following their return from action service to avoid receiving a failing grade for the course.
The college shall permit the student to drop, with no penalty, any course that the student was unable to complete as a result of being placed on state active duty status.

Procedure for Attendance in All (including online) Classes

Per Department of Education regulations in 34 C.F.R. 668.22 (1) (7), the following activities are considered academic attendance or an academically-related activity:

Physically attending a class where there is an opportunity for direct interaction between the instructor and students
Submitting an academic assignment
Taking an exam, an interactive tutorial, or computer-assisted instruction
Attending a study group that is assigned by the institution
Participating in an online discussion about academic matters
Initiating contact with a faculty member to ask a question about the academic subject studied in the course.

The following activities would not be considered an academically-related activity:

Logging into an online class without active participation
Participating in academic counseling or advising

With the understanding that federal standards regarding attendance in distance education courses are more rigorous than those of the state, the procedure for documenting attendance in online courses should include:

An activity scheduled for each week that indicates some form of active attendance; such as:

Interactive tutorial in which the student must participate to receive an attendance mark
Video with required completion of at least one question after viewing
Discussion board/interaction with other students in class
Practice exam
Test review
Quiz (less than 5 questions would be acceptable)
Required reading with completion of at least one question after reading
Journal entry based on material covered or read

An activity would not include simply downloading material for reading, watching a video without interaction or questions, logging in with no indication of work
There should be at least one activity each week that documents attendance; this documentation should be easily accessible for auditing purposes
If a student fails to participate in an activity for two consecutive weeks, the student should be withdrawn from the class with a last date of attendance equal to the last documented activity

Grade Reports

Final grade reports will be posted in Self-Service. If the student has any outstanding debt to the college, the grade report will be held until the debt is resolved.

Grades will be changed due to a computational error within six weeks of the due date for final grade submission. Under no circumstances will a student be allowed to do makeup work to improve a grade once final grades have been submitted. All grade changes must be approved by the Registrar.

Change of Name or Address

Students are responsible for promptly reporting any change of name or address. Name changes must be submitted using the appropriate form to the Student Services Office. Address updates may be made directly through the student’s Self-Service portal.

Student Classification

Full-Time Student:	A student enrolled for 12 or more credit hours.
Part-Time Student:	A student enrolled for less than 12 credit hours.
Freshman:	A student with fewer than 32 semester hours of credit.
Sophomore:	A student with 32 or more semester hours of credit.

Since the summer semester is an abbreviated term, 9 or more credit hours is considered full-time during the summer; less than 9 hours is considered part-time.

For financial aid purposes, a student must be enrolled for 12 semester hours of credit during any semester for which he/she wishes to be considered full-time, including the summer semester.

Graduation Requirements

It is the responsibility of each student to know and to meet the graduation requirements of the College in her/his particular program of study and to maintain the minimum required grade average. Counselors and faculty advisors are available to work with individual students, but the final responsibility for meeting graduation requirements lies with the student. The following list constitutes the minimum requirements for graduation:

Satisfy proficiency standards in English, math, and reading. Complete all course requirements as outlined by curriculums, achieve an overall grade point average of 2.00 or above with all passing grades.
Students who fail individual subjects or have incomplete grades must make up such deficiencies before being allowed to graduate.
A Graduation Application must be submitted via Self-Service prior to the completion of course requirements. One semester prior to the semester that the student expects to complete diploma or degree requirements, the student is expected to have a preliminary record check by an academic advisor. It is the student’s responsibility to arrange for a final record check with the Director of Student Services or appointed designee.
Students must fulfill all financial obligations to the College.
If a student is administratively-identified as being eligible for completing a credential, they can be graduated from said credential, even if the student is not actively in the program.

Graduation vs. Conferring of Degrees

McDowell Tech confers degrees three times a year: December (Fall), May (Spring), and August (Summer). Degrees can only be conferred once a student applies to graduate. Students should apply to graduate at least 45 days prior to graduation by submitting the Graduation Application in Self-Service. The graduation ceremony is in May. It is optional for all students. Students who are within 10 hours of program completion in the summer semester may participate in the May graduation ceremony.

Graduation with Honors and High Honors

A graduate who completes his/her curriculum program at MTCC with an accumulated grade point average of 3.50 to 3.79 on a 4.0 scale will be graduated with “honors.” Graduates with an accumulated grade point average of 3.80 to 4.0 will graduate with “high honors.” These distinctions will be noted on the diploma and on the student’s transcript.

Completion of Two A.A.S. Degrees

Any MTCC graduate who desires a second degree must fulfill all degree requirements for the second degree plus a minimum of 20 semester hour credits earned in residency beyond the first degree. Students with an Associate Degree from another accredited institution may receive a second Associate Degree from MTCC by fulfilling the conditions outlined above. Completion of both degree requirements will be noted on the student’s permanent record and credentials.