Credit for Courses

Credit is granted on the basis of semester hours at Grayson College. Generally, a semester hour of credit is given for satisfactory performance in one lecture period of 50 minutes per week for a 16-week semester or equivalent. Two hours of laboratory work are usually considered to be the equivalent of one hour of lecture.

Credit for Transfer Courses

Credit for courses in which a passing grade ("D" or better) has been earned may be transferred to the college from colleges and universities accredited through regional associations.  Appropriate Grayson College personnel will complete course-by-course evaluations as needed for degree or program planning. Students should visit their Success Coach for a degree audit once all official transcripts have been received.

Individual courses transferred will not be posted to the student's record. Official transcripts from all higher education institutions must be on file in the Office of Admissions and Records. Generally, the college will not accept junior and senior level coursework as transfer credit unless there is an approved articulation agreement with the specific four-year college or university.

Credit for Foreign Courses

Students requesting credit for foreign coursework must first apply for admission to Grayson College and enroll in courses. To receive transfer credit from foreign institutions, students must submit an official copy of their college transcript and a course-by-course international credential evaluation from a foreign credential evaluation service recognized as a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), such as World Education Services (WES) or Foreign Credential Service of America (FCSA) to the GC Admissions Office. The request for evaluation and any costs associated are the responsibility of the student.

GC will determine the total number of semester transfer credits by the end of the first semester of enrollment at GC. To avoid additional costs and delays in posting information, students are encouraged to acquire these materials promptly. GC does not accept foreign coursework for courses in English and Speech.

For the purpose of the Texas Success Initiative (TSI), students who have completed the equivalent of a U.S. associates or bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university outside the United States are exempt from placement testing. In order to receive this exemption, students must submit an official copy of their college transcript and a course-by-course international credential evaluation from a foreign credential evaluation service recognized as a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), such as World Education Services (WES) or Foreign Credential Service of America (FCSA) to the GC Admissions Office. The request for evaluation and any costs associated are the responsibility of the student. Foreign students who have not completed a degree are required to meet TSI requirements before enrolling in courses that lead to an associate degree. Students enrolling in certificate programs must complete the required placement testing for the certificate they are seeking.

Resolution of Transfer Disputes

The following procedures shall be followed by public institutions of higher education in the resolution of credit transfer disputes involving lower-division courses:

1. If an institution of higher education does not accept course credit earned by a student at another institution of higher education, the receiving institution shall give written notice to the student and to the sending institution that transfer of the course credit is denied.
2. The two institutions and the student shall attempt to resolve the transfer of the course credit in accordance with Board rules and/or guidelines.
3. If the transfer dispute is not resolved to the satisfaction of the student or the sending institution within 45 days after the date the student received written notice of denial, the institution whose credit is denied for transfer shall notify the Commissioner of the denial.

The Commissioner of Higher Education or the Commissioner’s designee shall make the final determination about the dispute concerning the transfer of course credit and give written notice of the determination to the involved student and institutions.

Student Classification

Academic Level: Student are classified as freshmen, sophomore, junior or senior according to the amount of college credit they have completed. A freshman is one who has completed less than thirty semester credit hours of college credit; a sophomore is one who has completed at least thirty but less than sixty semester credit hours of college credit; a junior is one who has completed at least sixty but less than ninety semester credit hours of college credit; and a senior is one who has completed at least ninety semester credit hours of college credit. A student who is not a bachelor degree seeking student at Grayson College will remain classified as a sophomore student when semester credit hours exceed sixty college credits.

Student Load

Academic Load: Students who are enrolled for twelve or more semester hours are considered full-time students.

Long Semester: The normal load during the regular semester is six (6) academic courses or from fourteen to eighteen semester hours. Credit hours are taken during a 1st Term and 2nd Term are added to classes taken during the long session to determine academic loads. Students who wish to enroll in nineteen or more credit hours must obtain the permission of either the Director of Success Coaches, appropriate Dean, or the Director of Admissions and Records.

Summer Session: The normal load during each term of the summer session is six semester hours. The maximum load for a six-week term is seven semester hours. Students may not earn in excess of fourteen semester hours during the two-term summer session, including summer evening sessions.

Mini Sessions: Students can enroll in two courses for the 5 week mini-session or one course for the 3 week mini- session or one course for the 5 week and course in the 3 week. Students may not enroll in two courses in the 5 week and one course in the three week.

Mid Term Session: The normal load for the eight-week term is two academic courses. However, the normal load during the regular long semester is six (6) academic courses or from fourteen to eighteen semester hours. Credit hours taken during a 1st Half-Session and 2nd Half-Session are added to classes taken during the long session to determine academic loads. Students who wish to enroll in nineteen or more credit hours must obtain the permission of either the Director of Success Coaches, appropriate deans, or the Director of Admissions and Records.

Course Load (ECC Local): The normal course load for the fall or spring semester shall be 15 semester hours. Course loads in excess of 16 semester hours shall require approval by the Vice President of Instruction. The maximum course load shall be no more than 21 semester hours.

The normal course load for the summer session shall be six semester hours for each six-week term or 12 semester hours for a full summer semester. Course loads in excess of six semester hours per term or 12 semester hours per summer semester shall require approval by the vice president for student affairs. The maximum summer credit hours earned shall be eight semester hours for one term or 16 semester hours for a full summer semester.

Auditing a Course

When space is available, persons wishing to audit a course may do so by completing an application and meeting the admission criteria stated in the Admissions section of the Catalog. Full tuition will be charged for auditing a course. Auditors must complete the Request for Audit form in the Admissions office on or before the official census date published in the academic calendar. After the official census date, a student’s audit status may not be changed. Students auditing courses will receive grades of AU (Audit).

Class Attendance

Academic success is closely associated with regular class attendance and course participation. All successful students, whether on campus or online, are expected to be highly self-motivated. All students are required to participate in courses regularly and are obliged to participate in class activities and complete and submit assignments following their professors’ instructions. Students taking courses during compressed semester time frames such as mini-mester, summer sessions, and mid-semester should plan to spend significantly more time per week on the course.  Responsibility for work missed because of illness or school business is placed upon the student.

Instructors are required to include in their syllabi the attendance policy for the courses(s) they teach. The College considers absences equal to or greater than 15% of the course’s requirements to be excessive.

Students enrolled in developmental courses face additional consequences for poor attendance. See the Attendance section of the Academic Success Plan.

In online courses, a student shall be considered present and/or having attended in he/she has completed one of the following:

• Makes a post to a class discussion
• Submits a written assignment or project via file upload
• Takes a quiz or exam
• Submits work through a third party software such as Pearson or McGraw Hill, and the grade is transferred to the LMS Gradebook
• An email from the student showing that the student initiated contact with a faculty member to ask a question about the academic subject studied in the course

Student Absences on Religious Holy Days

Grayson College will allow students who are absent from class for the observance of a religious holiday to take an examination or complete an assignment scheduled for that day within a reasonable time after the absence. The form for requesting absence for holy days may be obtained from the Vice President of Instruction.

“Religious holy day” denotes a holy day observed by a religion whose places of worship are exempt from property taxation under section 11:20, Tax Code.

A student who is excused under this section may not be penalized for the absence, but the instructor may appropriately respond if the student fails to satisfactorily complete the assignment or examination.

Dropping a Class

A class drop means that a student has dropped one or more classes but remains enrolled in other classes for the semester. During periods of early registration, students who enroll on-line using My Viking may also drop one or more classes via the same method. After the deadline for schedule changes passes, all drops must be handled by the student contacting each professor or program director either in person or via email for the course(s) they wish to drop. Professors will email drops@grayson.edu to request a drop. No drop requests will be accepted after the drop deadline for the semester. The Office of Admissions and Records does not accept drop deadline appeals. Students may not drop courses at Grayson College over the phone.

SB 1231 State of Texas Limit on Drops

(ONLY affects drops occurring after census date)

Under section 51.907 of the Texas Education Code, “an institution of higher education may not permit student to drop more than six courses, including any course a transfer student has dropped at another institution of higher education.” This statute was enacted by the State of Texas in spring 2007 and applies to students who enroll in a public institution of higher education as first-time freshmen in fall 2007 or later. Any course that a student drops is counted toward the six-course limit if (1) the student drops a course after census date or (2) the student is not dropping the course in order to withdraw from the institution. Some exemptions for good cause could allow a student to drop a course without having it counted toward this limit, but it is the responsibility of the student to establish that good cause before the drop. Students with questions should contact the Advising Office or the Office of Admissions & Records for more information before dropping a course.

Exceptions for Good Cause. A student shall be permitted to exceed the limit on the number of dropped courses for any of the following reasons:

1. A severe illness or other debilitating condition that affects the student’s ability to satisfactorily complete a course
2. The care of a sick, injured, or needy person if providing that care affects the student's ability to satisfactorily complete a course
3. The death of a member of the student’s family
4. The death of a person who has a sufficiently close relationship to the student
5. The student’s active military duty service
6. The active military service of a member of the student’s family or a person who has a sufficiently close relationship to the student
7. A change in the student’s work schedule that is beyond the student’s control and affects the student’s ability to satisfactorily complete the course

Withdrawing from College

A withdrawal indicates a student is no longer enrolled in any courses at the College for the term. During periods of registration, students who enroll online using MyViking may also withdraw from school via the same method. Students wishing to withdraw from all courses must first contact their professor or program director in person or via email.  After contact is made, students should proceed to advising for further instructions. Students may not withdraw from Grayson College over the phone.

Students who withdraw prior to the semester's drop deadline will receive a W. The Office of Admissions and Records does not accept withdrawal date deadline appeals.

Merely discontinuing class attendance does not constitute withdrawal from school. Students who do not officially withdraw may be given a grade of F at the discretion of the instructor.

Change of Schedule

During periods of registration, students who have registered online using MyViking may change their schedules via the same method. Students cannot change their schedule or drop a class online through MyViking after the schedule change deadline. All students who wish to change their schedules must do so before the end of the schedule change period published in the Academic Calendar. After the deadline, classes are dropped in Advising until the drop deadline for the semester. After the census date of each term, students in online courses initiate drops by contacting their instructor. Classes dropped on or before the official census date of the term will not appear on the student’s transcript.

Credit Award Program

The credit award program is a means by which students may be awarded college credit for past experience or education that is equivalent to courses offered at Grayson College. The learning must be applicable to the student’s educational goals. Credit may be awarded by the following methods:

1. CLEP
2. Advanced Placement Exam
3. Departmental Exam
4. International Baccalaureate
5. Clock Hour Conversion
6. Tech Prep
7. Military Training/College Credit For Heroes (CCFH)
8. Dantes
9. Professional Certification

  

Students seeking credit award for tests other than those listed above should check with the Office of Admissions and Records. A student may not receive credit award for courses in which he/she has enrolled at GC or any other regionally accredited institution. A maximum of 24 credit hours may be earned through credit award. Credit award is accomplished on a course by course basis. A grade of P will be given for the courses earned through credit award. No grade points are associated with the grade of P. Although credit award may count toward hours needed for graduation at GC, other institutions are not obligated to accept the credit awarded because each institution sets is own policy regarding tests and scores accepted for credit award. Accordingly, students transferring credit awarded at other institutions must meet GC credit award requirements for the credit to be posted at GC. International students may not apply credit award towards the 12-hour enrollment requirement according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Military Service Credit Award

Veteran students must provide GC with a copy of their Joint Service Transcript (JST). GC will evaluate each military training transcript for course equivalency on a course-by-course basis. An academically qualified faculty member will conduct all course equivalency evaluations. Upon the transcript evaluations, all eligible courses are added to the GC transcript. Transcribed courses may not exceed seventy-five percent (75%) of the total credit required in the declared degree program. Twenty five percent (25%) of the credit in the declared degree program must be earned by taking courses at Grayson College.

A grade of P is given for the courses earned through military credit award. No grade points are associated with the grade of P. Military award credit may count towards hours needed for graduation at GC. Other institutions’ are not obligated to accept the credit awarded. Accordingly, students transferring credit awarded at other institutions must meet GC credit award requirements for the credit to be posted at GC.

In addition, Veteran students will have their JSTs evaluated by the Texas College Credit for Heroes (CCFH) program. Approved credits will result in an official transcript from Central Texas College.

Mirror Course Credit Award

GC offers "mirror courses" that allow enrollment into a regular academic credit class through the Continuing Education (CE) department. No formal college admission process is required. Students earn a grade of either S for satisfactorily passing course requirements or a U for unsatisfactory (failing the class), but receive no academic credit for these mirror courses. However, academic credit may be sought under the following conditions:

1. The course in which the student enrolled is equivalent to or the same course taught for credit.
2. The student has successfully completed at least 6 credit hours of academic coursework at the time of application for converting the mirror course to credit.
3. The request is made no more than 3 years from the start of the semester in which the mirror course was taken.
4. Credit may not be granted for courses that have an unmet TSI requirement.

The student’s transcript will reflect P in the pass/fail grade for satisfactorily completing the course. This course will not be calculated in the student's GPA.

No more than nine credit hours of mirror coursework may be converted to credit. In special situations, permission to complete more than nine hours of mirror coursework may be granted by the Vice President of Instruction or the appropriate Dean.

 

CLEP Testing Policy

GC is an open CLEP testing facility. Students who believe they possess the knowledge and skills essential in certain courses or programs offered by GC may challenge these by examination through CLEP. GC students and others in the community interested in taking a CLEP test should contact the GC Testing Center for information.

RN to BSN Credit Award

Students seeking to transfer credit awarded by other institutions toward entry into the RN to BSN program must meet Grayson College’s credit award requirements.  Credit Award is accomplished on a course-by-course basis. At least 25 percent of the credit hours required for an undergraduate degree must be earned through instruction offered by Grayson College. A maximum of 33 credit hours may be earned through credit award. A grade of P will be given for the courses earned through credit award. No grade points are associated with the grade of P.

Students seeking credit award should bring a copy of the RN license and official transcript(s) or other test scores to the Health Science Advisor or Office of Admissions and Records, and complete and sign the Credit Award Application. No fee will be charged for any credit award transactions.

International Baccalaureate Diploma

The International Baccalaureate Diploma is an international program of courses and exams offered at the high school level. Texas institutions of higher education must award 24 hours of course specific college credit in subject-appropriate areas on all IB exams with scores of 4 or above as long as the incoming freshmen have earned an IB diploma. However, course credit does not have to be awarded on any IB exams where the score received is a 3 or less. This may mean that such students will not receive 24 hours of college credit, even if they have an IB diploma. Students bringing in an IB transcript for credit evaluation should consider the total number of qualifying credits to be awarded. Additional hours above the required amount to graduate may have an adverse impact on students’ financial aid or other grant programs. In addition, no Texas public university or college shall be required to accept in transfer or toward a degree program more than sixty-six (66) semester credit hours of lower division academic credit.

 

GC Credit for International Baccalaureate Diploma

 

IB Examination	Score	GC Course	Credit Hours
Biology (SL)	4, 5, 6, or 7	BIOL 1406	4
Biology (HL)	4, 5, 6, or 7	BIOL 1406 & 1407	8
Business & Management	4, 5, 6, or 7	BUSI 1301	3
Chemistry (SL)	4, 5, 6, or 7	CHEM 1411	4
Chemistry (HL)	4, 5, 6, or 7	CHEM 1411 & 1412	8
Computer Science	4, 5, 6, or 7	COSC 1301	3
Economics (SL)	4, 5, 6, or 7	ECON 2301 & 2302	6
Economics (HL)	4, 5, 6, or 7	ECON 2301 & 2302	6
English (SL) Language A1 or A2	4, 5, 6, or 7	ENGL 1301 or 1302	6
English (HL) Language A1 or A2	4, 5, 6, or 7	ENGL 1301 or 1302	6
Geography	4, 5, 6, or 7	GEOG 2312	3
Greek Classical	4, 5, 6, or 7	LANG 1411	8
History of the Americas (HL)	4, 5, 6, or 7	HIST 1301 or 1302	6
Latin (SL)	4, 5, 6, or 7	LANG 1411 & 1412	8
Latin (HL)	4, 5, 6, or 7	LANG 1411, 1412, 2311, & 2312	14
MATHEMATICS (HL)
Mathematics (HL)	4, 5, 6, or 7	MATH 1314 & 1316	6
Mathematics with Further Math	4, 5, 6, or 7	MATH 1314, 1316, & 2342	9
Mathematical Methods	4, 5, 6, or 7	MATH 2513	5
Mathematical Studies	4, 5, 6, or 7	MATH 1425	4
MODERN LANGUAGES
Language A1 or A2 (SL)
French	4, 5, 6, or 7	LANG 1411 & 1412	8
German	4, 5, 6, or 7	LANG 1411 & 1412	8
Portuguese	4, 5, 6, or 7	LANG 1411 & 1412	8
Russian	4, 5, 6, or 7	LANG 1411 & 1412	8
Spanish	4, 5, 6, or 7	LANG 1411 & 1412	8
Language A1 or A2 (HL)
French	4, 5, 6, or 7	LANG 1411, 1412, 2311, & 2312	14
German	4, 5, 6, or 7	LANG 1411, 1412, 2311, & 2312	14
Portuguese	4, 5, 6, or 7	LANG 1411, 1412, 2311, & 2312	14
Russian	4, 5, 6, or 7	LANG 1411, 1412, 2311, & 2312	14
Spanish	4, 5, 6, or 7	SPAN 1411, 1412, 2311, & 2312	14
Language B (SL)
French	4, 5, 6, or 7	LANG 1411 & 1412	8
German	4, 5, 6, or 7	LANG 1411 & 1412	8
Portuguese	4, 5, 6, or 7	LANG 1411 & 1412	8
Russian	4, 5, 6, or 7	LANG 1411 & 1412	8
Spanish	4, 5, 6, or 7	SPAN 1411 & 1412	8
Language B (HL)
French	4, 5, 6, or 7	LANG 1411, 1412, 2311, & 2312	14
German	4, 5, 6, or 7	LANG 1411, 1412, 2311, & 2312	14
Portuguese	4, 5, 6, or 7	LANG 1411, 1412, 2311, & 2312	14
Russian	4, 5, 6, or 7	LANG 1411, 1412, 2311, & 2312	14
Spanish	4, 5, 6, or 7	LANG 1411, 1412, 2311, & 2312	14
Language AB Initio
French	4, 5, 6, or 7	LANG 1411	4
German	4, 5, 6, or 7	LANG 1411	4
Portuguese	4, 5, 6, or 7	LANG 1411	4
Russian	4, 5, 6, or 7	LANG 1411	4
Spanish	4, 5, 6, or 7	SPAN 1411	4
Music	4, 5, 6, or 7	MUSI 1306 & 1311	6
Philosophy	4, 5, 6, or 7	PHIL 1301	3
Physics (SL)	4, 5, 6, or 7	PHYS 1401	4
Physics (HL)	4, 5, 6, or 7	PHYS 1401 & 1402	8
Psychology	4, 5, 6, or 7	PSYC 2301	3
Social & Cultural Anthropology	4, 5, 6, or 7	ANTH 2351	3
Theatre	4, 5, 6, or 7	DRAM 1310	3
Visual Arts	4, 5, 6, or 7	ARTS 1301	3

 

Grading and Academic Standing

Grade Reports and Transcripts

Final grades are available to students through MyViking. A transcript of college work is an official copy of the student’s permanent record listing all coursework at the College and bearing the signature of the Registrar. Students may obtain copies of their official transcript by following the steps located on the college website. Official transcripts will not be released to students with academic or financial holds until such holds are cleared.

Academic Achievement Grading and Credit (EGA Local)

Grayson College shall have appropriate standards for evaluating student performance and for determining grades and graduation requirements.

GC uses the following grading system:

A — The student demonstrates mastery of course content and meets course objectives.  The grade of A is an exceptional grade attained by students demonstrating exceptional performance of college-level work.

B — The student demonstrates mastery of course content and meets selected objectives.  The grade of B is an above-average grade attained by students demonstrating above-average performance of college-level work.

C — The student demonstrates acceptable competency in coursework and meets selected course objectives.  The grade of C is an average grade attained by students demonstrating average performance of college-level work.  Students with concurrent enrollment for high school and college credit must maintain a minimal grade of C in the course.

D — The student demonstrates minimal performance in coursework and does not meet course objectives.  The grade of D is considered unsatisfactory in a student’s major field of study, and this grade generally does not transfer.

F — Failure. No credit is given for the grade of F.

I — Incomplete. The grade of I indicates that the student has a valid excuse for failure to complete the work required during the semester. Incomplete work should be completed within the regular term. Failure to remove an I during the succeeding regular term may result in an F being placed on the permanent record.

W — Withdrew. Dropped before the automatic withdrawal date.

P — Passing.

S — Satisfactory. Used for nondegree courses.

U — Unsatisfactory. Used for nondegree courses.

AU — Noncredit. Used for audited courses.

Value of Grade Points

In determining grade point averages (GPAs), all hours where grade points are given shall be considered in computing GPAs.

Grade points are granted on college courses on the basis of the value in semester hours of the course and the grade made in the course as follows:

The GPA is computed by dividing the total number of grade points earned by the total number of semester hours attempted. Grades of I, W, P, S, U, NC, and F in pass/fail courses are excluded from GPA calculation.

Grades earned in developmental courses are also excluded from GPA calculation.

Instructional Services

Grayson College accepts appropriate coursework from accredited institutions outside the United States, provided that the student successfully completed the courses.

Scholastic Standards

Good Standing: A student will be considered in good academic standing with a cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 2.00 or higher.

Academic Warning: A student will be placed on academic warning when the cumulative GPA falls below 2.00 for one long semester.

Academic Probation: When a student’s cumulative GPA remains below a 2.0 for more than one long semester, the student will be placed on academic probation. Students on probation will be required to meet with their Success Coach to establish an individualized success plan. Students on academic probation are not eligible to hold office in student clubs/organizations.

PLEASE NOTE:  Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress is a separate policy and may affect financial aid eligibility (please see the Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress policy for further details).

President’s and Dean’s Lists

The GC President’s and Dean’s lists are awarded at the end of the fall and spring semesters to students who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in their coursework. Students must be enrolled in at least 12 hours at GC during the fall or spring semester. Developmental courses, incomplete courses, credit awards, and courses with W or P grades are not counted in the full-time determination for the honor. 

The President’s list will be awarded to students earning a 4.0 GPA. The Dean’s list will be awarded to students earning a 3.75 to 3.99 GPA.

Registration

Registration dates and times are available online via the college website. All tuition and fees must be paid by payment deadlines. Payment may be made by cash, check, payment plan, MasterCard, Visa, or Discover cards. Students who have financial or academic holds on their records will not be allowed to register until the hold is cleared by the appropriate office.

Office of Admission and Records

The Office of Admission and Records assists prospective, current, and former students. Students can contact this office for assistance with admission applications and requirements, graduation, enrollment verifications, audit forms, credit awards, residency appeals, and transcripts.

Verification of Enrollment

Students may contact the Assistant Registrar in order to request verification of enrollment.

Verification of Student Degrees

Grayson College has partnered with the National Student Clearinghouse to provide degree verifications. Students, employment agencies, credit issuers and other student service providers can contact the National Student Clearinghouse directly to receive degree verification at 703.742.7791 or studentclearinghouse.org.

Self-Service Transcript Requests

Students may print unofficial transcripts (listed as Letter Transcript) from MyViking.

In addition, all former and current students can visit studentclearinghouse.org to request an official transcript. A fee of $5.00 will be charged and can be paid with a major credit card. Requests are typically handled within three business days. Some record holds can prevent the obtainment of an official transcript.

Dual Associate Degrees

Dual associate degrees allow students to combine two different degree programs.  Students completing a dual degree program are awarded two distinct degrees.  You may not earn two degrees at the same level (e.g. associate degree level) using the same credit.

If two associate degrees are granted, the primary major is considered the first degree with a minimum of 60 credits (some majors require more credits). The second or any subsequent degree requires (15 to 18) additional credits, which must be uniquely applicable to the second associate degree curriculum. Before enrolling in coursework toward a second associate degree, you must request an official evaluation. Consult with your Success Coach for more information on earning a second associate degree.