Academic Regulations

Attendance

Students are expected to attend classes regularly. Failure to attend can affect performance, which may be taken into consideration by instructors when assigning grades. An instructor may drop students who fail to attend the first meeting of any class for which they have officially enrolled unless prior arrangements have been made with the instructor. Instructors may also drop a student from a class when the student is excessively absent. However, it is always the student's responsibility to officially withdraw from classes. In no case should students presume they have been dropped by the instructor.

No person may attend or participate in a class without being officially enrolled.

Student Study-Load Regulations

The California Education Code defines a college semester unit as one lecture hour of class plus two hours of study per week per semester. For one laboratory hour, a college unit represents three hours of work in a laboratory or in comparable experience under classroom supervision.

A normal schedule of 15 semester units assumes the average student will devote approximately 45 hours per week to class attendance and preparation.

Associate Dean of Student Services approval is required for schedules of more than 18 semester units. If a student wishes to appeal a decision, he or she may do so by contacting Associate Dean of Student Services, who will then meet with student’s counselor to render a final decision.

Remedial Coursework Limit Policy

West Hills College Coalinga offers remedial coursework through pre-collegiate basic skills courses in reading, writing, learning skills, study skills, mathematics, and English as a Second Language. These courses are designated as non-degree applicable credit courses by their number (100 and above).

A student’s need for remedial coursework shall be determined by the student’s counselor through the use of appropriate assessment instruments and multiple measures. Once enrolled, no student shall attempt and/or receive more than 30 semester units of credit for remedial coursework at West Hills College Coalinga. A new student who does not attain full eligibility status for college level work within this unit limit shall be dismissed and referred to adult, non-credit education courses.

The following students are exempted from the limitation on remedial coursework:

Students enrolled in one or more courses of English as a Second Language.
Students identified by the Disabled Student Program Services as having a learning disability.

After attempting and/or completing 30 semester units of remedial coursework and showing satisfactory progress by maintaining a 2.00 cumulative grade-point average, students may be allowed additional units of remedial coursework upon petition to the Associate Dean of Student Services, or their designee. Students must file a petition with their counselor specifying the additional course(s) in which the student may enroll.

Examinations

Final examinations are required in all courses. Students are expected to take the examinations at the regularly scheduled times. Students must make accommodations with the instructor and obtain approval from the Vice President of Educational Services prior to the scheduled final examination if they are not able to attend the final exam date. Failure to do so may result in a substandard grade.

Prerequisite/Corequisite Policy

West Hills College Coalinga aims to guide students into courses in which they will have the greatest chance for academic success. WHCC requires students to successfully complete prerequisites as pre-enrollment preparation. Successful completion is defined as a grade of C or better for the minimum prerequisite requirement. It is the student’s responsibility to be certain that he or she has met the necessary prerequisite(s) for any course taken. The student will be dropped from any class where the prerequisite has not been met or an appeal to challenge the prerequisite is not on file in student services.

Whether or not a prerequisite is specifically stated, the instructional staff of West Hills College Coalinga assumes that each student who enrolls in a transfer level course possesses sufficient competencies in the areas of reading, writing, and math to be able to benefit from instruction.

Corequisites require that the student enroll in both courses in the same term, or have successfully completed one of the courses. Corequisite courses serve to ensure that students are engaged in all related coursework determined to support successful completion.

The student will find courses that have prerequisites, corequisites, or advisories listed as strongly recommended preparation in their descriptions. Definitions follow:

Prerequisite — a condition of enrollment that a student is required to meet in order to demonstrate current readiness for enrollment in a course or educational program.
Corequisite — a condition of enrollment consisting of a course or courses that a student is required to simultaneously take with another course or courses.
Advisory —a condition of enrollment that a student is advised, but not required, to meet before or concurrent with enrollment in a course or educational program.

Prerequisites or corequisites listed in the catalog and the schedule of classes, include:

Courses for which specific prerequisites or corequisites have been established.
Sequential course work in a degree program.
Courses in which an equivalent prerequisite or corequisite exists at a four-year transfer college or university.

Questions about prerequisites or corequisites should be resolved with a counselor or instructor prior to the first day of class.

Prerequisite/Corequisite Challenge Procedure

Any prerequisite or corequisite may be challenged by a student. It is advised that a counselor is seen to discuss this process. The forms may be obtained from the counseling staff, who will explain the procedure. Criteria for challenging a course may be:

The prerequisite or corequisite at another institution has been met, but academic records are not on file within student services;
Knowledge or ability to succeed in the course without the prerequisite or corequisite;
The course that provides the prerequisite or corequisite is not readily available;
Belief that the prerequisite or corequisite is discriminatory or being applied in that manner;
On the grounds that it was established in violation of regulations or in violation of the District approved processes.

There are deadlines in which the prerequisite or corequisite challenge must be met in order to enroll. The challenge will be reviewed after the challenge procedure has been completed. The student will be informed in writing of the determination of the challenge promptly, in some cases within five working days.

Limitation on Enrollment

Enrollment may be subject to limitations based on reasons of:

Health and safety, or
In cases of intercollegiate competition, honors courses, or public performance courses, allocation of available seats to those students judged most qualified and providing such courses are not core requirements for a major or a general education requirement for which there is no other course available; or
One or more sections of a course are limited to a cohort of students when other sections of the same course are available for open enrollment.
Challenge of a Limitation on Enrollment
Any limitation on enrollment may be challenged by a student on the grounds listed below. The student shall bear the initial burden of demonstrating that grounds exist for the challenge. If space is available in a course when a student files a challenge to the limitation on enrollment, West Hills College Coalinga shall allow the student to enroll in the course. West Hills College Coalinga shall resolve the challenge in a timely manner. If the challenge is upheld, the student shall be allowed to remain in the course. If no space is available in the course when a challenge is filed, the challenge shall be resolved prior to the beginning of registration for the next term.

Grounds for Challenging a Limitation on Enrollment

A student may challenge a limitation on enrollment in a course if:

The course is required in order for the student to receive a degree or certificate and no other course is offered during the semester of the challenge to meet the requirement, and
The student’s graduation from the degree or certificate program will be delayed if he/she is unable to enroll in the course during the semester of the challenge.

Procedures for Challenging a Limitation on Enrollment

Submit a Petition to Challenge a Limitation on Enrollment to the Executive Vice President, or their designee, no later than the first day of the semester in order to receive a decision by the fifth day of the semester.
Attach a current Student Educational Plan indicating that the course is required to receive a degree or certificate.
You must prove that your graduation will be delayed by one or more semesters if you are not allowed to enroll in the course.

Course Repetition

Certain courses are repeatable for credit. Such courses are identified in the catalog as repeatable in the course description with the number of times also indicated. Courses that are repeatable are approved for inclusion in this category on the following basis:

Skills or proficiency are enhanced by supervised repetition and practice or;
Active participation experience is a basic means by which learning occurs.

WHCC monitors student enrollment in repeatable courses. Students enrolled in courses the permitted number of times will receive credit. Any student enrolled for more than the maximum number of times will be dropped. Students are urged to keep track of the number of times they repeat such courses. No prior warning can be provided by the college that
the repetition limit has been reached.

If a student who has already completed a course with a grade of D, F, W, or NP wishes to repeat the course, he/she may be permitted to do so. In these cases only, the student may repeat the course for which a D, F, or NP grade was issued, up to twice. A maximum of three attempts per course is allowed. The best of the grades will be used in the cumulative grade
point computation. All grades will be recorded on the academic record, but units will be granted for only one attempt. The student should be aware that other colleges or universities may not treat a repeated course in the same manner. If a student wishes to repeat the course more than one time, the student must petition the VP of Student Services.

Course Repetition under Special Circumstances

WHCC may permit students to repeat courses for which substandard grades were not recorded. Repetition of such courses shall be permitted only upon petition of the student and with written permission of the VP of Educational Services based upon findings that circumstances exist which justify course repetition. Such circumstances may be a significant lapse of time since the student previously took the course, significant changes in technology, methodology, and content have occurred, or a higher grade is required by a specific educational program. When a student is allowed to repeat courses under these circumstances, the student’s permanent academic record shall be maintained in such a manner that all work remains legible, ensuring a true and complete academic history. Grades awarded for courses repeated under the pro-visions of this policy shall not be counted in calculating a student’s grade point average.

Academic Standing

Students maintaining minimum GPA of 2.0, with less than one-third of the enrolled units with the grade of W, I, or NP, are considered students in good standing.

Academic Probation

Notification of Academic and Progress Probation per Administrative Procedure 4250**

Each student shall be notified of his/her academic difficulty and the availability of college support services.
Notification will consist, at a minimum, of the following:
- When the student’s grade point average falls below 2.0 in all units attempted, a notice that the student is on probation shall be sent to the student informing him/her that he/she is on academic probation. “All units attempted" is defined as all units of credit for which the student is enrolled.
- When the percentage of a student’s recorded entries of “W,” “I,”, “NC”, “EW” and “NP” reaches or exceeds one third (33%) of all units in which a student has enrolled, the student shall be placed on progress probation and notified.
- At the end of the third semester on which the student is on academic or progress probation, a notice that the student is subject to dismissal will be sent to the student informing him/her that he/she is subject to dismissal

Probationary Notice

Per Administrative Procedure 4250** all probation notices will be sent to the student’s West Hills Community College District provided email account.

The notice to the student will cover, at a minimum, the significance of being on probation and description of the services available.
A student who is on academic probation and earns a semester grade point average of 1.75 or better shall not be dismissed as long as this minimum semester grade point average is maintained.

Academic Dismissal

Standards for Dismissal

For purposes of this procedure, semesters shall be considered consecutive on the basis of the student’s enrollment, so long as the break in the student’s enrollment does not exceed one full primary term.

A student who is on academic probation shall be subject to dismissal if the student has earned a cumulative grade point average of less than 1.75 in all units attempted in each of three consecutive semesters.

A student who has been placed on probation shall be subject to dismissal if the percentage of units in which the student has been enrolled for which entries of “W”, “I”, “NC”, and “NP” are recorded in at least three consecutive semesters reaches or exceeds thirty-three percent (33%).

Per Administrative Procedure 4255**

Dismissal Notification

Per Administrative Procedure 4255** the dismissal notification to the student that he/she is subject to dismissal will cover, at a minimum, reference to this procedure, an explanation of what dismissal means, procedure for reinstatement, and procedure to appeal the dismissal.

Academic Dismissal

Per Administrative Procedure 4255** the student has the right to appeal a proposed dismissal action if the student thinks facts exist that warrant an exception to the dismissal action. The student must file the written petition of appeal with a counselor within thirty (30) days after the dismissal notification was sent. If the student fails to file a written petition within the thirty (30) days, the student waives all future rights to appeal the dismissal action. It is the student’s responsibility to indicate on the petition a clear statement of the grounds on which continued enrollment should be granted and to provide evidence supporting the reasons. Petitions will be reviewed by the college Student Services Learning Area Committee with recommendations made to the Vice President of Student Services (VPSS) for final decision.

The student will be continued on probation until the college VPSS decides on the student’s appeal.
The decision of the college VPSS will be communicated to the student in writing within ten (10) days of receipt of the student’s appeal.
The student may appeal the decision of the college VPSS in writing to the College President in accordance with Administrative Procedure 5530, Student Rights and Grievances.

If the dismissal appeal is granted, the student will be continued on probation for an additional semester. At the end of the additional semester, the student’s academic record will again be evaluated to determine whether the student may be removed from probation, should be dismissed, or should be continued on probation.

Standards for Evaluating Appeals and Readmission

In consideration of whether to grant or deny an appeal for dismissal, the VPSS may consider the following criteria:

The student accepts a prescribed intervention, such as enrolling in a corrective program designed to assist him/her in improving academic skills, obtaining academic counseling, and/or limiting course load.
Documented extenuating circumstances (considered during appeal).
Marked improvement between the semesters on which dismissal was based.
Semesters on which dismissal was based were atypical of past academic performance.
Formal or informal educational experiences since completion of semesters on which dismissal was based.
Improved GPA as a result of grade changes, fulfillment of incomplete courses, or academic renewal.

Per Administrative Procedure 4255**

Readmission after Dismissal

In considering whether or not students may be re-admitted after a dismissal and two semesters absence, the following criteria will be considered:

Documented extenuating circumstances (considered during appeal).
Marked improvement between the semesters on which disqualification was based.
Semesters on which disqualification was based were atypical of past academic performance.
Formal or informal educational experiences since completion of semesters on which disqualification was based.
Improved GPA as a result of grade changes, fulfillment of incomplete courses, or academic renewal.

Per Administrative Procedure 4255**

Withdrawal from College

Any student leaving West Hills College Coalinga at any time after registration must formally withdraw from all coursework. Any student who discontinues work without formal withdrawal does so at the risk of having registration privileges revoked and holds placed on their academic record. Students also run the risk of receiving a final gof “F” in currently enrolled coursework. All books and equipment belonging to the college must be returned or purchased from the college.

Catalog Rights

A student must fulfill degree requirements as stipulated in the WHCC catalog. A student who maintains continuous enrollment may elect:

The catalog in effect at the time the student began attending a California public community college or California State University campus or any combination thereof, or
The catalog in effect at the time the student began attending West Hills College Coalinga, or
The catalog in effect at the time the student is graduated from West Hills College Coalinga.

Continuous enrollment is defined as being officially enrolled in at least one primary term (Fall and/or Spring), regardless of the number of units completed. A student is considered to be in attendance if s/he received a letter grade or notation during one of the primary terms. Active military duty will maintain a student’s continuous attendance status providing the student returns at the first registration for fall/spring semester following release.

Academic Renewal Policy and Procedures

Per Administrative Procedure 4240** academic renewal is a process by which students may have unsatisfactory grades removed from the grade point average calculation. The Academic Renewal Policy and Procedures agency shall be the Curriculum Academic Review Committee. The Curriculum Academic Review Committee will use multiple methods of assessment to determine eligibility for academic renewal and retain the right to reject any request determined by the committee to be without merit.

Grades of D, F, and NP, not reflective of the student’s present scholastic level of performance, may be alleviated and disregarded in the computation of grade point averages. When academic work is alleviated, the permanent record shall be appropriately annotated in a manner to ensure that all entries are legible and that a true and complete record is maintained.

Up to 12 semester units of substandard (D, F, NP) course work at West Hills College Coalinga may be alleviated. However, courses which are required for a degree or certificate which has been granted may not be alleviated if the degree or certificate would not have been awarded without those courses.

In the absence of serious extenuating circumstances, which may justify special consideration, the following three options shall be used to determine if a request for grade alleviation will be reviewed by the Curriculum Academic Review Committee:

Since completion of the work to be alleviated, the student must have completed the minimum number of units indicated in one of the three options listed below and earned a cumulative GPA for those units equal to or above that listed. A student is encouraged to use the option with the largest number of units when possible.

24 semester units of course work with a GPA of 2.00 or
18 semester units of course work with a GPA of 2.50 or
12 semester units of course work with a GPA of 3.00

The Curriculum Academic Review Committee will use the information obtained from the student’s academic record as one of the multiple measures of assessment.

At least three years must have elapsed since the course work to be disregarded was recorded.
The student petitions in writing to the Curriculum Academic Review Committee stating the reasons for requesting academic renewal.
The student states in the petition the specific courses to be considered under the academic renewal policy.
The students must provide copies of academic records from all institutions relevant to the petition.

Whenever possible, students should repeat courses for which substandard grades were earned rather than seek academic renewal.

Non-Traditional Credit and Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) Options

West Hills College Coalinga offers students several options to earn course credit toward a degree or certificate. Options such as Credit by Examination, AP Tests, and CLEP Tests allow students to earn course credit as an alternative to enrolling in a traditional semester-length course. Below is a list of the non-traditional options for earning course credit and the circumstances that students must meet:

Credit by Examination Policy

Credit by examination may be obtained by one of the following methods:
Credit by satisfactory completion of an institutional examination administered by the college in lieu of completion of an active course listed in the current college catalog.
Achievement of a score of 3 or higher on an Advanced Placement (AP) Examination administered by the College Board.
Achievement of a score that qualifies for credit by examination in the College Level Examination Program (CLEP).
Achievement of a score of 5 or above on a high level International Baccalaureate (IB) examination administered by the International Baccalaureate.
Credit by satisfactory completion of portfolio assessment administered by the college in lieu of completion of an active course listed in the current college catalog.
Credit for military service, training, and experience as recommended by the American Council on Education (ACE) Directory.

Credit by Institutional Examination Administered by the College

Advanced Placement Examinations

West Hills College Coalinga will grant unit credit to those students who participate in the Advanced Placement Examinations offered by the College Examination Board. Students will receive unit credit, not a letter grade, with scores of 3 or higher for purposes of general education requirements, graduation and/or advanced placement into West Hills College Coalinga courses. In order to receive credit, a student must be currently enrolled at West Hills College Coalinga.

Students must submit their requests and have their official copy of The College Board test scores forwarded to the West Hills College Coalinga Office of Admissions and Records.
Requests should be made prior to registration, or as soon as possible during the first semester of attendance.
No duplication of credit will be allowed for students who complete or will complete any courses equivalent to those covered by the examination.
Students should understand that some transfer institutions do not allow and/or limit credit by examination.

Credit for Military Schools

A student who is currently Active Duty or a Veteran that has been honorably discharged may petition and be awarded credit. In all cases, the American Council on Education (ACE) ‘Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Forces’ will be followed:

West Hills College Coalinga will award equivalent college course credit for Military Service Schools as recommended by the ACE Directory.
A maximum of twenty seven (27) semester units of elective degree credit may be awarded for those service schools that the ACE Directory recommends for specific lower division credit, but for which West Hills College Coalinga does not offer a specific equivalent.
In addition, three (3) semester units for Health Education 35 will be awarded. A petition for HE 35 must be completed.
West Hills College Coalinga Request for Evaluation of Military Record must be an official military Joint Services Transcript (JST).
All units granted by West Hills College Coalinga will be placed officially on the current transcript of the student. (See also section on Veterans for additional information).
Grades and grade points will not be assigned to college credits granted through military experience.
An evaluation of all the student’s prior credits (military, transfer, exams) in relation to the students declared major should be applied for before or completion of two semesters.

Special Note: Units from the official military transcript are non-transferrable.

CLEP (College Level Examination Program)

West Hills College Coalinga allows a maximum of 24 semester units of credit which can be earned for successful completion of the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) - General Examinations and/or Subject Examinations at the 50th percentile or above.

Students must be currently registered at West Hills College Coalinga before credit is posted to their transcripts.
The student has official CLEP examination score reports mailed from the College Board to the West Hills College Coalinga Office of Admissions and Records.
The English portion is not acceptable at West Hills College Coalinga.
Grades and grade points will not be assigned to college credits earned through CLEP examinations.
Students should understand that some transfer institutions do not allow and/or limit credit by examination.

International Baccalaureate

West Hills College Coalinga will grant credit for successfully completing high level International Baccalaureate (IB) examinations, where a score of 5, 6, or 7 has been earned. Standard level examinations are not granted credit. Credit may be granted under the following circumstances:

The student has official IB transcripts mailed from the International Baccalaureate to the West Hills College Coalinga Office of Admissions and Records.
The student received the minimum acceptable score on the IB examination as recommended by the California Community College General Education IB score equivalency list.
Students should understand that some transfer institutions do not allow and/or limit credit by examination.
Grades and grade points will not be assed to college credits earned through IB examinations.

Credit by Portfolio Assessment

West Hills College Coalinga will grant credit for satisfactory completion of portfolio assessment administered by the college in lieu of completion of an active course listed in the current college catalog. Credit may be granted under the following circumstances:

Transfer of Upper Division Coursework

West Hills College Coalinga will accept coursework completed at the upper division level under the following conditions:

The course must have been completed at a regionally accredited college or university.
The course must be deemed comparable to a West Hills College Coalinga course by the faculty in the discipline, or an appropriate designee, or an articulation agreement. Upper division courses or more advanced courses may be used in lieu of lower division course competencies.
A maximum of 12 upper division units will be allowed.
The upper division course may be used to satisfy a West Hills College Coalinga major requirement, an associate degree general education requirement, or a prerequisite.
Students will still need 60 lower division transfer units to be eligible for admission to a CSU or UC.
Grades earned will be calculated in the same manner as those transferred from another college or university.

Directed Studies

Some specialized course work may be completed through a contract with the instructor. These contracts are usually designated as Directed Study Courses. The current numbering is Directed Study 49 or 99.

With the agreement of the instructor and administrative approval, a student may pursue advanced study after completing the introductory offerings in a particular field. Students, in cooperation with the instructor, prepare and execute a written contract that address the following: student’s purpose, learning activities expected, methods and criteria for evaluation, contract beginning and ending dates, and unit-hours attempted. Signed contracts must be on file in the Admissions and Records Office before credit will be granted.

Auditing Courses

Students may audit West Hills College Coalinga courses by paying a $15.00 per unit fee. Enrollment record for the course does not appear on the student academic record and students must designate audit status by the second week of the semester for an 18 week course or the first week for a 9 week course. No student auditing a course shall be permitted to change his or her enrollment in that course to receive credit for the course. Priority in class enrollment shall be given to students desiring to take the course for credit toward a degree or certificate. Students must have the instructor’s permission to audit the class and notify the Oﬃce of Admissions and Records at applycoalinga@whccd.edu and or 5559.934.2324.

Administrative Provisions for Changes or Waivers

West Hills Community College District reserves the right to change any provisions or requirements at any time within the student’s term of enrollment at the college, and shall not be responsible for any interruptions in the student’s educational program due to unforeseen circumstances beyond the control of the college.

Any regulation adopted by the administration of the college, and approved by the Board of Trustees, shall have the same force as a printed regulation in the catalog and shall supersede, upon promulgation, by posting on official bulletin boards and/or the college website any ruling on the same subject which may appear in the printed catalog and other official publications of the college.

Students are responsible for meeting in full the requirements for graduation set forth in the college catalog. The West Hills College Coalinga staff assists in the planning of a program, but the final responsibility for meeting the requirements for graduation rests with the student.

Students who desire a waiver to any West Hills College Coalinga graduation policy or procedure should put their request in writing to the VP of Educational Services.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974

All student records of West Hills College Coalinga are kept in accordance with the provisions of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974.

Students may request access to those campus records which personally identify the student; the student may challenge the accuracy of the record or the appropriateness of its retention in the campus records. Student consent is needed for the release of records covered by the Act to outside parties (e.g., prospective employers), except for those agencies entitled to access under the provisions of the Act (e.g., campus officials, other schools, federal educational and auditing officers, and requests in connection with the application or receipt of financial aid). These provisions apply to records received and used after November 19, 1974.

A student may request a copy of a record that the student has consented to being released.

The Act authorizes West Hills College Coalinga to regard the following information as “Directory Information” and to release this information without student consent: student’s name, address, telephone listing, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, and the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student.

If a student does not wish any or all directory information released without his/her consent, he/she must inform the Admissions and Records Office in writing within ten (10) days after classes begin. Forms are available in student services. To inspect, review, or challenge any of their educational records, students must make such a request in writing to the VP of Student Services.

Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the rights currently held by parents transfer to the student once the student enters a post-secondary institution, without regard to the student’s age. Students at the post secondary institutions have the right to inspect and review their education records. Under FERPA, schools may, but are not required to, provide parents of students who are dependent for tax purposes access to the student’s education records.

Particular questions with respect to a student’s prerogatives under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 should be directed to the office of the VP of Student Services.

See Administrative Procedures and Board Policies at https://westhillscollege.com/district/administration/board-of-trustees/policies-and-procedures.php