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2019 - 2020 FCC Academic Catalog
182 • 301.846.2400 • 301.846.2400 183
2019 - 2020 FCC Academic Catalog
8. Additional Associate Degree or Certificate
a. Students wishing to earn more than one
associate degree or certificate must fulfill
all program requirements for each degree
or certificate in accordance with college
requirements. At the time of application for
graduation, students must declare the catalog
year under which they are requesting to be
evaluated for degree completion. Students
must select a catalog of an academic year
during which they were registered and
attended classes at the College.
b. Once a degree has been earned, a certificate in
the same major will not be awarded.
9. Dean's List
Students who have earned twelve (12) or more
credits at the College are eligible to be considered
for the Dean’s List. At the end of the fall and spring
semesters, the Provost/Executive Vice President
of Academic Affairs, Continuing Education. and
Workforce Development will publish a list of
those fulltime and part-time students who have
completed at least six credits during the semester
and have earned a semester grade point average of
3.500 or better.
10. Graduate with Honors
Students who have accumulated a grade point
average of 3.500-3.7490 are awarded a degree with
“Honors.” A degree with “High Honors” is awarded
to those students who have accumulated a grade
point average of 3.750 or better. A Certificate will
be awarded with “Distinction” to those students
with a grade point average of 3.750 or higher.
11. Honors College
Students who complete twelve (12) honors credits
(3 honors credits must be at the 200-level with an
honors research project or completion of an honors
independent study project) with an overall grade
point average GPA of 3.250 or higher are eligible
to graduate from the Honors College. Graduates
receive a notation on their transcripts recognizing
this achievement
12. Commencement
Commencement is conducted each year in the
month of May, but diplomas are awarded in
August, December, January, and May. Diplomas
may also be awarded at additional times for special
programs at the discretion of the Registrar.
H. Course Substitutions
1. Substitutions of course requirements within
degree and certificate programs may be
considered under special circumstances;
however, no substitutions of course requirements
within letters of recognition are allowed.
2. Examples of circumstances which may warrant
a course substitution include those instances
when:
a. a required course is no longer offered at the
College;
b. a student has taken a course so similar to a
required course that completing the required
course would be redundant; or
c. a required course has been cancelled or is not
scheduled to be offered soon enough that a
student’s ability to graduate in a timely manner
is compromised.
3. A non-general education course may not be
approved as a course substitute for a general
education requirement. In all cases, students
must meet the minimum requirements for
graduation as determined by the MHEC and as
approved by the College in the catalog year in
which the student was assigned his/her major.
4. The number of course substitutions should
be limited in order to maintain the academic
integrity of the program. In no case may course
substitutions constitute more than 33% of the
program as this constitutes a substantial change
in the curriculum as defined by MHEC.
5. Program Managers and/or Department
Chairs must complete a Course Substitution
form identifying the recommended course
substitution which is submitted to the Registrar
for review and final approval. In the event that
the recommended substitution does not fall
within the course substitution guidelines, the
Registrar will consult with the appropriate
Department Chair.
6. Students requesting a course substitution
based on the presence of a disability may
do so through the Services for Students with
Disabilities (SSD) program. Information on the
course substitution protocol is available from the
SSD department.
7. Approved course substitutions are stored in
students’ PeopleSoft records and are reflected
in the appropriate curricular requirement in
students’ degree audits.
8. Course substitutions should be requested,
approved, and recorded prior to the last date to
apply for graduation.
I. Academic Clemency
Academic Clemency provides students returning
to the College an opportunity to address prior
unsatisfactory academic performance. Academic
Clemency expunges a limited number of “D” and “F”
grades previously earned at FCC. Students will be
made aware of the Academic Clemency procedure
through the re-admission letter provided to them
upon re-application to the College. Students who
wish to apply for Academic Clemency will meet
with a member of Counseling and Advising to
discuss the procedure.
1. The following are conditions for requesting
Academic Clemency:
a. A student may only request Academic
Clemency once.
b. A student must have not attended FCC for two
(2) years before he/she is eligible to request
Academic Clemency.
c. A student must demonstrate that he/she has
the ability to benefit from college. Therefore,
upon re-admission to the College, a student
must achieve a minimum 2.000 GPA in all
courses attempted by the end of the semester
in which the student reaches at least twelve
(12) attempted credits (6 of which must
be general education credits) before being
eligible to apply for Academic Clemency.
Exceptions to this provision may be granted by
the College Registrar.
d. Only courses in which a grade of
“D” or “F” has been earned will be
considered for Academic Clemency.
e. Developmental courses will not be considered
for Academic Clemency.
f. Courses that are required for the student’s
major are not eligible for consideration
under the Academic Clemency procedure,
therefore, students must repeat those courses.
In accordance with the College procedure on
repeating courses, the higher grade will be
used in the calculation of GPA.
2. When a student has met the conditions of
Academic Clemency, he/she will meet with a
member of Counseling and Advising to develop
an Academic Clemency plan and complete the
Request for Academic Clemency form.
a. The number of credits that may be considered
for Academic Clemency will be determined
on a case by case basis by a Counseling and
Advising staff member working with the
student. In no case can the number of credits
exceed twenty-four (24) credits.
b. The Counseling and Advising staff member
will sign the completed Request for Academic
Clemency form and forward it to the Registrar
for final approval and recording.
c. All course attempts will remain on the
transcript. Courses that have been approved
for Academic Clemency will be designated
with the grade of “FX” or “DX.”
The College’s official version of the Residency
Policy & Procedures is on its website (www.
) and may be revised annually.
Alumni Services
Alumni services are housed in the Institutional
Advancement office. The office maintains a database
of active alums. The Alumni Association sponsors
events for alumni and friends. For more information,
call 301.846.2438.
Athletics
Mission Statement
The Department of Athletics promotes the academic
and athletic growth of student athletes by offering
opportunities to participate at a competitive level as
part of a balanced intercollegiate athletics program.
We serve the community by offering camps,
clinics, and partnerships with outside groups. The
department operates under the highest standards of
integrity, equality, and sportsmanship.
Department Overview
Student-athletes may compete in men’s and
women’s soccer, men’s and women’s lacrosse,
women’s volleyball and softball, men’s and women’s
basketball, and baseball. Frederick Community
College athletic teams compete in two conferences,
Maryland Junior College Conference (MD JUCO) and
Region XX Conference of the National Junior College
Athletic Association (NJCAA). The Maryland JUCO
encompasses the seventeen Maryland community
colleges, while Region XX of the NJCAA is comprised
of Maryland, Western Pennsylvania and eastern West
Virginia. Athletes have the opportunity to compete
for All-JUCO, All-Region XX and All-American honors.
Teams that win the regional tournament may
participate in national competition. Information
on graduation/transfer rates of student athletes is
available online at A hard
copy of this report is also available in the Welcome
Desk, Athletics department, and the Associate Vice
President/Dean of Student's office.
Eligibility
Students who are interested in sports should check
with the Department of Athletics before completing
registration to discuss establishing eligibility. Under
NJCAA rules, developmental courses can be used
to establish and retain athletic eligibility. All passing
grades in developmental courses such as ‘S’and ‘Z’
will be calculated as a ‘C’and will carry the number
of credits that were paid at registration. A passing
letter grade of A, B, C, D in a developmental class will
be calculated as the grade earned and will carry the
number of credits that were paid for at registration on
your athletic transcript for athletic eligibility purposes
only. For further information, contact the athletics
office at 301.846.2500.
Student Support Services
Center for Teaching &
Learning
The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) supports
and enhances high-quality instruction and responds
to the individual learning, teaching, and support
needs of students, faculty, and staff. CTL encourages
exploration and innovation in a variety of learning
environments by sharing knowledge and providing
tools and resources. The following programs and
departments are coordinated within CTL: Faculty
Professional Development, Gladhill Learning
Commons, Library Services, Tutoring and Writing
Center, STEM Learning Center, Testing Center, Global
Learning Committee, and Distributed Learning.
Faculty Professional Development
Frederick Community College provides adjunct and
full-time faculty a responsive, innovative system of
professional development of teaching and learning
reflecting the characteristics and needs of the FCC
student and faculty.
For more information, contact 301.846.2521 or visit
the FCC Faculty and Staff web page.
Bess & Frank Gladhill Learning Commons
The Bess & Frank Gladhill Learning Commons, the
main campus hub for student academic support
services, centralizes tutoring, academic support,
library services, and faculty professional development
in one location, while also providing online access to
tutoring and research resources to support student
learning. In this welcoming learning environment,
students and faculty will find Library Services, the
Tutoring and Writing Center, the Center for Teaching
and Learning, computers, study spaces, learning
technologies, and academic success workshops. The
Gladhill Learning Commons has been recognized for
its innovation, and campus leaders have presented
at conferences, conducted tours, and shared
information with national and international higher
education administrators, faculty, and political
leaders. For more information, visit the college
website.
Library
Library Services supports the research and
information literacy needs of the College by
partnering with departments to offer collections,
instruction, and services for students, faculty, and
staff. The print and digital collection supports the
curriculum, and provides a variety of resources in
various formats to meet teaching and learning needs.
Research help is available in-person and through a
series of online resource guides and FAQs. Information
literacy instruction, available in-person and online,
fosters critical thinking and develops research skills.
For more information on hours, collections, and
services, call 301.846.2444 or visit the Library website.
Tutoring andWriting Center
The Tutoring &Writing Center (TWC) is a study
space within the Gladhill Learning Commons
(L-226) designed to help students achieve their
academic goals. Here students will find free drop-in
tutoring, academic coaching, study skills advice, and
workshops. Students taking introductory courses
in English, ESL, communications, social sciences,
business, arts, Spanish, and American Sign Language
can drop-in and work with a tutor individually or
in small groups, or for certain courses, connect
online. Trained professional and peer tutors use
friendly conversation and questioning to encourage,
empower, and motivate students to write and
communicate more clearly, study effectively, take
tests with confidence, read strategically, and think
critically. In addition, the center conducts workshops
to support student learning and faculty development;
topics may include overcoming testing anxiety,
managing time, or for faculty, designing assignments.
For more information, visit the college website.
Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Math (STEM) Learning Center
The STEM Learning Center is a study space in
Braddock Hall (B-212) designed to help students
achieve their academic goals. Here students will
find free drop-in tutoring, study skills advice, and
workshops. Students taking introductory courses
in science, computer science, engineering, and
mathematics can drop-in and work with a tutor
in small groups, or for certain courses, connect
online. Trained professional and peer tutors use
friendly conversation and questioning to encourage,
empower, and motivate students to solve
quantitative problems; improve scientific reasoning;
study effectively; develop technological competence;
and think critically. In addition, the center conducts
workshops to support student learning; topics may
include Excel Basics and TI Calculator Basics. For more
information, visit the college website.
The Testing Center
The FCC Testing Center, in the Linganore Hall
(L-104), is the central hub for campus-wide
testing needs. The center is open six days a week.
Call 301.846.2522, or consult the Testing Center
website for specific hours and school closing
schedule. Testing Center services include:
Placement Testing–All new students take placement
testing in the Testing Center, unless exempted
through SAT, ACT, or AP scores. Placement testing
review materials and information on test-taking
strategies are available in the Testing Center and
through the Testing Center website.