The Institute employs a grading system based on one hundred percent: 90 to 100 - Excellent, 80 to 89 - Good, 70 to 79 -Satisfactory, 60 to 69 - Below Average, Below 60 - Failure.
(The Practical Nursing, CICRE, ELT, HVACR, LVT and Plumbing grade scales are in the Curriculum Contents pages). In addition:
W = Withdrawn
T = Transfer Credit
I = Incomplete
AU = Audit
P = Pass
A grade of “Incomplete” may be assigned when mitigating circumstances have prevented a student from completing all required work before a course ends. The student must complete all outstanding work according to the Make-up plan (usually within a two week deadline) or the grade reverts to an “F”.
The final grade awarded for a course represents the degree to which the student has achieved the objectives of the course. The grade for each course is based primarily on two major criteria: (1) the quality and quantity of academic (theory based) work produced during the course, and (2) the quality and quantity of practical (hands-on) work produced during the course.
The mastery of theory is assessed through homework, research papers/projects, quizzes, tests and/or written exams. The mastery of hands-on work is assessed through labs, job sheets, competency checklists, projects, homework, and/or practical exams.
The syllabus for each course spells out the assessment methods used in that course and the weight attributed to each in the grading process. Depending on the nature and focus of a course, the assessments methods and the weights of those measures may vary from program to program and course to course.
The components of a program are courses. If the student receives a failing grade (59, 69 or 74 and below, based on program) no credit is earned, and the course must be repeated. The student may not graduate unless all the courses that make up their program have been completed with a passing grade for that program. No credit is awarded for courses with a grade of W, I or AU. (The passing grade is 60 for all programs except Practical Nursing, CICRE, ELT, HVACR, LVT and Plumbing. See the Curriculum Content pages for grading information specific to those programs.)
Numerical Equivalent (percent) and 4.0 Grade Conversion
Explanation
90 to 100 (3.5-4.0) Excellent performance; far exceeds standard; complete mastery of essentials; high degree of independence in problem solving; completion and mastery of all projects available in the term.
80 to 89 (2.75-3.49) Good performance; exceeds standard; mastery of essentials; above average independence in problem solving; completion and mastery of most projects available in term.
70 to 79 (2.0-2.74) Satisfactory performance; the level of performance achieved by most students and shows average/ independence in problem solving and the completion and mastery of core projects in the term.
60 to 69 (0.05-1.99) Below average performance; flawed understanding of essentials; little independence in problem solving; core projects inadequate.
Below 60 (0) Failure; needs much improvement to meet standard; little understanding of essentials; no problem solving capabilities; most core projects inadequate.
Make-Up Policy
Students are responsible for notifying their instructor of any extended absence from online or on campus classes or any missed lab time and contacting their instructor regarding any missed work. Assignments, quizzes and exams not turned in or completed by the due date may not be made up and will receive a grade of zero. Arrangements for missed lab time and performance of hands-on competencies should be coordinated with faculty. Make-up labs may need to be scheduled outside of a student’s typically scheduled lab hours. If there are extenuating circumstances, an exception to the policy may be granted to allow assignments, quizzes and exams missed due to an approved absence to be made up within five days of the original due date, unless a later date is approved by the Program Director. (See the Curriculum Content pages for programmatic attendance requirements for Practical Nursing.)
Credit for Previous Postsecondary Education
Academic and financial credit may be awarded for previous, relevant, postsecondary education if the student has retained mastery of the information. At the time the applicant requests transfer credit on their Admissions Application, an official transcript verifying the applicant’s accomplishments and a catalog from the previously attended institution, or formal documentation of armed forces training courses (order Military Joint Service Transcripts at https://jst.doded.mil/jst/) must be provided. The Program Coordinator at the campus the student will attend conducts an interview and assessment to evaluate the applicant’s knowledge and skill level. Transfer credit must be requested prior to beginning any classes at Porter and Chester. A student does not pay for, attend or audit a course for which they received transfer credit. A written record of the transfer credit review will be maintained in the student’s file.
Credit may be awarded for applicable course work from a program the student has mastered prior to matriculation at Porter and Chester (passed with a grade of”C” (75%) or better provided the previous institution was accredited by an agency recognized by the US ED. However, credit cannot be awarded for part of a course. If the student’s previous education did not cover all of the content in a course, no credit can be awarded.
Seventy-five percent of the Quarter Credit hours required for graduation can be transferred credits.
Transferring Credit to Another Institution
Porter and Chester programs are designed to equip the student to be knowledgeable, skillful employees in as short a time as possible. Accordingly, our curriculum content is put together from the point of view of what employers want their employees to know.
From time to time, this causes credit transfer problems because of the difficulty in matching our curriculum content with that of other postsecondary educational institutions. Acceptance of credits is always at the discretion of the receiving institution.
The Campus Director of Operations and Education (with the Curriculum Development Coordinator) may be a resource to the second school to provide information about what the graduate has learned at Porter and Chester.
Frequently, traditional postsecondary institutions do not award hour for hour credit to Porter and Chester graduates. Our graduates are not alone in this situation. Even students transferring from one college to another similar college are frequently surprised to learn that not all of their credits are transferable.
The way to prevent this is to make sure, before entering the first institution, what credits will be transferable from one school to the second one. The student should get this information in writing from the Admission’s or Registrar’s office of the second institution.
Advanced Placement and Experiential Learning
Then institution does not accept advanced placement and credit for experiential learning.
Credit Hours
Porter and Chester measures student progress and awards academic credit in quarter credit hours (Credit hours are based on student contact hours. A student contact hour (clock hour) is defined as a 60 minute unit of instruction and break time, with at least 50 minutes of instruction.
Records
An administrative file is maintained electronically for each student. The file contains:
- All documents submitted and forms completed by the student at the time of application are maintained in the student’s file, including any materials related to transfer credit requests.
- The fully executed Enrollment Agreement.
- A copy of the student’s high school record or diploma, HS equivalency diploma, home school documentation or postsecondary education diploma or transcript (with degree awarded).
- The student’s ledger card showing charges and payments.
- Documents related to the student’s financial aid, if applicable.
- Educational records created during the student’s enrollment (e.g. attendance, probation, disciplinary, etc.)
- The student’s final transcript are kept in perpetuity.
Copies of Transcripts and Other Documents
The student’s attendance and grades are entered into the database. Students may access their attendance records and grades at any time via the Student Portal. A written progress report is provided via the student portal by the time 50% of a course has been completed.
A final, student (unofficial) transcript is provided along with the other graduation credentials within four weeks after term end. (No diploma is provided until a student’s account and records are up-to-date.) It is recommended that the graduate keep this transcript as part of his or her permanent records. In this way it is available for photocopying in the event a transcript is needed as a preemployment credential or for any other reason.
Copies of the student’s official transcript can only be released to third parties and only at the written request of the student. To obtain a transcript, the student must request it via the “Request Transcript” link on the Porter and Chester web site. The request must include the name and address of the third party to whom the transcript should be sent, the appropriate fee as indicated by the order web site and four weeks’ processing time.
Attendance
Students are expected to attend all scheduled classes unless prevented by a documented emergency.
Regular attendance and active engagement in learning is important for the following reasons:
- Students are expected to actively participate in all classroom and project activities, as this engagement is essential to mastering the curriculum content. Tardiness (arriving late or leaving early) will not be tolerated.
- Irregular attendance and habitual tardiness disrupt the continuity of class and lab instruction and are considered inconsistent with professional conduct expectations toward instructors, classmates, and oneself.
- The student’s future employer will not tolerate erratic attendance. Failure to cooperate on this essential element will simply result in being fired. Accordingly, if prior to enrolling at the Institute, the student has not acquired the habit of dependability, it’s of essential importance to do so promptly.
Practical Nursing students have cumulative, programmatic attendance requirements which are explained in the Curriculum Content pages.
Emergency Absences
Students who will be absent due to illness or other emergency must notify their instructor in order to have the absence recorded as excused for purposes of making up missed work. Students must follow the instructor’s directives for providing documentation of the absence, obtaining missed information or making up missed course or lab work.
Inclement Weather/School Closure
Like future employers, our campuses rarely close due to inclement weather. Classes held online will never be cancelled for inclement weather. If the campus closes, timely notifications will be made through the Rave Alert system. This system will broadcast messages through email, text, phone, and social networks. Students that have a scheduled lab day on-campus will be expected to participate in online courses that day instead of attending on-campus labs. Lab classes will be rescheduled as needed and may include a Saturday. For students in residential programs, if the campus closes, students will be expected to make up course work and/or labs missed. If there is no buffer time left in the term and, depending on the amount of time needing to be made up, the makeup day may be rescheduled on a Saturday. Students who do not attend a rescheduled class will accrue an absence.
Emergency Preparedness Plan
Information regarding the school’s written emergency preparedness plan may be obtained from the front desk at each campus. This information is also provided to students at New Student Orientation.
Administrative Non Attending
Administrative Non Attending (ANA) refers to a specific time period when a student is still enrolled in an academic program, but must temporarily cease attendance because there are no courses which the student needs being offered that term. This occurs when the student must wait for a course they failed to come around again, or under extreme extenuating circumstances such as a health crisis impacting clinical availability, the precipitous loss of an instructor, etc. Students may not exceed 180 days on an ANA status in any twelve-month period. ANA time periods count toward the maximum time frame calculation and students cannot exceed 180 days combined between ANA or LOA (Leave of Absence) statuses in any twelve-month period.
Withdrawal, Dismissal
Students who choose to withdraw from the Institute must submit written notification to the Campus Director of Operations and Education. The notification should specify the last date on which the student was or will be in attendance.
If such notification is not received, the Institute will assume the student has withdrawn if the student has been absent for fourteen consecutive calendar days and has not arranged for a Leave of Absence. This includes failure to return from a Leave of Absence or Term Break. The last date of actual attendance will be used for refund computation purposes.
The Institute may dismiss a student and terminate the student’s enrollment for any of the following reasons:
- Unsatisfactory Academic Progress, including failing the same course twice.
- Unsatisfactory Programmatic Attendance (Practical Nursing)
- Unsatisfactory Conduct (including violations of Academic Integrity and Professionalism Expectations)
- Non-compliance with any of the Institute’s policies or regulations
- Dismissal from an externship site for cause or abandonment of an externship site without reasonable cause
- Failure to resolve a suspension within 14 days
- Failure to remain current on financial obligations
The Institute may terminate the student’s enrollment and withdraw the student for any of the following reasons:
- Two consecutive weeks of absence from classes
- Failure to return from a Leave of Absence or Term Break
- Failed coursework which makes it impossible for the student to complete the program within 150% of time
In the event of termination, the Campus Director of Operations and Education will inform the student in writing and specify the date of termination. At the same time, the Institute will refund any tuition due the student. Our refund policy is described in this catalog.
Re-Enrollment
Reenrollment is not automatic and is solely at the discretion of Porter and Chester. Former students must meet acceptable academic and financial criteria in order to be considered for re-enrollment. Students who wish to return to the Institute must first satisfy all requirements established by the Student Accounts Office. Once the student is determined to be in good financial standing,the student is required to meet with the Campus Director of Operations and Education (CDOE) at least one month prior to the anticipated starting date of classes. (Students starting their process later than this may be deferred to a later term.) The CDOE will determine whether the student is academically prepared for reenrollment. Students out of school over one year must show proof they have been working in the field, or “test out” of previously completed courses to show continued mastery or repeat the entire program. Students meeting both the financial and academic standards may then meet with a Career Program Specialist (CPS) about reenrolling in the next available class, on a space-available basis only. The Institute’s standard policy regarding financial and academic credit for previous postsecondary education applies. Students may be required to audit previously completed courses, to assure that their skills and knowledge are current, prior to being allowed to reenroll in the remaining courses in their program. One full term must elapse between the student’s term of withdrawal and the term of reenrollment. Students are afforded only one reenrollment opportunity unless there are extenuating circumstances.
Leaves of Absence
If the student encounters an emergency that will require being absent for more than 14 days (medical reasons affecting the student or a member of student’s immediate family, military service requirements, work requirements or jury duty, etc.) the student must submit a written request for a Leave of Absence to the Campus Director of Operations and Education for consideration. Within two class days after receiving the request, the Director will provide the student with written approval or disapproval. In general, only one Leave of Absence is available to the student during any twelve month period, and the length of the Leave may not exceed 180 calendar days. More than one Leave of Absence may be granted, provided that the combined Leaves of Absence does not exceed 180 days within the 12-month period and that each leave of absence was properly requested by the student. Except in the case of final Externships, students going on Leave of Absence must drop the course(s) in which they are currently enrolled and retake those course(s) at the end of their program. A Leave of Absence does not change the student’s agreed upon monthly in-school payments. If the Leave of Absence encompasses an entire term, tuition is not charged for the Leave of Absence term. If a student fails to return from an approved Leave of Absence, the student will be withdrawn five (5) days after the missed return date and the school’s refund policy as it appears in this catalog will apply. A Leave of Absence approved academically by Porter and Chester may still not meet the federal guidelines for a Title IV approved Leave of Absence. In this instance, the student is still academically eligible, but the institution will perform the federal refund calculation for aid the student received during the Leave of Absence term. Consult the CDOE for additional information on Leaves of Absence.
|