Academic Standing

The following information is directly from the 2011-2012 College Catalog, pg. 25. To download a full pdf version of the catalog, click here.

Developmental Courses

When the instructor of a developmental course (e.g., ENG*003, ENG*013, MAT*075) wishes to indicate that a student has made progress but has not completed all the needed developmental work, the instructor may issue an “M” (Maintaining Progress) for the course. Please note that remedial/developmental courses do not count towards degree requirements.

Transcripts

Official transcripts of grades will be mailed to students or directly to educational institutions or prospective employers by arrangement with the Records Office.

Academic Probation and Dismissal

Satisfactory completion of 50 percent of the courses attempted will be the minimum standard for good standing.

Students who have completed 11 or fewer credits, and whose Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) falls below 1.5, will be given a written warning.  Students who have completed between 12 and 30 credits inclusive whose CGPA falls below 1.7, and those who have completed 31 or more credits whose CGPA falls below 2.0, will be given a written notice that they are placed on academic probation.

Students placed on academic probation will be required to take a reduced course load for one semester.

Students who, after being placed on academic probation for one semester and after taking a reduced course load, fail to attain the required CGPA as shown above, will be notified in writing that they are suspended for one semester.

After the period of suspension, students may be reinstated, either as regular or probationary students, upon application to the College.

Attendance

Students are permitted 50 minutes of absence per term for each credit of a course without penalty of any kind. For a course meeting twice a week, two absences are allowed; for a course meeting once a week, one absence is allowed.  Absences are meant to assist students through illnesses and accidents; they are not meant to function as free days.  The consequences of exceeding these limits are determined by instructors as part of their individual policies. These policies are distributed in all classes at the beginning of each term. 

If an instructor is late for class, students are required to wait at least ten minutes before leaving. However, if the instructor has indicated in advance that he or she will be late, students are required to wait until the instructor arrives.

Religious Accommodation

If your religious obligations conflict with the course calendar requirements and you wish to request an accommodation, you must make your request in writing prior to the date of the assessment or activity you will miss and preferably at the beginning of the semester.  When requesting a make-up quiz, test, exam, assignment, or activity, state the reason for your request and the date(s) on which your religious obligation(s) will conflict with the course calendar requirements.   Also, if your religious obligation/holiday is unfamiliar to your instructor, you may be asked to provide a calendar which shows the published date(s) of your religious observance(s) or holiday(s).

Plagiarism and Academic Honesty Statement

Both plagiarism and cheating are grounds for a student’s immediate dismissal from the College.  At MxCC we expect the highest standards of academic honesty.  Academic dishonesty is prohibited in accordance with the Board of Regent's Proscribed Conduct Policy in Section 5.2.1 of the Board of Regent’s Policy Manual.  This policy prohibits cheating on examinations, unauthorized collaboration on assignments, unauthorized access to examinations or course materials, plagiarism, and other proscribed activities.  Plagiarism is defined as the use of another’s idea(s) or phrase(s) and representing that/those idea(s) as your own, either intentionally or unintentionally.”  (Board of Regent’s Policy 5.2.1)

Academic Appeals

In the event of severe illness or other extenuating circumstances, students may appeal their academic standing to the Dean of Learning and Student Development.

Dean’s List

Full-time students and part-time students enrolled in three credits or more are eligible for semester honors or Dean’s List.  To achieve Dean’s List, a student must have a grade point average of 3.4, have no “W”, and have no Incompletes.  In the case of Incompletes, once a grade is assigned upon completion of the coursework (see Incomplete Grade Policy) and a new grade point average calculated, any honors for which a student is eligible may be entered on the student’s record retroactively.

Graduation

Students should indicate their intention to graduate by filling out the appropriate form in the Records Office no later than April 15 of the academic year in which they intend to graduate.  To be eligible, students must have:

• Successfully completed an entire curriculum pattern, including the total credits for the pattern
• Earned a cumulative G.P.A. of 2.0 or better
• Earned a minimum of 15 semester hours at MxCC 
•  Met the “L” course and “D” course requirements (Please see page 60 for additional information on “L” and “D” courses.)  Note that transfer students entering with 30 or more credits are exempt from “L” and “D” course requirements.
• Satisfied all financial obligations to the College

Second Degree

Students who already hold academic degrees may earn second degrees in a different curriculum at a community college. Such students are treated as transfer students with respect to the minimum number of credits they must take for the second degree. Students who wish to earn a second degree from MxCC will be required to:

• Complete a minimum of 15 credits (25 percent of the minimum requirements for the second degree) beyond the number required for the initial degree
• Fulfill all second degree requirements

Connecticut Community College Academic Honors

Honors for exemplary academic achievement are awarded to Connecticut Community College students at the end of each semester and at graduation.  On July 23, 2001, the Board of Regents, in accord with recommendations from college administrators and faculty, adopted a common policy for all colleges in the system that governs the awarding of honors for exemplary academic achievement. This policy includes the following eligibility requirements:

Semester Honors (Dean’s List):

A 3.4 grade point average for the semester (Part-time students enrolled in three credits or more are eligible for semester honors.)

Please note: An official withdrawal or incomplete grade* for any class during the semester will make the student ineligible for semester honors.  However, once a grade is assigned upon completion of the coursework in accord with the specific guidelines described below, and a new grade point average calculated, any honors for which the student is eligible may be entered on the student’s academic record retroactively.

Graduation Honors, designated in Latin or English:

3.9 to 4.0 grade point average   - Summa Cum Laude or Highest Honors

3.7 to 3.89 grade point average - Magna Cum Laude or High Honors

3.4 to 3.69 grade point average - Cum Laude or Honors

Please note: An incomplete grade* for any class during the semester will make the student ineligible for honors at graduation. However, upon completion of the coursework, if the student has earned the required grade point average, the appropriate level of recognition will be noted on the student’s official transcript.

* An incomplete (“I”) is a temporary grade assigned by a faculty member at the end of a semester when the student has agreed to complete missing coursework or assignments.  Extenuating circumstances such as illness are required for such a postponement of a final grade, and the Board requires an official report form and a standard timeframe for a student to complete the work (the 10th week of the next regular semester) and for the faculty member to convert the incomplete to a letter grade (the end of that next regular semester). 

Once a letter grade has been assigned by the faculty member, the Board’s policy allows the student to receive any honors (semester or graduation) for which the new grade point average, including the revised grade, makes the student eligible.

Academic Prizes

The following prizes are awarded at the Annual Awards Program in May:

Middlesex Community College Foundation Student Senator Prize*

Established to honor a member of the Student Senate who has demonstrated outstanding service to the College and its students.

Jesse J. Salafia Prize

Established by Mr. Jesse J. Salafia, a member of the original College Advisory Council, and awarded to a student planning a career in nursing.

Shapiro Prize*

Established by the Shapiro family of Middletown and awarded for excellence in marketing.

Wilbert and Jeanette Snow Prize*

Established to honor Governor Wilbert Snow, one of the founding fathers of the College, and his wife Jeanette. Awarded for exemplary competence and high potential in business.

Thirteen additional prizes in various academic areas also are awarded by the Middlesex Community College Foundation, Inc.

* These prizes are administered through the Middlesex Community College Foundation, Inc.

Board of Regents Medallion for Academic Excellence

The Board of Regents Medallion for Academic Excellence is awarded in recognition of outstanding academic accomplishment of associate degree graduates of the community colleges and is presented at commencement.  To be eligible, a recipient must be a graduating student who has earned a cumulative grade point average of 4.0 and must have completed at least 50% of the degree requirements in residence at the community college awarding the degree.