Academic Life

This is an archived copy of the 2013-14 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.cincinnatistate.edu.

Academic Advising

Academic advising assists students in reaching their academic and career goals at Cincinnati State. Program chairs, academic advisors, and other faculty members are assigned to guide students through activities such as:

  • Setting academic goals
  • Developing educational plans
  • Selecting courses
  • Providing information on transfer credits
  • Understanding and meeting requirements for graduation
  • Clarifying career and personal goals
  • Explaining academic policies and procedures
  • Addressing academic challenges
  • Making appropriate referrals to campus support services

During the 2013-2014 academic year, Cincinnati State will be implementing Mandatory Advising for incoming students. Advising will be provided in group and individual settings as well as via e-mail and through use of online advising tools.

Academic Appeals Procedure

Cincinnati State Technical and Community College has adopted the following procedures to ensure students with legitimate concerns about academic processes (hereafter called “academic appeals”) can resolve these concerns equitably. A student is expected to first attempt to resolve concerns directly with the instructor, within the semester immediately following the semester when the grade was issued.

  1. A student is expected to bring his or her academic appeal first to his or her faculty advisor (program chair or cooperative education coordinator).
  2. If the concern cannot be settled at this level, the student is expected to bring his or her academic appeal to the division dean or the dean’s designee.
  3. It is expected that most academic appeals will be resolved at the division level. However, if the concern cannot be resolved by the division dean, the student may continue the academic appeals process by meeting with an academic appeals panel. To initiate this process, the student must submit a written request to appeal the decision of the division dean, including a statement of the concern that is to be addressed, and pertinent documentation, to the academic vice president (AVP). The AVP reviews all pertinent information in order to determine whether the appeal merits the formation of a panel. If the AVP determines that an appeals panel should appropriately be formed, the process continues to step four. If the AVP does not feel the student’s appeal merits the formation of a panel, he/she meets with the student involved and relays his/her findings and recommendations.
  4. If an academic appeals panel is convened, it is composed of one dean (excluding the dean of the division involved in the appeal), appointed by the AVP; and two faculty members, appointed by the Faculty Senate. The designated dean chairs the panel, solicits appointment of the faculty representatives, convenes meetings of the panel, and provides copies of necessary documentation to the other panel members. Documentation includes:
    1. The student’s written statement and other material the student wishes to submit
    2. A written summary of the disposition of the case at the division level, prepared by the division’s dean
    3. The student’s transcript, or any other related materials the panel may wish to examine.
  5. The chair will convene a meeting that includes the student, the members of the panel, and other participants the panel may choose to invite to the meeting. The student has an opportunity to present his or her concern, and the panel members have the opportunity to ask questions and seek clarification. If the panel determines there are issues involved which are not academic concerns, the panel informs the student of appropriate measures to be taken.
  6. The panel may, at its own discretion, refer the matter to the Academic Policies & Curriculum Committee (APCC) for advice and recommendations.
  7. If the APCC is convened to review the appeal, the panel chair must ensure that all related documentation is submitted to the APCC chair one week prior to the APCC meeting. Any recommendations made by the APCC are submitted to the academic appeals panel for consideration.
  8. The chair of the academic appeals panel forwards a recommendation along with all related documentation to the AVP. The AVP makes the final determination regarding the appeal and notifies the dean of the division involved in the appeal.That dean communicates this determination to the student who initiated the appeal.

Absence for Participation in School Sponsored Activities

If a student must miss class because he or she is participating in a Cincinnati State sponsored co-curricular event (such as an athletic contest or a meeting of a professional organization), the absence should be treated as excused and should not have a negative impact on the student’s attendance grade for the course. Students are responsible for providing their instructors with appropriate documentation prior to the event. Students must also make up any required work through a process and on a schedule to be determined by the course instructor. It is understood that this waiver applies only to the attendance grade, and not necessarily to other components of the instructor’s grading system.

Absence for Religious Observance

Students are permitted to be absent from class to observe a religious holiday. It is the student’s responsibility to notify instructors of this planned absence no later than the end of the first week of the academic semester. It is also the student’s responsibility to make up any required work through a process and on a schedule to be determined by the course instructor.

Adding, Dropping, or Withdrawing from a Course

The College Important Dates Chart , available on the College website, lists the dates when students may add, drop, or withdraw from a course after completing their initial registration. Student transactions to add, drop, or withdraw from a course are not official unless processed using the MyServices section of the Cincinnati State website or through the Office of the Registrar. The appropriate forms and instructions for registration activity can be obtained in the Office of the Registrar or on the website at www.cincinnatistate.edu .

The following regulations apply to all courses offered during the semester (except flexibly scheduled courses with start and/or end dates that do not coincide with the first and last days of the regular semester schedule):

Adding a regular session course

  • Prior to the first course meeting of the semester, no approval is required to add an open course, unless the course has an “instructor consent” requirement.
  • Once a course has met, the approval of the course instructor must be obtained.
  • The fifth class day of the semester is the last day to add a course.

Dropping a regular session course

  • Courses dropped from the time of registration through the fourteenth calendar day of the semester do not need additional approval to be processed.
  • The fourteenth calendar day of the semester is the last day to drop a course. In an instance when the fourteenth day falls on a weekend or holiday, the last day to drop a course is the preceding business day.

Withdrawing from a course - available online via MyServices

  • The withdrawal period for regularly scheduled courses begins each semester the day after the Last Day to Drop a Course and ends on the fifty-sixth instructional day. No additional approval is required to withdraw from a course during this period. The withdrawal period for flexibly scheduled courses begins after the day designated as the Last Day to Drop a Course for that course section through the day designated as the Last Day to Withdraw from that course section.
  • Only in circumstances beyond the student’s control will a withdrawal be permitted after the fifty-sixth instructional day. All official late withdrawals must be approved by the course instructor and the division dean. In cases not approved, the student receives the grade assigned by the instructor.

Attendance

Each student is expected to attend all classes and cooperative education/clinical placements as scheduled. Each College faculty member is expected to document student attendance during the first two weeks of the semester and to report attendance to the Office of the Registrar. Attendance in cooperative education and clinical placements is reported by the cooperative education/clinical coordinator based on reports from the student’s site coordinator.

Individual faculty members may establish course policies that consider attendance as a factor in determining course grades. These policies may include limits and/or penalties related to excused and/or unexcused absences. Each student should check with his or her instructors to determine how attendance will be taken, and in what ways, if any, attendance is a factor in grading.

Non-Attendance

The following policies pertain to all courses.

  • Instructors are required to document student attendance in each course meeting through the first two weeks of the semester.
  • From the first day of the semester until the First Day to Withdraw for the semester, students who drop a course must identify whether or not they attended the course section.
  • A student who enrolls in a course but does not attend the course within the first two weeks will be designated a No Show (NS) and dropped from the course by the instructor.
  • If there is a discrepancy between a student’s self-reported attendance status and the attendance status reported by an instructor, the attendance status reported by the instructor will be the status of record.
  • Students are not permitted to begin attending a course section after an NS has been issued by the instructor or self reported by the student for that course section.
  • The designation of NS will not appear on the student’s transcript.
  • A student who receives an NS designation for a course is still financially responsible for payment for the course. State and federal financial aid is not applicable to a course for which a student has received an NS designation.
  • A student is not permitted to withdraw from a course he or she did not attend or to which an NS has been assigned.

Non-Attendance in Web-based and Hybrid Courses

Students enrolled in courses classified as WEB (web-based; no in-person attendance required) or HYB (hybrid; primarily Web-based but with some required in-person activities) must log in to the course website during the first two weeks of the semester and participate in an online activity.

Participation in an online activity includes, but is not limited to, submitting an academic assignment; taking an exam, completing an interactive tutorial, or completing computer-assisted instruction; participating in an online discussion about academic matters; and/or initiating contact with a faculty member to ask a question about the academic subject studied in the course.

A student who is enrolled in the course but does not log into the website during the first two weeks of the semester will be designated as No Show (NS) by the instructor. All other policies described in the Cincinnati State catalog section on “Non-Attendance” apply to students in WEB and HYB courses also.

In some cases, the website for a WEB or HYB course will be open to students prior to the first day of the semester. Student activities on the website prior to the first day of the semester will be used to determine whether an NS designation is given.

Non-Attendance Leading to Administrative Withdrawal

The following policies pertain to all courses.

  • A student who is enrolled in a course and does not attend any class sessions of that course for three consecutive weeks, at any time during the semester, may be administratively withdrawn from the course.
  • Faculty members who implement this policy will include information in their course syllabus explaining how attendance is taken and stating that three consecutive weeks of non-attendance will lead to administrative withdrawal.
  • Faculty members who implement this policy will inform the academic Dean (of the division that offers the course) of the last date of attendance for any student who does not attend course sessions for three consecutive weeks.
  • The Dean will investigate and, if warranted, will notify the Registrar to administratively withdraw the student from the course.

Children on Campus

Cincinnati State Technical and Community College strives to maintain an environment conducive to teaching and learning. Therefore, whenever children are brought to the campus they must remain with their parents, guardians, or caretakers in all areas of the College. Whether or not a child can be brought into a classroom is at the discretion of each instructor.

If the College’s Campus Police Department finds any child left unattended, they will locate the parent/caretaker so that the child can be cared for properly. Above all else, the College wishes to insure the safety and well-being of each child.

Course Cancellation

A course offering may be canceled prior to the beginning of a semester because of low enrollment. The College attempts to notify students of the course cancellation before the first day of the semester, but cannot guarantee that such notice will be provided. .A refund of 100% is made to a student who has registered for courses that have been cancelled by the College, if the student does not change to another course.

Course Drop/Withdrawal Grading Policy

  • Courses officially dropped through the fourteenth calendar day of each semester, using official processes described elsewhere in this catalog, do not appear on students’ transcripts.
  • During the Withdrawal Period (the fourteenth day through the fifty-sixth day of each semester), official withdrawals are assigned a grade of W. The W appears on the student’s transcript; however, it is not calculated into the grade point average (GPA).
  • The instructor may not issue a W as the final grade. A W is assigned only if the student completes the withdrawal process.

Expectations for Time Required Outside of Class

The amount of time required to complete homework for Cincinnati State courses will vary, depending on the course topic and level, as well as the student’s prior preparation. Homework for college courses may include reading; writing essays, reports, or other papers; studying for quizzes and exams; preparing project materials; meeting with others to complete course activities; and a wide range of other tasks.

As a general guideline, students should plan to spend at least two to three hours outside of class each week for each course contact hour (that is, either a lecture hour or a lab hour). For example, a student enrolled in a course that has two lecture hours per week and three lab hours per week should plan to spend 10 to 15 hours per week outside of class completing work for that course.

It is the student’s responsibility to plan a schedule that allows adequate time to complete the work required for each class. Students should seek additional information from their instructors regarding expectations for the time needed to complete all coursework..

Faculty Office Hours

All full-time College faculty maintain office hours to conduct in-person meetings with students. Some faculty members also maintain online office hours for communication with students by email. Students should check with each instructor, or the receptionist in the instructor’s division office area, to schedule appointments.

Flexibly Scheduled Courses

The following policies and procedures pertain to flexibly scheduled course sections only:

  • Course sections with a beginning and/or ending date different than the first and last days of the regular semester schedule are considered flexibly scheduled. Flexibly scheduled course sections are typically identified in the course schedule with alphabetical section designations.
  • Students may register for a flexibly scheduled course section with no additional approvals up to the first course meeting.
  • A student may enter a flexibly scheduled course section by the date established as the Last Day to Add for that course section. Registration after the date established as the Last Day to Add for that flexibly scheduled course section is not permitted.
  • A student may drop a flexibly scheduled course section, without a grade appearing on their record, by the date established as the Last Day to Drop a Course for that course section.
  • A student may withdraw from a flexibly scheduled course section from the date established as the Last Day to Drop a Course for that section through the date established as the Last Day to Withdraw from a Course for that section.

Making Up Missed Work

The privilege of making up missed assignments, quizzes, tests, exams, and other course activities is not automatic. An instructor does not have to permit or grant make-up privileges. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of the instructor’s make-up policies, and to seek this information from the instructor if necessary.

MyServices

MyServices is the pathway to web-based student services at Cincinnati State. Through MyServices, students can register, add and drop classes, view and print their class schedules, make payments, check on financial aid status, view and print their grade reports, view and print degree audits, and access a variety of other services. To access MyServices, go to the Cincinnati State website at www.cincinnatistate.edu , and then choose MyCState. Log in with username and password, and then choose the MyServices tab.

Procedures for Students Called to Active Duty

Students enlisted in the military reserves or National Guard who are called to active duty may drop or withdraw from all courses. This may be accomplished in person, by email, by fax, or by mail.

Students called to active duty must complete the following:

  • Provide the Office of the Registrar with a copy of the military orders. The student may deliver the copy of the orders to the Office of the Registrar, mail it to Office of the Registrar, 3520 Central Parkway, Cincinnati OH, 45223, fax it to (513) 569-1883, or email to registraroffice@cincinnatistate.edu .
  • Request to be dropped from all courses. If this is accomplished in-person, the student completes the Registration Activity Request form. For fax, mail, or email requests, staff in the Office of the Registrar may complete the appropriate form on the student’s behalf.
  • Indicate to the Office of the Registrar whether he/she attended any class sessions.
  • If the student attended class sessions, he/she must provide the last date of attendance for each course to be dropped.
  • In some instances, time constraints may prevent the student from completing a Late Withdrawal request. In this case, the student may present the military orders within 30 business days of his/her return to receive Late Withdrawal. The Office of the Registrar does not accept Requests for Late Withdrawal after that time period.

Requesting College Transcripts from Cincinnati State

To obtain a copy of a Cincinnati State transcript, students may request in person, by web (using MyServices if they are an active student), by mail, or by fax. Students may also email the form as an attachment to the Registrar’s Office. All requests must include name, student ID or Social Security number, approximate dates attended, and the address to which the transcript should be sent. Students wishing to pick up the processed request should indicate so when the request is submitted. Requests must include the student’s signature authorizing the College to release this information.

To request the transcript in person, the Office of the Registrar is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. When requesting or picking up transcripts in person, a valid government issued photo identification or a SurgeCard is required.

To request transcripts by mail, please mail the request to:

Office of the Registrar
Cincinnati State Technical and Community College
3520 Central Parkway
Cincinnati, OH 45223-2690
Request forms may be faxed to (513) 569-1883.
Request forms may be scanned and emailed to transcripts@cincinnatistate.edu .

Please note:

  • Students who attended Cincinnati State after 1986 may request an official or unofficial transcript be printed in-person at the Office of the Registrar.
  • Students who need their official transcript sent directly from the Office of the Registrar may request a transcript be sent to an individual or other institution designated by the student. Please allow five working days for staff to process such requests.
  • Because records prior to 1986 may be on microfilm, allow ten working days for staff to process such requests.

For questions regarding ordering transcripts, please call the Office of the Registrar at (513) 569-1522.

All financial obligations to the College must be cleared before any transcripts are released.

Weather-Related Cancellation of Classes

In the event of adverse conditions, it may be necessary to cancel some class sessions. The College will rarely close completely. Local radio and television stations may begin announcing Cincinnati State’s operating status as early as 6:15 a.m. on the day involved. The status of the evening classes will be handled by a separate announcement later in the day.