The following are Academic Regulations for Wilkes Community College.
Students in Associate in Applied Science (AAS) programs are required to complete ACA 115 within their first 13 semester hours of enrollment at WCC.
All Associate in Arts (AA) and Associate in Science (AS) students (those planning to transfer to a four-year college or university) are encouraged to take ACA 122 during their first semester of enrollment at WCC.
ACA 115 Success and Study Skills
ACA 115 is organized according to three major concepts: extended orientation, academic success strategies, and applied critical thinking. The extended orientation concept involves connecting students to WCC technology, services, and expectations. Students practice reading, note taking, and test taking strategies to enhance their college academic success skills. Finally, information literacy, financial literacy, and career awareness make up the applied critical thinking approach in ACA 115.
ACA 118 College Study Skills
ACA 118 provides students opportunities to reflect on and improve their study skills. Topics include time management, note taking, test taking, active reading strategies, critical thinking, and communication skills. Students will become familiar with the college learning management system Moodle and demonstrate technology skills associated with college success. Finally, ACA 118 students will research and explore career options. This course is offered primarily to Wilkes Early College High School students.
ACA 122 College Transfer Success
Students enrolling in the Associate in Arts (AA), Associate in Science (AS), and Associate in Engineering (AE) programs are required to take ACA 122 as their student success course. Students are involved in activities that support six outcomes: developing a plan to complete community college goals, creating a transfer plan, understanding North Carolina transfer guidelines, enhancing learning strategies, connecting to college resources, and working with college policies and procedures. Students are expected to compare resources, policies, and procedures between the community college and university levels.
Sophomores: students who have earned 30 or more semester hours.
Students enrolled in a diploma or certificate program are classified as freshmen.
In general, absences due to official college activities and events will not be included as absences within an individual instructor’s attendance policy, provided that the student submits appropriate documentation to the instructor a minimum of five business days prior to the events. If documentation is not submitted at least five business days prior to an event, permission for the absence will be at the discretion of the instructor. In addition, if a student has an excessive number of absences or has unsatisfactory academic performance in the course at the time of the absence, the instructor will inform the student whether he or she will be permitted to miss class.
Students missing a class due to official college activities and events bear the responsibility of contacting the instructor regarding advanced submission or make up of work. Once the absence has been approved, the student will be allowed a reasonable opportunity to complete all work missed as a result of the missed class. Official college activities and events include participation in the following: field trips in connection with courses; intercollegiate athletic contests; statewide, regional, and/or national organization events; scholarship events; and student academic competitions and award ceremonies.
Pursuant to G.S. 115D-5, students may request two excused absences per academic year for religious observances. Curriculum students may obtain a form from the office of the chief academic officer for instruction. Continuing education students may obtain a form from the office of the chief academic officer for continuing education. Students attending classes at the Ashe Campus or Alleghany Center may obtain a form from the chief administrator at those locations. The student must provide a written request to each instructor five business days prior to an absence for religious observance(s). (If the day(s) of observance fall within the first four days of class, such request shall be made to the senior administrative officer for curriculum or continuing education courses.) Instructors will forward the request to the office of either the senior administrative officer for curriculum or continuing education as appropriate for filing. Students requesting absences as required by their faith shall be given the opportunity to make up any tests or other work missed. The instructor, in consultation with the student, will identify a deadline for submission of the work that is appropriate to the requirements of the course.
At the end of each semester, students will receive final grades based upon the following ten-point system unless noted otherwise in the course syllabus:
| Grade | Numerical Grade | Explanation | Grade Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 90-100 | Excellent | 4 per semester hour |
| B | 80-89 | Above Average | 3 per semester hour |
| C | 70-79 | Average | 2 per semester hour |
| D | 60-69 | Below Average | 1 per semester hour |
| F | 0-59 | Failure | 0 per semester hour |
Note: Developmental courses (any course that has 0 as the first number in the 3 digit course number) do not earn credit hours or quality points but may be used for financial aid.
Curriculum course grades with no grade points awarded include:
TR – Transfer Credit
CE – Credit by Exam
I – Incomplete
IE – Incomplete Emergency (COVID-19)
P – Pass (Developmental or Credit by Exam)
R – Repeat (Developmental Course Not Passed or Repeated course, GPA recalculated)
AR – High School Credit
W – Withdrawal
WE – Withdrawal Emergency (COVID-19)
WA – Administrative Withdrawal (Student never attended)
AU – Audit
SR – Senior Audit
These special grades are defined as follows:
TR – A “TR” grade represents transfer credit awarded for courses taken at other schools, colleges or universities.
CE – A “CE” grade is awarded if a grade of 80% or better is earned on a credit by examination.
I – An “I” grade is given only under extenuating circumstances as determined by the instructor. Such a grade must be removed by the end of the following semester. If not removed within this time, the incomplete becomes a failure.
P – A grade of “P” is awarded if a student completes and passes a developmental course or if a “C” or better is earned on a credit by examination.
R – A grade of “R” is awarded if a student does not complete or pass a developmental course or if a course has been repeated. A course may be repeated as deemed necessary by students. When a course is repeated, an “R” notation is made on the transcript. The last credit grade is considered in computing the cumulative grade point average to meet graduation requirements.
AR – An “AR” grade represents credit given for courses completed while in high school as outlined in the North Carolina High School-to-Community College Articulation Agreement.
W – Following the 10% period, a withdrawal grade of “W” is given when a student officially withdraws from a course. A withdrawal grade is awarded through the 10th week of the fall or spring semesters. For summer terms, a withdrawal grade is awarded through the 12th day of a four-week term or the 24th day of an eight-week term. Students who wish to withdraw from a course after these deadlines must have permission from their instructor.
AU – An “AU” grade is given when students are auditing courses.
SR – An “SR” grade is given when senior (age 65+) students are auditing courses.
- multiply the credit hours attempted for each course (excluding withdrawal and developmental course grades) by the number of grade points assigned for the grade received; then divide the total grade points earned by the total credit hours attempted.
An “AU” grade will be recorded when students audit a course, unless the student is a senior (65+ on or before the first day of class being audited), then a grade of “SR” will be recorded. Students who wish to audit a course must register by completing the audit course form. Regular student audits will be charged full tuition and fees for the course. Senior audit students must provide proof of age and will have tuition waived, but will incur all applicable fees. Senior audit students may only have tuition waived for up to six hours of undergraduate level classes per semester. Auditing students must meet all course prerequisites and corequisites. Students must declare audit status in the Registrar’s Office by the end of the drop/add period for the semester of enrollment.
An audit cannot be changed to credit after the drop/add period ends. Students who are auditing are encouraged to attend classes regularly and to participate in class discussions and evaluation sessions.
Students wishing to audit a course may not register until after late registration.
Students may add or drop courses during the official registration period as published in the college calendar. These changes will not be reflected on grade reports and transcripts. Students should contact the Registrar’s Office or academic advisor for assistance.
For each course dropped after registration ends and through the tenth week of the semester, students are responsible for completing a drop form located in “Student Forms” from the Prowler Page. Once the student submits the form electronically, the instructor will indicate the last date of attendance and submit the electronic form to the Registrar’s Office for processing. A drop grade will be given up to the ten percent point of the class and a withdrawal grade will be recorded on the grade reports and transcripts after the ten percent point. Failure to properly file a drop form may result in a failing grade. Students who do not meet the withdrawal deadline should contact the instructor to discuss the final grade.
Students wishing to withdraw from the college must submit a properly completed drop form and meet with a student services counselor.
Degree-seeking students currently enrolled at Wilkes Community College, with prior proficiency in a course due to previous educational or work experience, may apply for credit by examination. Credit by examination can be requested for courses only listed in their active program of study in which they can demonstrate the required level of proficiency based upon course objectives. This option is available for selected courses as determined by the department chair, division dean and lead instructors. A proficiency demonstration may be a written exam, oral exam, shop exercise, or lab exercise. A maximum of 25% of the program requirements may be met through credit by examination. The following rules for the student apply:
- Obtain permission from the appropriate department chairperson or lead instructor.
- Instructor issuing the exam will submit the credit by exam documentation to the Registrar’s Office.
- The Registrar’s Office will register the student for the course and the student must pay the tuition for the course, which is non-refundable.
- The student will take the Credit by Exam prior to the 10% point of the term.
- Earn a grade of 80% or better.
- Proficiency demonstrations may be taken only one time for each course.
- Credit for proficiency demonstration may not be granted for a course being audited by the student.
- The instructor will complete the credit by exam documentation and a grade of “CE” (Credit by Examination) will be given to the student for exams that earn a grade of 80% or higher. The credit hours will contribute toward a degree, diploma, or certificate. However, this grade will have no effect on the student’s GPA.
- The results of the examination will be recorded on the request form and forwarded with the examination to the division dean. The dean will file the examination and return the completed form to the registrar.
Wilkes Community College awards academic credit for certain preapproved non-credit (continuing education) courses. These courses, listed below, have been determined to meet the standards and learning outcomes of the corresponding curriculum course.
Curriculum credit shall be awarded upon request if the student has completed the non-credit course with a Satisfactory (S) and if the equivalent curriculum course is required or allowed as an elective in the student’s current program of study.
Students may request a copy of the Continuing Education to Curriculum Non-Credit to Credit Articulation form from the registrar or it may be initiated by the student’s advisor or instructor. Students who complete continuing education courses and training experiences that are not preapproved for credit may be able to demonstrate competency via the Credit by Exam procedure.
Ashe Campus – Career & College Promise
A=Associates Degree | D=Diploma | C=Certificate
| Continuing Education Course/Program | Curriculum Course/ Program of Study |
| COS 3201 | COS 111AB – Cosmetology Concepts
ICOS 112AB – Salon |
Business & Public Service Technologies Division
A=Associates Degree | D=Diploma | C=Certificate
| Continuing Education Course/Program | BPST Course Number and Course Title |
| NET 3100
CCENT-Networking/R&S |
CTI-120 Network & Security Foundation
NET-125 Networking Basics |
| NET 3100
CCENT-Switching/ WAN |
NET-126 Routing Basics
NET-225 WAN Protocols |
| SEC 3100
CCNA Security |
SEC-160 Security Administration I |
Applied Career Technologies Division
A=Associates Degree | D=Diploma | C=Certificate
| Continuing Education Course/Program | ACT Course Number and Course Title |
| WLD 3106 Welding |
WLD 115 – SMAW (Stick) Plate WLD 121 – GMAW (MIG) FCAW/Plate |
| AUT 3137 Automotive Mechanics |
RN 110 – Intro to Transportation Technology TRN 120 – Basic Transportation Electricity AUT 141 & 141A – Suspension and Steering Systems with Lab AUT 151 & 151A – Brake Systems with Lab |
| AUT 3109 Auto Body Repair |
AUB 111 – Painting & Refinishing I AUB 121 – Non-Structural Damage I AUB 131 – Structural Damage I |
Transfer credit or advanced standing is available to students from these educational experiences:
- Transfer Credits from Other Colleges: Credits may be transferred from colleges and universities that are regionally accredited. Official transcripts from these institutions will be evaluated only after students have been admitted to the college and placed in a program of study. Credit will be awarded provided the course content parallels that taught at WCC or is in the Combined Course Library of the North Carolina Community College System. Credit is awarded only for courses with a grade of “C” or better. Developmental (Pass/Repeat) grades can be transferred to Wilkes Community College from other N.C. Community Colleges due to the use of a statewide grading system for these courses.
- Transfer of Credits from Nationally Accredited Colleges and Programs: Official transcripts from programs that are accredited by national programmatic accrediting organizations and colleges that are recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and the United States Department of Education (USDE) will be evaluated only after students have been admitted to the college and placed in a related program of study. Credit will be awarded provided the course content parallels that taught at WCC or is in the Combined Course Library of the North Carolina Community College System. Credit is awarded only for courses with a grade of “C” or better. Credit cannot be awarded for courses intended to transfer under the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement between the University of North Carolina and the North Carolina Community College System.
- College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) and Advanced Placement Program (AP): Advanced standing may be granted to students who have successfully completed examinations through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) and/or through the Advanced Placement Program of the College Entrance Examination Board. Official test scores must be presented for evaluation.
- Credits for Military Service: Credits will be granted, where applicable, for military experience in accordance with the recommendations of the American Council on Education’s Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services.
The maximum credit transferable from all outside sources is 75%. At least 25% of the credit hours required for graduation must be earned through instruction by Wilkes Community College. This 25% cannot include credit by examination hours taken at Wilkes Community College. To obtain transfer credit or advanced standing, students must submit
official documentation to the Registrar’s Office. Students should request evaluations of all official transcripts and/or scores submitted after they have been admitted to the college and placed in a program of study.
Academic Progress and Standards
Each student is expected to make satisfactory progress toward meeting his/her academic goals. The cumulative grade point average (GPA) is reviewed at the end of each semester and term to determine whether the student has made the expected progress. The minimum cumulative GPA to remain in good academic standing is a 2.0. Developmental courses are not included in the GPA calculation.
A student whose cumulative GPA falls below 2.0 is subject to academic warning, which may be followed by probation and suspension. The GPA will be calculated using the most recent grade for each course taken at Wilkes Community College.
Academic Warning
A student failing to meet the minimum cumulative GPA during any semester or term will receive an academic warning letter and be encouraged to meet with their academic advisor to discuss strategies and resources for grade improvement. The warning status will be posted on the student’s transcript and the student’s academic advisor will be notified.
Academic Probation
A student whose cumulative GPA remains below 2.0 for a second consecutive semester or term is placed on academic probation. A student placed on academic probation will receive a letter informing them of their status and must meet with a Student Services representative or academic advisor to review their academic standing. While on probation, a student will be able to register for a maximum of twelve credit hours for fall and spring semesters and a maximum of six credit hours for summer term. The probation status will be posted on the student’s transcript and the student’s academic advisor will be notified.
Academic Suspension
A student whose cumulative GPA falls below 2.0 for a third consecutive semester/term will be placed on academic suspension. A student on academic suspension will not be allowed to register for curriculum courses. The student may return after one semester or term by completing a re-enrollment meeting with a Student Services representative. A student who is readmitted following an academic suspension will be placed on academic probation. The suspension status will be posted on the student’s transcript and the student’s academic advisor will be notified.
Appeals
A student on academic suspension who believes extenuating circumstances exist that should prevent the suspension may appeal the academic suspension. The student must submit a written appeal to the academic appeals committee which consists of the chief officer of instruction, chief officer of student services, and a designee chosen by the academic and support services council. The decision of the academic appeals committee is final.
The academic suspension appeal form is available in the student forms folder within E-Forms. The link to E-Forms is available on the Prowler web page.
A student may request academic forgiveness for WCC course grades only one time, regardless of subsequent program changes, subsequent enrollment, or other unanticipated events.
Credits forgiven under the academic forgiveness policy will be exempt from calculation in the student’s cumulative grade point average. While the forgiven grades will continue to appear on the official transcript, the courses and the earned “F” grades will be marked as forgiven.
It is the student’s responsibility to contact the Financial Aid office to determine if the grades covered under the academic forgiveness policy will be included in the grade point average calculation for financial aid or VA educational benefits. Students who plan to transfer to another college or university are responsible for determining the impact forgiven grades may have on their transfer credit before they request forgiveness for those grades at WCC.
To graduate, students must:
- Complete all required courses for the degree, diploma, or certificate; (Associate degree graduates may participate in the annual spring graduation exercise if they have one or two courses to complete during the summer term. More than two courses needed during the summer term must be approved by the division dean and registrar. However, the college cannot guarantee courses needed for graduation will be offered during the summer term.)
- Attain a cumulative grade point average of “C” (minimum of 2.00) in all work attempted; If a student’s cumulative grade point average is not a 2.0, but their program GPA is a 2.0 or higher after switching academic programs, then the student may request a graduation exception. A graduation exception cannot be granted for certain programs based on state and accrediting body requirements. To request a graduation exception, the student must submit an appeal form to the VP of Instruction for review. If the appeal is approved, then the student will be allowed to graduate based on program GPA.
- Complete no less than 25% of the semester hours required in the program of study at Wilkes Community College; and
- Satisfy all financial obligations to Wilkes Community College.
Students who will complete all required coursework for graduation during the subsequent summer term may participate in graduation exercises if the following conditions are met:
- Students have satisfied the criteria stated above;
- Students have registered for all courses required to complete the degree, diploma, or certificate for the subsequent summer term and paid the tuition for the summer term; and
- Students have been granted permission from the appropriate division dean. (Diploma seeking students are excluded.)
Students should plan carefully for summer term as only a limited number of courses are offered, and students may not be able to take the courses needed for graduation.
Student’s will be notified by e-mail when they are eligible to graduate, except for students enrolled in the Associates in General Education (AGE) (A10300) program. If a student wishes to graduate with an AGE, then he/she will need to work with their advisor and notify the Records and Registration office of their intent to graduate from the AGE degree.
Students who have been notified as being eligible for graduation must inform the Registration and Records office of their intent to walk in the graduation ceremony by submitting the appropriate documentation. Potential graduates will be instructed through email on how to obtain the appropriate documentation.
Any student who is not notified of graduation eligibility, but believes they are eligible for graduation from their program(s) will need to meet with their advisor to review their progress.
In addition, students scheduled to participate in the annual graduation exercise must pay a graduation fee, which covers the cost of the cap, gown, degree, diploma, certificate, and the mailing of the credentials. Also, graduating students are encouraged to participate in the commencement exercise, but attendance is not required. All degrees, diplomas, and certificates will be mailed, but the college will not be responsible for damage during mail delivery.