Academic Policies & Procedures Manual 2020–2021
Below are the official Admissions policies of Cape Cod Community College for the 2020–2021 academic year. For the current policies see: Academic Policies & Procedures Manual
Cape Cod Community College has an "open door" admissions policy. Admission (matriculation) to either a degree or certificate program requires the completion of an admissions application, submission of an official high school transcript, GED or HiSET diploma, and official transcripts from all colleges or universities ever attended. The application priority dates are: August 15th for Fall semester and January 10th for Spring semester. The open door admissions policy and application priority dates do not apply to Nursing or Dental Hygiene programs. The application deadlines for these programs are: January 5th Nursing, February 1st Dental Hygiene. The "open door" policy does not apply to International students, Nursing, Dental Hygiene, Diagnostic Technician, Medical Interpreter, Paramedics, or Medical Assisting students.
In order for a student to be eligible to participate in an academic, community or clinical program that involves potential unsupervised contact with children, the disabled, or the elderly, the student may be required to undergo a Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) check and/or a Sex Offender Registry Information (SORI) check. Students found to have certain criminal convictions or pending criminal actions will be presumed ineligible to participate in such activities. The College is authorized by the Commonwealth's Criminal History Systems Board, pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 6, Sections 167-178B, to access CORI records.
The College shall refer to regulations issued by the Commonwealth's Executive Office of Health and Human Services, 1010 Code of Massachusetts Regulations 15.00-15.16, as guidance when assessing student CORI records. Sex offender checks shall be performed pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 6, and Sections 178C-178P.
For additional information regarding the College's CORI/SORI check process, please contact the Dean of Enrollment Management and Advising Services.
A full-time student is one attempting at least 12 credit hours of course work per semester. A student admitted and classified as full-time is expected to maintain full-time status (12 or more credits) for the duration of the semester.
A part-time student is one attempting fewer than 12 credit hours of course work.
Matriculation is a process designed to promote student success and help students achieve their educational goals. Matriculation enhances student access to academic advising and financial aid opportunities. A student becomes ‘matriculated’ when accepted and admitted to the College under a specific degree or certificate program and has registered for one or more credit courses. (Approved by College Meeting Dec 12, 2011)
The academic requirements of a degree or certificate program in place on the date of initial enrollment shall govern graduation requirements. If a student is readmitted to the College or changes his/her degree or certificate program, her/his graduation requirements are those in effect at that date. A student who takes a leave of absence/withdrawal maintains his/her matriculated status for two (2) years.
A non-matriculated student is one who has registered for one or more credit courses but is not enrolled in a degree or certificate program. (Approved by College Meeting Dec 12, 2011)
Cape Cod Community College does not accept applicants for admission or registration for individual courses from under-age students. (An under-aged student is one who is under the age of compulsory school attendance, which is sixteen years old in Massachusetts.) Under-aged students and their parent or guardian may appeal a denial of admission or registration to the Director of Admissions. Supportive documentation including but not limited to the results of Accuplacer Computerized Assessment scores will be evaluated prior to registering for courses each semester by the Director of Admissions, the Division Dean, and the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs. Cape Cod Community College reserves the right to require the parent or guardian to attend all classes and campus activities if the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs decides in favor of the under-aged student’s appeal. (Approved by President’s Cabinet January 5, 2011)
All home schooled students, without a high school diploma, GED or HiSET, are eligible to apply for admission to a degree or certificate program provided they have successfully completed an approved home school program in accordance with Massachusetts General Laws or the laws of their home state.
To determine whether a student has participated in an approved home school program, the student shall submit, with the application for admission, evidence that the home school program was approved by the student's school district's superintendent or school committee. Additionally, if the home schooled student is under the age of compulsory attendance, which is sixteen (16) years old in Massachusetts, a letter from the student's school district's superintendent or school committee is required stating that the student is not considered truant and would not be required to attend further schooling or continue to be home-schooled if the student has completed his/her home school program before the age of sixteen (16).
The College reserves the right to limit or deny enrollment of a student under the age of sixteen (16) in a course or program based on a case-by-case consideration of a variety of factors, including but not limited to: the student's maturity, life experience, placement test scores, prior education, course content, instructional methodology, and potential risks associated with participation in a particular course or program. (College Counsel May, 2005; revised Administrative Council January 2012, effective July 1, 2012)
Consistent with the mission of the Department of Higher Education, Cape Cod Community College seeks to work closely with area high schools. Qualified high school students can earn both high school and college credits through the Dual Enrollment Program, authorized in the Education Reform Act of 1993. Eligible students will be in either their junior or senior year, or be at least 16 years of age, have a GPA of 3.0 or better, and be recommended by their teacher, guidance counselor or principal. An alternative Dual Enrollment program is available for juniors and seniors who have a 2.0–2.9 grade average, who are recommended by a school representative, and who demonstrate the ability to do college-level coursework by scores received on the Computerized Placement Test administered at the College
Applicants: Additional documentation, criteria, and deadlines apply to international applicants seeking an I-20 form for an F-1 visa. Application deadline dates are June 1 for the Fall semester or September 1 for the Spring semester. Contact the Admissions Office to receive an International Student Packet.
Students who have completed the International Baccalaureate course work and received the International Baccalaureate diploma are eligible to receive up to 30 semester hours of Advanced Standing credit.
Students who have not received the International Baccalaureate diploma, but who have passed the individual International Baccalaureate examinations at the Higher Level with a score of 4, 5, 6, or 7, may receive 6 credits for each examination taken at the Higher Level. Standard Level examinations will not be awarded credit regardless of final score.
An official examination report must be submitted to receive advanced standing credits. (Approved by College Meeting April 10, 2006)
Although Cape Cod Community College has an open admissions policy, appropriate skill levels in English, reading and mathematics are needed for success in any program of study and are prerequisites to enrollment in many introductory courses at this College. Therefore, the College administers skills assessments in these areas. Unless prior college credit has been evaluated, all matriculated students are required to take skills assessments in English, reading and mathematics before registering for their first semester of classes. Unless prior college credit has been evaluated and accepted, non-matriculated students who wish to enroll in courses that have identified a skill level as a prerequisite are required to take the skills assessment before registering for the class. Students seeking a degree or certificate should matriculate as early as possible.
The Testing Center administers the College Board’s ACCUPLACER Tests to all entering students for placement in appropriate English, reading and mathematics courses. Enrolled students are offered the opportunity to complete diagnostic instruments as well as participate in personality type and learning style workshops.
Assessment results remain valid for three years. Readmitted and transfer students will be required to take the skills assessments unless scores are still valid (less than three years old) or comparable transfer course information is available. Students may enroll only in courses for which they are able to demonstrate the required entry level competency. Cape Cod Community College will provide appropriate developmental education courses and experiences for students who have demonstrated need in English, reading and/or mathematics. (College Meeting, November 28, 1989)
Campus-Wide Accuplacer Retest Policy (College Meeting, February 6, 2017)
New students are required to complete the Accuplacer exam prior to enrolling in courses. They are also granted one re-test opportunity prior to beginning courses.
Current students are granted one re-test opportunity at the end of every semester (Fall, Spring, Summer) where they have demonstrated remediation efforts.
Note: Examples of remediation opportunities for students: completing a math course, completing an English course, attending a refresher workshop, completing the Accuplacer Foundations lab, etc. This eliminates post-testing. Developmental English and math students are offered a re-test opportunity instead.
The community colleges of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in order to ease and clarify the process of transferring earned credit from one college to another, whether among themselves or from other public or private institutions; to provide standards for the evaluation of alternative sources of credit; to reduce the time and cost of completing a college education; and to increase the opportunities for graduation of their students, establish this Common Transfer Policy. This policy respects the academic standards, quality and integrity of each of the Massachusetts community colleges.
College Meeting adopted the Common Transfer Policy on September 22, 2014.
For more information: Transfer From 4Cs
(Approved by College Meeting March 24, 2014)
Directed Study is defined as: Credit for completing an existing course. Individualized course of study must be based on the student learning outcomes of the existing course contained in the Departmental syllabus.
Eligibility Criteria for Directed Study
Procedures for Directed Study
Faculty approval – The student must consult a faculty expert in the course requested for directed study.
Contract – The student and faculty member must meet and develop a formalized learning contract with learning activities and deadlines including the course syllabus.
Registration – The student will submit a directed study approval request signed by the instructor and the dean to the registrar before the end of the schedule adjustment period.
(Approved by College Meeting December 9, 2013)
Independent study is defined as: Additional credit for an independent study project within a discipline and not a regular academic course.
Eligibility Criteria for Independent study:
Independent study is voluntary for the student and the faculty member.
Departments will control the number of projects individual faculty members may undertake.
Independent Study projects will be agreed to by the faculty member overseeing the Independent Study and the student, and presented by the faculty member to the department for approval.
Students should contact the transfer coordinator on transferability of independent study.
Students are eligible to enroll in specific courses in their high school to earn college credit through articulated agreements. High school students who successfully complete these articulated courses may be eligible to be awarded the credit once they earn additional college credit at Cape Cod Community College. Students in Consortium member schools are eligible for this program. Articulated CVTE credits are posted on the students' Cape Cod Community College transcript once all requirements have been met.
For additional information: Tech Prep/CVTE
In an attempt to encourage and provide a smooth transition for students who enroll at this College from area comprehensive and vocational high schools, formal articulation agreements may be developed by a team of faculty from the College and their counterparts at area high schools. To be implemented, these agreements must be approved and reviewed periodically by the appropriate department(s) and by the Curriculum and Program Committee.
These agreements may include specific courses (up to 12 credits) that may be challenged or exempted. If an articulation agreement includes specific courses to be challenged, the appropriate department faculty are responsible for the challenge evaluation process. The fee structure for the challenge and other conditions that may be imposed must be clearly stated in the articulation agreement. If the agreement allows the exemption of specific courses, it must stipulate whether additional courses must be taken in their place. To be eligible to either challenge for credit or exempt a course, a high school student must have received a grade no lower than B in the equivalent high school course(s).
(Adopted by Executive Council, May 8, 1987; Revised November 27, 1990, September 21, 2015)
In most cases, earned credit for college course work completed at Cape Cod Community College, or transferred from any regionally accredited institution of higher education with a grade of C- or better (except where indicated in certain course prerequisites), may be applied toward satisfying a degree requirement.
Students may fulfill prerequisites by transferring equivalent college credit as defined above with a grade of C- or better. Prerequisites will not be deemed met with lower than C-.
In certain courses, where a program or department requires that current knowledge is essential, a time limit may be imposed on the applicability of earned credit toward satisfying a degree requirement; such a time limit must be approved by the Curriculum and Programs Committee, and must be indicated in the College catalog. If the designated time limit has been exceeded, credit will be granted only if: