ACADEMIC POLICIES
Knoxville College offers the Associate of Arts degree in General Studies. Knoxville College follows a semester system calendar.
Associate of Arts (AA) Degree Curriculum
The following requirements must be met for the Associate of Arts degree:
• To successfully complete a minimum of 60 semester credit hours
• To take 42 credit hours of general education core courses and a minimum of 19 credit hours of elective courses to satisfy a concentration.
Students may choose from the following concentrations:
• Humanities
• Social Sciences
• Natural Sciences
• Mathematics
• Management
• Public Health
• Environmental Health
• Health Literacy
• Religious Studies
A student who has selected a future major or probable major to be pursued at a four-year institution should take courses appropriate to that major. Refresher courses in English and mathematics do not count toward the completion of this minimum-hour requirement.
A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 must be maintained.
Credit
The unit of credit is the semester hour. A semester hour is the amount of credit earned for the satisfactory completion of one hour a week lecture or at least two hours a week laboratory practice throughout one semester. Hyphenated courses (e.g., 101-102) indicate that the sequence of courses should be taken in order. Commas separating courses (e.g., 101, 102) indicate that the courses may be taken out of sequence. The designation 3-3 indicates that the course carries three semester hours of credit each semester for two semesters, and that the courses should be taken in sequence.
Classification
Student classification is determined by total number of credit hours earned. Hours earned in developmental or refresher courses are not included in the calculation.
Freshman: 0-29.9
Sophomore: 30-60
Course Load
Full-time students must carry at least 12 credit hours. A normal course load is 15-17 hours.
No credit is granted for courses in which the student was not officially enrolled except for credit by examination.
Permanent Student Records
A student’s permanent record may contain all or some of the following information:
1. Demographic information
2. Basis of admission
3. Enrollment information
4. Results of petitions and appeals filed by the student
5. Medical/Disability information
6. Financial information
Confidentiality of Student Records
It is the policy of Knoxville College to comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), also known as the Buckley Amendment, and, in so doing, to protect the confidentiality of personally identifiable educational records of students and former students. Students have the right to inspect and review information contained in their educational records, to challenge the contents of their educational records, to have a hearing if the outcome of the challenge is unsatisfactory, and to submit explanatory statements for inclusion in their files if the decision of the hearing panel is unacceptable to the student. Except as otherwise stated by policy, Knoxville College may disclose directory information to any person requesting it without the consent of the student. Directory information includes the student’s name, date of birth, major field of study, recognized activities, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, and the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student.
By the publication of this notice, Knoxville College advises students of the information which the College may release. If a student wishes that the College not release any or all 25 of the above information, he/she may so inform the Office of the Registrar in writing during the first week of each semester.
Student ID Verification for Online Coursework
In order to verify that students who register in a distance education course at Knoxville College is the same student who participates in and completes the course and receives credit, the following system is used:
1. All students are issued a secure, personal ID number and password when first admitted to the University.
2. Students are instructed to change, utilizing the provisions available within the College’s administrative software system, the original password to a personal password.
3. Students receive written instructions to protect the identity of their password at all times.
4. Students receive written instructions to change their password if they have concerns that it has been compromised.
5. Students are instructed to use their personal ID number and password when accessing the distance education course management platform.
6. Students are unable to participate in distance education courses without a valid Knoxville College approved ID number and password.
7. The administrative software system will not accept a student ID number if it is not currently valid.
Registration
Students registering for each term should consult with their designated college advisor with regard to the specific courses and total course load they plan to take. A student is properly registered when his/her designated college advisor has approved the courses and the registration has been approved by the College.
Adding and Dropping Courses
In order to ensure a place in desired classes, all students are strongly encouraged to preregister for a given semester during the designated period. Every effort will be made to honor students’ preregistration schedules. However, the College reserves the right to adjust pre-registration schedules based on availability and other factors. If a student preregisters for certain courses that have a prerequisite, the College reserves the right to drop the student from the course until the prerequisite has been fulfilled. Students who receive grades below a “C” in general education core courses in Math and English, will be automatically re-enrolled in these classes in the subsequent semester. Students seeking 26 to add a course to their schedule after the registration period has ended must follow steps as prescribed by the college.
All schedule changes involving the addition of a course must take place within two weeks from the beginning date of classes. After this period of time, a student may withdraw from a course, but no new courses can be added.
Withdrawal From Courses
Students may officially withdraw from courses without penalty during the first eight weeks of a semester. All withdrawals must be approved by the College. Any student who stops attending a course but does not officially withdraw from that course will receive a grade of "F."
Withdrawal From The College
A student who leaves college, except for temporary absences with permission, must have an exit interview and secure a withdrawal permit from the College. The permit must then be signed by the College. Any student who stops attending courses but does not officially withdraw from the College will receive a final grade of "F" for each course. Failure to follow this procedure may also result in denial of permission to reenter the College and the forfeiture of any refund otherwise due.
After the withdrawal permit has been filed and approved, the refund schedule shown in "Withdrawal from the College and Pro-Rata Refund Policy" is exercised. A student who withdraws from the College as of the date specified in the current academic calendar will receive a "W" for all courses. A student who withdraws after this period will receive grades of "F" in all courses. However, based on documented evidence of health problems, overriding family circumstances, financial or other extenuating circumstances, the student may apply to the College for an emergency withdrawal resulting in "W" in all courses.
Exit Examination
To graduate from the College, acceptable English and Mathematics scores must be obtained. These tests are typically given each semester. Students are urged to take the test at each opportunity as scores are not only indicative of success in a given subject but also can be used to measure progress.
The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) requires that institutions evaluate education skills of the graduating class. Each year a percentage of the graduates are selected to participate in the assessment. The results enable Knoxville College to evaluate its general education program. Students are informed in their final year if they have been 27 selected to participate.
Grading System
To determine a student’s progress toward a degree and scholastic standing, the grade point average (GPA) is calculated at the end of each semester and immediately prior to graduation. This calculation relies on quality points derived from the grade assigned to each course. Grades are promptly mailed to students at the end of each semester. The GPA is computed by the following:
Grade A: 90-100 (4.0) Exceptional or superior work.
Grade B: 80-89 (3.0) Good or above average work.
Grade C: 70-79 (2.0) Satisfactory work.
Grade D: 60-69 (1.0) Passing but on borderline of failure. Not accepted in fulfilling requirements in major, minor, or related fields; in English refresher, composition, or reading courses; or in mathematics courses.
Grade F: 0-59 (0.0) Failure.
Grade I: Incomplete - Awarded when a student is unable to complete the requirements of a course due to extraordinary circumstances beyond his or her control.
Grade Z: Student must re-enroll in the course. This is only for use in developmental English and Mathematics courses.
Grade F/A AU S/U: Failure due to attendance Course Audit (No Credit) Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. Placement or proficiency credit.
Grade W: Withdrawal - Used within the first eight weeks of courses
Grade of Incomplete
The grade of Incomplete (I) indicates that work in a particular course is incomplete. This grade (I) will be awarded only in exceptional cases when illness or other unavoidable reasons prevent the student from taking the final examination or completing a major class project.
Any student receiving an incomplete (I) will be given one calendar year from the date of receipt to remove the condition. If this grade is not removed by the student within the allotted time, the grade will be changed to an “F.” Special consideration may be made by the College, if and as warranted.
No credit hours are awarded for courses in which grades of “W” are given and they are not counted in determining the student’s scholastic standing.
No credit hours are awarded for courses in which grades of “F” are earned, but the hours are counted in determining the student’s scholastic standing.
Repeating Courses
Students who fail any course or earn a “D” in a course for which a minimum grade of a “C” is required must repeat that course at its next offering. Students must indicate to the College at registration that they are repeating a course. Courses may be repeated to improve a grade of “C” or below in any course taken at Knoxville College. Credit hours can be counted as earned only once.
A student who makes an unsatisfactory grade may not repeat that course at another institution for credit at Knoxville College. Students will receive credit hours for a repeat course if the previous grade was an “F.” If the previous grade was a “D” or higher, then the student will receive additional quality points that reflect the difference between the initial grade and the subsequent grade. Exceptions may be made by the College. Students may not count for credit a grade below “C” in their concentration.
Auditing Courses
A student who is interested in auditing a course should request this status from the Registrar’s Office during regular registration. Permission to audit the course is at the discretion of the course instructor. Audited courses receive no credit and do not impact the GPA nor the number of credits earned. The course will appear with an “AU” on the student’s transcript. The tuition charged for auditing is one-half the regular charge for courses receiving credit. A course started on an auditing basis cannot be changed to a credit basis after the first week of instruction.
Taking Courses at Other Institutions
A Knoxville College student who wishes to enroll in one or more courses at another college or university during the summer or regular semester must receive prior permission from the College. Courses may be taken only at appropriately accredited institutions of higher learning.
Grade Appeal Process
A student has a right to challenge any grade s/he feels was given in error. The appeal procedure for a student with a complaint about grading requires contact with the instructor involved. If the matter is not resolved at this level, the student should seek resolution at the departmental level by the submitting a written petition to the College. Either the student or the instructor may appeal the decision made at this level to the Office of the President.
A student must register a complaint within forty-five days of receiving the grade. Any grade appeal not initiated during this timeframe will remain on the transcript of the student. Special considerations may be made by the College.
Freshmen Honors
Freshmen, whose cumulative averages for the year are 3.00 or better and based upon at least thirty (30) semester hours of credit, are eligible for Freshmen Honors.