Academics
Most of the information on this page refers
you to specific pages in the College catalog. When available,
a link is provided that provides the same information online.
It is important that you review the material as you complete this
page, either by reading the material in the catalog or by following
the links provided.
Progress towards your goal will be measured in terms of “credits.” The
A.A. degree requires a minimum of 60 credits. Most classes are
assigned three credits, though this may vary from one to five
credits for different courses. A typical three credit course
during the Fall or Spring semester would meet three hours a week
for about 15 weeks. You should expect to spend an additional
six to nine hours a week studying and completing class assignments
outside of class.
As a rough guide, a minimum full-time class load of 12 credits
(usually four classes) involves a commitment of 12 hours a week
in class and an additional
24-36 hours a week outside of class (i.e., 2-3 hours outside
of class for every hour in class). These guidelines will vary
if you enroll in a “short” term of less than 15
weeks, involving an increased time commitment on your part.
You are encouraged to be realistic about how many classes you
can take and still fulfill other family and work requirements
you may have. If you work over 20 hours per week or have significant
family responsibilities, it may be in your best interest to
attend school part-time. Especially your first term, it is
better to take a lighter class load until you can accurately
gauge how much time you must commit to school in order to be
successful.
A short course description for each college credit course is
provided in the catalog. The course number (ENC 1101, for example)
is followed by the course title (English Composition I). The
“(Y)” after the course title indicates that this is a course that will
count toward an A.A. degree. The credit assigned to the course
is listed (3 credit hours for ENC 1101). If the course has a
prerequisite or a corequisite (see
Glossary of Terms), this will be noted. A short description
of the course is then provided. In the example we have used,
a “(CBE)” follows the description, indicating credit
for this course may be earned through a Credit-By-Exam
program such as CLEP.
There are a number of different kinds of classes
available. Traditional on-campus lecture classes are the most
common type of class, but classes are also offered over cable
TV (telecourses)
and the Internet (online
courses). These last two types of classes offer advantages
in terms of flexibility but require a good deal of self-discipline
and the ability to learn on your own — see the Distance
Learning Web page for more information.
If your test results place you into one or more college preparatory
classes, this indicates you need some additional preparation before
you are ready to tackle college-level coursework. If this is your
situation, you will be required to register for at least one college
preparatory course before you can register for other courses.
You can tell that a course is college preparatory because the
leading number(s) in the course number will be zero (e.g., ENC
0001 or ENC0021 — the two courses preceding the college-level
ENC 1101).
Grading
Systems
Success is most visibly measured by your grades. It’s important
that you understand the meaning of various grades and the procedures
used to assign them.
Now you should be familiar with the different kinds of Withdrawal
grades and understand “I” and “NP” grades
as well. As you just read, the Florida Community College forgiveness
policy allows
you to retake a course if you earned less than a “C” grade,
with only your last attempt counting in your grade point average.
You should note, however, that the earlier grade(s) will
remain on your transcript. Also, this policy is limited by the
“three-time rule” which restricts the number of times
you can enroll in the same class at Florida Community College
(i.e., three times, with
a higher tuition rate applied on the third attempt).
Every professor will provide you with a syllabus
during the first few days of class. This document will outline
the requirements of the course and explain the basis for assignment
of class grades. It is important to note that each instructor
has the right to grade according to his or her own academic criteria.
Standards
of Academic Progress
The College will monitor your ongoing academic progress in terms
of established standards. These standards will place you in
one
of the following categories, depending on your grade point average
and the percentage of classes you successfully complete
- Satisfactory Progress
- Academic Warning
- Probation
- Suspension
Later on, return to this section and read it
in more detail.
Student
Rights and Responsibilities
There are other important rules and regulations that you should
also be aware of. The section that covers academic honesty is
especially important for you to review. Review it more thoroughly
when you get a chance.
“Complete Worksheet Part 3 Now”
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