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Academic Information
ACADEMIC RECOGNITION
SFSC will recognize you for academic excellence during your course of study. You will be eligible each term for the following distinctions:
President’s List - If you earn 6 or more credits for the term and earn a GPA of 3.8 to 4.0, SFSC’s president will send you a recognition letter.
Vice President’s List - If you earn 6 or more credits for the term and earn a GPA of 3.5 to 3.79, SFSC’s vice president for academic affairs will send you a recognition letter.
Graduation with Distinction - If you graduate with an excellent GPA in the associate and/or baccalaureate degree programs, you will receive recognition on your diploma according to the following GPA: 3.9 to 4.0 summa cum laude; 3.7 to 3.89 magna cum laude; 3.5 to 3.69 cum laude.
If you attended no other postsecondary institution other than SFSC, your GPA is based on the GPA earned at SFSC. If you attended at least one other postsecondary institution and earned 45 or more credits at SFSC toward the associate degree or 90 or more credits at SFSC toward the baccalaureate degree, your GPA is based on the higher of either the GPA earned at SFSC or the cumulative GPA from all institutions attempted. If you attended at least one other postsecondary institution and earned less than 45 (90) credits at SFSC, your GPA is based on the cumulative GPA from all institutions attended.
If you have fulfilled the requirements for a College Credit Certificate, or Career Certificate and achieved a 3.5 GPA or higher, you will graduate with distinction. Likewise, if you have earned a State of Florida High School Diploma with a score of 165 or higher on each of the General Educational Development (GED) tests, you will graduate with distinction.
To be recognized with distinction at the commencement ceremony, the determining GPA will be based upon your previous term cumulative GPA.
Honors Program - If you fulfill the requirements of the Honors Program, you will receive your Associate in Arts degree with an Honors endorsement on your transcript and diploma, and special recognition at the Commencement ceremony.
Outstanding Student Awards are given annually. If you show leadership in scholastic achievements, student activities, and athletics, you may be eligible.
ATTENDANCE
Instructors will explain their class attendance policies (this policy must be provided to you during the first week of class). If you are not registered for the class, you are not permitted to attend. Veterans in occupational programs and students receiving financial aid will have additional attendance requirements.
Absences from class may result in your being withdrawn by the instructor and possible loss of financial aid.
Withdrawal for Lack of Attendance
Your instructor has the authority to withdraw you for lack of attendance up to the last date for withdrawal specified in the SFSC College Calendar provided it is not your third or fourth attempt in a college credit or developmental course. Attendance expectations should be clearly specified in the course syllabus and covered by the instructor during the first week of class in a format appropriate to the class (written, oral, electronic). College credit and clock hour programs differ in the amount of time you must attend in order not to be dropped from the class. The instructor may withdraw you for lack of attendance in the following ways:
- If you do not attend classes during the MANDATORY ATTENDANCE PERIOD, you may be reported to the Office of the Registrar as a “No Show” (NS).
- If you stop attending class after the last day to withdraw with a W, your instructor may award the grade of F prior to the end date of the class.
- If you are taking Online (W), Hybrid (HB), or Hybrid-Flexible (HF) courses, the Office of Educational Technology will be notified by the registrar to remove you with a grade of W or F and from access to the D2L Brightspace® course(s).
- If extenuating circumstances beyond your control occur after the withdrawal date, you may petition the Academic Appeals Committee to request a withdrawal from the class with a grade of W.
For more information, refer to Withdrawals in the College Catalog.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY AND PLAGIARISM
The faculty of SFSC is committed to a policy of honesty in academic affairs. Conduct for which you may be subject to administrative and/or disciplinary penalties, up to and including suspension or expulsion, includes:
- Dishonesty consisting of cheating of any kind with respect to examinations, course assignments, or illegal possession of examination papers, including the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to produce academic work or to show academic progress. If you help another to cheat, you will be subject to the same penalties as the student you assisted.
- Plagiarism consisting of the deliberate use and appropriation of another’s work without identifying the source and the passing off such work as your own. If you fail to give full credit for ideas or materials taken from another, you have plagiarized.
In case of cheating or plagiarism, the instructor may take academic action consistent with College policy that may range from loss of credit for a specific assignment, examination, or project to removal from the course with a grade of F. You and your instructor should seek to resolve the problem to mutual satisfaction. Failing this, your instructor or you may request action from the appropriate instructional supervisor, dean, and the vice president for academic affairs (see Grade Appeals in the College Catalog) who adjudicates on the basis of College policy.
COPYRIGHT
In accordance with College policies, you must respect copyrighted material, in whatever medium or technological application you may find them. You must document sources appropriately when using any copyrighted material. NOTE: You should be in compliance if you use a recognized documentation system such as Modern Language Association (MLA) or American Psychological Association (APA) documentation guides.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
If you develop a product (of any sort) that could earn revenue and the product is developed on SFSC’s campus/center, using SFSC’s facilities or in conjunction with SFSC employees, the College may own some or all of the product. Ownership of the product is negotiated between you, the College, and any other interested parties and stated in a written contract. If you have questions regarding product ownership, contact the vice president for administrative services at 863-784-7218.
STANDARDS OF ACADEMIC PROGRESS
College Credit
I. Academic Probation 1
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A. |
If your cumulative GPA falls below 2.0 after completing 7 or more credit hours, you will be placed on Academic Probation 1. |
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B. |
If you are on Academic Probation 1, you will be required to attend individual advising/counseling sessions, restricted to enrolling in not more than 13 credit hours, and must have your program of study approved by a counselor or advisor prior to your next registration. |
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C. |
You will remain on Academic Probation 1 status until your cumulative GPA rises above 2.0 or until moved to Academic Probation 2 status. |
II. Academic Probation 2
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A. |
If you have been placed on Academic Probation 1 and your GPA for any subsequent term falls below 2.0, you will be placed on Academic Probation 2. |
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B. |
If you are on Academic Probation 2, you will be required to attend individual advising/counseling sessions, be limited to no more than a 13-credit hour class load, and be restricted to a prescribed program that may include courses to overcome skills deficiencies. |
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C. |
You will remain on Academic Probation 2 status each term that your cumulative GPA remains below 2.0 unless you are moved to Academic Suspension status. |
III. Academic Suspension
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A. |
If your GPA for any two consecutive terms falls below 2.0, you will be placed on Academic Suspension. |
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B. |
The period of Academic Suspension is one term (enrollment period is defined as the fall, spring, or summer term). |
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C. |
You may petition for a committee review of your case. |
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D. |
While on Academic Suspension, you may audit two non-preparatory courses while receiving assistance in the Tutoring and Learning Center (TLC). |
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E. |
If you are on Academic Suspension, you may not attend college credit classes for the term unless approved by review under the following procedure: “Removal of Academic Suspension/Probation.” |
IV. Removal of Academic Suspension/Probation Status
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A. |
You may be removed from Academic Probation 1 status by attaining a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher during the current term. |
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B. |
You may be upgraded from Academic Probation 2 to Academic Probation 1 by achieving a term GPA of 2.0 or higher. |
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C. |
If you are readmitted after Academic Suspension, you will enter on Academic Probation 2 unless your cumulative GPA is 2.0 or higher. |
V. Determination of Satisfactory Progress
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Determination of satisfactory progress will be measured at the end of each term. |
VI. Transfer Students
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When you transfer to SFSC, your cumulative GPA is determined by the transfer courses posted on your transcript. You must remain in good standing until your transfer credits have been officially evaluated and become a part of your academic record. In most cases, this should occur prior to advising/registration for your first term.
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NOTE: |
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A. |
The cumulative GPA does not include college preparatory courses. |
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B. |
If you are a college credit student who has been suspended, you may enroll in a Career Certificate program, register for occupational classes, and be placed in good standing. |
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C. |
If you transfer into the SFSC Associate in Arts degree program with less than a 2.0 GPA, you will be admitted on probation. |
ACADEMIC APPEALS
Academic Suspension, Refunds, Withdrawal
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The Academic Appeals Committee reviews requests for exceptions to College academic procedures when extenuating circumstances and factors are beyond your control. The Committee hears requests for waiving academic suspensions, approving tuition refunds, and approving withdrawal from a class after the deadline. If the Committee is not available, the vice president of student services can hear the appeal. |
| B. |
You have a maximum of six months following completion of a class to file an appeal for a tuition refund or withdrawal from a class after the deadline. |
| C. |
If you are suspended for one term, a waiver for academic suspension must be filed prior to the last day of classes of the subsequent term. |
| D. |
Documentation verifying extenuating circumstances is required for any request for refund, withdrawal, or academic suspension. |
| E. |
You may obtain the Academic Appeals Form from any campus location, the College website, Panther Central, or the Office of the Registrar. The completed form along with supporting documentation is to be submitted to the Office of the Registrar for review. |
| F. |
The Academic Appeals Committee will make a recommendation to the vice president of student services to approve or deny the request. |
| G. |
The vice president of student services makes the final decision to approve or deny the request. |
| H. |
The Office of the Registrar will inform you of the final decision. |
Grade Appeals
| A. |
Members of the teaching faculty are responsible for issuing grades. If you believe you have received an incorrect grade, immediately request a conference with your instructor within 15 college working days after the grade is issued. |
| B. |
If the conference does not resolve the disputed grade, you should make an appointment to discuss the problem with the instructor’s director, instructional supervisor, or program manager within five college working days after meeting with the instructor. |
| C. |
If the meeting with the director, instructional supervisor, or program manager still does not resolve the situation, you may submit a written appeal to the dean of the division within five college working days after meeting with the director, instructional supervisor, or program manager. |
| D. |
If the meeting with the division dean does not resolve the situation, you may submit a written appeal to the vice president for academic affairs within five college working days after the conference with the division dean. |
| E. |
The vice president for academic affairs makes the final decision to approve or deny the request for grade change. |
Payment of the Full Cost of Instruction
For the third and fourth attempts of a college credit or college preparatory course, you will be assessed the full cost of instruction (equivalent to out-of-state tuition). This rule impacts only those students whose fee assessment is based on in-state residency.
You may not withdraw from the third or fourth attempt in any course.
Fourth Attempt Override Appeal
If you fail to pass a course after three attempts, you may request an override to take the course a fourth time, based on illness or some emergency beyond your control that prevented you from successfully completing the subject area within three attempts. Each request must be accompanied by appropriate documentation of the condition on which the request is made. The request should be made to the registrar. Per state statute, fifth attempts cannot be granted.
Appeal to Payment of Full Cost of Instruction
If you fail or withdraw from a course two times and wish to re-enroll in the course for a third attempt, you may appeal the payment of the full cost of instruction due to extenuating circumstances and/or financial hardship. Appeals should be made to the registrar and must include copies of supporting documentation of the circumstances and/or hardship. Extenuating circumstances are those determined by the College to be exceptional and beyond the control of the student, which may include, but are not limited to:
• documented medical condition preventing course completion
• death of an immediate family member
Criteria for determining and/or documenting financial hardship shall include, but not be limited to, qualifications for federal need-based financial aid.
RESIDENCY RECLASSIFICATION APPEAL PROCESS
If you are otherwise unable to qualify for in-state classification by the guidelines posted in the College Catalog, you may submit a petition to the Residency Appeals Committee in the Office of the Registrar. You must include documentation evidencing the grounds on which the appeal for in-state classification is based. Petition forms are available at any campus or center and on the Office of the Registrar’s webpage The Residency Appeals Committee will render a final residency determination in writing including the reason for the determination.
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