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2019 - 2020 FCC Academic Catalog
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2019 - 2020 FCC Academic Catalog
a. University System of Maryland College &
University Credit – for students transferring
from any University System of Maryland (USM)
college, all applicable general education
coursework with a grade of “D” or above
will be accepted in transfer. For non-general
education coursework from a USM college,
grades of “D” will be accepted only if the
calculated GPA for the block of non-general
education transfer courses is 2.000 or higher.
Grades of “D,” however, will not be accepted
for any course within a program of study that
requires a grade of “C” or higher. A grade of “D”
can be used to fulfill a prerequisite unless the
prerequisite requires a grade of “C” or higher.
b. Non-University System of Maryland Colleges
– for students transferring from outside of the
University System of Maryland, grades of “D”
will be accepted only if the cumulative grade
point average from that institution is 2.000
or higher. Grades of “D,” however, will not be
accepted for any course within a program of
study that requires a “C” or higher. A grade of
“D” can be used to fulfill a prerequisite unless
the prerequisite requires a grade of “C” or
higher.
c. International College and University Credit
– Credit may be granted for coursework
completed at foreign colleges and universities
based upon evaluation by credentialing
services. The College recommends the
use of American Association of Collegiate
Registrars and Admissions Officer’s (AACRAO)
International Education Services or WES (World
Education Services) for credentialing but does
accept evaluations from other credentialing
services provided that the credentialing service
is a member of the National Association of
Credentialing Evaluation Services.
3. Non-collegiate Programs
Credit may be granted for educational programs
which apply to the student’s FCC program of
study successfully completed at non-collegiate
organizations. The College uses A Guide
to Education Programs in Non-Collegiate
Organizations, compiled by the Commission of
Education Credit of the American Council on
Education (ACE) or the National College Credit
Recommendation Service (formerly PONSI)
as guidelines in awarding such credits. Other
options to document prior learning may be
available as described below. Official transcripts
or supporting documentation for such credits
must be submitted to the Welcome Desk at
FCC. No more than forty-five (45) credits may be
earned through noncollegiate training.
4. Military Education and Training
Credits may be granted for a variety of formal
military and educational programs. Programs
must be described with credit recommendations
in the ACE Guide to the Evaluation of Educational
Experience in the Armed Services Official
Community College of the Air Force transcripts,
Joint Services Transcript (JST), or other military
transcripts must be submitted to the Welcome
Desk. No more than forty-five (45) credits may be
earned through military training and education.
5. National Examinations
Previous credit by examination is evaluated
based upon the major chosen by the student
on the admissions application. Only credits that
are applicable to that major will be awarded in
transfer. Therefore, if a student changes his/her
major while attending FCC, he/she must request
a re-evaluation based upon the new major.
Credits awarded through national examination
are posted at the top of the official FCC
transcripts under the heading “Transfer Credits.”
No more than a total of forty-five (45) credits by
examination may be applied toward an associate
degree. The national examination programs for
which the College awards credit are:
a. Advanced Placement (AP) Exams
AP exams are subject matter examinations
sponsored by the Educational Testing Services
(ETS) and generally administered through
high schools at the culmination of AP course
offerings. The program provides an opportunity
for high school students to receive advanced
standing credit in college for college-level
courses completed in high schools. Applicants
for admission who have taken AP examinations
should have an official scores report sent to the
Welcome Desk for evaluation and awarding of
credit. A list of AP examinations accepted by
the College and required scores is published
in the Academic Catalog. The awarding of AP
credit is evaluated annually by the College.
b. International Baccalaureate (IB)
Exams
IB exams are subject-matter examinations
administered in high school international
baccalaureate programs. The College will
evaluate International Baccalaureate (IB) subject
examinations with scores of 5, 6, or 7. A list of
IB examinations accepted by the College and
required scores is published in the Academic
Catalog. Students must have official results sent
to the FCC Welcome Desk. Students may be
awarded up to thirty (30) credits toward the
associate degree. However, those planning to
transfer need to consult with potential transfer
institutions regarding each institution’s policy
on required scores and credits awarded. In
order to receive credit for EN101, the student
must have completed the IB diploma at his/her
high school.
c. College-Level Examination Program
(CLEP) and/or DANTES Subject
Standardized Tests (DSST)
CLEP and DSST are national credit-by-
examination programs providing individuals the
opportunity to receive credit for college-level
achievement acquired in a wide variety of ways.
General and subject examinations are available
in many different areas. FCC administers
CLEP and DSST examinations to current and
prospective students by appointment in the
FCC Testing Center. Additional information can
be obtained by contacting the FCC Testing
Center. The Testing Center serves as the point of
contact for CLEP and DSST.
6. Departmental Examination
If no CLEP exam is available for the subject in
which a student is knowledgeable or skilled,
students may contact the Prior Learning
Assessment Coordinator at FCC to discuss the
possibility for taking an Exam. An Institutional
Departmental Examination may only be taken
once. If a student passes a exam with a grade of
"70%" or better, or "75%" or better for Healthcare
programs only, he/she will earn the stipulated
number of credits for the course. A student's
transcript will show credit for the specific courses
that were taken as a Institutional Departmental
Exam. No grade will be recorded, but credit
may be counted toward degree requirements.
Students pay an assessment fee for the exam
prior to taking the exam. Students enrolled in
a course for which he/she request to take an
exam for credit will not be entitled to a refund.
Students who fail an exam will be required
to take the course(s) and pay full tuition. No
more than 15 credits can be earned through
Institutional Departmental Exam PLA option.
7.Credit through Credential Assessment
Credits through credential assessment may be
awarded for national and/or state certification
or licensure. To earn credit through this option,
the student must contact the program manager
for that area. Credentials must be current and
demonstrate that the student is in good standing
with the certification and/or licensing agency.
A detailed explanation of the method used to
determine credits for credential assessment must
be included in the assessment and submitted
by the program manager to the appropriate
Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, the
Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs, and
the Registrar for approval.
8.High School Articulation Credit
FCC may develop articulation agreements with
secondary school systems to award college
credit for selected secondary coursework.
To receive credit for these courses, students
may be required to earn a specific grade and/
or provide evidence of other supporting
materials as stipulated in the agreement.
Articulation agreements are reviewed
and updated annually by the Provost/
Vice President for Academic Affairs.
To request articulated high school credit,
students must initiate the request for credit
within two (2) years of his/her graduation
from high school. Students must be enrolled
in an FCC class, and submit an official high
school transcript documenting the date of high
school graduation and the stipulated grade in
the articulated course and any other required
supporting materials to the FCC Welcome Desk.
9.Portfolio Assessment
The portfolio development process provides
students an opportunity to document
college-level knowledge acquired from work,
independent reading, training programs,
volunteer activities, and other life experiences.
The portfolio documents student-generated
evidence of learning that satisfies an FCC degree
requirement. Students pay an assessment fee for
the portfolio to be submitted to the college for
credit evaluation by a Certified Portfolio Assessor,
Faculty Advisor. No more than thirty (15)
credits total may be earned through portfolio
assessment.
10. Independent Study
The independent study process permits students
to follow individual interests beyond the limits of
a more formalized course. It also encourages self-
discipline and scholarly development.
Students interested in independent study classes
can apply by obtaining an independent study
application from the Provost/Vice President for
Academic Affairs or appropriate Department
Chair and contacting a faculty member who
is willing to supervise the independent study.
Completed independent study forms must be
submitted to the Welcome Desk. Students must
adhere to the add/drop dates in the schedule
of classes. Permission and faculty guidance is
required to register for an independent study
course.
11. Internships
Internships allow students to gain experience
in a workplace as well as earn academic credit
for structured learning that occurs through
employment related to their academic majors.
To be eligible, students must meet the following
guidelines:
a. Earned a minimum grade point average of
2.000 and
b. Be in an eligible FCC program and
c. Be within the last fifteen (15) credits in their
college program
Requirements: Internship credits can be earned
through either part-time or fulltime employment.
Part-time employment is normally carried on
concurrently with part-time or full-time school
enrollment.
Hours of employment may vary according to the
type of position. After receiving permission from
the Internship Coordinator, students are able to
register for either a 1, 2, or 3 credit internship
course.
Details related to the internship experience are
articulated online
current-students/internship-program.aspx).
12. Reverse Transfer
Through reverse transfer, students who
attended FCC and transferred to another
institution prior to earning an associate
degree may transfer credits earned back to
FCC in order to complete an associate degree.
To be eligible for reverse transfer, students
must have completed a minimum of 25% of
college-level credits at FCC and earned a 2.000
GPA while attending FCC. For reverse transfer
consideration, students must submit an official
transcript from the institution attended, as
well as an FCC graduation application.
B. Change of Schedule
Students who wish to add or drop a course(s) may
do so during the defined change of schedule and
withdrawal period, respectively for each session.
These dates are published in the schedule of classes.
1. Adding a Course
Students may add a course(s) to their schedule
during the Add/Drop period for each session.
Students must submit a completed Add/Drop
form to the Welcome Desk or they may add
online via PeopleSoft. Students requesting to
add a course after the change of schedule period
must meet with the instructor who will make
a recommendation to the Registrar. Students
seeking late admission to an online course must
contact the Office of Distributed Learning for
approval to add a course after the change of
schedule period.
2. Dropping a Course
Students may drop a course(s) with 100% refund
during the drop period for each session. The
dropped course will not appear on the student’s
transcript. Students must submit a completed
Add/Drop form to the Welcome Desk, or they may
drop online via PeopleSoft.
3. Withdrawal
Students may withdraw from a credit course(s)
after the defined Add/Drop period but before the
published deadline in the Schedule of Classes.
Students who withdraw from a credit course(s)
will receive a grade of “W.”
The withdrawn credit course and the grade of “W”
will appear on the student’s transcript; however,
no credit or quality points will be assigned.
Students must submit a completed Add/Drop
form to the Welcome Desk or they may withdraw
online via PeopleSoft. For further details, see the
Student Withdrawal Policy and Procedures.
4. Co-listed Credit/Continuing Education
A student in a co-listed Credit/Continuing
Education class may change from credit to
Continuing Education or Continuing Education to
credit during the session’s add period. Students
changing from Continuing Education to credit
must meet all prerequisites.
C. Grading
1. Grading
a. Assessment methods resulting in the
assignment of a grade, are determined
by the Core Learning Outcomes of the
course, learner characteristics, and setting.
All Core Learning Outcomes should be
assessed. The instructor should use a
variety of assessment tools so that students
with different learning styles will have an
opportunity to demonstrate their mastery
of the Core Learning Outcomes. Typical
assessment methods include: objective
quizzes and tests, essay (short and long
answer) tests, papers and reports, journals,
presentations, posters, projects, group work,
case studies, portfolios, work sheets and lab
reports. Course attendance or participation
may be included in the course assessment
methods. The number and types of
assessments and the value assigned to
each and grading scale must be included
on the course syllabus. Faculty members
are required to assign a letter grade to each
student according to the following table
and adhere to the final grade submission
deadline for each session.
Grade Evaluation Quality Points
A Excellent 4
B Good 3
C Average 2
D Passing 1
F Failing 0
I Incomplete 0
W Withdrawal 0
AU Audit 0
S Satisfactory 0
U Unsatisfactory 0
Z In Progress 0
P Pass
(Equivalent to a
grade of“C”or
better)
0
DX Clemency/Passing 0
FX Clemency/Failing 0