Academic Information
Academic Advising
Each student should thoroughly review this catalog and become familiar with the policies and procedures of the college. Failure to do this may result in serious mistakes for which the student shall be held fully responsible. Through a system of academic advising, Pulaski Technical College assists each student in planning academic programs and developing course schedules. Academic advisers and counselors are available during registration periods to assist all students enrolling in PTC classes for the first time.
Students who have attended at least one semester at PTC will be eligible to enroll in classes via Web registration through Campus Connect. Although meeting requirements for graduation is the responsibility of the student, continuing students are strongly encouraged to consult with an adviser from their division prior to registering for classes via the Web. Degree plans are available for student use in Student Services and Counseling.
Academic Probation and Suspension
All students attending Pulaski Technical College are expected to make satisfactory progress in all courses registered. Grades are calculated and evaluated at the end of the fall and spring semesters for probation and suspension status. Grades are not evaluated for probation or suspension status following a summer term.
Students with low grades are encouraged to repeat the course as quickly as possible to raise the grade-point average (GPA). Grades from a class that has been repeated will not be calculated in the GPA. (See repeat policy for details.)
To be in good standing, all students must carry the required minimum cumulative grade-point average as listed below. Students who fail to meet these standards will be placed on academic probation or suspension.
| Credit Hours Attempted | Minimum Cumulative Grade-Point Average |
| 1-29 | 1.75 |
| 30 hours or above | 2.00 |
Students on academic probation who do not achieve the minimum cumulative grade-point average as stated shall be suspended for one semester. Students placed on academic suspension for the second time shall be suspended for one year. Students placed on academic suspension the third time will be suspended for a three-year period. Exceptions to the above suspension policy are as follows:
- Anyone obtaining a first-time suspension for one semester may apply for the Start Over Again Program (SOAP) through the Office of Counseling and Advising.
- Students on academic probation achieving at least a 2.0 grade-point average for each semester enrolled will be eligible to enroll in classes but will be continued on academic probation until the minimum cumulative grade-point average is achieved.
Transfer students who are on academic suspension at another college or university will not be eligible to enroll at PTC until the suspension is completed. Transfer students must be eligible to return to the last attended institution. Transfer students with a grade-point average below 2.0 will enter on academic probation and must achieve the minimum cumulative grade point average the first semester of enrollment and may be given a one-semester suspension. At this time, they may be eligible for the SOAP program for one semester. After the second semester, transfer students will be suspended according to the policy.
Whether a PTC student or a transfer student, Pulaski Technical College does not accept hours earned at another institution during an academic suspension for transfer credit. All students should be aware that most institutions will not accept students in transfer if they are suspended at PTC.
Students who have been suspended for the second or third time must complete a re-admit application prior to reenrollment. Students completing suspension are encouraged to visit with an adviser prior to reenrolling in classes. All records of students on suspension will be placed on a registration hold, and the student may not enroll in classes until the suspension has been completed.
Assessment of Student Learning
Pulaski Technical College is committed to student learning. During their studies at Pulaski Tech, students will be involved in various assessment activities that will help determine the nature and extent of their learning. Students may take a pre-test and a post-test in a particular course, or writing samples may be collected in order to ascertain how well students are learning and applying writing skills that they have learned in the classroom. Students may be asked to fill out student surveys to determine how well services at Pulaski Tech are supporting their learning. Graduate and employer surveys may also be administered in order for Pulaski Tech to garner feedback from students about their learning experiences and how well that learning translates into the workplace. Students may take end-of-program tests or complete the CAAP Exam. All of these assessment procedures provide feedback to the college in order to continue to provide a quality learning experience.
Start Over Again Program (SOAP)
Students who are suspended for the first-time with a one-semester suspension will be permitted to re-enroll in classes for the subsequent semester (spring following a fall suspension or summer/fall term following a spring suspension) if they agree to participate in the Start Over Again Program. The Start Over Again Program (SOAP) will permit students who are on suspension to re-enroll in courses in which they received a D or F grade. PTC recognizes that some students can quickly remove probation and suspension by repeating the courses with low grades and that the student may be more successful with these courses if they repeat them immediately.
These students will be required to meet with a counselor located in Counseling Services for advisement and reenrollment. Suspended students are ineligible to access Web registration until the suspension is removed. Students participating in SOAP may not enroll for more than nine hours during this semester. Students should understand that they might not be eligible for financial aid while participating in this program.
Students who enroll in SOAP must meet certain requirements, as listed below. If they do not successfully complete the courses to raise their grade-point average to remove the suspension, they must complete the suspension period and will not be eligible to enroll for one semester. The one-semester suspension is a full semester and does not include summer terms.
Students suspended for the second (one-year) or third (three-year) suspension will not be eligible to participate in SOAP and they will be required to follow the suspension periods as noted in the catalog for a second and third suspension.
What are the requirements?
- The student must participate in COLL 1300, College Seminar: A Pathway to Excellence, if he or she has not already completed it with a C grade or better.
- The student may enroll in no more than nine credit hours for the semester.
- The student must maintain a minimum of a 2.00 semester grade-point average.
- The student must increase his/her cumulative GPA to meet the academic progress schedule.
- The student must adhere to the PTC attendance policy in all classes regardless of class/instructor leniency. Students not meeting the attendance policy and who are administratively dropped will be dropped from the SOAP program and will be ineligible to enroll for one semester.
- The student will be required to meet with a counselor and to enroll in classes through an assigned counselor.
Academic Recognition
The college encourages students to strive for high scholastic standards. The college names to the President’s List any student who has earned 12 or more credit hours in a given semester with a 4.0 grade-point average and to the Dean’s List any student who has earned 12 or more credit hours in a given semester with at least a 3.5 grade-point average and no grade below a “C.” No developmental courses may be included in the 12 or more credit hours.
Academic Clemency
Act 1000 of the 1991 General Assembly of the State of Arkansas requires that state colleges and universities establish policies for academic clemency for undergraduate students. Pulaski Technical College has a policy whereby students may petition the college to have previously earned grades and credits removed from the calculations of their cumulative grade-point averages. To be considered for academic clemency, the student must meet the following criteria.
Eligibility
- The student must not have been enrolled in any institution of higher education for a minimum of three consecutive years.
- Students who have a cumulative grade-point average greater than 1.99 in the semester(s) for which academic clemency is requested are not eligible.
- Students who have completed a degree/certificate program are not eligible for clemency.
Conditions
- The student may submit a written request for academic clemency at the time of admission and no later than the first semester of enrollment. This request is to be submitted to the director of Admissions and Records. Upon verification by the director of Admissions and Records that the student has met all requirements, the student will be granted academic clemency.
- Academic clemency can be granted only once.
- Academic clemency will be granted when a student completes a minimum of 12 semester hours at Pulaski Technical
College and earns a minimum 2.00 grade-point average. - Academic clemency will cover all credits earned during the semester(s) for which it is granted. The student may not choose partial semesters or courses. All courses will be affected. Although these credits will not count toward graduation requirements, they will remain on the student’s comprehensive transcript. Courses on which academic clemency is granted will not be used in the computation of the cumulative grade-point average. They will be indicated on the transcript as zero credit hours.
- The comprehensive transcript will contain a notation indicating the date that academic clemency was granted.
- Federal and state financial aid regulations and requirements for veterans benefits will prevail over institutional academic clemency policy if there is a conflict.
- Policies related to academic clemency pertain only to Pulaski Technical College and may not be honored by other institutions.
Academic Due Process
Pulaski Technical College recognizes that both students and faculty have academic rights and sets forth the following academic appeals procedure. Appeal of a grade must be made by the student directly affected and be made during or immediately following the conclusion of the course involved. Immediately, here, means before the beginning of another semester or term.
The following steps are to be followed for appeals related to academic matters, such as differences of opinions on grades, assignments, attendance, or classroom procedures:
- The student meets with the faculty member regarding any classroom problem. The student and faculty member should discuss the problem thoroughly and attempt to reach an agreement.
- If agreement cannot be reached between the student and faculty member, the student contacts the department chair or dean for mediation. The department or dean should talk with the student and faculty member and may choose to call a meeting of all parties involved in order to reach an agreement.
- If the student wishes to appeal the decision of the department chair, the student may appeal to the dean. If the student wishes to appeal the decision of the dean, the student may formalize the appeal by putting it in writing, including conditions giving rise to the appeal, the names of the parties involved, and the remedy requested. The written appeal is then submitted to the Vice President for Instruction. The Vice President for Instruction will then convene a meeting of an ad hoc hearing committee.
- The hearing committee will be composed of three faculty members appointed by the Vice President for Instruction, one of whom will be a faculty member of the student’s choice. The faculty member named in the academic appeal cannot serve on the hearing committee. The committee will select its own chair, gather appropriate information and may choose to conduct interviews with all involved parties. The committee will then make a recommendation to the Vice President for Instruction regarding the appeal.
- After reviewing the committee recommendation, the Vice President for Instruction will make a decision and inform all parties in writing in a timely manner. The decision of the Vice President for Instruction on academic appeals is final.
Note: All disciplinary proceedings may be subject to audio tape recording. Any such recordings are property of Pulaski Technical College and may not be duplicated. The student involved in the proceeding will be allowed to review recordings upon request and under supervision of a college official.
Academic Year
Pulaski Technical College operates on the semester system with fall and spring semesters, two four-week summer sessions, and one eight-week extended summer session constituting an academic year. Students with academic deficiencies are urged to enroll in the summer term in order to remove them at the earliest possible date.
Adding/Dropping/Withdrawing*
All schedule changes including adding courses, dropping courses, and withdrawing from the college become effective when submitted to the Office of Admissions and Records or when processed by the student through Web registration. Students may add and drop courses during the schedule change period as listed in the academic calendar. Drops or complete withdrawals processed through the 11th class day will not be recorded on the student’s permanent record. Students dropping or withdrawing after this date will receive a W on the permanent record. A date of total withdrawal will be posted on the permanent record.
Students are urged to meet with a counselor or academic adviser before dropping or withdrawing to determine if an alternate action may be available. Students receiving financial aid should consult with a financial aid officer to determine how schedule changes affect their financial aid status.
Failure to attend class for any period of time does not constitute a withdrawal. Failure to complete the withdrawal procedure will constitute improper withdrawal and may result in failing grades being placed on the student’s permanent academic record.
Unless noted otherwise, dropping usually refers to a single course and withdrawal usually refers to complete withdrawal from the college.
Administrative Drop Policy for Nonattendance
Instructors have the authority to drop students who are not attending their classes consistently during the fall and spring semesters. For those departments that do not have an attendance policy, students may be dropped anytime after the student consecutively has not attended twice the number of class meetings per week. (For example, if the class meets three days per week, an administrative drop will be processed after six days of non-attendance.) After it is determined that the student will not be returning to class, the instructor should complete the administrative drop form and submit it to the Office of Admissions and Records. Instructors in departments that have more restrictive attendance policies, such as nursing and respiratory therapy, should initiate the administrative drop as departmental policy dictates.
Administrative Drop Policy for Online Courses
Students enrolled in an online course will receive an administrative drop after seven consecutive days have passed with no log-on to the course.
Advanced Placement
Pulaski Technical College participates in the Advanced Placement program. The college awards credit to students who participate in their high school Advanced Placement (AP) program administered by the College Board Placement Test Program. Students who wish to obtain Advanced Placement credit must request the College Board to forward their test scores to the Office of Admissions and Records after they have been admitted. Students must be enrolled in classes before AP credit will be validated and posted to the student’s permanent record as earned credit and without grade-points. The semester hours of credit permitted will be that allowed for the corresponding course or sequence of courses at PTC. Contact Counseling Services for a list of courses available for AP credit and the minimum requirements to be met for credit to be earned. AP credit is not awarded for a course the student has already completed at the college level. AP credit at other institutions is not automatically transferable to Pulaski Technical College. Students who wish to transfer AP credit must submit official documentation of earned scores.
Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) Disclaimer
The Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree is designed for employment purposes, and it should not be assumed that the degree or courses in the degree will be accepted in transfer by another institution. While a few institutions have recently begun to accept some courses in the A.A.S. programs, the general rule is that not all courses in A.A.S. degrees are accepted in transfer toward bachelor’s degrees. Students to whom transfer is important should get assurance in writing in advance and only from the institution to which they plan to transfer.
Attendance
Students are expected to attend all class sessions. After an unavoidable absence due to illness, emergency, or other extenuating circumstance, the student must take the responsibility for contacting instructors in order to initiate arrangements for completing all activities missed. Excessive absences and work not made up may adversely affect final grades. Failure to attend class for any period of time does not constitute a withdrawal. Students should attend the first day of classes.
Instructors establish attendance policies for their classes, and the students have the responsibility to know those policies and to comply with them. When absences exceed the number allowed by the instructor of the class, the instructor has the authority to assign the student a grade of “F” at the end of the semester or to drop the student from the class through an administrative drop.
Attendance for students receiving Veterans Administration benefits will be reported to the VA representative in Admissions and Records. Unavoidable absences such as jury duty, military duties, injuries, or illness must have written documentation supplied by the student. Makeup work for classes or tests missed will be arranged with the instructor’s consent. When a student drops a course or is administratively dropped by the instructor, the Department of Veterans Affairs will be notified of the last date of attendance and directed to end benefits for the course for the remainder of the term.
Auditing
Occasionally students may take a class without receiving credit. To audit a class, a student should submit a registration form to the Office of Admissions and Records during regular registration periods identifying they are enrolling as an audit. Students may change an enrolled class to audit through the last day to make a schedule change by completing the necessary form in the Office of Admissions and Records. The student will be charged the same tuition and fees as a regular class. No credit will be awarded and the letters AU will be recorded for the grade on the student’s permanent record. Auditors are expected to meet all requirements, including attendance, for a course other than taking examinations and completing formal written papers. The names of those persons registered to audit a class will appear on the official class roster.
Catalog Privilege
Students have the option of graduating under the requirements of the catalog in effect at the time of initial enrollment, or any subsequent issue while enrolled, but they must complete the requirements within five years of the catalog selected. Changes in academic programs may make it necessary to move to a more recent catalog. The present catalog is in force from Summer II 2007 through Summer I 2011.
College-Level Examination Program
The College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) allows a student to receive college credit by examination. CLEP credit will not be awarded for a course the student has already completed or been assigned a grade or if the student has completed a more advanced course in the subject matter area. Official score reports should be submitted to the Counseling Services Office for validation and posting to the student’s permanent record. Students must be enrolled in classes at PTC before the award will be posted. CLEP examination credit earned at other institutions of higher education is transferable to PTC if the test and the minimum score are acceptable. Specific information about which tests are acceptable can be obtained through Counseling Services.
College-Transfer Curriculum
See “The Curricula” section under University-Transfer Curriculum.
Commencement
All certificate and associate degree candidates are encouraged to participate in commencement exercises, which are held at the end of the spring semester. Participation in commencement exercises does not indicate a fulfillment of all requirements for graduation. Students must apply for graduation according to the deadline to be eligible to participate in the ceremony.
Course Load
A student enrolled in 12 credit hours during the fall and/or spring term and six credit hours during a summer term is considered a full-time student.
The normal load for a student during a regular term is 15 credit hours. Six hours is considered a normal load for a summer term. Generally, 18 hours is the maximum load that a student may carry during a regular semester, although certain technical programs may specify more. Any student outside these technical areas wishing to take more than 18 hours must request permission from the vice president for instruction prior to registration. Seven semester hours is the maximum allowed during a summer term without permission from the vice president for instruction. Students may not enroll for more than the maximum via Web registration.
Credit for Courses
The semester hour is the unit of credit at PTC and is defined as the amount of credit given for one clock hour in class per week for 16 weeks (or the equivalent). Most classes meet three hours per week and, therefore, carry three semester hours of credit. Additional credit is given for some laboratory courses.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law designed to protect the privacy of a student’s educational records. Student educational records are considered confidential and may not be released to anyone other than the student without the written consent of the student; this includes the student’s parents and/or spouse. Some information, termed “directory information,” may be released without the student’s written permission. Directory information may include a student’s name, address, phone number, dates of attendance, degrees received, major program, height/weight of athletes, e-mail address, full or part-time status, and the date of birth. Students do have a right to request that directory information be withheld as confidential. The student should contact the director of Admissions and Records to make such a request. The request will be honored for one full year. A new request should be submitted each year. Students who desire to withhold information may not be permitted to access Campus Connect.
General Graduation Requirements
All candidates for graduation must submit an application by November 1 for fall graduation, February 7 for spring graduation, and July 7 for summer graduation to be sure they have satisfied the requirements for graduation listed below. Candidates not submitting applications by these deadlines may be delayed graduation until the next graduation period. Graduation applications may be obtained in Office of Admissions and Records.
- Successful completion of all required courses within the program.
- A minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.0. Some programs require a higher GPA.
- Successful completion of the required number of credits.
- Students graduating from Pulaski Technical College must complete 15 semester hours in residence at PTC. The 15- hour residency requirement must be met when a student works toward subsequent degrees from PTC.
- Satisfaction of all financial obligations due to the college.
- Transfer courses must be posted to the student’s permanent record prior to the graduation date. Transfer transcripts not submitted to the Office of Admissions and Records at least one week prior to the graduation date may delay graduation.
- Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, and Associate of Applied Science degrees - a student must complete 15 semester credit hours of the degree at the college. These credits must be earned as a regular student rather than by test-out or other means of advanced placement.
- Technical Certificate - a student must complete 15 semester credit hours of the certificate at the college. These credits must be earned as a regular student rather than by test-out or other means of advanced placement.
Second Degree
Occasionally, students may wish to pursue a second degree. In such cases, students must meet all course requirements for both degrees. Courses that are common to the two degrees can be applied to both, but the student pursuing a second degree or certificate must complete a minimum of 15 credit hours beyond those required for the first degree. If the first degree was not earned at PTC, the residency requirement must be met. Students who have already earned an Associate of Arts or a bachelor’s degree or above may not complete a second Associate of Arts.
Double Major
In some instances, a student may desire to complete a double major or emphasis within a degree. Students must meet all course requirements for both majors. Courses that are common to the two majors can be applied to both, but the student pursuing a double major must complete a minimum of 15 credit hours beyond those required for the first major. A double major must be earned at the same time the first major is earned.
Grades and the Grading System
Grades and grade-points
Each student is expected to make satisfactory progress in all courses taken toward the completion of his/her program. Students who do not make satisfactory progress will be notified.
Grade Reports
Grade reports are not normally mailed to students. Students who are required to have a grade report may request one no later than the last day of final exams of the semester. All students will have access to Campus Connect, and grades and transcripts will be accessible to view and/or print after the posting of final grades of the semester.
Grade-Point Average Computation
Each letter grade awarded to a student is assigned a point value. A student may determine the grade-points for each course by multiplying the number of points the grade is worth by the number of credit hours the course carries.
Thus, an “A” letter grade (worth four points) in a three-credit hour course is worth 12 points, and a “B” letter grade (worth three points) in the same course is worth nine points. The GPA is determined by adding the total point values for all courses and dividing the total point values by the total number of credit hours attempted during the same period of time.
Developmental courses are not included in the computation of cumulative grade-point averages but are calculated in the semester GPA.
Incomplete Grades
Awarding a grade of incomplete, “INC,” is completely at the discretion of the instructor. A grade of incomplete is considered only when the student has been unable, because of illness or other reasons beyond his/her control, to finish work assigned in the course near the end of a semester.
Students must meet the following conditions to be considered for an incomplete grade:
- The student must contact the instructor to initiate the incomplete request and must make arrangements for completing the coursework with the instructor.
- The student must be carrying at least a “C” in the course prior to the circumstances prompting the request for an incomplete grade.
- The student must be in compliance with all course requirements, including attendance, and must have completed at least 60 percent of the coursework.
- The student must submit appropriate documentation of the reason(s) the student is not able to complete the coursework.
- The student and instructor must agree on specific course requirements to be completed and must complete and sign the Incomplete Grade Form.
- The appropriate dean must approve all requests for a grade of incomplete.
Course requirements agreed upon by the student and instructor and specified on the Incomplete Grade Form must be completed within one academic semester. An incomplete grade not made up by the following semester, excluding summer sessions, will automatically become an F. Instructors may submit a grade change form to remove the incomplete grade prior to the end of the one academic semester.
Grade Changes
Grades become official after they are posted to the student’s permanent record. Occasionally grades need to be changed due to error or incomplete grades. Instructors may submit a grade change form including justification for the change to the director of Admissions and Records for approval no later than one year after the grade has been officially posted. Changes of grades submitted after one year will require the signature of the dean and/or vice president for instruction. Students may also appeal a grade through academic due process. (See student handbook for details on academic due process.)
Registration
All students are expected to register for classes on the days designated for a given term. There is no registration after classes begin. Students enrolling in classes for the first time at PTC are required to visit with an adviser. Advisers are available during the registration periods. Continuing students are strongly encouraged to consult an adviser prior to registering for classes.
Students should be aware that once registered, whether in person or via Web registration, tuition and fee charges will be generated for those classes. Students are responsible for these charges even if the student does not attend. To avoid tuition and fee charges, students not planning to attend after registering for classes should officially withdraw. Refer to the refund policy listed in the expenses section of this catalog for refund dates.
Repetition of Courses
Any student who has taken a course may repeat the course in order to change the original grade. A “W,” “WF,” or “F” received for courses will be considered as courses attempted, not earned. All courses attempted (including repeats) will remain on the transcript. The last grade earned will be used in computing the grade-point average.
Note: If a student repeats a course in which a passing grade was earned (A, B, C, D) and receives an “F,” the credit previously earned will be invalidated; the grade of “F” will be used in computing the grade-point average.
Social Security Number and Student Identification Number
Each student is required to have a Social Security Number (SSN). The SSN is confidential and will not be used in a manner to remove the confidentiality of the number, nor will the SSN be released to a third party without written permission. The SSN is listed on the student's permanent record and will be released as part of the transcript for identification purposes only.
In addition, each student admitted to PTC will be assigned a student identification number that is generated for use in accessing online services via the PTC web page, including Campus Connect, and will be on the student's identification card.
In addition, each student admitted to PTC will be assigned an alternative student ID number to be used for the student ID card. This number will not replace the SSN but will be used in addition to the SSN for identification of the student.
Transcripts
The college does not charge for transcripts. Only the student may request a transcript and the request must be signed. No transcript will be released until all financial records have been cleared. The request may be made in person, by mail, or by fax. Telephone requests are not accepted. If the official PTC transcript request form is not used, the following information should be listed on the request: name, Social Security number, dates of attendance, previous names used on educational records, and the address where the transcript is to be mailed. The request may be faxed to (501) 812-2316. The request will be processed within three business days and mailed to the recipient or it may be picked up with an ID. Only official transcripts are issued in the Office of Admissions and Records. Students who need an unofficial transcript may access Campus Connect up to two years after the last date attended.
Transcripts that have been submitted to PTC for admission or evaluation of credit become a part of the student’s permanent record and are not reissued. Credit accepted in transfer will be posted to the PTC transcript only after the student has officially enrolled in classes. Pulaski Technical College scans all submitted documents and does not retain original copies.