Graduation Requirements
General Requirements
The general requirements for awarding of an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree, an Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree, an Associate of Science (A.S.) degree, an Associate of General Studies (A.G.S.) degree, or Certificates in Career and Technical Education programs are outlined in the curricula section of this catalog. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 is required in the particular program’s curriculum for awarding of any type of degree or certificate, and only courses numbered 100 or above may be applicable toward the degree or certificate. Specific requirements for individual programs may be obtained from either the Student Success Center, the Admissions & Records Office, or on-line.
Fifteen semester hours of course work applicable to the degree or 50% of course work applicable to the certificate program and completed prior to graduation must be Aims Community College courses.
Students must apply for graduation. See calendar in front of catalog for exact deadline dates. Graduation applications are available from faculty advisors, the Student Success Center, the Admissions & Records office or on-line under Admissions & Records, Commonly Used Forms. Completed graduation applications and degree worksheets must be returned to the Admissions & Records Office where final evaluations will be made. The A.G.S. degree requires the signature of the Advising Program Director in the Student Success Center. After processing the Graduation Application, Admissions & Records personnel will notify the student by mail of the conditions required for graduation.
Effective Catalog
The catalog in use during a student’s first enrollment in the College normally is used in determining completion of degree or certificate requirements. The effective catalog may, however, be no more than seven years old at the time of graduation. A student may elect to meet the requirements of any subsequent catalog published during the seven year period, including the current year. This election must be made when the student files a graduation application.
A student who has a break in enrollment in the College and/or degree or certificate program of three consecutive semesters or more, excluding summer sessions, must meet the program requirements of the catalog in use at the time of readmission. Any previously completed Aims career and technical course work may be subject to an evaluation of its relevancy to any revised program. If the career and technical program in which the student was previously enrolled has been discontinued, or if a public notice of program discontinuance has been given, the student cannot re-enroll in that program.
The College reserves the right to substitute courses for those no longer offered, to modify course content at any time, to approve the substitution of one course for another in any degree or certificate program, or to waive any course prerequisite or corequisite.
Records, Transcripts, Release of Information
Student Records
The Admissions & Records Office under the direction of the Registrar keeps the following student information:
- Personal Data: name, address, phone number, gender, birth-date, ethnic background, employment status, student number, and student social security number.
- Educational background information: previous high school and/or college attended and degrees earned.
- College major and degree or certificate expectations.
- Degrees and honors received.
- College records containing courses attempted, grades earned, credits earned, and dates of enrollment.
- Courses, hours, and credits of current enrollment.
A cumulative record of each student’s college application, correspondence, and other miscellaneous forms is kept active while the student is enrolled in the College. If the student’s enrollment ceases, the file is kept active for two years. If the student does not enroll again during this two-year period, the record is retired, and the file is destroyed in accordance with the regulations of the Colorado State Archives.
Annual Notification Statement
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights include:
- The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day the College receives a request for access. The student should submit to the Registrar a written request that identifies the record(s) the student wishes to inspect. The College will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
- The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA. The student who wishes to ask the College to amend a record should write the college official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record the student wants changed, and specify why it should be changed. If the College decides not to amend the record as requested, the College will notify the student in writing of the decision and the student’s 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.
- The right to provide written consent permitting the College to disclose personally identifiable information from the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. (See the “Release of Information” section.)
- The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the College 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 20202-5901
The College may provide Directory Information in accordance with the provisions of FERPA without the written consent of an eligible student. (See the “Release of Information” section.)
Transcripts
A student must request a transcript (copy of academic record) through the student web or in writing. Written requests may be submitted in person or via letter mailed or faxed to:
Admissions and Records Office
Aims Community College
P.O. Box 69
Greeley, CO 80632-0069
FAX - 970.506.6958
Transcripts cost $5.00 per copy and requests must include the student’s ID number, address, telephone number, birth-date, signature, current name and any other names used during attendance, dates of attendance, number of copies needed, and complete address(es) to which transcripts are to be sent. Requests sent via e-mail or phone cannot be honored due to the lack of a signature and payment. Transcripts are mailed to or picked up by the student or a party authorized by the student in writing. Transcripts will not be faxed.
Transcripts updated with the most recently completed courses are usually available 7 working days after the end of the term for which the course was offered. Transcripts updated with degrees or certificates recently awarded are available on the date specified in the graduation ceremony letter sent to all graduates. That date is 10 to 15 working days following the end of the term.
All student accounts with Aims Community College must be settled and the student must be in compliance with the terms of any student loans before a transcript may be released.
Transcripts or copies of transcripts from other colleges or institutions which were used for evaluation of transfer credit or for admission purposes are not released by Aims Community College. The student must obtain transcripts directly from the institution holding the original record.
Release of Information
Except as described below, the release of student education record information to third parties requires written and signed permission of the student regardless of age.
The following data are considered Directory Information and may be disclosed by the College in response to inquiries concerning individual students whether the inquiries are in person, in writing, via e-mail, or over the telephone.
- Name
- Affirmation of whether currently enrolled full time or part time.
- Dates and terms of enrollment.
- Major fields of study.
- Degrees and/or certificates earned.
Addresses (including e-mail) are considered personally identifiable information and are not released as Directory Information except for the following:
- Graduation lists released to news media.
- Other listings to the news media and college personnel for special awards, honors, and events.
Written consent from/by the student for release of education records or personally identifiable information shall not be required for the following parties or instances:
- School officials with legitimate educational interests. A “school official” is a person employed by Aims Community College; a person or company with whom the College has contracted as its agent to provide a service instead of using College employees or officials (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; 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” only if the official needs to review the education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibilities for the College.
- Officials of other schools or colleges where the student intends to enroll.
- State and local educational authorities in connection with an audit or evaluation of Federal or State supported education programs.
- State and local officials requiring reporting data.
- Organizations conducting studies for educational institutions or agencies.
- Accrediting organizations.
- Parents of a dependent child as certifiable with notarized documents.
- In compliance with judicial order or subpoena.
- In case of emergency to protect the health, safety, or welfare of the student or other persons.
- Officials of reciprocal lending libraries when materials borrowed are overdue.
- Military recruiters who (as mandated by the Solomon Amendment of 1997) have access to name, address, telephone number, date of birth, level of education, and educational institution most recently attended in addition to Directory Information listed above.
- Persons or organizations providing financial aid to students or determining financial aid decisions on the condition that the information is necessary to:
- determine eligibility for the aid,
- determine the amount of aid,
- determine the condition for aid, or
- enforce the terms and conditions of the aid.
- In response to a request for information under the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001.
- State and local authorities, within a juvenile justice system, pursuant to C.R.S. 24-72- 204.
Currently enrolled students may request that the college prohibit the release of Directory Information by notifying the Registrar in writing. The college will honor the request as soon as possible, but no later than 5 business days after the Registrar receives the notice. The college will honor the request until the student notifies the Registrar in writing to void the request (it may take up to 5 days after receiving the notice to void the request).
The college assumes no liability which may arise from compliance with a request to prohibit the release of Directory Information. Failure to request the withholding of Directory Information constitutes permission to release it.
Questions regarding the release of information should be directed to the Admissions & Records Office. |