Page 29 of Antelope Valley College 1995-1996 Catalog by Antelope Valley Community College Lancaster California

Questions and Answers 27 Questions and Answers How often do classes meet? All college courses are completed in one semester or less. A semester is usually 17 weeks in length at AVC; however, there are some shorter classes offered during the semes ter. The hours a class meets per week usually equals the number of units the class is worth. The hours can be in a three hour block or spread out in a variety of combinations. The most common time arrangement is for a three unit class to meet for 50 minutes three days a week. For example, in the sample time management schedule on Page 30 in this catalog, English 50BR4 meets at 8 A.M. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday for 50 minutes. How many credits are classes worth? Credit for college classes is measured in units. A unit relates to the amount of time spent in class. For example, a three- unit class will meet the equivalent of three 50-minute periods per week. Classes with labs will meet for additional hours and very often the class is worth additional units. How many units must I take to be considered a full-time student? Taking 12 units in one semester is considered a full-time load. To be eligible for athletics and certain student activities, a student must be considered full-time. What is the maximum number of units I can take? The college policy for the maximum number of units per semester is 19. Students wishing to take more than 19 units in one semester must obtain written approval of the Vice President of Student Services. How long will it take me to complete my goal at AVC? It is difficult to answer this question because so much depends on the time you have to devote to attending school. Determine how many classes you need to meet your goals and calculate how many classes you can take per semester. Remember, summer sessions offer many classes and can assist in speeding up your educational plan. What about attendance? Attendance is the responsibility of the student. Each instructor has his/her own method of accountability for attendance. Because attendance may seem unstructured, the student has to make attending classes a priority. The official attendance policy of the college is stated on Page 41 of this catalog. What time do I attend classes? You may arrange your time schedule to meet your needs. Please adhere to the following guidelines: You may take classes which meet for consecutive hours and still have time to arrive at the next class. For example, you may take a 9 A.M. class which ends at 9:50 A.M., and a 10 A.M. class which ends at 10:50 A.M. You may not take classes which overlap in time. For example, you may not sign up for a class that begins at 9:30 A.M. if you take another class that is not dismissed until 9:50 A.M. You may take both day and evening classes. You are not restricted to all day or all evening classes. What do I do if the class I want to take is closed? At the time of registration, if a class that you want to sign up for is closed you have some options. During telephone registration you have the option of placing your name on a waiting list. You then attend the class the first time it meets. If there is space available the instructor will provide you with an add card. You can then register for the class. You may also seek the advice of a counselor who may suggest an alternate class or inform you of other options available to you. Do I have to repeat a class in which I received a D or E grade? There is no general college regulation requiring the repetition of courses in which you received a substandard grade. However, certain programs of study require a C grade in all courses required for the program. If you elect to repeat a class in which you received a D or F, it is necessary for you to file a Petition for Grade Change in the office of the Vice President of Student Services upon completion of the class. Failure to file a petition will result in both the old and new grade appearing on your permanent record (transcript). How do I withdraw/drop a class? In order to withdraw from a class, you must use the telephone registration system or complete a drop slip in person in the Student Services Center. It is the responsibility of the student to initiate the withdrawal. Withdrawal may be processed through the last Friday of the 13* week of the semester. A W will appear on your permanent record. It shall not be used in calculating your grade point average, but excessive Ws will be used as factors for progress probation and dismissal procedures. What is a GPA? GPA stands for grade point average. Letter grades are given the following point values: Each class has a specific unit value. Multiply the letter grade value by the attempted unit value equals the grade points. The next step is to divide the attempted unit total into the grade points to determine the GPA. To figure your grade point average, divide your total number of grade points by your total number of units attempted. In the above example, the grade point average is 2.0 or a letter grade of C.

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