TCAT

14:05:00 Student Attendance and Clock Hours

The purpose of this policy is to explain how students in the Tennessee College of Applied Technology Division (TCAT) at Chattanooga State are expected to maintain satisfactory attendance and to progress in an appropriate manner toward their training objective.
When a student enrolls in a course, he or she is obligated to complete all assigned tasks and clock hours. Punctual and regular attendance is vital to meeting this obligation. Whereas the student is responsible for all assigned work in the course, absences do not absolve him or her of this responsibility.
At the beginning of a term, each instructor will distribute his or her class attendance policy. An unsatisfactory attendance record will negatively affect the student’s final grade and his or her eligibility to receive financial aid for subsequent terms. It is the responsibility of each student to know the attendance policy for the TCAT Division.
Students are expected to attend all assigned clock hours for the program in which they are enrolled. Unsatisfactory attendance affects grades, continued enrollment, and financial aid.
1. Students must attend a minimum of 91% of the assigned hours for the semester and earn a passing grade (A, B or C) in order to meet “Satisfactory Academic Progress.” (Some programs require higher standards for grades and clock hours.)
2. Students must earn their hours for their next payment period, so those that do not have 91% attendance delay or forfeit future financial aid payments. Students must earn at least 67% of their attempted hours to maintain eligibility. Students with poor attendance may have to repay a portion of the financial aid received for their program.
3. Students must attend 91% of the assigned program clock hours and have a minimum 2.0 grade point average (GPA) for graduation eligibility. (Some programs may require more than 91% due to regulations required by the state or licensing boards.)
Students must meet the following attendance and student progress policies:
1. Student Attendance: The nature of the programs at the TCAT is such that it is necessary for all students to attend regularly. Excessive absences will affect student progress.
  1. After a student has been absent for three (3) percent of the semester clock hours, the instructor will counsel the student.
  2. When a student has been absent for five (5) percent of the semester clock hours for the course, the instructor will refer the student to the department head for additional counseling.
  3. A student that has been absent for eleven (11) percent or more of a semester’s clock hours will receive a failing grade for attendance. This grade will be averaged in with other course-related grades for the student’s final semester grade.
  4. For each one (1) percent of the assigned semester hours that a student is absent from class, the instructor will deduct 3.2 points from the student’s attendance grade.
  5. A student is considered tardy if he or she is not in the classroom at the designated class starting time.
    1. A student will lose one point off of his or her final attendance grade for each tardy.
    2. Three tardies mean the student will be warned by the instructor and/or department head.
    3. Six tardies mean the instructor will refer the student to the Dean or designated TCAT representative for counseling.
  6. An attendance record for each student is maintained in the division office.
2. Student Progress:
  1. This policy provides minimum criteria for evaluating student achievement relating to identified occupational competencies and retention standards of the institution.
  2. A letter grade evaluation is recorded for each student at the end of each semester. The evaluation is based on the following scale of progress:
    1. A = 90-100
    2. B = 80-89
    3. C = 70-79
    4. F = 69 and below
  3. The semester grade report will reflect each student’s progress in the following categories:
    1. Skill Proficiency (written test, lab work)
    2. Related Information (daily journals, math)
    3. Work Ethic (attendance, participation, working with others)
  4. To meet “Satisfactory Academic Progress,” students must maintain a “C” or better average for the semester. Failure to do so will result in academic suspension at the end of the semester. Students on Academic Suspension are not eligible to enroll for the next semester.
  5. Students who receive a grade of “F” for the term will not receive credit for the clock hours earned during the term.
3. Financial Aid Recipients: Federal aid (PELL, Loans) and State aid (TN Reconnect, TN Promise, Wilder-Naifeh Technical Skills Grant and Tennessee Student Assistance Award):
  1. All Financial Aid recipients are required to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), this means that students must meet their programs grade requirements.
    1. For example, the Practical Nursing Program requires students to earn a ‘B’ or better in order to be passing.
    2. For financial aid purposes a student must earn 67% of their attempted hours.
    3. Students must complete their program within 150% of the program’s length.
  2. All Federal aid recipients must earn the hours to reach their next payment period. (This is under the assumption that a student has maintained Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and completed all financial aid requirements.)
    1. Full-Time 750 clock hour program:
      1. Students are immediately ready for a first semester payment.
      2. Students must earn their second semester payment. These students must have 376 clock hours before Federal aid will be released.
    2. Full-Time 900 clock hour program:
      1. Students are immediately ready for a first semester payment.
      2. Students must earn 451 clock hours to reach their second semester payment.
    3. Full-Time 1,290/1,357 clock hour program:
      1. Students are immediately ready for a first semester payment.
      2. Students must earn 451 clock hours to reach their second semester payment.
      3. Students must earn 901 clock hours to reach their third and final semester payment.
    4. Full-Time 1,500 clock hour program:
      1. Students are immediately ready for a first semester payment.
      2. Students must earn 451 clock hours to reach their second semester payment.
      3. Students must earn 901 clock hours to reach their third semester payment.
      4. Students must earn 1,201 clock hours to reach their fourth and final semester paymnent.
    5. Students that bring in clock hours from prior learning or dual enrollment will have an adjusted program length that may change eligibility and payment periods. Clock hours brought into the program do not count toward payment periods.
4. Readmission from Suspension:
  1. Students that sit out for two semesters may re-enroll without submitting an appeal and are considered on academic probation. Students in this situation will not be allowed to register for the following term until their grades have been processed. If a student wishes to return prior to sitting out two semesters, then that student must appeal to the Dean by submitting a TCAT Reinstatement form. In the TCAT Reinstatement form the student must:
    1. Address issues that caused the student to be unsuccessful.
    2. Provide reasons that will allow the student to be successful going forward.
    3. If student was unsuccessful due to excessive absences, then the student should submit documentation explaining the extenuating circumstances.
    4. Meet the additional retention standards for specific programs.

Submitted to Policy Review Committee on February 21, 2022

Submitted to Policy Review Board on March 28, 2022

Approved by the Policy Review Board on April 13, 2022

Previous version:

Submitted to Policy Review Committee on 2019.02.18

Submitted to Policy Review Board on 2019.04.08

Approved by Policy Review Board on 2019.04.24

Chattanooga State Community College

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14:05:00 Student Attendance and Clock Hours

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14:05:00 Student Attendance and Clock Hours