This section addresses the College’s general policies and procedures. For a more in-depth discussion of specific policies or procedures, please consult the student handbook or contact the vice president of student affairs.
Attendance
Federal financial aid, the Veterans Administration (VA), and other financial providers require the College to monitor and report attendance. Students are responsible for attending all classes and laboratories, communicating with instructors, and if absent, to acquire what was missed.
Only students who have officially registered may attend classes, though students on waiting lists may attend the wait-listed class during the first week of the term. Starting the second week of the term, the student’s name must appear as enrolled on the class roster or the student cannot attend.
Auditing a Class
If students wish to participate in a course but do not wish to receive credit or a grade, they may register for the course under the audit option. Tuition and fees will be charged the same as for students registering for a grade and credit. Federal financial aid will not pay for auditing a course.
An audit carries no credit and does not meet degree requirements or contribute to full-time student status. Students wishing to change from credit to audit or audit to credit must do so by the add/drop deadline. To earn credit or a grade in an audited course, students must repeat the course as a regular registered class member or follow the challenge procedure. For more information, contact Student Services.
Student Rights and Responsibilities
Students, staff, and administration have developed rules to guide student behavior. It is the student’s responsibility to understand and abide by these regulations. Student rights and responsibility guidelines are meant to enhance Klamath Community College as an educational institution. The College has certain obligations in the governance of student discipline and conduct. Policies governing student rights and responsibility are covered in detail in the student handbook. These include student rights, freedoms, and responsibilities policies which:
- Identify fundamental provisions for students’ freedom to learn.
- Identify student conduct guidelines.
- Clarify college expectations for student responsibility.
Harassment
All forms of harassment are prohibited. Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination that is illegal under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 for employees and under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 for students and defined consistent with the guidelines of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Student complaints are addressed by meeting with the Director of Student Support Services, who reviews all complaints and determines the applicable process for response as well as which College officials to include. Student complaints for issues regarding Title IX may be directed to the Title IX Coordinator. For more specific information on KCC’s harassment policies, consult the student handbook.
Award of Completion and Non-credit Training Certificates
Although Community Education courses carry no credit, awards of completion are available upon request and by recommendation of the instructor through Workforce and Community Education.
Non-credit Training Certificates are awarded after receiving a Pass for the following workforce programs: Commercial Driver’s Licenses, Medical Assistant, Phlebotomy, and Pharmacy Technician.
Transcripts
Unofficial transcripts are available on the KCC website under the MyKCC account. Official transcripts may be ordered in person, online, or by mail. Allow two to three business days from receipt to process a transcript order.
Sending Official Transcripts to KCC
Transcripts must be sent directly by the issuing institution to KCC. The options for sending transcripts depend on the issuing institutions. KCC accepts transcripts electronically from various transcripts servicing companies such as Parchment and National Student Clearinghouse. Transcripts may also be emailed to registrar@klamathcc.edu by the issuing institutions, or by mail to KCC, Registrar’s Office, 7390 South 6th Street, Klamath Falls, OR 97603.
To order a transcript by mail, send a completed Official Transcript Order Form available at www.klamathcc.edu/Students/Registrar and the $8.00 processing fee to:
Registrar - Transcripts
Klamath Community College
7390 South 6th Street
Klamath Falls, OR 97603
Online orders are placed through National Student Clearinghouse. Information regarding ordering details are available online at the Registrar’s webpage.
Sending Official Transcripts to Another Institution
Students can send their official KCC transcripts by placing an order online through National Student Clearinghouse. Information regarding ordering details is available online at the Registrar’s webpage.
Student Educational Records
Student records are maintained for the benefit of students. KCC must keep records in order to effectively counsel students. Records are reviewed when promoting instruction, guidance, and educational progress.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) provides protection of student records. Consistent with FERPA, KCC has identified information which is considered part of a student’s educational record. Specific policies are established to govern conditions for disclosure of student records and to provide security practices which control access to such records.
Students have the right to inspect their educational records while attending KCC. If a student believes the contents are inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of privacy or other rights, they have the right to a hearing to challenge the contents. The College will normally comply with the request to inspect a student’s records within 10 days but will take no longer than 45 days from the request.
In accordance with FERPA, KCC considers the following to be directory information. This information may be released upon request, unless a student files a directory information withholding request form in Student Services.
- Student’s first and last name
- Current mailing address
- Email address
- Telephone number
- Major field of study
- Dates of attendance
- Certificate(s), degree(s), and award(s) received
- Most recent previous educational institution attended
- Current grade level
- Enrollment status
- Participation in officially recognized activities
If a student files a directory information withholding request form, the student will not be listed on honor rolls and other similar college announcements. The student may be prevented from participating in online registration or other activities where the College cannot reasonably assure privacy. The request to withhold information must be renewed each term of attendance to remain in effect.
A student has the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the College to comply with the requirements. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is:
Family Policy Compliance Officer
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20202-5901
Use of Student Social Security Number
OAR 589-004-0400 authorizes KCC to ask students to provide their Social Security number. The number will be used by the College for reporting, research, and recordkeeping. A student’s number will also be provided by the College to the Oregon Community College Unified Reporting System (OCCURS). OCCURS is made up of community colleges in Oregon, the State Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development, and the Oregon Community College Association. OCCURS gathers information about students and programs to meet state and federal reporting requirements. It also helps colleges to plan, research, and develop programs that support students’ progress and their success in the workplace and other educational programs.
OCCURS or the College offices may provide a student’s Social Security number to the following agencies or match it with records from the following systems:
- State and private universities, colleges, and vocational schools to find out how many community college students transfer or continue their education elsewhere and whether or not community college courses are a good basis for further education.
- The Oregon Employment Department, which gathers information (including employment and earnings) to help state and local agencies plan education and training services for the best job placement available.
- The Oregon Department of Education to provide reports to local, state, and federal governments. The information is used to learn about education, training, and job market trends for planning, research, and program improvement.
- The Oregon Department of Revenue and collection agencies only for purposes of processing debts and only if credit is extended to a student by the College.
- The American College Testing Service for educational research purposes.
- The U.S. Department of Revenue for tax purposes. State and federal law protects the privacy of student records. Social Security numbers will be used only for the purposes listed above.
Credit for Prior Learning
Credit for prior learning (CPL) may be awarded to KCC students who can demonstrate college-level learning in subject areas that KCC offers.
Credit awarded for prior learning must be directly applicable to meet requirements for general education, a certificate, a degree, or electives as outlined by KCC’s academic catalog.
Credit awarded for prior learning may not be used to meet the college residency requirement.
KCC offers two types of Credit for prior learning: institutionally assessed and externally assessed; these are defined below.
Institutionally Assessed CPL:
Institutionally assessed CPL is awarded through the course challenge process and may include
- examinations
- portfolio evaluations
- performance evaluations
KCC considers this type of credit to be prior experiential learning which, according to accreditation standards, shall not exceed 25% of the credits applied to a degree or certificate.
Institutionally assessed CPL is awarded for active KCC courses. Not all courses can be challenged.
Students who believe that they satisfy the content and outcome objectives of a current KCC course must obtain the approval of the appropriate faculty program or discipline lead to challenge the course.
Students cannot challenge courses they are currently enrolled in or that already appear on their transcripts. A course may only be challenged once.
The Faculty program or discipline lead will establish the challenge measurement and assess whether a student has met the course content and outcome objectives so that credit can be awarded.
Externally Assessed CPL:
Externally assessed CPL is awarded for learning assessed outside the traditional college setting. Examples of external assessments that may warrant the awarding of CPL include:
- industry certifications (e.g., CDA, CPR, Journeyman)
- professional licensure
- ACE-recommended credit for corporate courses or exams, Joint Services Transcripts (JST) coursework, or military occupations (MOS)
- College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
- DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST)
According to accreditation standards, externally assessed CPL is not considered credit for prior experiential learning so it is not subject to the 25% limit on the credits applied to a degree or certificate.
Externally assessed CPL is awarded in subject areas that KCC offers and may include specific course numbers or elective credit in that subject area. The program or discipline lead shall recommend the amount of credit awarded.
Students are responsible for providing official transcripts, score reports, certifications, or any documents required for conducting a CPL evaluation.
Externally assessed CPL is transcribed in the same manner as transfer credit.
Credit by Exam
A maximum of 45 credits toward a degree and 24 credits toward a certificate program may be earned by: CLEP examination, ACT subject matter examinations, advanced placement tests (score of 3, 4, or 5 required), military schooling (ACE Guide approved), or Klamath Community College departmental waiver based on knowledge or training.
College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)
The College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) has been instituted by The College Entrance Examination Board. CLEP gives students the opportunity to receive college credit for what they already know by earning qualifying scores on any of the examinations. Students can potentially earn credit for knowledge previously acquired through independent study, prior coursework, on-the-job training, professional development, cultural pursuits, or internships.
KCC grants credit for certain CLEP general and subject examinations. These examinations must be completed with a satisfactory score, and the testing service must forward an original copy of test results to the registrar’s office. Information on CLEP course equivalencies and minimum scores is available on the KCC Registrar webpage.
CLEP testing is offered on campus at the KCC Testing Center.
Advanced Placement
Students who complete college-level work in high school under the Advanced Placement (AP) program and matriculate to public universities and community colleges in Oregon must achieve a minimum score of three (3) to be considered for possible college credit by KCC. To receive credit, an official copy of the AP transcript must be sent directly to the KCC Registrar’s office. An AP course equivalencies list is available on the KCC Registrar webpage.
International Baccalaureate (IB)
Students who complete college-level work in high school under the International Baccalaureate program and matriculate to public universities and community colleges in Oregon must achieve a minimum score of four (4) or five (5) to be considered for possible college credit by KCC. To receive credit, an official copy of the IB transcript must be sent directly to the KCC Registrar’s office. An IB course equivalencies list is available on the KCC Registrar webpage.
Repeating a Course
Courses may be repeated once for a better grade. Before repeating, students should consult with their advisor and, if applicable, Financial Aid and Veteran Services to avoid problems. Note: Some grades do not affect GPA and are therefore not recognized as repeats (e.g., NP, P, I or AU).
If a course is repeated more than once, only the first repeat will replace the prior grade and be included in the GPA. However, any subsequent repeats will be recorded on the official transcript and all grades earned after the first repeat will affect GPA.
Withdrawing from a Course
When students register for classes they are expected to attend all class sessions. If students stop attending, they will receive a failing grade or a grade which represents the course accomplishments. To avoid the negative impact lack of attendance may have on the student’s academic record, there are two options:
- Drop: Students may drop a course using their MyKCC account or by contacting a Student Success Advisor prior to the term add/drop deadline. For standard full-term courses this is normally the first week of classes. Dynamically dated courses not following the standard term calendar will have different deadlines. To receive a refund students must initiate this procedure during the add/drop window for that course.
- Withdraw: To withdraw from a course, students must complete an official withdrawal form and file it with a Student Success Advisor by the withdrawal date published in the term calendar. Generally, withdrawals are processed in person. Withdrawals are reflected on official transcripts. Therefore, adherence to correct procedures will help protect academic records. To ensure an official withdrawal from a class, contact Student Services for verification.
Instructor-Initiated Student Drop
If a student has not attended class and has not contacted the instructor during the first week of the term, the instructor may drop the student from the class. This will occur on or before Friday of the first week of class. Appeals to the drop policy must be directed to Student Services. For more information on the appeals process, see the student handbook or contact Student Services.
Casual Credit to Degree Seeking Policy
Non-degree seeking students are not eligible for financial aid. Students need to be aware there may be financial aid implications for taking courses that may or may not count toward a degree. To go from non-degree seeking to declaring a degree, students need to see a Student Success Advisor.
Veterans
Klamath Community College does not participate in the practice of offering commissions, bonuses or incentive pay in securing military enrollment or does it engage in unsolicited, high-pressure recruitment tactics.
All prospective military students should consult with their Education Service Officer, military counselor or Base Training Manager prior to enrolling in classes at KCC to ensure the courses taken meet the needs of the service member.
Service members who must suspend their term due to a service obligation will not be put on academic warning and will be granted re-instatement after providing evidence of their service obligation reviewed by the appeals committee.
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