Academic Regulations
Adding and Dropping Courses, Withdrawing from Courses, and Withdrawing from the College
Students who find it necessary to add or drop courses, withdraw from courses, or withdraw from College should confer with their instructors and advisors. Courses may be added during the add period with advisor approval. Adding courses after the add period through the 10% point of the course requires the instructor's approval. However, after the 10% point of the semester, courses may be added with the recommendation of the instructor and the division dean and with the approval of the Senior Vice President of Instruction and Student Services. For courses dropped prior to or at the 10% point of the semester, no grade is awarded. The course does not appear on the student's permanent record. After the 10% point, students who withdraw receive a grade of a "W," which will appear on the student's permanent record.
Academic Forgiveness
A student who has not been enrolled in curriculum courses for 36 consecutive months may request that the Registrar evaluate the student's academic record. Under this policy, the student may request that previous grades of "F" not be used in calculating the cumulative grade point average. Prior to reevaluation, the student must be readmitted to the College and complete at least 12 credit hours of course work. The student must maintain at least a 2.50 GPA on those 12 credit hours. The Registrar, at the request of the student, will reevaluate the cumulative grade point average as appropriate. A reevaluation is provided only once for each student. Note: Recipients of financial aid or veteran's benefits may not be eligible for this forgiveness policy based on federal guidelines and regulations. The student should contact the Office of Financial Aid for more information.
Academic Honors
- President's List – Students who are enrolled for a minimum of 12 semester hours, have achieved a grade point average of 4.00, and are not enrolled in any class numbered below 100.
- Dean's List – Students who are enrolled for a minimum of 12 semester hours, have achieved a grade point average from 3.25 through 3.99, are not enrolled in any class numbered below 100, and have no grade lower than a "C."
- Graduation with Honors – awarded to students with a major grade point average between 3.50 and 3.749 upon completion of any degree or diploma program.
- Graduation with High Honors – awarded to students with a major grade point average 3.75 and above upon completion of any degree or diploma program.
To be eligible for honors or high honors, students must complete 25 percent of their course work at Lenoir Community College. Students receiving an Incomplete (I) for any course are ineligible for the honors list.
Auditing Courses
Students who wish to audit courses must register through an advisor. Although students auditing a course receive no credit, at the discretion of the instructor, they may be required to attend classes regularly, participate in class discussions, and meet other course requirements. Any student auditing a class who does not meet requirements set by the instructor is subject to suspension from that class. Students auditing a course are charged the same fee as students taking courses for credit. Prerequisite and corequisite requirements must be met in order to audit a course.
Students wishing to audit class(es) must notify their advisors at the time of registration and their instructor(s) upon entry into the class(es). Audit cannot be changed to credit or credit to audit after the deadline for adding courses.
Catalog of Record
Students have the option of graduating under the requirements of the catalog in effect at the time of initial enrollment as long as the student remains continuously enrolled, but students must complete requirements within ten (10) years of the catalog selected.
Change of Major
Students who wish to change majors must have advisor approval. Applicants who wish to change majors prior to initial registration should contact the Office of Admissions. A change of major that is requested after the 10% point of the semester is not effective until the next term.
College Success
Curriculum students seeking a degree or diploma are required to take ACA 111, College Student Success, or ACA 122, College Transfer Success. These courses are designed to eliminate many of the problems normally faced by new students when they first enroll at the College. Students are acquainted with the College's environment, policies, courses, staff and transfer readiness when applicable.
- Students enrolled in certificate programs are not required to take ACA 111 or ACA 122.
- Students who have transferred from another post-secondary institution, who have not completed a course equivalent to ACA 111 or ACA 122, are required to take either ACA 111 or ACA 122. Students are strongly encouraged to enroll in ACA 111 or ACA 122 during their first semester at the College.
Course Numbering and Course Substitutions
Course Numbering
Courses at Lenoir Community College are selected from the Combined Course Library (CCL) of the North Carolina Community College System.
- All preparatory and developmental courses are indicated by a three-letter prefix and numbered less than 100. These courses are not transferable. (Example: BIO 094)
- All freshman degree level courses are indicated by a three-letter prefix and are numbered 100-199. (Example: MAT 121)
- All sophomore degree level courses are indicated by a three-letter prefix and are numbered 200- 299. (Example: MAT 263)
- Selected courses are divided into segments (A, B, C, etc.) for scheduling convenience. Credit for a divided course will be given upon successful completion of all segments.
- Prerequisites are listed as either "state" or "local" depending upon whether they are required by the North Carolina Community College System (State) or Lenoir Community College (Local).
Course Substitutions
Below is a list of approved course substitutions. Any other course substitutions require the approval of the division dean and the Senior Vice President of Instruction and Student Services.
*Approved substitutions for AAS only. AA, AS, and other transfer programs may require additional documentation.
Degree Completion and Graduation
Students graduate at the close of any semester that requirements for graduation are fulfilled. Degrees, diplomas, and/or certificates are mailed as soon as possible following the end of term. Student participation in commencement exercises is encouraged, and summer and fall graduates are encouraged to participate in the formal commencement exercises held at the close of the following spring semester. A transcript certifying completion of the degree requirements is furnished upon request at the end of a student's final semester.
Requirements for Graduation
- All College financial obligations must be met.
- A minimum of 25% of the credit hours or 9 credit hours (whichever is greater) required for completion of a program/degree must have been earned through curriculum, for-credit instruction offered by Lenoir Community College. Note: If credit is transferred from Continuing Education, those courses must have been taught by a credentialed faculty member and aligned with the learning outcomes of the corresponding curriculum courses(s).
- Required courses and electives must be completed in accordance with one of the programs listed in the catalog with a major grade point average of at least 2.00.
- In the event that a student can demonstrate that specific requirements at a senior institution are in conflict with the associate degree requirements at Lenoir Community College, substitutions may be recommended by the Dean.
- Application for graduation must be made in accordance with the dates shown on the College calendar. Students should obtain a program evaluation (EVAL) along with an Application for Graduation signed by their advisor and submitted to the Registrar.
General Education Outcomes
Lenoir Community College has identified general education outcomes directly tied to the college’s mission of meeting the personal, cultural, and professional educational needs of our students through affordable, accessible, and innovative educational programs. These outcomes were selected to provide collegiate level multi-disciplinary learning for all students that ensures breadth of knowledge in the humanities/fine arts, social/behavioral sciences, and natural science/mathematics, and does not narrowly focus on the skills, techniques, or procedures that are specific to a particular occupation or profession.
Associate degree-seeking students at LCC are required to complete general education courses as a core component of their program. The following are the six general education outcomes expected of all students:
- Students will be able to apply knowledge of mathematics appropriate to their program of study.
- Students will be able to apply knowledge of professional standards related to soft skills within courses in their program of study.
- Students will be able to apply basic concepts of the social sciences to examine relationships among individuals, groups, and social structures.
- Students will be able to create effective written and oral communication.
- Students will be able to apply scientific principles to examine subject matter in the natural and physical universe.
- Students will be able to understand discipline-specific knowledge in the fine arts and the relevance of the fine arts to cultural and personal growth.
In addition to the general education outcomes, the College has also identified individual program and academic and student services outcomes that are published for each program and service area on the college’s website.
GPA Guardrails for Success
Lenoir Community College supports student success. To ensure students are set up for success, and to mitigate withdrawals and potential negative repercussions with Financial Aid and completion, LCC has put in place GPA Guardrails for Success. As students meet with their Advisor to register for classes, the Advisor will help guide students in enrolling for classes, while abiding by the following guidelines:
- Students with a current LCC Cumulative GPA less than a 2.2, or with a GPA less than a 2.2 from their most recently attended institution prior to LCC, will not be enrolled in more than 9 Non-Developmental Credit Hours at any point in a semester.*
- Students with a current LCC Cumulative GPA less than a 2.8 but greater than a 2.2, or with a GPA less than a 2.8 but greater than a 2.2 from their most recently attended institution prior to LCC, will not be enrolled in greater than 12 Non-Developmental Credit Hours at any one point in a semester.*
- Traditional LCC students must hold a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 to be registered in a Holiday Course (HIN). Note: This does not apply to Special Credit (T90990) students.*
Students enrolled in more than the allowable limit of hours based on current or most recently attended GPA may be dropped from one or more classes at the start of the semester and rebilled. LCC understands and supports the desire for students to complete coursework successfully and on time.
Note: Curriculum Dean approval is required to enroll in more than 18 hours in a semester. (This is typically only approved for student GPAs greater than 3.0, with other factors considered.)
*Approval by the Senior Vice President of Instruction & Student Services is required for enrollment in hours over the maximum allowable limit, and all outside factors will be considered.
Proctoring
Certain courses at LCC may require proctored testing. Courses that require proctored testing are notated for the student in Self-Service (visible prior to registration) and clearly stated in the course syllabus. If applicable, the fee for required proctoring is assessed upon the student's registration in the course. Fees for proctored testing are listed in the "Schedule of Fees and Charges" section in the College Catalog and are subject to change based on the going rate for proctoring at that time. Currently, the College utilizes ProctorU for all applicable curriculum course proctoring, and more information about their services and system requirements can be found at this link: https://support.proctoru.com/hc/en-us/categories/115001818507. It is the student's responsibility to ensure the hardware/software being utilized is adequate for proctoring prior to remaining in the course.
Scheduling of a proctoring session requires 72 hours advance notice by the student with ProctorU to avoid an additional fee of $8-$12, assessed by ProctorU and paid separately by the student at time of scheduling. To avoid this additional fee, students should schedule their proctoring session at least 72 hours in advance.
If you require on-campus proctoring due to ADA accommodations or other needs, please notify your instructor, who will make arrangements for on-campus proctoring with the Academic Support Center (LCC Library) at a time convenient for you and LCC (by appointment only). If you need immediate ProctorU assistance, please access your ProctorU Account and use their Live Chat feature or call 1-855-772-8678.
The College reserves the right to change proctoring assessment companies at any time, but all efforts will be made to avoid changing proctoring companies mid-semester. Should a change in proctoring companies be required, the College will notify the student prior to registration in the course.
Repetition of Course Work
The division dean's approval is required for students to repeat courses audited or passed with a grade of "C" or better. This includes courses taken at other institutions.
Students who repeat courses at Lenoir Community College will have all attempts shown on their official records, and all credit hours attempted will be computed in the cumulative grade point average. In no case will a Lenoir Community College student be allowed to enroll in the same or equivalent course(s) concurrently either here or at another institution. The required Permit to Repeat Course(s) form, available at the Registrar's Office, must be completed and returned to the Registrar's Office at the time of registration.
Satisfactory Progress Policy
To remain in good academic standing, students must maintain a satisfactory cumulative grade point average. Students who have earned a minimum GPA of 2.0 (excluding “I” grades) and maintained a cumulative 67% completion rate are considered for enrollment purposes to be making satisfactory progress. Students remain at this standing unless they fail to achieve a semester 2.0 GPA and maintain a 67% completion rate.
Students who fail to meet the requirements set forth in the Satisfactory Progress Policy are identified for academic warning. All students who fail to meet the requirements set forth in the Satisfactory Progress Policy after two semesters of enrollment are identified for academic probation. Some programs may have a more stringent policy.
Students enrolled in selected Health Sciences and Nursing programs must maintain a grade of C or above in all courses. In addition, students must demonstrate satisfactory emotional and physical health necessary to provide safe care in the clinical area.
The program chairs/lead instructors in the Health Sciences and Nursing programs notify students who are on probation. The probation is based on individual grades and policies concerning probation for Health Sciences and Nursing students.
Semester Course Load
Students taking 12 credit hours or more are considered full-time students; students with 9-11 credit hours are considered 3/4 time, and students with 6-8 credit hours are considered 1/2 time. Students with fewer than six credit hours are less than half time.
The maximum credit hours for students enrolled in AA, AATP, AFA, AGE, AS, ASTP, AAS, diploma, or certificate programs is 18 hours. Students may only enroll in more than the maximum hours with the approval of the division dean.
Special/visiting students normally will not be allowed to take more than 15 credit hours without declaring a major. Exceptions to this must be approved by the Dean of Student Services. Exceptions will be made only with sufficient justification and documentation.
Semester Hours
The unit of measurement for credit purposes is the semester hour. One semester hour represents the credit earned in a lecture course that is scheduled for one class hour per week for 16 weeks. For laboratory work, two class hours per week in the laboratory are required for a single semester hour of credit. For shop work or clinical hours, three hours in the shop or clinic per week are required for a single hour of credit. For Work-Based Learning and internships, ten hours per week are required for a single hour of credit. Generally, a student should spend two clock hours in preparation for one class hour.
Student Classification
- Freshman – A student who has earned fewer than 32 semester hours of credit
- Sophomore – A student who has earned 32 or more semester hours of credit
- Full-time Student – A student who is registered for 12 or more semester hours
- Part-time Student – A student who is registered fewer than 12 semester hours
- Special/Visiting Student – A student who is not seeking a degree
Waivers and Substitutions
Waivers and substitutions of courses, other degree requirements, and academic regulations may be made only with adequate cause. Exemption from or substitutions for requirements established for a program of study must be recommended by the division dean and approved by the Senior Vice President of Instruction and Student Services. These requests must be entered on a waiver and substitution form and submitted to the Registrar.