Academic Grievance Procedure

Greenville Technical College encourages students to resolve academic grievances informally by discussing their concerns with the appropriate instructor and department head. For information about the grievance process, please see the “Student Grievance Procedure” section of the Student Code, which appears in this handbook.

Academic Forgiveness Policy

The Academic Forgiveness Policy is designed to allow students, under specific circumstances, to have grades earned in previous academic terms excluded from the overall calculation of their cumulative grade point average (GPA). This policy gives students some input into how their previous academic records impact the completion of graduation requirements for certificates, diplomas or associate degrees. Interested students should contact Student Records for more information or for an application.

Specific circumstances are required:

• Students may submit an application for Academic Forgiveness for any semester completed five years prior to the date of the written application.
• There is a limit of two consecutive semesters/quarters that a student can petition for exclusion. The consecutive semesters/quarters may or may not include the summer term.
• A student may petition for Academic Forgiveness only one time during his or her academic career at Greenville Technical College.
• Academic Forgiveness includes all grades completed during the relevant term.
• Forgiven courses do not count toward total credit hours, cumulative grade point average or the completion of any certificate, associate, or bachelor degree.
• Students may not petition to exclude any course grade that has already counted toward an earned certificate, diploma, associate, or bachelor degree.
• Students may not transfer excluded courses to another institution for credit.
• Once Academic Forgiveness is granted, a student may not reverse the process.
• Student Records will maintain a copy of the Academic Forgiveness application in the student’s permanent record.
• Excluded courses and grades will appear on the student’s transcript but will be designated with a strikethrough (X) on the course information and grades.
• State and federal policies related to the determination of scholarships, student financial aid or other matters associated with student cumulative grade point average or attempted credit hours supersede this local policy.
• All courses completed during the requested semester(s)/quarter(s) will be excluded from the cumulative GPA calculation. There is no option to include some courses and exclude others during the specific semester(s)/quarter(s). Exclusion of the semester(s)/quarter(s) courses means that the courses cannot be counted towards completion of a certificate, diploma, associate degree, or bachelor degree.

Academic Integrity Policy

Greenville Technical College values academic integrity as an unconditional requirement for reputable scholarship. Conversely, the college rejects all forms of academic misconduct. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, fabrication and sabotage whether in person, in writing or electronically:

Cheating includes, but is not limited to, the following actions:

• Copying from another student’s test or any other assigned work.
• Using unauthorized materials or equipment during a test or assignment.
• Collaborating with any other person on any academic work without permission.
• Knowingly obtaining, using, buying, selling, transporting or soliciting, in whole or in part, the contents of a test or other assigned work.
• Posting or allowing others to post parts or all of tests or graded assignments electronically so that others may view them.
• Bribing or coercing any other person to obtain tests or information about a test or other assigned work.
• Substituting for another student or permitting any other person to substitute for oneself.
• Cooperating or aiding in any of the above for any other person or oneself.

Collusion occurs when one accepts, solicits or knowingly assists another person in an act of academic misconduct.

Fabrication means the known use of false, misleading or invented information in a test or other academic work including the sources of information.

Plagiarism occurs when any portion of another person’s work is presented as one’s own without properly acknowledging the original author. Self-plagiarism is the reuse of significant, identical or nearly identical portions of a student’s own work without acknowledging that (s)he is doing so or citing the original work. With the exception of common knowledge, students are responsible for crediting all sources of information; what is considered common knowledge may differ from course to course.

• A student must not adopt or reproduce ideas, opinions, theories, formulas, graphics or pictures of another person without acknowledgment.
• A student must give credit for originality and acknowledge the source whenever:
  • Directly quoting another person’s actual words, whether oral or written;
  • Using another person’s ideas, opinions or theories;
  • Paraphrasing the words, ideas, opinions or theories of others, whether oral or written;
  • Borrowing facts, statistics or illustrative material;
  • Offering materials assembled or collected by others in the form of projects or collections without acknowledgment.
• Self-plagiarism is the reuse of significant, identical or nearly identical portions of one’s own work in the same or different context without acknowledging that one is doing so or citing the original work.

Note: Students are advised to take advantage of safeguards that the college has in place to help them avoid committing plagiarism.

Sabotage occurs when one purposely attempts to undermine the academic work of another student or an instructor.

Academic Misconduct Procedure

An instructor having reason to believe that a student has committed academic misconduct shall gather relevant information and materials and complete the Academic Misconduct Referral Form (AMRF). The instructor shall communicate with the student within 5 college business days of learning of the academic misconduct to present the allegation and give the student an opportunity to refute it. When possible, the instructor’s supervisor shall attend the meeting as a witness. During the meeting, the student is expected to sign and date the AMRF. The instructor will establish an alternative process to sign the forms if the meeting is held virtually.  If the instructor concludes the charge is valid, they will recommend a sanction and forward the AMRF and supporting documentation to the student and the academic dean within 2 college business days after the student meeting or discussion.

The instructor may recommend one or more of the following sanctions: 

1. Assign a lower grade to the work;
2. Require the student to repeat or resubmit the work; 
3. Assign a failing grade for the course; and/or
4. Require the student to withdraw from the course;

A student who commits academic misconduct, but is not enrolled in the course where the work is assigned, may be charged with student misconduct, which will be referred to the dean of students in accordance with Student Misconduct procedures.

The academic dean will review the AMRF, as well as any college records of other misconduct, and either: 

1. Affirm the misconduct and the sanction;
2. Affirm the misconduct, but change the sanction; or
3. Disagree with the finding of misconduct and the sanction.

The dean may impose higher sanctions, including suspension and expulsion if deemed appropriate for repeated or persistent acts of academic misconduct at the college. The dean will forward the finalized AMRF by certified mail and email to the student and copies to the instructor and chief academic officer within 5 college business days from receipt of the form.

The student may appeal the decision of the dean within 5 college business days of notice by sending an email to the chief academic officer using their Greenville Technical College email address.

If the misconduct is appealed, the chief academic officer will appoint a dean not involved in the underlying decision as the “hearing officer.” The hearing officer will handle the appeal and convene a hearing panel with 2 faculty members (who shall not be from the program where the conduct occurred). The hearing shall be held within 10 college business days of the student’s request for appeal, absent extenuating circumstances. All parties will be given 5 college business days’ notice of the hearing.

The hearing will be closed to everyone except the parties and any relevant witnesses. The student may bring one other person into the hearing, but that person will not be allowed to address the hearing panel. Witnesses will come into the hearing room one at a time. The panel may record the hearing but not the deliberations. No one other than the panel may take notes, record or be given access to notes or recordings. The panel will use the standard of “clear and convincing,” which means that the information presented shows that it is highly probable that the violation(s) occurred. The panel will make its decision by a majority vote for both violations and sanctions. The hearing officer will send a decision by certified mail and email to the student, with a copy to the instructor and chief academic officer within 2 college business days of the hearing.

The decision of the hearing panel is final and not subject to further review.

To allow for extenuating circumstances, the chief academic officer has the discretion to adjust reporting and meeting deadlines associated with the academic misconduct procedures.

Whenever practical and reasonable, the student should be allowed to remain in class until the process is completed.

Copyright and Intellectual Property Rights

In general, copyright is a form of legal protection extended to the creators of “original works of authorship,” including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic and certain other intellectual works. Copyright protection exists from the moment a work takes on a fixed form, and it pertains to both published and unpublished works. United States Copyright Law generally gives copyright owners exclusive rights to reproduce the work; prepare derivative works; distribute copies to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease or lending; and, if applicable, perform, display or transmit the work publicly.

Intellectual property (IP), in general, is a broader term defined as patentable inventions, discoveries, processes, mass works, tangible research property, trademarks, service marks, software and other copyrightable works. It refers to any product of intellectual value that is unique, novel, unobvious and/or original, or otherwise subject to copyright or patent protection pursuant to Title 17 or Title 35 of the U.S. Code of Laws.

The college does not claim ownership of intellectual property developed by students, faculty or staff who create original works or inventions on their own time using their own resources. The college may, however, retain whole or partial ownership when students, faculty or staff create intellectual property works in fulfillment of program or course requirements or while using significant resources provided by the college. Additionally, students, faculty or staff may be required to waive their rights to intellectual property that is specifically developed for outside entities as part of a course or other college assignment or responsibilities. The college and outside entities may require a written ownership agreement regarding intellectual property ownership and royalties. Additional information is available for copyright and intellectual property and may be viewed on the website at https://www.gvltec.edu/administrative-policies/.

Academic Standing

Greenville Technical College has implemented a progressive support system to help students enrolled in curriculum programs maintain good academic standing. Student cumulative grade point averages (GPAs) are updated at the end of each term. Academic Standing notifications are emailed to students who are no longer in Good Standing. Note that students who receive financial aid may face additional consequences that should be discussed with the Office of Financial Aid.

Academic Status will be determined as follows:

Good Standing — A student who ends a semester with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher is considered in Good Standing.

Academic Notice — A student whose cumulative GPA falls below 2.0 will be placed on Academic Notice. It is highly recommended that a student on Academic Notice meet with a success coach who will assist the student in identifying and implementing successful practices.

Academic Alert — A student who is on Academic Notice but fails to earn a cumulative 2.0 GPA for the next enrolled semester will be placed on Academic Alert. These students will be required to contact their assigned advisor to register for classes. The college recommends that Academic Alert students take no more than 9 credit hours. A student’s success coach will continue to assist in identifying and implementing successful practices.

Academic Recovery — A student who is on Academic Alert but fails to earn a cumulative 2.0 GPA for the next enrolled semester will have two success options:

1. The student may decide to register for classes with the help of the Center for Student Advocacy. The college recommends that Academic Recovery students take no more than 8 credit hours. The student’s success coach will continue to assist in identifying and implementing successful practices. or
2. The student may decide to take the semester off. The student will be invited to an exit interview with the Center for Student Advocacy where a plan will be developed to help the student remain engaged with the college during the semester off and to help the student reenter when ready.

Academic Suspension — A student who is on Academic Recovery but fails to earn a cumulative 2.0 GPA for the next enrolled semester will be suspended from the college and will not be allowed to enroll for the next semester. The student will be invited to an exit interview with the Center for Student Advocacy where a plan will be developed to help the student remain engaged with the college during the semester off and to help the student reenter when ready. Upon return to the college, the student will be required to meet with the Center for Student Advocacy.

Attendance Policies

Attendance and participation are necessary for academic success. The student’s record of attendance will begin on the first day of the course, even if registration occurs after the semester has begun. Students are expected to attend and complete all scheduled instructional activities, both in class and online.

A student may withdraw from any course up to the published deadline. If the student drops the course during the add/drop period, no course tuition will be charged. If a withdrawal occurs after the drop/add period, tuition charges will result. Ceasing to attend class does not constitute an official withdrawal from the course and may result in financial aid consequences.  Refer to the Refund Policy (https://www.gvltec.edu/tuition-refunds/) for details.

Administrative removal from a course:

• If a student preregisters for a course but subsequently does not meet the prerequisite for the course, the college will delete the course from the student’s schedule and notify the student of the change via an official email address.
• If a student registers for a course but fails to pay the requisite tuition and fees by the deadline set by the college, the college will delete the course from the student’s schedule and notify the student of the change via an official college email address.

Administrative withdrawal due to attendance:

• Never in Class (NIC): During the add/drop period, students will be withdrawn if they do not attend class.  If a student registers for a course but fails to attend during the add/drop period (including failing to meet the criteria to be counted as present in an online course), the college will administratively withdraw the student from the course and assign a grade of WA (Administrative System Withdrawal).  No credits or grade points will be awarded, and the WA will not affect the GPA.  The student will be responsible for course payment in accordance with the college refund policy. The college will notify the student of the administrative withdrawal via the student’s official college email address.  For students receiving financial aid, this withdrawal will not count as a course attempt and will not affect future financial aid awards.
• 14-Day Rule: At any time during the semester and regardless of a student’s use of financial aid benefits, the college will withdraw a student who is not in attendance for 14 consecutive calendar days including weekends, holidays, college breaks and canceled class sessions, and college breaks lasting four days or less. Breaks of five or more days will be excluded from the 14-day attendance count. 
• Prior to the course last day to withdraw date, the college policy is to assign a grade of W (Withdrawn). No credits or grade points will be awarded and the W will not affect the GPA.   For students receiving financial aid, the course will count as an attempt and may affect future financial aid awards.  
• After the course last day to withdraw date, the college will assign a grade of WF (Withdrawn Failing) for the course, which will negatively affect the GPA calculation. The student will be responsible for course payment and will not be eligible for a refund. The college will notify the student of the administrative withdrawal via the student’s official college email address. For students receiving financial aid, the course will be recorded as an attempt and may affect future financial aid awards.  
• Students who have been administratively withdrawn from a course may request reinstatement. Reinstatements must be approved by the course instructor.

Administrative reinstatement into a course:

• A student who has been withdrawn from a course may request reinstatement if the student notified the instructor of absences as they occurred and has documentation to support those absences, if appropriate. Both the instructor and the department head must approve the reinstatement. Course, department and school policies regarding making up coursework will apply; the instructor’s decision regarding missed work will be final.
• The college will charge a reinstatement fee in accordance with the Tuition and Fee Schedule for each course for which reinstatement is approved – $75 per course.

With the approval of the chief academic officer, individual departments may set attendance requirements that are more stringent than those stated above if they are required by accreditation bodies or other similar oversight. Those requirements must be published in the course syllabus. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of the course attendance policy.

Note: Drops and/or withdrawals may affect the full-time or part-time enrollment status of a student including, but not limited to, VA and other financial aid benefits.

Auditing a Course

A student who wants to enroll in a college credit course but who does not wish to earn academic credit may register as an auditor. Audit status must be declared at the time of registration or during the add/drop period. Audit students must meet all course co-requisites and prerequisites unless the assigned instructor has provided written consent to waive them. No credit is awarded for audited courses. Audited courses may not be used to fulfill prerequisite requirements for any course or program. A student may audit no more than 12 credit hours per semester.

Auditing students are subject to the course attendance policy and must pay all tuition and fees for courses in which they enroll. Federal regulations stipulate that students cannot receive financial aid for courses being audited. The level of participation must be determined between the auditor and instructor at the beginning of the course. The student will earn a grade of AU. Students receiving an AU may not subsequently earn credit for that course through credit by any examination but may subsequently register and take the course for credit in accordance with policies and procedures for repeating an academic course. Students may not audit any developmental courses.

Note: Students who plan to transfer to other institutions should be aware that many colleges and universities do not allow students to take courses for credit after receiving an AU for the course. Students should check with transfer institutions prior to auditing a course.

Maximum Credit Hours

A student is considered full-time when registered for at least 12 credit hours during a fall, spring or summer semester. A student must petition the school dean to register for more than 18 credit hours during the fall or spring semester or for more than 15 credit hours during the summer semester. A student’s academic status may influence the maximum allowable credit hours a student may take.

Course Substitutions and Waivers

Course substitutions and waivers must be approved by the student’s academic program director.

Dropping, Adding and Withdrawing from Courses

Students may drop courses during the add/drop period for each course; students may add courses during the same period only before the class actually meets. Courses dropped during this period will not appear on the transcript. Students who withdraw from a course prior to the withdrawal deadline will earn a grade of W for that course, and the W will be reflected on the transcript. Refer to the college refund policy for information concerning refunds.

Students should not assume that they will be administratively withdrawn if they stop attending classes. It is the student’s responsibility to complete the process to withdraw from a course or courses prior to the published withdrawal deadline. Students may withdraw from any or all courses either electronically or through the Office of Student Records. Some students such as transient and career development students must complete the withdrawal process through the Office of Student Records. Any hold on a student’s account (due to fines owed or similar obligations to the college) will prevent a student from withdrawing electronically.

The dates for add, drop and withdrawal are tied to the particular session code and class section number as well as the start and end dates for a course. For example, a student who withdraws from a first-session course and adds a second-session course will incur tuition charges for the second-session course.

Note: Students are responsible for meeting the posted course withdrawal deadlines.

Grade Point Average

A student’s grade point average is the equivalent of his or her average for curriculum coursework.

Each letter grade has an equivalent point value: A — 4 points, B — 3 points, C — 2, D — 1 and F — 0. A student may determine the grade points for each course by multiplying the number of points a grade is worth times the number of credits the course carries. Thus, a B grade, worth three points, in a three-credit course is worth nine grade points; an A grade in the same three-credit course is worth 12 grade points.

The grade point average is found by adding the total grade point values for all courses and dividing by the total number of credits attempted during the same period of time.

Grading Scale

The following grades are used in calculating Grade Point Averages:

A— Excellent; earns credit hours; carries a value of four grade points per credit hour.
B— Above average; earns credit hours; carries a value of three grade points per credit hour.
C— Average; earns credit hours; carries a value of two grade points per credit hour.
D— Below average; earns credit hours; carries a value of one grade point per credit hour.
F — Failure; earns no credit hours; carries zero grade points per credit hour.

Prerequisites — Any course listed as a prerequisite must be passed with a grade of C or higher before the subsequent course may be taken.

Other Grades Used

AU — Audit; not used in GPA calculations; no credit or grade points.

I — Incomplete; indicates some work is incomplete in a course. “I” does not affect grade calculations and earns no credit hours. Note: An incomplete does affect student financial aid. Refer to the Incomplete Policy below for additional information. 

MI — Military Incomplete; refer to military service, duty, training or disaster relief policy.

NP — Grade recorded in lieu of a D or F earned in a course in which a student elected the course Pass/Nonpass option; does not earn credit, not used in GPA.

NR — No Report; indicates no grade was submitted.

P — Grade recorded in lieu of A, B or C earned in a course in which a student elected the course Pass/Nonpass option; earns credit, not used in GPA.

S — Satisfactory progress equivalent to a grade of C or higher.

TR — Transfer; given for certain equivalent Greenville Tech credits earned at other colleges, universities or technical colleges with a grade of C or higher. All TR grades must be supported by an official transcript of record from an accredited post-secondary institution.

U — Unsatisfactory progress equivalent to a grade of D or F.

W — Withdrawn; no credits or grade points; used when a student withdraws or when an instructor withdraws a student due to excessive absences (see Attendance Policy).

WA — Administrative System Withdrawal; no credits or grade points; used when a student enrolled in a class but never attended (NIC).

WF – Withdrawn failing. Failure due to absences; no credits but a grade point of zero for each credit hour will be used to calculate GPA. Used when a student is not in attendance for 14 consecutive calendar days (including non-class days, holidays and weekends) at any time during the semester including after the last day to withdraw.

Note: Grades that appear on a transcript cannot be changed after one calendar year.

Note: The Office of Financial Aid may compute grade point averages differently from academics, and the consequences of grades may vary for academic and financial aid purposes.

Incomplete Policy

An Incomplete is defined as academic work for which unforeseeable, emergency and justifiable reasons have not been finished at the end of the term. Emergencies and justifiable reasons do not include an opportunity to raise the grade earned; a student not taking the final exam without notification to the instructor as to why; or using the incomplete as a means to retake a portion of the course due to a non-passing grade.

Guidelines:

1. Student must have completed a vast majority of the work required for the course. Usually, the vast majority of work means at least 75% of the assignments required for grading must have been completed. 
2. Student must be passing the course with a grade of C or better.
3. No incompletes will be given prior to the last day to withdraw.
4. Student must request an incomplete in writing prior to an instructor’s submission of the final grade.
5. Students receiving an incomplete cannot enroll in a class for which the course receiving an “I” is required as a prerequisite until the “I” has been replaced by an applicable letter grade.
6. The incomplete may be made up no later than 90 days after the end of the term in which it was assigned, at which time the instructor’s grade shall be entered on the student’s academic record. 
7. The annotation on the student's transcript shall indicate the change from “I” to the grade earned.
8. A student may petition for an extension of 90 days due to unusual circumstances. The petition will be reviewed by the instructor whose decision shall be forwarded to the Department Head for approval.
9. The “I” will be changed to an F if all work is not completed satisfactorily by the assigned deadline. 

Transfer Credit

The college may accept comparable course-to-course transfer based on demonstrated learning competencies consistent with GTC courses, programs of study and credit requirements.

All transfer credits must be supported by an official transcript from a regionally accredited post-secondary institution or by special agreement. An official transcript bears the institution’s seal, current date and appropriate signatures, and the issuing college must send it directly to GTC. The college will accept system-generated electronic transcripts (ex. Parchment Exchange) that the issuing institution sends to studentrecords@gvltec.edu.

The college may or may not accept coursework from a non-regionally accredited institution. Additional documentation will be required for consideration.

Students requesting transfer credit from foreign institutions must have official transcripts sent directly from the issuing institution to a transcript evaluation service accredited by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). The transcript evaluation service will send a translated copy to the Transcript Evaluation Office. The transcript evaluation service will indicate whether the foreign institution is adequately accredited and list letter grades and American hours earned for all courses. GTC will not accept English coursework from a foreign country unless it is the native language of that country.

Credits that are accepted in transfer will be indicated by a grade of “TR” on the GTC transcript provided that the grade earned at the sending institution is “C” or above. While a “TR” grade earns credit hours, it does not generate grade points and is not used in GPA calculations.

GTC may accept transfer courses with a grade value of “pass” or “satisfactory” when the official transcript states that a “pass” or “satisfactory” is equivalent to a grade of “C” or higher.

In general, GTC will consider courses for transfer regardless of age; however, some programs may restrict the age of courses accepted for program admission, prerequisites and/or program completion.

Proficiency or credit by examination earned at another college or university is non-transferable.

To meet graduation requirements for a program at GTC, students must earn at least 25% of the total credit hours of their program of study through courses taken at GTC. Transfer credit will not count toward the 25%.

The 3-5 Transfer of Credit policy and procedures may be found on the college website.

Credit from Prior Learning Assessment (PLA)

Greenville Technical College recognizes both traditional and non-traditional learning and may award credit to currently enrolled students when learning can be documented to be substantially equivalent to a Greenville Technical College course needed for completion of a particular credential.

To meet graduation requirements for a program at Greenville Tech, students must earn at least 25 percent of the total required credit hours through courses taken at GTC.  Neither exemption credit, courses transferred from another institution, nor credit from alternate sources count toward the 25 percent. The following means of awarding credit are approved by the college but are not used in GPA calculations, will not generate grade points and do not count toward the 25 percent required hours through GTC. These credits may or may not be accepted as transfer credit at other institutions.  Transcripts and non-traditional learning documents used as the basis for these credits are provided for college use only, become part of official records and cannot be returned.

Note: Exemptions will not be granted for courses in which a student is currently enrolled (dropping a course during the add/drop period does not constitute enrollment), for a course in which a student was previously enrolled or for a course that has been audited.

Note: In the event the student transfers to another institution after GTC, the accepting institution may evaluate exemption credits independently.

TR – Transfer of credits — College credit with a grade of C or better from other regionally accredited and non-accredited post-secondary institutions may qualify for transfer credit. Credit will be awarded by the Office of Student Records/Transcript Evaluation after an official transcript has been received and evaluated according to the Transfer of Credit policy and procedures located on the college’s website.

Students seeking course exemption by any method listed below should submit a written petition for consideration. Program department heads or their designees will determine, maintain and present for college publication a listing of course eligibility and the type of exemption requirements.

EA – Exemption earned through Articulation with High Schools — Written agreements have been established with secondary schools to grant exemption credit for specific courses as Technical Advanced Placement (TAP).

EB – Exemption earned through Waiver of Prerequisite Requirements — The department head and/or academic program director may, at their discretion, grant course exemption to waive requirements for prerequisite courses.

EE – Exemption earned through Examination — Upon written petition from a currently enrolled student, the college may award credit by examination if evidence demonstrates special aptitude or knowledge on the part of the petitioner. Subject to prior written approval of the department head, academic program director or PLA evaluator, a student may complete an examination administered by an assigned exam proctor.

Exemptions will not be granted for courses in which a student is currently enrolled (dropping a course during the add/drop period does not constitute enrollment), for a course in which a student was previously enrolled or for a course which has been audited. Exemption exams may only be attempted one time.

Upon meeting the exemption requirements, the college will give credit hours identical to the number of credit hours normally assigned to the course at Greenville Technical College. The college may credit these hours toward graduation requirements.

The college will charge a fee as stated on https://www.gvltec.edu and the Student Application for PLA form for exemption earned through examination.

EI – Exemption earned through Business and Industry Work Experience — Currently enrolled students may request course exemption through business and industry work experience by submitting a written petition for consideration to the appropriate department head, academic program director or PLA evaluator. Methods to evaluate this experience may include demonstrating applicable skills or other documentation of acquired knowledge.

EM – Exemption earned through Military Experience — Currently enrolled students may request course exemption based upon military experience by submitting a written petition for consideration to the appropriate department head, academic program director or PLA evaluator. Courses and experience completed in the military and at military schools that are recommended by the American Council on Education (ACE) may qualify for exemption credit.

EN – Exemption earned through Articulation with Noncredit Coursework — Some noncredit coursework is eligible to transfer as academic credit. Currently enrolled students may request this credit by submitting a written petition for consideration to the appropriate department head, academic program director or PLA evaluator.

EO – Exemption earned through Advanced Placement (AP) examination — The college recognizes the quality of Advanced Placement (AP) examinations and will accept exemption credit for a score of 3, 4 or 5 on AP examinations. Credits awarded may vary according to subject area. Specific details may be obtained from the appropriate department head, academic program director or PLA evaluator.

EO – Exemption earned through International Baccalaureate (IB) examination — The college recognizes the academic challenges of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program and will award exemption credit to IB graduates who earn acceptable scores. Only IB-HL (higher-level) exams are eligible for consideration; IB-SL (standard-level) are not eligible. The student’s transcript must be sent directly to the Office of Students Records/Transcript Evaluation for review.

EO – Exemption earned through College Level Examination Program (CLEP/Dantes) — The college may award exemption credit to a student who makes satisfactory scores on CLEP subject exams. The appropriate department head, academic program director or PLA evaluator must approve course eligibility and exemption credit.

EP – Exemption earned through Portfolio — Currently enrolled students may request exemption credits through documented work or life experiences in the field in which a degree is being pursued by submitting a written petition to the appropriate department head, academic program director or PLA evaluator. This type of prior learning assessment may be used when exemption credit is not feasible through other means. As defined by the academic program, this requires submission of a compilation of documentation (i.e., portfolio) that demonstrates learned competencies, expertise and knowledge from career, military or volunteer service equivalent to the course outcomes for which credit is being sought. The college will charge a fee as stated on https://www.gvltec.edu and the Student Application for PLA form for exemption earned through portfolio review.

ET – Exemption earned through Professional Certifications — Currently enrolled students may request course exemption based upon professional certification by submitting a written petition to the appropriate department head, academic program director or PLA evaluator. Official documentation of current and valid professional certification is required. Exemption is based upon an external industry certification that indicates a student has met the competencies of a programmatic core or elective course.

Course Pass/Non-Pass Option

The Pass/Non-Pass grade option gives students the opportunity to complete a course without affecting their overall grade point average (GPA). Other benefits of this option include:

• Continuing to learn course content, making the course less challenging if it must be repeated for a passing grade
• Exploring an unfamiliar course topic without risk to GPA

Important: This option is not a withdrawal. Students approved for P/NP must continue to attend and participate in class. Attendance policies still apply. If a student is withdrawn for non-attendance, they will receive a grade of WF, which computes as a grade of F in the student’s GPA.

• Students must elect the P/NP option no later than the last class day of the semester. The last day of the semester is published on the GTC Calendar located on the website.  
• If approved for the P/NP option, a final grade of A, B, or C will be recorded as P and a final grade of D or F will be recorded as NP on the student's transcript. 
• Neither P nor NP is used in the grade point average calculation. 
• Course credit is awarded if a grade of P is earned. Credit is NOT awarded if a grade of NP is earned.
• Students may only earn P/NP grades in two college-level courses per transcript.
• A grade of P is considered a grade of C for those students applying to weighted admission programs within the School of Health Sciences.
• Requests for the P/NP grade option by students on academic recovery or suspension are not considered until final grades are submitted.
• Some scholarship criteria and honorary societies do not accept this grading system and may not accept the coursework.
• It is the student’s responsibility to investigate the implications of a course with a P/NP grade in their program of study and for transfer to other academic institutions. The GTC transcript will indicate that a grade of P is equivalent to a grade of C or higher, which is often accepted by 4-year institutions.

Grade Appeals

A student may appeal a final course grade only if the student can demonstrate that an inappropriate grade was assigned as a result of prejudice, discrimination, personal malice, caprice or circumstances such as mechanical, arithmetic or clerical error. The burden of proof is on the student.

A student who elects to appeal an academic grade is required to adhere to the following process:

Step 1. The student first appeals a final grade to the department head. The appeal must be written and submitted no later than 15 calendar days from the start of the following term. The department head will respond in writing within seven calendar days.

Step 2. If the appeal is not resolved at Step 1, the student may appeal to the applicable school dean. The student must submit a written statement, along with any documentation that he/she wishes considered, within seven calendar days after receipt of notification from the department head.

Step 3. The school dean will respond with a decision in writing to the student and department head within seven calendar days.

Step 4. If the appeal is not resolved in Step 3, the student may appeal to the vice president of learning & workforce development. This appeal must be written and submitted, along with any documentation to be considered, within seven calendar days after receipt of notification from Step 3. The vice president of learning & workforce development will review the appeal and determine further steps to be taken.

If necessary, the vice president of learning & workforce development will assemble a three-member appeal committee including one faculty member from the school in which the appeal was initiated but outside of the academic program concerned; one faculty member from another division/school; and one school dean. The student has the right to be assisted by any single advisor he/she chooses at his/her own expense. The student is responsible for presenting his/her own case, and therefore, advisors are not permitted to speak or to participate directly to the committee. This step, including any student and/or faculty interviews and the committee’s written response to the student by the school dean on the committee, should be completed within seven calendar days. The decision of the vice president of learning & workforce development or the appeal committee, if assembled, is final.

Repeating a Course

Students may register for a course a maximum of two times. All grades, including D, F, W, WA and WF, count toward the maximum of two registrations for a course. After two attempts, a student may register for the same class only after meeting with and getting approval to retake the class for a third time from the appropriate department head or academic program director.

Regardless of the number of attempts made, students may receive federal financial aid for no more than 30 attempted hours of developmental courses, including the co-requisite courses attached to ENG and MAT courses.

Note: The federal government has different policies and may not cover repeated courses. Students receiving financial aid should review and understand those policies.

Withdrawal from the College

Any student who finds it necessary to withdraw from all courses must complete one of the following options to withdraw officially:

Option 1:

1. Obtain and complete an Add/Drop/Withdrawal Form. 
2. Acquire all the signatures required on the form.
3. Submit the form to Student Records (or to a satellite campus) on or before the published last date to withdraw. Dates for courses may vary within a semester; the student must process the withdrawal prior to the applicable withdrawal deadline.

Option 2:

Students may withdraw online. Any holds on a student’s account (due to fines owed or similar obligations to the college) will prevent the student from withdrawing online.

Option 3:

Students may request Late Withdrawal by completing the Late Withdrawal Request Form (Related to Medical and Hardship Requests) to the Office of Student Records.

When a student receiving federal financial aid withdraws from all classes after the add/drop date, the college has to return a portion of the student’s aid to the Department of Education (DOE), even if the money has already been disbursed to the student. Therefore, if a student receiving financial aid totally withdraws from the college, the student must pay that money back to the college. Due to federal regulations, there are no exceptions made for military deployment in the return calculations determined by the Department of Education. GTC’s financial aid policy is dictated by federal regulations.

Military Service, Duty, Training or Disaster Relief

Greenville Technical College realizes students who are members of a branch of the U.S. military may be called for active duty, specialized training or disaster relief efforts with little notice. While the following policy does not pertain to initial active duty training (i.e., basic training), this policy is adopted in an effort to minimize disruptions or inconveniences for students fulfilling their unanticipated U.S. military responsibilities in the midst of an academic semester/term.

Student Options

A student who is called for active duty, specialized training or disaster relief efforts with little notice may leave Greenville Technical College in good standing by choosing one of the following options:

• Withdraw from all courses.  Refunds are made according to the college’s refund policy.
  Note: Students receiving financial aid will be subject to the refund policies as provided for by the agency or agencies sponsoring the aid. If financial aid funds have been disbursed to the student, the student must meet with a financial aid advisor.
• Receive a military incomplete (“MI”) in the course(s) in which they are enrolled.
• Maintain his or her class schedule with prior notification and a copy of military orders before deployment. A Military Orders (“MO”) attendance designation will be used for this student during his or her absence.

Either option may occur any time during the semester through the end of final examinations. If the student decides to withdraw and the withdrawal is processed after the add/drop period, a grade of “W” will be assigned. The request to withdraw needs to be made within one week of official notification by the military service and may be made by either the student or other approved responsible party who has the student’s military information.

Request for a Withdrawal

All military withdrawal requests will be processed in Student Records. A student who wishes to withdraw from courses as a result of being called for active duty, specialized training or disaster relief efforts must provide a copy of his or her orders to the Student Records Office along with an Add/Drop/Withdrawal form.

When a student receiving federal financial aid withdraws from all classes after the add/drop date, the college has to return a portion of the student’s aid to the Department of Education (DOE), even if the money has already been disbursed to the student. Therefore, if a student receiving financial aid totally withdraws from the college, the student must pay that money back to the college. Due to federal regulations, there are no exceptions made for military deployment in the calculations determined by the Department of Education. GTC’s financial aid policy is dictated by federal regulations.

Request for an Incomplete

A student who is called for active duty, specialized training or disaster relief efforts with little notice may request an incomplete from the instructor(s) of the course(s) in which the student is enrolled. A student who requests an incomplete for military purposes must complete all missed work based on the following guidelines:

• Between 2 and 30 missed days - The student will have 45 business days from the date of detachment to complete all missed work. If the work is not completed by the end of this timeframe, the grade will revert to an “F.”
• More than 30 Days – The student will have until the end of the next complete semester after the date of detachment to complete all missed work. If the work is not completed by the end of this timeframe, the grade will revert to an “F.”

All exceptions to this policy will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis by the registrar.

Student’s Role and Participation in Institutional Decision-Making

The college welcomes student input into the institutional decision-making process and recognizes the student’s right to have direct contact with institutional officers and other administrative personnel for the purpose of making his or her viewpoints and opinions known. In addition, the college encourages student membership on college committees. Some of the means through which students may have input into the decision-making process are as follows:

The Student Government Association

All students who are enrolled in a credit course may participate in the democratic process on campus by voting for representatives to the Student Government Association (SGA). The SGA expresses students’ opinions through its advisor and/or through direct contact with institutional officers and other administrative personnel.

Representation on Committees

Academic deans and other personnel whose programs have advisory committees are encouraged to have student representatives on those committees. In addition, the Student Code requires that there be student representation on the Student Appeals Committee and the Student Grievance Committee.

Participation in Surveys

Surveys are conducted among randomly selected students as a means of soliciting their opinions concerning both instruction and support services. At varying times, surveys are conducted in class, by mail, by telephone and online. Students also have an opportunity to give a written evaluation of faculty members.

Direct Contact with College Personnel

Institutional officers and other administrative personnel meet with students upon request. Students are encouraged to communicate their suggestions, concerns, ideas, etc., first to the dean of students as a representative of the college’s administration. An appointment may be necessary, depending upon the schedule of the institutional officer or other administrative personnel with whom the student wishes to meet.

Student Dress & Conduct

It is each student’s responsibility to be familiar with and observe the regulations set forth in this handbook and the Student Code for South Carolina Technical Colleges.

Smoking and the use of other tobacco products are prohibited in all campus buildings; there are certain outdoor areas designated for smoking.

Physical or mental abuse of another person will not be tolerated, nor will the use of vulgar or profane language.

Students should dress in a manner that does not pose a safety hazard and that does not result in unnecessary disruption of the learning environment. Students must wear a designated uniform in departments when required to do so by the department head.

Failure to meet standards of conduct acceptable to the college may result in disciplinary action. Any student who is charged with misconduct shall have, and be informed of his or her right to, a fair hearing before the Student Appeals Committee as described in the Student Code for South Carolina Technical Colleges.

Virtual Proctoring Options for Online Courses

Greenville Technical College (GTC) requires virtual proctoring for testing in fully online courses. Virtual proctoring is also used in some blended and face-to-face courses. Respondus LockDown Browser (RLDB) and Monitor is the remote/virtual proctoring service used by GTC. RLDB with Monitor may record your webcam, your screen, or other actions during the exam session and share that information with your instructor. RLDB with Monitor will record your identity via webcam and, depending upon the exam settings controlled by individual instructors, monitor your exam attempt in various ways. A multitude of privacy provisions have been established to ensure student privacy and FERPA compliance. There are no fees associated with virtual proctoring.

Can a student test in person instead of using virtual proctoring?

Alternative testing methods may be available if students want to opt out of virtual proctoring . For courses requiring test proctoring, where you live is a determining factor in whether you will be required to test at the Barton Campus or at a local, college-approved proctor location. 

• If you live within 50 miles of the Barton Campus and are enrolled in a course that requires proctored testing, you are required to take your test at GTC’s Testing Center.
• If you live 50 miles or more from the Greenville Technical College (GTC) Barton Campus (main campus) and are enrolled in a class that requires proctored testing, you have the option to obtain a test proctor (exam supervisor) and proctoring site to oversee your testing in lieu of on-campus testing. You are responsible for all proctoring service fees if you choose to test at an alternate, approved testing site. 

Note: Both instructor and Testing Center approval are required at the start of the semester/term if a student elects to test at ANY testing center including the GTC Testing Center. Early notification assists with a smoother process in securing the proctoring services.

To opt out of using virtual proctoring, students must utilize the following steps:

1. Students must notify their instructor and GTC’s testing center at least two (2) weeks prior to a scheduled test or quiz.
2. Students must complete and submit the Non-Local Proctoring Agreement Form. Keep in mind that the approval process may take 3 – 5 business days.
3. Students may take a test at GTC’s testing center at the Barton Campus at no cost, or
4. Students may select a college/university as the alternative testing site, and that site will be vetted for approval by GTC. To find an established location within the United States for proctoring, please use the National College Testing Association (NCTA) site search. *These sites may have adjusted hours of operation; please contact before submitting request form.  Students may also use Google to search for a nearby college or university.
5. Once the site is approved for testing, students will make an appointment with their approved site to take the exam.
6. Prices for proctoring services vary greatly by proctoring center. The student is responsible for all fees if they choose to test at an alternate, approved testing site.

Catalog Applicability

To graduate, students must fulfill program requirements for associate degrees, certificates and diplomas as published in the applicable catalog. If a student has had continuous enrollment at Greenville Technical College, he/she may either

• fulfill all of the program requirements listed in the catalog at the time of entrance into the college or
• fulfill all the program curriculum requirements listed in any subsequent catalog in effect while he/she is enrolled.

The dean must approve all catalog changes of the student’s academic division/school. If a student discontinues enrollment for three consecutive semesters or longer, he/she must fulfill the program curriculum requirements listed in the catalog in effect at the time of re-enrollment. The dean of the academic division/school offering his/her program must approve any exceptions.

Graduation Eligibility

A student is subject to administrative graduation when the following requirements have been met:

1. The required number of hours in the student’s curriculum has been satisfactorily completed.
2. Students must be currently active in all bachelor or associate degree, diploma or certificate programs from which they plan to be graduated. For all degree, diploma and certificate programs, complete all program course requirements in the applicable catalog and complete a minimum of 25 percent of the total hours required in the program through instruction at Greenville Technical College. Exemption credit will not count toward the 25 percent.
3. A grade point average of at least 2.0 has been maintained in all college work presented to fulfill the curriculum program requirements.
4. Minimum general education credits of 9 hours for diploma programs, 15 hours for associate degree programs and 30 hours for bachelor degree programs. These requirements only outline minimum requirements for each credential. Requirements vary for each program of study. Refer to the program listings in the catalog for specific program requirements.
   1. For diploma programs, a minimum of one course in the areas of English communications, humanities/fine arts¹ and mathematics to equal a minimum of 9 hours.
   2. For associate degree programs, a total of 15 hours to include at least one course from each of the following areas: 
      • humanities/fine arts¹
      • social/behavioral sciences
      • natural sciences/mathematics
   3. For bachelor's degree programs, a total of 30 hours to include at least one course from each of the following areas:
      • humanities/fine arts¹
      • social/behavioral sciences
      • natural sciences/mathematics
5. Students who re-enroll in the college after an absence of 12 consecutive months or more, and who are seeking an associate degree, diploma or certificate, must meet the graduation requirements as stated in the handbook and catalog which is in effect at the time of re-enrollment.
6. In the event that the published description or course content of a required course or approved elective changes significantly after a student’s initial enrollment and before graduation, a student may be required by his/her department head to repeat the course to meet graduation requirements even though the course number does not change.

7. Students may only be awarded ONE of the same credential (degree, diploma, or certificate) regardless of the various tracks/concentrations.  For example, a student who earned an associate in science degree may only earn the degree ONE time. A student who earned an associate in applied science in administrative office technology may only earn the degree once. Certificates in other areas of interest related to the degrees may be available. Students are encouraged to discuss program changes with their assigned advisor prior to making a change.

¹

Note: If a foreign language is chosen, the course must be at the 102 level or higher to satisfy this humanities/fine arts requirement.

Commencement Ceremonies

Commencement ceremonies are held in May and December. For a candidate to participate in the commencement ceremony, a Commencement Participation Application must be submitted, and candidates must have met all of the above graduation eligibility requirements. Candidates who complete their requirements at the end of the summer or fall semesters will be eligible to participate in the December commencement ceremony. Candidates who complete their requirements at the end of the spring semester will be eligible to participate in the May commencement ceremony.

There is a commencement ceremony fee that covers the cost of the cap and gown. Students are emailed important information about the commencement ceremony through their student email. Students will receive their award(s) during the commencement ceremony. Students who choose not to participate in the ceremony will be sent a notice via mail explaining when to pick up their award(s) at the Enrollment Services Office. If a student does not wish to participate in the commencement ceremony and wishes to have the award(s) mailed, a mailing and handling fee must be paid at the Bursar's Office and then contact Student Records at studentrecords@gvltec.edu.

Please Note:

• Address and name changes must be made in the Enrollment Services Office before submitting the graduation application.
• All financial obligations to the college must be paid before participating in the commencement ceremony and/or receiving awards.

The Dean’s List

All students who earn a minimum of 12 semester credit hours in 100-level courses and above, and who achieve a minimum grade point average of 3.4 (with no grade lower than “C”), will be placed on the Dean’s List. All part-time students who earn a minimum of 6-11 semester credit hours in 100-level courses and above, and who achieve a minimum grade point average of 3.4 (with no grade lower than “C”), will also be placed on the Dean’s List.

The President’s List

All students who earn within a semester a minimum of 12 semester credit hours in 100-level courses and above, and who achieve a grade point average of 4.0, will be placed on the President’s list.

The President’s Awards

The President’s Awards are reserved for two graduating students who continually maintain a high academic rating and show exceptional leadership, character and service to their departments and Greenville Technical College. These individuals must have a cumulative technology grade point average of 3.7-4.0 and must have qualified for the Dean’s List two consecutive semesters if in a degree program and one semester if in a diploma or certificate program. The recipients of the President’s Awards will receive special recognition in conjunction with the commencement ceremony.

Honor Graduates

Any student who graduates with a cumulative program grade point average of 3.4 or higher is considered to be an honor graduate.

Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society

Any student who is a member of Greenville Technical College’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa and is in good academic standing per the requirements of Phi Theta Kappa will receive special recognition and regalia at the graduation ceremony.