Student academic and educational records are confidential and are maintained by the appropriate record custodian. These records are not disclosed without the student’s written consent as defined by the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA).
Students have a right to inspect their educational records and request a correction of records that may be inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of privacy or other rights. Students may obtain a copy of the College’s policy regarding FERPA from the Registrar or Corporate and Community Education. (Students may refer to the Student Code for SC Technical Colleges in Appendix 3 for additional information.)
The College often photographs and videos its students and employees for use in print and digital pieces to market and promote the College and the South Carolina Technical College System, as well as higher education, economic development, and related topics. Students not wishing to have their photograph or image used for these purposes should file a written request with the Public Relations Department, Suite 265, Ruby Hicks Hall, Pendleton Campus, or call 864-646-1507.
Directory information (or releasable information) is general information that may be released by the institution for any purpose, at its discretion, to anyone without consent of the student. The following is considered directory information at Tri-County Technical College: student name, address, telephone number, email address, birth date, major, participation in officially recognized activities, attendance dates, enrollment status, degrees/awards received, most recent previous school attended, and photographs and electronic images.
Students have the right to withhold disclosure of directory information under the FERPA. To withhold disclosure, written notification must be received in TC Central by the end of the second week of classes each term (or the first meeting of Corporate and Community Education courses).
In compliance with the Student Right to Know Act, the College makes available its completion and transfer rates to all current and prospective students. Additionally, the College is required to provide information regarding campus public safety policies and to report the number of on-campus criminal offenses during the most recent calendar year and the two preceding calendar years. Information regarding completion and transfer rate is available at www.tctc.edu/rates. Information regarding on-campus criminal offenses is available at www.tctc.edu/campuspolicereport.
Concerns and complaints related to learning experiences in a class or course generally can be resolved by communicating with the instructor with whom the concern or issue originated. If after communicating an academic concern to the instructor, the student feels the issue has not been resolved, the next person to contact is the department head.
If after communicating with the department head, the student still feels that the issue has not been resolved, the next person to contact is the appropriate division dean.
If after communicating with the appropriate division dean, the student feels the issue remains unresolved, an appointment may be scheduled with the dean of student development. Prior to scheduling that meeting, the student must document efforts to resolve the concern by submitting a completed Academic Affairs Student Concern/Complaint form, available from the Dean of Student Development.
The Academic Fresh Start (AFS) is designed to allow a returning student at Tri-County Technical College, under specific conditions, to have all grades earned in previous terms excluded from the overall calculation of the institutional grade point average (GPA). However, a student granted an AFS will continue to have all courses and grades on transcripts.
Academic Fresh Start is open to a returning student under the following conditions:
For additional information regarding the Academic Fresh Start, contact TC Central, Pendleton Campus, Ruby Hicks Hall, Room 105.
Class attendance is crucial to student success. As such, the College requires regular attendance to promote academic success and effective workplace skills required by employers. Additionally, the College must maintain compliance with all federal financial aid statutes regarding attendance. Therefore, a student who accumulates more than the allowable number of absences during the semester will be automatically withdrawn from the course or receive a final grade pursuant with College procedures.
A student may not be absent from a course for more class meetings than are regularly scheduled in a 2-week period during the Fall and Spring semesters. Courses that have more than six class meetings in a regularly scheduled week will have no more than six allowable absences. The number of allowable absences during the summer term or other sessions of varying length will be 10% of the total number of class meetings.
Attendance in online courses will be determined by either students’ submission of work or engagement in a scheduled online activity.
Individual Academic Divisions/Departments may have a more rigid attendance policy. Any division or department policies must be communicated in writing to students on the first day of class.
Additional information regarding the Attendance Policy may be found in College Procedure 3-2-1053.1.
The College is committed to the promotion of academic integrity among its students. Students are expected to carry out all of their responsibilities, including course-related assignments, with honesty. The engagement in academic misconduct by a student is unfair to fellow students who are working with integrity, and negatively impacts the value of the degrees, diplomas, and certificates awarded by the College. For these reasons, all students are asked to assist the faculty and staff in promoting academic honesty on campus. All forms of academic misconduct are subject to disciplinary action through the SBTCE procedure 3-2-106.2. For additional information, students are referred to the Student Code in Appendix 3.
Dean’s List and President’s List: Each term, the College recognizes students who excel in their academic studies. To be eligible, a student must meet all of the following requirements for the term:
Alpha Zeta Beta (AZB): AZB is the local chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, a national honor fraternity for community and junior college students. To be eligible for membership, students must:
Academic Distinction: Each term, the College recognizes part-time students who excel in their academic studies. To be eligible, a student must meet all of the following requirements:
A student may enroll in, at most, eighteen credit hours in either the fall or spring semester unless specific approval is given by the department head and the division dean, or unless the program credit hour requirement published in the College Catalog exceeds eighteen credit hours for the given semester. In the case of summer term any student whose program of study is in the Arts and Sciences Division or in the Business and Public Services Division may enroll in, at most, fifteen credit hours unless specific approval is given by the department head and the division dean, or unless the program credit hour requirement published in the College Catalog exceeds fifteen credit hours.
Engineering and Industrial Technology and Health Education students may enroll in, at most, eighteen credit hours in the summer term unless specific approval is given by the department head and the division dean.
With the approval of the department head, a required course may be waived. When this occurs, no credit hours are awarded toward a degree, diploma, or certificate. Students will be required to take an approved substitute course if additional credit hours are needed to fulfill the curriculum requirements for the associate degree, diploma, or certificate. If a general education course is waived, another appropriate general education course must be substituted if the minimum number of general education credit hours required is not earned. The source of the credit substituted may be the completion of an academic course or the receipt of credit through any method for which advanced standing is established. For changes in major, the decision regarding the course waiver will not apply to the new major.
To better serve the residents of the tri-county area, the College has developed distance learning classes for students who either cannot, or choose not to, come to one of our campuses on a regular basis. All on-campus services are available for students enrolled in distance learning. Students are responsible for ensuring that they have the computer skills and access to computer, audio, and visual equipment required for the courses in which they enroll. They should carefully note published descriptions of distance learning courses as some may require on-campus meetings or supervised tests. All students enrolled in online courses are expected to log in, communicate with the instructor, keep up with assignments, meet all due dates and participate in courses as directed by their instructor. Distance learning courses follow the same calendar as on-campus courses, including registration, drop/add and tuition and fee payment dates. Students enrolled in distance learning courses are expected to meet the same requirements as students enrolled in equivalent on-campus courses and to adhere to College policies and procedures.
Tri-County Technical College is committed to its mission of educating students to meet the requirements of today’s workforce. In order to ensure the success of students at TCTC, all students are required to take the placement test prior to enrolling, unless previous transcripts satisfy courses prerequisites. These scores provide proper placement into English, reading, writing, mathematics and science classes. TCTC has a mandatory placement policy that requires students who score below minimum levels in reading, writing and/or math to take transitional coursework before enrolling in certain courses. This requirement enables students to develop the essential academic skills needed to succeed in their college-level classes. Also, in order to ensure student success in future college-level classes, students must master the prerequisite skills offered in each class to progress to the next level class.
New or modified course prerequisites are applicable, independent of the student’s edition of the Catalog. Requests for exceptions are considered through the same processes as they are for other prerequisites.
General Education at Tri-County Technical College is a college-wide program of learning that provides students a foundation for becoming a well-educated person. This program provides students with foundational knowledge, skills and values to be life long learners, critical thinkers, and collaborative and engaged citizens of a global community. A life long learner values and finds fulfillment in learning opportunities that arise beyond the formal educational experience. A critical thinker engages in rational decision making and problem solving. A collaborative and engaged citizen appreciates uniqueness and diversity, exhibits integrity, and acknowledges the contributions of others.
In order to earn an associate’s degree, a student must complete at least 15 semester hours of general education coursework, including at least three semester hours of humanities/fine arts, at least three semester hours of social/behavioral sciences, and at least three semester hours of natural sciences/mathematics. To earn an associate’s degree, a student must complete one of the following courses: SPC 205 , ENG 155 , ENG 156 , ENG 165 , SPC 200 , or SPC 209 . Students should refer to the general education section of their chosen program of study to determine the specific requirements for that program. A list of general education courses is located in the General Education Courses section of this Catalog.
Students enrolled in programs in the Business and Public Services Division, the Health Education Division, or the Engineering and Industrial Technology Division who are considering transferring to a four-year institution should consult with their academic advisor when choosing their general education courses, as not all courses listed will transfer or apply to intended majors.
| A | Excellent: “A” is used in GPA calculations, earns credit hours, and carries a value of 4 grade points for each credit hour. |
| B | Above Average: “B” is used in GPA calculations, earns credit hours, and carries a value of 3 grade points for each credit hour. |
| C | Average: “C” is used in GPA calculations, earns credit hours, and carries a value of 2 grade points for each credit hour. |
| D | Below Average: “D” is used in GPA calculations, earns credit hours, and carries a value of 1 grade point for each credit hour. |
| F | Failure: “F” is used in GPA calculations, earns no credit hours, and carries 0 grade points for each credit hour attempted. |
| I | Incomplete: “I” does not affect GPA calculations, earns no credit hours, and generates no grade points. The student will be allowed 20 instructional days into the succeeding term/session to complete the unfinished assignments (see www.tctc.edu/calendar for specific dates). The instructor may set an earlier deadline for completion of assignments. If fewer than 20 instructional days are granted, the due date for completion must be stated in writing to the student and the Registrar. “I” defaults to “F” automatically after 20 instructional days into the succeeding term if the requirements for a course grade are not completed within the 20-instructional-day period. |
| W | Withdrawn: “W” is not used in GPA calculations, earns no credit, and generates no grade points. “W” may be given from the end of the drop period up to the completion of 65% of the term/session for which the class is offered (see www.tctc.edu/calendar for specific dates). |
| WF | Withdrawn Failing: “WF” is used in GPA calculations, earns no credit hours, and carries 0 grade points for each credit hour attempted. It is used only for Academic Integrity violations. |
| S | Satisfactory: “S” does not affect GPA calculations, earns Continuing Education Units (CEUs), generates no grade points, and applies to noncredit programs only. |
| U | Unsatisfactory: “U” does not affect GPA calculations, earns no Continuing Education Units (CEUs), generates no grade points, and applies to noncredit programs only. |
| AS | Advanced Standing: “AS” earns credit hours but is not used in GPA calculations and does not generate grade points. An “AS” is given for allowable equivalent credits earned with advanced standing credit. |
| AU | Audit: “AU” is not used in GPA calculations, earns no credit hours, and generates no grade points. |
| E | Exempt: “E” is not used in GPA calculations, earns credit hours, and generates no grade points. An “E” is awarded for Tri-County Technical College courses which the student has been permitted to exempt as a result of testing, equivalent work experience, or other educational experience. |
| TA | Transfer: “TA” earns credit hours but is not used in GPA calculations and does not generate grade points. A “TA” is given for allowable equivalent credits earned with the grade of “A” at other post-secondary institutions. All transfer grades must be supported by an official transcript from the post-secondary institution. |
| TB | Transfer: “TB” earns credit hours but is not used in GPA calculations and does not generate grade points. A “TB” is given for allowable equivalent credits earned with the grade of “B” at other post-secondary institutions. All transfer grades must be supported by an official transcript from the post-secondary institution. |
| TC | Transfer: “TC” earns credit hours but is not used in GPA calculations and does not generate grade points. A “TC” is given for allowable equivalent credits earned with the grade of “C” at other post-secondary institutions. All transfer grades must be supported by an official transcript from the post-secondary institution. |
Developmental courses numbered less than 100 generate no credit hours, do not affect the GPA, and do not count toward graduation. Developmental courses numbered 100 do generate credit hours and affect the GPA but do not count toward graduation in any certificate, diploma, or degree program. Grades of A, B, C, D, F, W, I and AU are earned in these courses. Grades marked with an asterisk on a student’s transcript are not include in GPA calculations.
Grades are calculated on a 4.0 scale. Points are awarded in this manner:
| Grade | Grade Points per Credit Hour |
| A = | 4 |
| B = | 3 |
| C = | 2 |
| D = | 1 |
| F = | 0 |
| WF= | 0 |
Assume a student has taken the following courses with the results shown.
| Course | Credit Hours | Grade | Grade Points |
| BIO 101 | 4.0 | B | 3 |
| ENG 156 | 3.0 | C | 2 |
| MAT 110 | 3.0 | F | 0 |
To calculate GPA, multiply the number of credit hours by the grade points to determine the number of quality points.
| Course | Credit Hours | Grade Points | Quality Points | |
| BIO 101 | 4.0 | 3 | = | 12.0 |
| ENG 156 | 3.0 | 2 | = | 6.0 |
| MAT 110 | 3.0 | 0 | = | 0.0 |
Add credit hours; then add quality points
| Credit Hours | Quality Points | ||
| 4.0 | 12.0 | ||
| +3.0 | +6.0 | ||
| +3.0 | +0 | ||
| ——————- | |||
| 10.0 | 18.0 | ||
Divide the number of quality points by the number of credit hours = GPA
18 divided by 10 = 1.80 GPA
A student wishing to protest a course grade must first attempt to resolve any disagreement with the instructor. If the student is unable to reach a satisfactory resolution with the instructor, the student should contact the course department head. All grade changes, including Administrative Drops, must be submitted no later than the 20th class day, as indicated on the Academic Calendar, of the subsequent term/session.
When a course is repeated, all grades will be entered on the student’s permanent academic record and the highest of the grades will be included in the GPA calculations. In the case of identical grades, the initial grade received will be included in the GPA calculations. Students who plan to transfer should understand that the receiving college may recalculate grade point averages, including repeat grades, according to that college’s policies. Veterans should be aware that the VA will not pay educational benefits for repeating a course for which the student has previously received graduation credit. Students receiving any type of financial aid should contact the Financial Aid Office to discuss the implications of repeating a course.
Courses taken under the former quarter system may not be replaced in the GPA calculation with a semester course unless authorized by the Chief Academic Officer or designee.
The College’s academic year is divided into three terms: Fall Semester, Spring Semester, and Summer Term. In some majors, students need to attend classes only during Fall and Spring Semesters. Other majors require students to attend both semesters and the Summer Term. For scheduling and entry options, see the curriculum guides for each major.
A full-time schedule is defined as a minimum of 12 credit hours per week of classroom instruction or laboratory work and an average of 18-24 hours per week of outside study. Students balancing work and family with college coursework should be aware of the time commitment and plan accordingly. No student can carry more than 18 credits per term without permission from the department head or dean. See Course Load section for details.
The College allows students the opportunity to earn credit through transfer of courses from other post-secondary institutions and through advanced standing opportunities. However, a student must earn a minimum of 25% of the credit hours required for a degree, diploma, or certificate through courses taken at the College. Two courses selected from the curriculum major (excluding electives) must be included in the approved coursework for a diploma or degree, unless specifically exempted by both the department head and dean.
A student does not have to be admitted to the College in order to have experiences or coursework evaluated for advanced standing credit. A student must, however, be enrolled in a curriculum program to have advanced standing credit documented on an official College transcript.
The College recognizes the Advanced Placement Program of the College Board. High school students interested in receiving Advanced Placement credit are encouraged to participate in their high school’s Advanced Placement (AP) programs. Examination results should be sent to Tri-County Technical College by the College Board. Credit is awarded to those who earn 3, 4, or 5 on the College Board AP examination. Credit will be recorded as “Advanced Placement” on transcripts.
Students may receive credit for courses by making an acceptable score on IB Higher Level Exams. Students may contact TC Central for more information. Credit will be recorded on transcripts as “Advanced Placement.”
Students may receive credit for courses by making an acceptable score on the CLEP tests. Although the College does not administer the CLEP, students may contact the Registrar’s Office for more information. Credit will be recorded on transcripts as “Advanced Placement.”
Students who believe they have mastered course outcomes through work or educational experiences wishing to receive course credit without enrolling in classes by taking an examination, must:
Credit will be recorded on the student’s transcript as “Exemption Exam.” A student may not retake an exemption exam. (Exceptions due to extenuating circumstances may be granted by the Chief Academic Officer upon receipt of a written request from the student.)
In no case can the exception be granted more than once for a course. A student who has enrolled in a course (i.e. audited, failed, withdrawn, etc.) will not be permitted to take an exemption examination for that course. A copy of the test must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office/Student Data Center along with the Advanced Standing Credit form.
The College will award credit for specific College courses to area high school students who have successfully completed all procedures outlined in TAP Teacher Recommendation forms. Students taking high school courses, especially in occupational and technical areas, that cover skills and competencies equivalent to content in Tri-County Technical College courses, may qualify to earn credit for the Tri-County courses. Students may have their skills verified through examination or by completing coursework that requires the use of skills acquired in high school. Validation guidelines for each course are included in the Teacher Recommendation forms in the TAP section of the College website (www.tctc.edu/TAP). High school students who would like more information about TAP should contact their guidance counselor or occupational teacher and/or review the TAP information on the College’s website. TAP credit will be documented on College transcripts as “Technical Advanced Placement” credit. A copy of the test, or other equivalency verification, must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office/Student Data Center along with the Advanced Standing Credit form.
Military Education: The College recognizes educational experiences in the armed services. In determining credits to be awarded for such experiences, recommendations provided in the Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services, published by the American Council on Education, are considered. Credit will be recorded on the student’s transcript as “Educational Experience.” A copy of the supporting documentation must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office/Student Data Center with the Advanced Standing Credit form.
Documented Work Experience: The College may grant credit for documented work experience in writing from the student’s employer. The justification must tie the prior experience to the competencies of the relevant course. The subject-matter department head will determine the relevancy of the documented work experience to a specific course and ensure the work experience does not duplicate credit already awarded or planned for the student’s academic program. Elective credit may be awarded at the discretion of the subject-matter department head. Documented work experience credit may be awarded for no more than 25% of the credit hours applied toward a degree, diploma, or certificate. Credit will be recorded on the student’s transcript as “Work Experience.” A copy of the supporting documentation must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office/Student Data Center with the Advanced Standing Credit form.
Tri-County Technical College will grant credit for courses taken at other regionally accredited post-secondary institutions provided the student earned a “C” (or minimum grade point of 2.0) or above in those courses.. Transfer credits from a college without regional accreditation must be approved by the Chief Academic Officer. Exceptions will be documented and submitted and to the Registrar’s Office. A student’s official transcript from other colleges will be evaluated and credit determined by the appropriate subject department head or program coordinator. Transfer credit will be granted according to the following guidelines:
The Commission on Higher Education (CHE) for the state of South Carolina coordinates post-secondary education in public-supported institutions, including policies and procedures for students and their course credits transferring between and among these institutions. The CHE has established transfer policies and procedures that all State public institutions must follow.
Most courses in the Associate in Arts and Associate in Science majors are designed for transfer to other colleges and universities (see Arts and Sciences Division section). Credits earned in other majors may be evaluated by other institutions on an individual basis.
The chief transfer officer at the College is the Dean of the Arts and Sciences Division. This officer administers the transfer degree programs (Associate of Arts and Associate of Science) and coordinates the advising of transfer students. Students may consult the dean of their programs of study for questions concerning transfer of courses into program curricula. CHE regulations and procedures are listed in Appendix 2.
The Statewide Articulation Agreement of 86 courses approved by CHE for transfer from two-year to four-year public institutions will be applicable to all public institutions, including two-year institutions and institutions within the same system. In instances where an institution does not have synonymous courses to ones on this list, it will identify comparable courses or course categories for acceptance of general education courses on the statewide list.
Tri-County Technical College offers 64 of the 86 courses articulated by CHE: