Registrar

Student Registration Status

QVCC schedules credit and non-credit courses. The latter are offered through the Continuing Education Office, described elsewhere in this catalog. The information in this section defines the registration status of students enrolled in college credit courses.

All students must register for courses during designated registration periods preceding each semester. Current and continuing students registered within the past two years are strongly encouraged to register online at http://www.my.commnet.edu. New, new transfer, and readmitted students will typically register in person the first time. Online registration usually begins April 1 for fall and summer, and November 1 for spring. A schedule of hours of registration is published in advance of each registration period. Payment of tuition and fees or acceptance of a deferred payment obligation is part of the registration procedure.

There are two types of enrollment status:

Degree Candidate (Matriculated Student)

One who is in a planned program of study which, upon successful completion, will result in the award of either an associate degree or a certificate.

Non-Matriculated Student

One who is enrolled on a course-by-course basis and is not in a degree or certificate program.

Students in either of the above classifications may be full-time or part-time.

Full-time Student

Enrolled in courses totaling a minimum of 12 hours per semester.

Part-time Student

Enrolled in courses totaling fewer than 12 hours per semester.

Audit

Students may register to audit a class. Auditing a class means that the individual will be present during class meetings but is not responsible for completing assignments or tests. No credits are given for an audit grade. A student may change his/her registration from credit to audit until the date listed on the academic calendar for withdrawing from a class. To effect this change the student must complete the appropriate section on the add/drop form. Once a course has been placed on “audit,” it may not be reversed to credit.

Pass/Fail Option

Upon verification of eligibility by Student Services, a student in good standing may elect to take no more than 3 out of 12 consecutive credited semester hours under a Pass/Fail option. Under this option performance in courses is evaluated simply in terms of the normal grading scale. While “Pass” evaluations do not affect the grade point average, “Fail” evaluations carry the same negative impact as normally graded course “F” grades do. The Pass/Fail grade does, however, affect a student’s satisfactory progress at the College. Only courses numbered 100 or higher may be eligible for this option. Courses considered “developmental” preparation for college level work are not eligible for the pass/fail option.

The final date in each semester by which a student must exercise the Pass/Fail option is the same as that listed in the academic calendar for withdrawing from a course. To exercise the Pass/Fail option, the student must complete appropriate forms available in the Student Success Center. This decision is not reversible to the normal grading pattern, and students are cautioned that credits earned in this way are not guaranteed transferable to another college.

Change in Schedule or Program

Adding a Course

Students may add courses through the date shown on the academic calendar, provided there is an opening in the desired class and the student meets prerequisites, if any.

Dropping a Course

Students may drop a course up to the drop date as specified in the academic calendar. To drop a course the student may complete appropriate forms available in the Student Success Center or drop online through www.my.commnet.edu. Unless the dean of students authorizes a late drop due to extenuating circumstances, late drops will not be permitted. Students who do not complete the withdrawal process will receive an “F” for that course.

Repeating Courses

Students are permitted to repeat a course. The original grade for a repeated course remains on the record. The highest grade value for the repeated course is used to determine credits earned and calculated into the GPA. Board policy limits repeats to three per course.

Fresh Start Option

The Fresh Start Option allows students the opportunity to minimize the effects of previous academic history and to develop a more favorable academic record. With this option, the student will receive credit for courses with a grade of “C-” or better (>=1.7 GPA), including “P” (Pass), taken prior to re-admission. While all courses and grades remain on the student’s transcript, future calculation of GPA (Grade Point Average) will include only courses taken after re-admission. The student’s academic record will carry a notation indicating when the Fresh Start Option went into effect.

Students re-admitted to QVCC are eligible to apply for the Fresh Start Option if:

• They have been re-admitted after an absence of two or more years, and
• They have been suspended from QVCC or have been on academic probation prior to being re-admitted, and
• They have an accumulated GPA of less than 2.0, and
• They apply for the option prior to or within one year of re-admission.

The Fresh Start Option does not apply to completed degrees and certificates.

The Fresh Start Option may be used only once by the student. A student must complete a minimum of 15 credits after returning to College under the Fresh Start Option to be eligible for a degree or certificate, and for graduation honors. Fresh Start Option forms may be obtained from the Student Success Center. Submit the application to the director of enrollment management.

Grade Reports

Final grade reports showing the official grades earned by the student in each course are posted online at the end of each semester. Students may access their grades by logging on to www.my.commnet.edu. Grade reports are not mailed to students.

Transcripts

Official transcripts of college work can be mailed and/or emailed in an electronic format (eTranscript) directly to educational institutions or prospective employers upon application to the Records Office. Transcripts issued to students are classified “unofficial.”

Current students or students who have attended the college within two (2) years of today may print their unofficial transcript or request an official transcript on the web at www.my.commnet.edu.

Former students, who no longer have access to my.commnet, may request an official e-Transcript, official paper transcript, or unofficial transcript by following the instructions on the link at www.qvcc.edu/records/transcripts.

Electronic transcripts (eTranscripts) will be processed within 24 hours. Paper transcripts will be processed and mailed within 7 to 10 days.

Please note that we do not accept phone requests for transcripts.

Transcripts will not be processed for student accounts with outstanding holds.

Please refer to www.qvcc.edu/records for more information regarding how to request a transcript.
 

Preferred Name Policy

Students may prefer to use a first name that differs from their legal, documented name and/or that matches their gender identity or expression. All colleges in the Connecticut State University System now provide students with the opportunity to declare a preferred first name. The preferred name will appear on all institutional documents and records other than official documents. Documents and records that may display a preferred name include, among others, course rosters in MyCommNet, identification cards, email address, and honors, awards and prizes issued by the institution. Legal names will appear on transcripts and credentials, payroll and student employment records, and financial aid documents. Students applying for graduation may use their preferred name on their diplomas. For assistance in specifying a preferred name, visit the Records Office in the Student Affairs suite, C151.

Withdrawing from College

There are a number of reasons why students may find it necessary to withdraw from the College at any time during the semester. Such an important decision should be given careful consideration and reviewed with an advisor and with the Financial Aid Office if they are receiving financial aid. It is in the student’s best interest to have a personal interview before withdrawing.

Students are encouraged to complete the withdrawal process by written notification. Students should complete a form available through the Student Success Center or submit a signed letter indicating their desire to withdraw from all courses. Students may also complete the withdrawal process online or orally by calling the Records Office and speaking with the appropriate staff person. The student will be asked for information to verify that the caller is the student. Students completing the withdrawal from the College orally are encouraged to submit a follow up verification in writing. Students who do not complete the withdrawal process will receive an “F” in each course for which they are registered.

FERPA (Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act)

Confidentiality of Student Records Notification of Rights Under the Family Educational Right and Privacy Act

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their educational records. These rights include:

1. The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day the College receives a request for acess. Students should submit to the registrar written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect. The College official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the College official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
2. The right to request amendment of an education record that the student believes is inaccurate. Students may ask an appropriate College official to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate. The student should write to the College official, clearly identify the part of the record he or she wants changed, and specify why he/she believes it is inaccurate. The College will notify the student of the decision. If the College decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the College will advise the student of his or her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.
   NOTE: FERPA is not intended to provide a process to question substantive judgments that are correctly recorded. For example, the right of challenge does not allow a student to contest a grade in a course because the student believes that a higher grade should have been assigned.
3. The right to consent to disclosure of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. FERPA permits disclosure without consent to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A “school official” includes but is not limited to the following: a person employed by the College in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research or support staff position (including law enforcement and security personnel, counseling and health staff); a person or company with whom the College has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, collection agent or official of the National Student Clearinghouse); a person serving on the Board of Regents who is authorized to act on its behalf; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibilities.
4. FERPA also permits disclosure of education records without consent in connection with, but not limited to:
   • To comply with a judicial order or a lawfully issued subpoena;
   • To appropriate parties in a health or safety emergency;
   • To officials of another school, upon request, in which the student seeks or intends to enroll;
   • In connection with a student’s request for a receipt of financial aid, as necessary to determine the eligibility, amount or conditions of the financial aid, or to enforce the terms and conditions of the aid;
   • To certain officials of the U.S. Department of Education, the Comptroller General, to state and local educational authorities in connection with certain state or federally supported education programs;
   • To accrediting organizations to carry out their functions;
   • To organizations conducting certain studies for or on behalf of the College;
   • The results of an institutional disciplinary proceeding against the alleged perpetrator of a crime of violence to the alleged victim of that crime with the respect to that crime;
   • Directory information as defined in the policy of the Board of Regents.
5. The right to refuse to permit the College to release directory information about the student, except to school officials with a legitimate educational interest and others as indicated in paragraph 3 above. To do so, a student exercising this right must notify the registrar in writing. Once filed, this notification becomes a permanent part of the student’s record until the student instructs the College, in writing, to remove it.
6. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Colleges to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is:
   
   Family Policy Compliance Office
   U.S. Department of Education
   400 Maryland Avenue, SW
   Washington, DC 20202-4605

Directory Information

The Board of Regents has designated the following as directory information: student names and addresses, dates of attendance, full vs. part-time student status, awards and honors and graduation date. For purposes of access by military recruiter only, telephone listings and, if known, age, level of education and major are also designated as directory information.

Colleges may disclose directory information without prior consent, unless a student has exercised the right to refuse to permit the College to release directory information in accordance with paragraph 4 above.