2008-2009 Student Handbook
Specialized Programs
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Academic Departments:
- Business and Economic Studies
- Dean Francis Polk
Barbara Napolitano,
Coordinator
3rd floor, Instructional Building, Room 321, (732)
255-0390
Ed Kissling,
Coordinator of Legal Studies
2nd Floor, Instructional Building, Room 303
Computer Studies- Dean Francis Polk
Mary Burke,
Coordinator
Technology Building, Room 225
(732) 255-0358
- English and Literature
- Dean George Perabo
Judith Angona,
Coordinator of English
2nd floor, Russell Building, Room 215
(732) 255-0375
Health and Human Performance- Dean James Brown,
Ph.D.
Kathy Malachowski,
Coordinator
Health & Physical Education Center
(732) 255-0395
Health Sciences: Nursing and Allied Health- Dean James Brown,
Ph.D.
Health Sciences Building
(732) 255-0395
Humanities, Fine Arts, and Media Studies- Dean Martin
Novelli, Ph.D., J.D.
Fine Arts Building
(732) 255-0338
Mathematics- Dean Carolyn
Showalter
1st Floor, Russell Building
(732) 255-0400 x2158
Science and Engineering Studies- Dean James Brown,
Ph.D.
Marc LaBella,
Coordinator of Science
Hiering Science Building, Room 134
(732) 255-0400 x2175
Social Science, Education and Public Service- Dean Richard
Strada
Joseph Kirchhofer,
Coordinator of Criminal Justice
3rd floor, Instructional Building, Room 304
Bradford Young,
Coordinator of Social Science
3rd Floor, Instructional Building, Room 303
(732) 255-0381 or (732) 255-0400, x2211
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Academic Adjustments:
Any student with an identified disability is invited
to make contact with Disability Services in the center
for Academic Services to discuss issues that may relate
to equal access to their educational program.
Academic
Honesty:
Academic honesty is a matter of deep concern to everyone
connected with OCC. A fundamental claim of any institution
of higher learning is its right to Academic Freedom,
both to teach and to learn. A necessary precondition
of academic freedom is the honesty of each individual
member of the college community. Each member of the
faculty and each student bears a fundamental responsibility
for maintaining the condition of freedom through the
exercise of integrity. Therefore, any breach of academic
honesty requires a clear and concise policy to guide
faculty members and students through the adjudication
of this most serious offense.
Cheating and Plagiarism Policy:
- Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited
to, plagiarism, cribbing and cheating on examinations,
quizzes, class projects or papers. Any student aiding
another student in any form of dishonesty is considered
equally guilty.
- Faculty members shall make clear to their students
at the beginning of each course the importance of
complete honesty in all academic work and they should
clearly define plagiarism. Additionally, faculty members
shall clarify the distinction between “major”
and “minor” works as each relates to the
course and this policy. Finally, faculty members should
take every reasonable precaution to prevent situations
where cheating and plagiarism may occur.
- Penalties for plagiarism and cheating are as follows:
(See “Procedure #5180” for implementation.)
a. In all cases, the normal academic penalty
assigned by the faculty members will be zero grades.
b. For an offense on a minor work (homework,
quizzes, etc), the Department Dean will report the
offense to the Dean of Special Services. This report
will remain on file until such time as the student
graduates. A second minor offense will result in penalties
stipulated in Item 3c.
c. For an offense on a major work (term paper,
midterm examination, final examination), the Department
Dean will report the offense to the Dean of Special
Services. The Department Dean will setup a committee
on Plagiarism for judgment. The penalty to be assigned
by the Committee for adjudged academic dishonesty
on a major work will be:
- Dismissal from the course in question for the
remainder of the semester with the applicable
grade of “F” or “W” to
be assigned by the Instructor, or:
- Suspension from the college for a period of
time to be determined by the Committee or the
Dean of Special Services.
d. In all cases students may either request
or waive their rights to a hearing. In cases involving
a first offense on a minor work (b, above), where
a hearing is requested, the Dean of Special Services
will reach a decision concerning the appeal. In
cases involving a second offense or an offense on
a major work (c, above) where a hearing is waived,
the Dean of Special Services will determine the
penalty, (C1 or 2, above) after reviewing the case.
In those cases where the Dean of Special Services
imposes a sanction, the student shall have the right
to appeal such a decision to the Committee. During
such an appeal all sanctions imposed by the Dean
of Special Services will be held in abeyance.
Academic Restriction/Suspension:
Developmental Probation:
Students who fail to receive a
grade of “C” or better in a developmental
Mathematics course may be placed on developmental probation.
- 1. Full-time students placed
on developmental probation will be limited to 12 credits
(four courses) and must reenroll immediately in the
developmental Mathematics course.
2. Part-time students placed on developmental probation
must include the developmental Mathematics course
as part of their course load in the next semester
in which they enroll.
- Developmental Restriction:
- Students failing to attain a grade of C or better
in the developmental reading (ENGL 010 or ENGL 011)
or developmental writing (ENGL 020 or ENGL 021) courses
will be placed on developmental restriction.
Students placed on developmental restriction are limited
to a maximum credit load of 6 semester hours. The
credit load must include the needed developmental
course(s).
-
- Developmental Suspension:
- Students failing to attain a grade of C or better
in their second attempt of a developmental course
will be placed on developmental suspension and will
not be permitted to register for any credits for a
one-year period. Students placed on developmental
suspension will be encouraged to seek additional help
from individuals or agencies outside the institution,
such as private tutors or the adult high schools,
before applying for readmission. After the one-year
suspension period, readmission will be permitted if
the student can pass a reentry exam. Upon readmission,
the student must immediately reenroll in the failed
developmental course(s).
Students wishing to appeal any of the preceding
sanctions must put it in writing to the Academic Standards
Committee.
- Academic Sanctions for Unsatisfactory
Academic Standards/Progress:
- The academic sanctions for failing to maintain satisfactory
academic standards/progress may include probation,
special probation, academic restriction and academic
suspension. These sanctions will be imposed on students
who either fail to earn sufficient grade points or
who continue to withdraw excessively from classes.
More specifically any student who has completed 12
or more semester hours with a grade point average
below 2.00 ( C average) will have an academic sanction
for grade point deficiency imposed. In addition, any
student whose grade point average is below 2.00 and
who also has failed to earn at least 50% of all credits
registered for on the official day of counting student
enrollment for two or more consecutive semesters during
which he/she has attempted at least 6 credits will
have an academic sanction imposed in accordance as
previously detailed under Academic Restriction/Suspension
.
- Academic Warning Notices:
- Instructors have the option of submitting a notice
of unsatisfactory progress to students in their classes
at any time during the semester in order to advise
the student of his/her academic standing in the class.
- A.D.A. (Americans with Disabilities
Act):
- See related issues under Academic Adjustments, and
Disabilities.
- Attendance:
- Attendance
at all classes and appointments is expected. Absences
affect the student's own academic achievement and
detract from the value of the class for the instructor
and for other students. The student should use mature
judgement and consult with the instructor concerning
unavoidable absences from class. Students are responsible
for all work missed.
At the beginning of the course, the instructor will
state the course s attendance policy. A student may
withdraw on an official withdrawal form without academic
penalty at any time up to mid-course. After mid-course,
it is the instructor s responsibility to assign the
appropriate grade of W or F to a student whose
absences exceed the limit.
The following procedures are in effect for classes,
laboratories, seminars and/or other instructional
modes:
-
1. The limit of absences set by each individual
instructor cannot be less than ten percent (10%)
of the regularly scheduled class meetings per semester.
At the beginning of the course, the instructor will
state the course s attendance policy.
2. When a student s absences have reached the limit
set by the instructor, the instructor may issue
a warning statement to the student. After any additional
absences, whether or not a warning statement has
been sent, the instructor may, through the Vice
President of Academic Affairs Office:
-
- a. Prior to and including mid-course, assign
a grade of W
b. After mid-course, assign the appropriate grade
of W or F .
-
In either case, the instructor will request the Vice
President of Academic Affairs to administratively
withdraw the student from the course.
-
-
- Absences for Religious Holidays:
- Students who have a conflict between their class
and bonafide religious observance should consult with
their instructors prior to observance of the religious
holiday.
- Audit:
- A student may elect to audit a course at the time
of registration or during the drop/add period.
This may not be declared after the first week of classes.
A grade of R will be assigned for this course and
the normal tuition rate will apply. The necessary
forms may be obtained at the Office of Registration
and Records and must be presented at the time of registration.
- College Placement Test:
- All students who have made application to Ocean
County College must take the Accuplacer, a computer
college placement test.
1. Any student wishing to be a full-time student,
must take the Accuplacer test before registering for
the first semester.
2. Any part-time student must take the Accuplacer
before registering for an English or Mathematics course.
3. Part-time students will be allowed to take up to
eleven credits in subjects other than English or Mathematics
before the Accuplacer must be taken.
4. Any student may challenge the results of the Accuplacer
test by taking the test one additional time. Challenge
testing is not permitted once the student has enrolled
in the developmental class.
5. Accuplacer scores are considered valid for a period
of three years.
- Exemptions: SAT Scores
- 1. Any student scoring 500 or better on Verbal portion
of the SAT examination, will receive an exemption
from taking the English portion of the Accuplacer
test.
2. Any student scoring 500 or better on Mathematics
portion of the SAT examination, will receive an exemption
from taking the Mathematics portion of the Accuplacer
test.
3. Students, who wish to be exempted from the Accuplacer
test because of a qualifying SAT score, must provide
the Testing Center with a copy of their SAT Scores
before any exemption is made.
- Other Exemptions: Coursework at
other Colleges
- 1. Students who provide proof of a completed college
degree (Associates degree or higher) may provide documentation
of that degree to the Testing Center for an exemption
from the Accuplacer test.
2. Students, who have successfully completed a college
level English or a college level Mathematics course
at another college, may provide a transcript to the
Testing Center for an exemption from the Accuplacer
test in the appropriate subject area.
Note: Students with disabilities need an official
statement documenting their eligibility for special
testing arrangements. These students are encouraged
to contact the Center for Academic Services at 255-0456
for more information.
- Cheating:
- See Academic Honesty.
-
- Credit by Examination:
- Credit from nonaccredited institutions and/or credit
for work experience may be granted to fully matriculated
students for appropriate courses on the basis of examination
with approval of the Department Dean and the Vice
President of Academic Affairs. Credit by exam is considered
transfer credit . A fee will be assessed for each
examination. Request forms are available in the Office
of Admissions and Records. (Note: Transfer/Credit
by Exam cannot exceed 30/32 credit maximum)
-
-
- Disabilities:
- The Disability Services of the Center for Academic
Services will ensure programmatic access to students
with disabilities. A student must selfidentify in
order to be assessed for services. Students have the
right of confidentiality whether or not they choose
to accept services that may be offered from the college.
- Faculty Advisor:
- All full-time students should be assigned a faculty
advisor. The faculty advisor must approve and sign
registration forms.
Grading System: -
| Grade |
Standard |
Quality Points |
| A |
Excellent |
4.0 |
| B+ |
Very Good |
3.5 |
| B |
Good |
3.0 |
| C+ |
Above Average |
2.5 |
| C |
Average |
2.0 |
| D |
Passing - Below Average
|
1.0 |
| F |
Failure |
0.0 |
| T |
Transfer |
0.0 |
| I |
Incomplete |
0.0 |
| R |
Registered for Audit |
0.0 |
| W |
Withdrawn |
0.0 |
| P |
Pass |
0.0 |
| *P |
Pass (with credit) |
0.0 |
| NC |
No Credit |
0.0 |
Semester hours of credit in which a grade of A, B+,
B, C+, C, D or F has been received are defined as “attempted”
semester hours. These grades count as attempted hours
in computing the cumulative grade point average.
Semester hours of credit in which a grade of A, B+,
B, C+, C, D or *P has been received are defined as “earned”
semester hours. Quality points are earned for A, B+,
B, C+, C, or D grades and thus affect the cumulative
grade point average.
Grades of R, T, NC, or W are neither “earned”
nor “attempted”. These do not affect the
cumulative grade point average.
The grade of I (incomplete) may be awarded by an instructor
if he/she approves a request received from the student
no later than the day of the final examination. A valid
reason for the request must be offered. Approval of
the request will allow 30 days from the beginning of
the next regular semester for the work to be completed.
If the student is enrolled in a course for which the
“I” grade course is a pre-requisite however,
the work for the incomplete course must be made up by
the fifth day of the next regular semester or the student
must withdraw from the higher level course. Extensions
in both cases may be granted by the instructor with
the consent of the Vice President of Academic Affairs.
When the work is completed, the permanent grade will
be recorded by the instructor and a corrected grade
report will be prepared. An incomplete grade will automatically
convert to the grade of “F” if the work
is not completed by the end of 30 days into the next
regular semester.
A student may only repeat a course in which a grade
of D or F was received. Only the repeat grade, even
if it is lower, will be applied to the cumulative grade
point average and toward degree credits. This grade
will be marked “Repeat”. The former grade
will remain on the student’s permanent record
and will be included on all transcripts but will not
be applied to the cumulative grade point average or
degree credits.
- Graduation Requirements:
- 1. To qualify as a candidate for an Associate in
Arts, Associate
- in Science or an Associate in Applied Science degree,
a student must have:
- a. Earned a minimum of 64 credit hours (or as otherwise
specified for certain curricula) of nondevelopmental
credit which includes all courses required by the
student s curriculum of choice, and accrued sufficient
grade points for a cumulative grade point average
of 2.000 (average grade of C ).
b. The following are minimum general education requirements:
- 2. a. As long as the maximum allowable of 32 transfer
credit
- hours is not exceeded, a student who has matriculated
at another accredited institution may transfer back
to Ocean County College a maximum of 9 credit hours
for the purpose of completing his/her degree requirements.
Under circumstances totally beyond the control of
the student concerned, the maximum allowable may be
exceeded by petitioning the Academic Standards Committee
which could approve up to 24 credit hours to be transferred
back to meet degree requirements.
b. Service personnel on active duty and their dependents
must meet all College degree requirements with the
following exceptions:
-
(1)A minimum of 24 semester hours of the
64 required must be earned through attendance of
classes at Ocean County College.
(2)These 24 semester hours may be earned at any
time during the student's candidacy for a degree.
- 3. Candidates must file an application for graduation
on a form
- provided by the Registrar not later than March 1st
of the year in which they expect to graduate.
- 4. Candidates are not required to be present at
the scheduled
- commencement ceremony.
-
- 5. A candidate whose final cumulative grade point
average is
- 3.50 or higher will be graduated with honors based
on the following:
-
3.50 - 3.79 cum laude (with honors)
3.80 - 3.89 magna cum laude (with high honors)
3.90 - 4.00 summa cum laude (with highest honors)
- A student graduating with honors will receive an
emblem on the diploma indicating the honors category.
The appropriate honors distinction shall also be shown
on the student s official college transcript.
6. Normally only one degree will be conferred upon
a student
- at the annual commencement. Exceptions must be approved
by the Academic Standards Committee.
- 7. All specific courses required for the second
degree must be
- completed without repeating any previous courses
in which credit was earned. Neither will any courses
judged to be at a lower academic level than those
previously completed be used toward the second degree.
-
- 8. No less than 18 additional credit hours, including
those
- required, must be earned beyond the number established
for the initial degree.
-
- 9. The prescribed procedure will be followed in
filing an
- application for a second degree.
-
- 10. Additional degrees beyond the second normally
will not be
- granted. Exceptions must be approved by the Academic
Standards Committee.
-
- Pass/No Credit Grading:
- Full-time students who have completed the freshman
year may register for one elective course outside
their major field on a Pass basis each semester beginning
with the second year. A part-time student who has
earned a minimum of 28 semester hours of credit may
register on a Pass/No Credit basis for one elective
course during any succeeding semester for a maximum
of three courses. Students so registered are expected
to complete all course requirements.
-
- The grade of P will be recorded for successful
completion of each course with semester hours of credit
applied toward a degree. A grade of NC (no credit)
will be used to indicate unsuccessful completion of
the course and will appear on the permanent record
but will not affect the grade point average.
-
- Plagiarism:
- See Academic Honesty.
-
- President s Honors List:
- The President s Honors List is official recognition
by the faculty of outstanding academic achievement.
A student who has completed a minimum of twelve credits
with no grade lower than C in a given semester
and has achieved a semester grade point average of
3.50 or better qualifies for thishonor. The President
s Honors List is compiled at the end of each semester,
including the summer sessions.
Part-time students (taking less than 12 credits in
a given semester) are eligible for this honor at the
completion of sixteen, thirty-two, forty-eight and
sixty-four credit hours respectively, having a cumulative
grade point average of 3.5 or better.
-
- Religious Holidays:
- See Attendance.
-
- Research Paper Policy:
- Unless a particular documentation format or another
text is prescribed by the instructor involved, the
most current edition of Rules for Writers,
by Diana Hacker, shall serve as the general guide
and standard for the entire college in all areas related
to research paper form. Information about research
and source documentation is also available on the
OCC Library website. Questions regarding research
methods should be directed to your instructor for
clarification.
- Suspension:
- See Academic Restriction/Suspension.
-
- Withdrawal from Class:
- A student who wishes to withdraw from any course
must obtain a form from the Office of Admissions and
Records, An official withdrawal from a course must
be signed by the instructor and returned to the Office
of Admissions and Records with the last date of attendance.
A student may withdraw without academic penalty at
any time up to mid-semester. It will be the instructor
s responsibility to assign the appropriate mark of
W or F to the student who withdraws after mid-semester.
Note: An instructor s signature is not required during
the scheduled Drop/Add period.
- Withdrawal from College:
- A total withdrawal by a full-time student after
the tenth day of classes should be discussed with
a counselor. The withdrawal form must be signed by
each instructor and returned to the Office of Admissions
and Records. The official date of withdrawal will
be the date of last attendance in each class the student
attended.
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