Academic Policies

Academic Advisement

Atlanta Technical College assigns each student a student success advisor and program advisor. The student success advisor provides first semester advising for new students, promotes academic success skills such as time management and test-taking strategies, and offers referrals to assist students. Program advisors guide students through their program of study to prepare for graduation and their respective workforce. Program advisors begin advising students during their second semester. To ensure academic success, program advisors and students should meet each semester until the student graduates.

Students are introduced to their student success advisor during new student advisement and registration, which takes place before they begin their first semester. Students are assigned student success advisors and program advisors according to their program of study. An advisement list can be found on Atlanta Technical College’s website and/or in each divisional dean’s office.

Academic Discharge

A student who fails for the fourth consecutive semester to achieve a semester GPA of 2.00 is placed on academic discharge, or ‘Suspension2’. A student placed on academic discharge must stay out of school for one full academic year before applying for readmission.

Academic Dismissal Appeal Procedures

If students are dismissed from a program of study for academic reasons, they may appeal by following steps two through three as outlined in the appeal procedure for grades.

Academic Probation

A student who fails for the second consecutive semester to achieve a semester GPA of 2.00 is placed on academic probation. It is recommended the student consults with a program advisor to create a plan for improvement.

Academic Suspension

A student who fails for the third consecutive semester to achieve a semester GPA of 2.00 is placed on academic suspension. A student placed on academic suspension must stay out of school for one full semester before applying for readmission.

Academic Warning

A student who fails to achieve a semester GPA of 2.00 is placed on academic warning. The purpose of an academic warning is to alert the student there is a need to improve academic performance.

Assignments Missed Due to Military Duty

A student who must be absent for military reserve or National Guard duty should inform their instructors and the Financial Aid Office, if appropriate. Such students must provide a copy of their orders, signed by the appropriate military authority. Instructors will assign a grade of "I" for any course(s) not completed due to military duty.

Attendance Procedure

The educational programs at Atlanta Technical College reflect those requirements and standards that are necessary for future successful employment in business and industry. Employers expect their employees to be present and to be on time for work each and every day. Likewise, Atlanta Technical College expects each student to be present and to be on time each and every day for all classes. Absences prevent students from receiving full course benefits, disrupt orderly course progress, and diminish the quality of group interaction in class. The college considers both tardiness and early departure from class as forms of absenteeism.

Instructors have both the right and the responsibility to develop reasonable attendance expectations appropriate to the type, level, delivery method, and frequency of class meetings for their courses; communicate the expectations to students clearly via their syllabi addenda; and apply the consequences of failing to meet the expectations fairly and consistently to all enrolled students.

Instructors are responsible for determining whether work missed may be made up, and any make-up work allowed is scheduled at the discretion of instructors. Procedures for make-up work are detailed in syllabi addenda.

Documented absences for military duty, observed religious holidays, judicial proceedings in response to a subpoena, summons for jury duty, or other court-ordered process which requires the attendance of the student at the judicial proceeding are excused. Students absent from class for any reason are still responsible for all work missed. Students should enroll only in those classes that they can reasonably expect to attend on a regular basis.

Students who stop attending classes without officially withdrawing from class risk earning a final grade of F. If a student does not officially withdraw the instructor may issue a final grade of F and the last date of attendance, which will be last day that the student attended class or participated in an academically related activity.

In the event of severe weather or other emergencies, students are expected to continue participating in learning activities via Blackboard, @student.atlantatech.edu email account, or other modality. Instructors provide information on their continuation of instruction plans in their syllabi addenda.

Failure to attend class the first week may result in students being turned in as no-shows. See No-Show Policy for further information.

Change of Address

Students are required to notify the Office of Enrollment Services of address changes. Accurate address information allows for timely correspondence with students. The Change of Address Form is available in the Office of Enrollment Services.

Course Load

A student may register for no more than 18 credit hours per semester.

Double Majors

At this time double majors are not allowed at Atlanta Technical College.

Drop/Add Period

A student may amend their schedules during the drop/add period each semester utilizing their secure Banner Web Account. A student who adds or removes a class from their schedule during the drop/add period will do so without academic penalty. The drop add period is the first three instructions days of the semester/term.

Enrollment Definitions

A student who is enrolled in:

• 12 or more credit hours is classified as full -time.

• 6-11 credit hours is classified as part-time

• 1-5 credit hours is classified as less than part-time

This is an academic classification and may differ from the full-time calculation of federal credit hours use for financial aid purposes.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Atlanta Technical College, in accordance with the provisions of the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 and its amendment, the USA Patriot Act of 2001, accord all the rights under the law to students who are declared independent. No one outside the college shall have access to any information from students' educational records without the written consent of students, except the following:

• Authorized college personnel

• Officials of other institutions in which students seek to enroll

• Organizations providing student financial aid

• Accrediting agencies carrying out their accreditation function

• Persons in compliance with a judicial order

• Persons in an emergency in order to protect the health or safety of students or other persons

Within the college, only those staff members, individually or collectively, acting in students' educational interests are allowed access to student educational records. These staff members include administrators, the office of enrollment services, financial aid personnel and academic personnel, all held within a need-to-know limitation.

At the discretion of the College, directory information may be provided in accordance with the provisions of FERPA.

Directory information includes the following:

• Full name of student

• Address

• Email address

• Major and field(s) of study

• Enrollment Status (fulltime, part-time, etc.)

• Degrees and awards and date received

• Dates of attendance

• Participation in activities

Georgia Virtual Technical Connection

As a member of the Georgia Virtual Technical Connection (GVTC), Atlanta Technical College delivers online credit courses and programs to all students in Georgia's technical colleges. GVTC's goal is to bring together the resources of Georgia's statewide system of technical colleges to expand program offerings by al1owing students’ access to a larger variety of courses.

Atlanta Technical College offers many online courses. All online courses follow the same calendar as the 15-week semester format during the fall and spring and 8-week semester format during the summer. Some online courses require on-campus face to face testing. Check the GVTC web site, located at www.gvtc.org, for a listing of courses available online.

Students enrolled in online courses are provided appropriate services such as structured access to and interaction with full-time faculty members. Staff information is posted electronically for online courses so that students can contact instructors/advisors via email. The application process and registration are coordinated by the Office of Enrollment Services.

Good Standing

A student who achieves a semester GPA of 2.00 is considered to be in good standing.

Student Grievances

Student Grievances may be submitted on the college website: Student Grievances

The procedures for grievances can be found in the student handbook: Student Handbook

Grade Appeal Procedures

Students may only appeal a final course grade.

STEP 1. If a student receives a final grade and desires to clarify questions about a grade, program standard, or grading practice, the student should first discuss the concern with their instructor and have supporting documentation (i.e. tests, assignments, and quizzes).

STEP 2. When an agreement is not reached at step one and a student wishes to appeal the decision of an instructor, the student should submit a written appeal with a Student Concern Tracking Form within ten business days to the Deans Office. The students’ appeal must be signed and dated to be accepted. The Dean must respond within ten business days upon receiving the appeal and Student Concern Tracking Form. The form can be obtained from any academic dean’s office.

STEP 3. If an agreement is not reached in the previous steps and a student wishes to appeal the decision of the Deans office, the student must submit copies of the original appeal and Student Concern Tracking Form within ten business days to the Office of the Executive Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs. The EVP of Academic and Student Affairs will review and respond to the appeal within ten business days. The decision of the Executive Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs shall be final.

Grading System

Numerical values of letter grades are as follows:

Grades are issued at the end of each semester. A grade of "C" or better is required for most programs in all classes for graduation. However, there are some programs that may require a “B” or better; therefore, it is recommended that students consult with their specific program advisor.

The following symbols are approved for use in the cases indicated.

I Indicates that student has an "incomplete" but has satisfactorily completed a substantial portion of the course work. For NON-ACADEMIC reasons beyond their control, the student has not been able to complete some specific part or amount of the work required. An "I" must be satisfactorily changed to a letter grade by the midpoint of the next semester, or it will be changed to the grade of "F" by the Office of Enrollment Services. Students must get approval from the instructor prior to the end of the semester to be eligible for an "I" grade. No credit is given and no grade points are calculated.

IP Indicates that a course continues beyond the end of the semester. An “IP” must be satisfactorily changed to a letter grade by the midpoint of the next semester, or it will be changed to the grade of “F” by the Office of Enrollment Services. No Credit is given and no grade points are calculated.

W Students who withdraw before the 60% point of the semester receive a grade of “W” Withdrew. No credit is given and no grade points are calculated.

WP Indicates students who withdraw passing from a course after the 60% point of the semester receive a grade of "WP Withdrew Passing," if they were passing the course at the time of withdrawal. No credit is given and no grade points are calculated.

WF Indicates students who withdraw from a course after the 60% point of a semester (or course) receive a grade of "WF-Withdrew Failing," if they were failing the course at the time of withdrawal. The "WF" grade is calculated as an "F" in the grade point average.

EXE Indicates that a student has exempted a course through examination. Credit is given but grade points are not calculated. Instructors must submit an Exemption Form to the Office of Enrollment Services to report an exemption.

EXP Indicates the student has been awarded transfer credit though essential learning/prior learning assessment

TR Indicates that a student has been awarded transfer credit from AP. CLEP or IB examinations.

TRA, TRB, TRC Indicates that a student has been awarded transfer credit from another institution. Credit is given but no grade points are calculated. If a student earns credit for a course taken at Atlanta Technical College for which transfer credit has been awarded, then the transfer credit will be deleted from the student's record.

TRM Indicates that a student has been awarded transfer credit from their military experience.

AC Indicates articulated credit earned by students as a part of formal articulation agreements.

AU Indicates an audited course. No grade is given, no credit hours are earned and grade points are not calculated. Auditing a course must be initiated during the registration process. Approval for an audit cannot be granted after participation in classroom instruction. Instructors must submit an Audit Form to the Office of Enrollment Services to report an audit. Audited classes are not eligible for financial aid.

Z indicates students whose academic performance was affected by the COVID-19 global pandemic. A grade of Z is the functional equivalent of a grade of W; the course in which a student received a Z grade does factor into total credit hours attempted for financial aid calculations but does not affect overall GPA.

Semester Grade Point Average (GPA) — The semester GPA is the average based on all credit courses taken during the academic term. The semester grade point average does not include credits earned at other colleges, credits associated with learning support classes, credits earned through the credit-by-examination process, credits for which the college does not assign quality points, and courses otherwise excluded by college policy. Grades earned for learning support classes affect satisfactory academic progress for financial aid purposes.

Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) — The CGPA reflects the total credit hours earned and determines scholastic standing of students. The CGPA is the grade point average calculated on all attempts of all academic credit courses taken at Atlanta Technical College. The cumulative grade point average does not include credits earned at other colleges, credits associated with learning support classes, credits earned through the credit-by-examination process, credits for which the college does not assign quality points, and courses otherwise excluded by college policy. The Dean for Enrollment Services recalculates the CGPA at the end of each semester.

Graduation Grade Point Average (GGPA) — The GGPA include only those courses required for graduation. When students take courses more than once, the highest grade earned is used in calculating the GGPA. The GGPA does not include credits earned at other colleges, credits associated with learning support classes, credits earned through the credit-by-examination process, credits for which the college does not assign quality points, and courses otherwise excluded by college policy. Students must earn a minimum 2.0 graduation grade point average, regardless of academic standing, in order to graduate from the college.

Grade Reports — Grade reports are available via students' BannerWeb accounts. Grades are typically available for viewing seven days after the last day of the semester. Directions on how to view grades online are available on the college website. Students are expected to review their final grades at the conclusion of every semester and to follow the procedures and timelines specified in the Grade Discrepancy Policy if they wish to contest a final grade.

Calculation of Grade Point Averages — A grade point average is calculated by completing the following steps:

1. Multiply the credit hours of each course by the points associated with the grade earned.

2. Add the points earned for all courses.

3. Divide the total points by the total number of credit hours attempted.

The assigned values for grades are:

Make-Up Work

The student is responsible for arranging make-up work with his/her instructors in accordance with procedures set forth in the Course syllabus.

No Show Policy

The definition of a “no-show” is a student who is registered for a class and does not attend at least one class session during the first week of class or if the class is online/hybrid does not materially participate in the online learning environment during the first seven days of the semester.

Any student reported as a “no-show” by an instructor will be administratively removed from that class and will not be eligible for reinstatement in the current semester. “No-shows” or withdrawals can jeopardize current and future financial aid eligibility.

Privacy of Student Records

Release of student information is governed by the guidelines FERPA. Within certain limits a student has the right to prohibit the release of personal data without their permission. A student can obtain a ‘Request to Suppress Directory Information Form’ in the Office of Enrollment Services. This form should be submitted to the Office of Enrollment Services at the beginning of each semester of enrollment.

Registration

Students who have received an official letter of acceptance from the Office of Enrollment Services and continuing students who are not on academic suspension may register for classes. Students enrolling under the special admission provisions are also eligible to register for certain classes.

Prerequisite and test score restrictions are maintained on individual courses and programs to prohibit students from registering for course-work outside of their program of study for which they have not completed the appropriate prerequisite work.

Upon advisement, eligible students may register for the upcoming semester. After registering, students must confirm their intent to attend by paying assessed fees. New students are notified about specific dates for registration. Students must complete the proper forms and procedures for registration and verify that their schedules of classes are correct. Registration is complete when all fees are paid.

Release of Student Records

Documents submitted by or for students in support of their application for admission or for transfer credit will not be returned to students or sent elsewhere at their request. For example, a transcript from another technical school, college, or high school, will not be sent to a third institution. Students should request another transcript from the original institution. In exceptional cases, however, where another transcript is unobtainable, or can be secured only with the greatest difficulty, copies may be prepared and released to prevent hardship to students. Students must present a signed request for this procedure. The copy sent will be marked as a certified copy of what is in the students' files.

Repeating a Course

A course may be repeated two times during the duration of the program. When a course is taken more than once, the final grade will be used in calculating the grade point average for graduation. Under extenuating circumstances, a student may be allowed to enroll in a course again with the written permission of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs.

If a student is requesting to take a class again but has exceeded the number of attempts the student should do the following in writing:

1. List the class they would like to take

2. Explain why they think they were not successful in the past

3. Tell what they propose to do differently to be successful this time

4. Submit this statement to their faculty or academic advisor

5. The faculty or academic advisor will review the students written request and sign off

6. Next the student will submit the signed written statement to the Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs and Student Affairs

7. If approved the EVP of Academic Affairs and Student Affairs will submit a copy of the request to the Enrollment Services Office for registration into the course

8. If the request is not approved the student will be notified by the EVP of Academic Affairs and Student Affairs

Any exceptions to this policy will appear in specific program policies.

Student Records

Students who wish to examine their files should contact the Office of Enrollment Services. Students have the opportunity for a hearing by appropriate officials to challenge the content of their student record to ensure that the records are accurate, not misleading, or otherwise in violation of the privacy or other right and to provide an opportunity for the correction or deletion of any inaccurate or misleading or otherwise inappropriate data contained within.

Student Withdrawal Procedure

Withdrawing before the 60% Withdrawal Deadline

The sole responsibility to officially withdraw from the college or specific class(es) lies with the student. The withdrawal without academic penalty period begins the fourth day of each term. Students are not eligible for a refund when they withdraw from a class during the withdrawal time frame. Students may withdraw from classes and receive a grade of W during the first 60% of the academic term. A grade of W does not affect a student’s semester or cumulative grade point average or academic standing. The dates are identified as the Withdrawal without academic penalty for each term on the Academic Calendar.

Withdrawing before the 60% withdrawal deadline can be done through the online student registration system; directions on how to use the registration system can be found on the Atlanta Technical College Website. Students can drop all but one class through the online registration system. To drop the last class students must contact the Office of Enrollment Services. Students can stop by the Office of Enrollment Services in the Student Success Center and complete an official withdrawal form, or they must submit an email to a member of the Enrollment Services team. This email must come from the student’s Atlanta Technical College @student.Atlantatech.edu email account and contain the students name, student identification number, the class, and course registration number (CRN). The Office of Enrollment Services will not process requests when students send the information from any other email account.

Withdrawing after the 60% Withdrawal Deadline

After the 60% withdrawal deadline, students may withdraw from classes until the last day of class as published on the academic calendar as Classes End. After the 60% withdrawal deadline, instructors must assign a grade of WP (withdrawal passing) or WF (withdrawal failing). Grades of WP and WF affect students’ satisfactory academic progress for financial aid purposes. Grades of WF also affect students’ academic standing. The instructor will calculate the withdrawal grade at the point they are notified that the student is requesting to be withdrawn from the class. Students who stop attending classes without officially withdrawing from class risk earning a final grade of F. If a student does not officially withdraw the instructors may issue a final grade of F and the last date of attendance, which will be last day that the student attended class or participated in an academically related activity.

To withdraw after the 60% withdrawal deadline students can stop by the Office of Enrollment Services in the Student Success Center and complete an official withdrawal form, or they must submit an email to a member of the Enrollment Services team. This email must come from the student’s Atlanta Technical College @student.Atlantatech.edu email account and contain the students name, student identification number, the class, and course registration number (CRN). The form will be submitted to an Enrollment Services Counselor who will contact the instructor and request the last date of attendance and a grade of WP or WF. Instructors will assign grades of WP if student are passing at the time of the withdrawal or grades of WF if students are failing at the time of withdrawal. Grades of WF are calculated into semester grade point averages as grades of F.

Final Withdrawal Deadline

The Office of Enrollment Services will not accept withdrawal forms from students after the last day of the semester as published on the academic calendar.

Web Registration

New students are given instructions and a demonstration on how to use our registration system, BANNER Web during their first advisement/registration session.

Currently-enrolled students are encouraged to meet with their program advisor prior to completing registration. After being advised, currently-enrolled students can register for their classes, on or off campus via BANNER Web.

Workplace Essential Skills

A Workplace Essential Skills grade will be given each semester for specified courses. The Workplace Essential Skills grade will not affect the academic grade point average (GPA) of a student; that is, Workplace Essential Skills grades remain separate from academic grades. Workplace Essential Skills grades will be reported each semester.

The Workplace Essential Skills program is designed to evaluate and encourage good work habits that ensure job retention and career advancement.

Employability skills refer to the basic academic, interpersonal, reasoning, problem solving skills, and Workplace Essential Skills that, when transferred to the occupational settings, facilitate job acquisition, retention, and advancement.

The Essential Workplace Skills:

1. Leadership
2. Communication
3. Organization
4. Productivity
5. Teamwork
6. Professionalism
7. Resourcefulness

Students of core and program courses will receive a Workplace Essential Skills grade. Instructors will give Workplace Essential Skills assignments throughout the semester. Workplace Essential Skills grades are optional for developmental courses and for grades of W, WF, or WP. Workplace Essential Skills grades will not be used for grades of AC, AU, EX, I, IP, or TR.

Approved Workplace Essential Skills Grades

3 = Exceeds Expectations

2 = Meets Expectations

1 = Needs Improvement

0 = Unacceptable