Policies

Students who receive satisfactory scores on the CLEP (College Level Entrance Program) tests listed below will be awarded college credits for SCC equivalent courses. For more information, contact the Office of Admissions and Records.

If a specific AP exam is not listed above, acceptance will default to the CSU standard. Please see an Academic Counselor.

Credit-by-Examination is a method by which a student can test out of a course by taking a comprehensive exam and receiving credit without taking the class. Credit-by-Examination may be available for a course as identified each academic division. Upon successful completion of the exam, credit granted may not exceed the amount listed for the specific course in the college catalog.  Maximum units that may be earned the Credit-by-Examination is 15.

To be eligible, the student must be:

• Currently enrolled at Solano in at least one graded course other than those being taken for Credit-by-Examination.
• Be in good academic standing with an overall 2.0 GPA.
• Have already  completed a minimum of 12 units At Solano, or will have completed a minimum of 12 semester units by the end of the current semester, exclusive of units to be earned by Credit-by-Examination.
• Have all prerequisites must be met, or waived, by the Division Dean before taking a Credit-by-Examination.
• To apply for Credit-by-Examination, please visit the division dean and get approval and signature on the form located on the A+R Forms page.

• Most debts for the current semester that are associated with Web registration can be paid online. A student who does not have Internet access or whose debt involves special circumstances, must submit payment at the Cashier Office (Building 400).
• Outstanding debts associated with Web registration from previous semesters must be paid at the Cashier Office (Building 400).
• Return checks- There is a bank fee of $15.00 for any returned check.  This fee is payable at the Cashier Office (bldg..400).
• Please note that for any charge back transactions (resulting from a decline or reversal of payment online) an additional $15.00 will be assessed on top of the actual decline/reversal of payment
• Student debt is paid either online through MYSOLANO or at the Cashier Office (bldg.. 400).

Students are advised to keep receipts as proof of payment.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) afford eligible students certain rights with respect to their education records. (An “eligible student” under FERPA is a student who is 18 years of age or older or who attends a postsecondary institution.)

These rights include:

1. The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days after the day the Solano Community College receives a request for access. A student should submit to Admissions & Records a written request using the Authorization to Release Enrollment Information form that identifies the record(s) the student wishes to inspect. The school official will arrange for access and notify the student of the time and place where the student may inspect the requested records.
2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes is inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA. A student should submit to Admissions & Records a written request using the General Appeal form clearly identify the part of the record the student wants changed, and specify why it should be changed. If the school decides not to amend the record as requested, the school will notify the student in writing of the decision and the student’s right to a hearing re¬garding the request for amendment.
3. The right to provide consent before the college discloses personally identifiable information (PII) from the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. (FERPA Exceptions: Disclosure without Consent)
4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the Solano Community 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

[NOTE: In addition, a school is required to notify students annually regarding the public notice to disclose ‘directory information’. See ‘Notice for Directory Information’ below:]

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Notice for Directory Information

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a Federal law, requires that Solano Community College, with certain exceptions, to obtain your written consent prior to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from student education records. However, Solano Community College may disclose appropriately designated “directory information” without written consent, unless you have advised the College District to the contrary in accordance with College District procedures. The primary purpose of directory information is to allow the Solano Community College to include this type of information from student education records in certain school publications.

Directory information, which is information generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if released, can be disclosed to outside organizations without student’s prior written consent. If you do not want Solano Community College to disclose directory information from student education records without your prior written consent, you must notify the District in writing by the first day of the specified term by submitting an Authorization for Release of Student Records form via Admissions & Records forms. Forms are available on the college website under Admissions & Records-Forms. Solano Community College has designated the following information as directory information:

• Student’s Name
• Date and Place of Birth
• Solano Student Email
• Field of Study
• Participation in Activities and Sports
• Weight and Height of Members of Athletic Teams
• Dates of Attendance
• Degrees
• Awards Received
• High School of Graduation of Athletic Team Members

Solano College uses the following letter grade system for evaluating the quality of students’ work:

A grade point average (GPA) is determined by dividing the total number of grade points earned by the total units attempted, excluding pass/no-pass courses and those in which W or I grades are earned. (Example: 36 grade points divided by 12 units attempted equals 3.0 GPA/B average.)

Students requesting a change of grade must initiate the request within one year after completing the course for which the grade change is being requested. After this period, if there are extenuating circumstances, a change of grade may be requested; however, the period for requesting a grade change may not exceed four years after the completion of the course.

Students should submit a request in writing directly to the faculty member within one year after completing the course for which the grade change is being requested. If the faculty member is not available, the request should be submitted through the appropriate Division Dean; however, only the faculty member that assigned the original grade may authorize a change of grade.

Important Note: Except in the cases of mistake, fraud, bad faith, or incompetence, a grade assigned by an instructor is not a grievous issue as described by the California Education Code (Section 76224): “…when grades are given for any course of instruction taught in a community college district, the grade given to each student shall be the grade determined by the instructor of the course and the determination of the student’s grade by the instructor, and in the absence of mistake, fraud, bad faith, or incompetence, shall be final.”

A grade point average (GPA) is determined by dividing the total number of grade points or “Quality Points” by the total units associated with a grade.

SCC calculates grade points per unit using the following values:

A = 4 points; B = 3 points; C = 2 points; D = 1 point; F = 0 point

The following grades are not incorporated into GPA calculations: P, NP, CR, NC, I or W.

To calculate grade points per course, we multiply the number of units earned in the class by the number of points earned for the grade
Formula:

Units for class
× Points for grade
Grade Points for Class

For example, a 3-unit class earning a grade of A (worth 4 grade points) is calculated as:

3 units × 4 points = 12-grade points

To calculate your total GPA we use the formula above to calculate grade points earned for EVERY COURSE YOU’VE TAKEN AND RECEIVED A GRADE OF A, B, C, D, OR F.

Then, we divide the total grade points be 4; this is your overall GPA for SCC.

President’s: The President’s Honor List recognizes those students who earn academic honors each semester. The President’s List includes those students who have earned a grade point average of 3.85 or higher with at least 39 grade points in not fewer than 12 units of work completed.

Dean’s: The Dean’s Honor List recognizes those students who earn academic honors each semester. The Dean’s List includes those students who have achieved a grade point average of at least 3.25 or higher with at least 39 grade points in not fewer than 12 units of work completed.

Alpha Gamma Sigma: Permanent membership in Alpha Gamma Sigma, the California Community College Honor Society, recognizes students who have maintained a high grade point average in all college work. Permanent membership may be awarded at the time of graduation.

Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society: Membership in Phi Theta Kappa, Beta Mu Gamma Chapter, recognizes the scholarly achievements of SCC students who have completed 12 semester hours associate degree course work, with a cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.5 in courses completed at Solano Community College. A cumulative Grade Point Average of 3.25 must be maintained to remain in good standing. Applications are available in the Student Life Office, Room 1409. One-time membership dues are $50 per student. Contact the Director of Student Life at (707) 864-7168.

Honors at Graduation: A student who achieves a cumulative grade point average of 3.50 to 3.74 will be graduated with honors; and 3.75 and above with high honors.

An incomplete grade may be assigned only when a student has failed to complete the final examination, a class project, or a term paper because of illness or severe personal problems. Incomplete work must be completed by the end of one calendar year.

When such conditions exist, the instructor and student must complete an “Incomplete Grade Contract” which outlines the work to be completed within one calendar year to result in an agreed-upon grade and states a preliminary grade which represents the grade earned by the student in work completed. When the work has been completed as outlined on the contract, the instructor will forward a “Change of Grade” card to the Division Dean. If the instructor of the course is no longer on campus, the manager will make arrangements to change the incomplete grade.

Students may not re-enroll in a course where they have an Incomplete Grade. Students who do not complete the contract will be assigned a grade at the end of one calendar year.

The purpose of the pass/no-pass option is to encourage students to take challenging courses for electives outside the major area while avoiding undue concern for grades in competition with students who may be better prepared.

The P grade represents a letter grade of A, B, or C. The NP grade represents a D or F letter grade. Units earned in the grading system are not used in computing grade point averages. A letter grade cannot be changed to a pass/no-pass grade, and a pass/no-pass grade cannot be changed to a letter grade unless the course is repeated. A course in which a grade of NP has been earned may be repeated once for a P or letter grade. Some courses are offered only on a P/NP grading basis and letter grades may not be earned in these courses. These courses are identified in the Course Descriptions section of the Catalog.

Students may request P/NP grades in any regular graded class offered by the College but they are limited to a total of 15 semester units under the P/NP option while attending Solano College. In order to exercise this option, a petition must be filed with the Office of Admissions and Records at the time of registration, or by the last day of instruction for the term.

Students should be aware that other colleges and universities may be reluctant to accept P/NP grades. Students should not take the P/NP option in their major fields of study.

Solano College will grant six (6) elective units for military service if the person has a) spent at least one year in active service, and b) has received an honorable discharge. Active duty personnel should submit a copy of DD295 (veterans submit DD214) to the Office of Admissions and Records for evaluation. These units do not meet the health and physical education requirements for graduation.

HOW TO CHANGE YOUR LEGAL FIRST NAME TO A PREFERRED FIRST NAME

Solano Community College seeks to provide an inclusive and non-discriminatory environment for all students, including transgender and gender non-conforming students who may opt to identify themselves with a preferred name that is different from their legal first name.

A preferred name is a first name that may be used instead of a legal first name. As long as the use of this different name is not for the purpose of misrepresentation, SCC allows students to use a first name different than the legal name on certain College records such as student ID, Canvas, Printed Class Rosters and Student Self-Service Banner (preferred name only shows on the print roster and does not show on the detail class list or excel download).

Your legal name must be used for financial aid documents and official academic transcripts.

Note that this process will not change your name legally.

Solano Community College will permit any student who wishes to choose to identify themselves within SCC information systems with a preferred name in place of their legal name. To change your preferred name, please follow these three simple steps:

• Download the CHANGE OF STUDENT INFORMATION form 
• Complete form and return in person to the Admissions + Records counter at the Fairfield, Vallejo or Vacaville locations. You will need to show your SCC Student ID Card or other form of picture identification at the counter.
• Please be aware that this change may take up to 24 hours to register on all systems.

For additional credit – Certain courses may be repeated if the course content differs each time it is offered and if the student is gaining an expanded educational experience. For information on repeatability for a specific course, consult the Course Descriptions section of the Catalog.

Special Circumstances – A course in which a grade of “C” or better was earned may be repeated when extenuating circumstances exist which justify such a repetition. Students must obtain approval from the Academic Council prior to enrolling in the course. Grades awarded for courses repeated under these circumstances shall not be counted in calculating a student’s grade point average. Students planning to transfer to a four-year institution should check that institution’s policy on repeated courses.

To improve a grade – Students receiving a grade of D, F or NC may repeat the course immediately except for courses in impacted programs. When a course is repeated to improve a grade, the subsequent grade is used in determining the student’s grade point average.