Academic Policies and Requirements
Proficiency Credit
A student who has acquired knowledge and competency applicable to an educational goal through informal means may earn credit and/or exemption from certain course requirements through proficiency examinations or prior learning assessment (PLA). Proficiency examinations are offered at the discretion of the Dean of the Division responsible for the course based on: (1) the degree to which competency or ability in a given area can be adequately evaluated by a proficiency examination, and (2) judgment of the prior experience of the applicant in terms of the objectives of the course and the adequacy of their preparation to pass the examination or show adequate knowledge based on prior/experiential learning.
Course proficiency examinations and prior learning assessment are subject to the following:
1. Proficiency credit may not duplicate credit earned at DACC, in transfer or received through CLEP, USAFI or similar programs.
2. A course proficiency examination may not be taken (for credit) in a lower level course by students who have received credit in the subject area beyond the course in which the examination is requested.
3. A student currently enrolled in a course but desiring to earn proficiency credit must petition for approval and complete the examination or PLA by the end of the fourth week of classes.
4. A student cannot receive proficiency credit and subsequently enroll in the course and earn a grade.
5. A course proficiency examination may not be attempted more than twice in a given course.
6. Course credit earned by proficiency examination or PLA shall be recorded as “Credit by Proficiency”. No transcript record is entered unless the examination is completed successfully. No grade is recorded, nor can a prior grade be changed or removed by proficiency credit. Credit earned by proficiency examination or PLA is not included in the computation of a student’s grade point average (GPA).
7. A maximum of 45 semester hours earned through course proficiency examinations or PLA will be credited toward an associate degree. Students pursuing a certificate must complete a minimum of 50% of their course- work at DACC.
8. The fee to take a proficiency examination or PLA shall be a minimum of one credit hour tuition or one-half the current tuition of the college for that course, whichever is greater.
9. A person seeking proficiency credit must have previously completed courses in which credits have been earned or must be currently enrolled at Danville Area Community College.
10. Items for review to assess prior learning in a given area of coursework can include resumes, certifications earned through an employer or national organization, and supervisor or HR letters outlining day-to-day respon- sibilities and job duties. Students should work with the division dean to decide what information is necessary to determine adequate knowledge of course material based on prior/experiential learning.
Grade Reports
The final semester grades are determined by the instructors, according to the grades the student earns in all phases of class work: class discussions, tests, daily work, laboratory work, reports, term papers, and the semester examinations. Final grades should reflect consistent improvement as well as averaged grades.
If you have any questions about your grades, please call the Records Office at 443-8797 within 30 days of the graded semester. Grade changes will only be considered during the 30 day time period after the semester ends.
A student may repeat any course, and the higher grade earned will be used to compute the cumulative grade point average. See “Repeating a Class.”
Grade reports are available for students to view through myDACC/Student Services Portal. They are no longer being mailed.
Repeating a Class
Danville Area Community College students may repeat a course taken at DACC under one of the four following provisions:
1. Pre-approved Repeatable Courses--Due to the instructional content, some courses are frequently updated and are, therefore, state approved to be taken more than once. Pre-approved "repeatable" courses are noted in the individual course descriptions.
2. Repeating an Unsuccessfully Completed Course--An unsuccessfully completed course which constitutes a grade of D, F, U, or W may be repeated one additional time. Staff must fill out a "Request to Repeat a Course" form before the course can be enrolled in for a third time. The third attempt, and any attempt thereafter, may be subject to a course repeat fee**. DACC will use the highest grade earned to calculate the student's grade point average. When students transfer from DACC, other colleges may choose to average the grades and recalculate the student's grade point average.
3. Repeating a Successfully Completed Course--A successfully completed course which constitutes a grade of A, B, C, or S may be repeated if the student feels he/she has not adequately mastered the content of the course. In this situation, the student must seek approval by filing a "Request to Repeat a Course" form. Please note, for the pur- pose of determining Summa Cum Laude status, the grade earned the first time the course was completed will be used to calculate the student's grade point average. Be advised that successfully completed coursework cannot be counted towards eligible credits when determining a student's financial aid package.
4. Course Completed Four or More Years Ago--If a course was completed four or more years ago, whether the course was completed successfully or unsuccessfully, the state approves of repeating the course to enable the student to upgrade his/her skills in that area.
The following information indicates how DACC determines the tuition rate, grade point average calculation, credit hour calculation, and financial aid credit hour calculation for each of the provisions under which a course may be repeated.
Pre-approved Unsuccessfully Successfully Course Completed "After" the number of
Repeatable Completed Completed 4 or More Years Ago approved repeats has been
Course for 1st & 2nd (Grade = A, B, C, S) completed (Note: Requires
Enrollment (Note: Requires student to fill out the Request
(1st Grade =
D, F, U, and/or W student to fill out the Request to Repeat a Course form.) to Repeat a Course form.)
Tuition Rate Tuition based on residency Tuition based on residency Tuition based on residency Tuition based on residency Tuition based on residency + a course repeat fee** equal to the state apportionment for the course, rounded up to the nearest dollar, per credit hour
G.P.A.
Calculation Both grades earned Highest grade earned Highest grade earned (Note: Honors are based on the 1st grade earned.) Highest grade earned Highest grade earned (Note: Honors are based on the 1st grade earned.)
Credit Hour Credits earned Credits earned Credits earned for 1 of Credits earned for 1 of Credits earned for 1 of the
Calculation for all approved courses for 1 of the completed courses only the completed courses only the courses only completed courses only
Financial Aid Credit
Hour Credit earned for all courses Credit earned for both courses Credit earned for both courses Credit earned for both courses Credit earned for all courses
Calculation
**Note: The course repeat fee is not an allowable fee for student financial aid. However, the fee can be deducted from any refund a student may be getting.
Procedure to Register for a Course When the Student has Exceeded the Limit of Illinois Community College Board Approved Repeat Enrollments in a Course:
A student will be permitted to register for a course above and beyond ICCB's approved repeat limit if the following has been completed:
1. Complete the "Request to Repeat a Course" form.
2. Request to Repeat must be turned in to student's counselor/advisor for review and discussion.
3. If the request is approved by the counselor/advisor, it will be forwarded to the Registrar's Office for further review.
4. Registrar's Office will determine if a course repeat fee will be assessed.
Request for Grade Exclusion
After a minimum of two years and evidence of substantial grade improvement, a student may request that previ- ously earned low grades be disregarded in the calculation of their DACC cumulative grade point average. The student may apply through their Academic Advisor or Counselor.
Grade Exclusion Guidelines
• Grade Exclusion shall mean that all grades and credits earned in one or more selected semesters shall not be used in calculating the student's cumulative grade point average or be used in meeting certificate or degree requirements.
Note: Due to the "highest distinction," summa cum laude candidates' cumulative grade point averages are calculated using ALL grades earned at Danville Area Community College. Excluded grades will be used when determining summa status.
• Prior to requesting a Grade Exclusion, the student must have earned a minimum of twelve semester credit hours with a grade point average of 2.0 (4.0 scale) or higher.
• Selected semesters for Grade Exclusion consideration must have been completed a minimum of two years prior to the semester or semesters of substantial grade improvement.
• Only those semesters resulting in a majority of "D" and "F" grades will be considered for Grade Exclusion.
• Any grade and/or credit excluded through the Grade Exclusion procedure will remain on the student's official DACC Transcript and will be used by most four year universities or colleges in recalculating the student's GPA for admission or degree completion purposes.
• Be advised that this Grade Exclusion procedure is not relevant to the financial aid requirement that must count all credit hours attempted at DACC for aid eligibility purposes in determining the time of completion maximum for the student's program of study.
Student Complaints/Grievances and Resolution Procedures
When a student of the DACC community experiences a situation or a conflict in which the student thinks his/her rights have not been fully recognized or have been compromised in some manner, the student may resolve the conflict or his/her perceived grievance by following the College's process for the resolution of grievances. Grievances may be resolved on an informal basis or on a formal basis. Every attempt will be made to resolve grievances at the point of origin on an informal basis. The complete process with respect to Student Complaint/Grievances and Resolution Procedures is available on our website at www.dacc.edu/complaint-procedures or the website contains an online com- plaint form or from the Dean of Student Services.
Graduation - Associate Degree and Certificate Completers
Students qualified to receive associate degrees from DACC are required to file an "Application to Graduate" with the Records Office. The Intent can be filed once the student has successfully earned 45 semester hours towards their degree completion. Associate degrees are conferred during the Commencement ceremony which is held upon the conclusion of the spring term.
Students who have completed a program of study which results in a certificate are eligible to participate in the Commencement ceremony. Students qualified to receive certificates from DACC are also required to file an "Application to Graduate" with the Records Office at the beginning of the term in which all requirements will be met.
Graduation Honors Recognition
Only associate degree completers will be eligible for honors recognition during the Commencement ceremony. The student's cumulative grade point average at the completion of fall term prior to the May Commencement ceremony is used to determine honors recognition. Certificate completers are not eligible for honors recognition at the Commence- ment ceremony.
Degrees with Distinction
Students who have a cumulative grade-point average of 4.000 graduate summa cum laude; those with a cumulative grade-point of 3.750 through 3.999 graduate magna cum laude; and those with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.500 through 3.749 graduate cum laude.
Students' ability to be recognized at the Commencement ceremony is based on the cumulative grade-point average calculated at the end of the fall semester prior to the spring ceremony. Transcript notations of cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude are based on the total grade-point average, including the final semester prior to graduation.
Due to the "highest distinction," summa cum laude candidates' cumulative grade point averages are calculated using the grades earned at Danville Area Community College as well as any grades transferred in from another college that are used for degree completion.
Graduation dress for students graduating with honor is as follows: cum laude candidates wear a gold tassel; magna cum laude candidates wear a gold tassel and a gold cord; summa cum laude candidates wear a gold tassel, a gold cord, and a medallion.
In addition to being honored during the Commencement ceremony, summa cum laude candidates perform assigned duties. The candidates will be assembled approximately one month before graduation to determine their assigned roles.
Requirements for Completing a Double Major
Several divisions of the College offer majors leading to an AAS Degree which have many of the same required courses. The difference between one major and another is often only a matter of a few courses. A second major can be obtained by completing those different courses as prescribed by the curriculum guides with the approval of the ap- propriate division chairperson.
Double majors may be worked on simultaneously, or the second major may be granted after earning the degree.
The course work for the second major must be completed within two (2) years of the issuance of the degree.
Evidence of successful completion of said courses will be recorded on the student’s transcript as a second major.
There will be NO additional diploma issued upon completion of a second major. Both majors will be noted on one.
Transcripts
All information in the student’s record folder is considered confidential and is released only after proper authoriza- tion. Danville Area Community College will issue official transcripts of academic records only upon written authorization from the student.
Official transcripts will be mailed or sent electronically directly to other educational institutions upon written request by the student. Copies are $5.00 for each copy. Transcripts will not be issued until all financial obligations due the Col- lege are cleared.
TRANSFERRING CREDIT FROM DACC
Transferring Credit from DACC: Universities and colleges prescribe their own standards of eligibility for admissions with advanced standing. In general, a student may transfer from a community college to a senior college or university after one or more semesters of community college work, provided that their scholastic average is C or above. (Some universities will not accept a course grade of D.) It is urged that students determine early in their academic career the school to which they plan to transfer. A careful check should be made of admission and transfer requirements. Some institutions have a maximum number of credits completed threshold that students cannot go over. It is highly recommended that a student complete an Associate in Science (AS) or an Associate in Arts (AA), Associate of Engineering Science (AES), Associate in Fine Arts in Art (AF A) and Associate in Fine Arts in Art Education (AF AE) degree before transferring to a senior college or university. Note: Career-oriented courses are not designed primarily for transfer. Transfer of such courses will depend upon the policy of the school to which the student is transferring. A few of our career programs are articulated to a 2+2 or 3+ 1 program with another college/university.
How DACC Ensures Your Credit Transfers: As a community college, one of our main goals is to ensure that our courses prepare students to transfer to senior institutions. With this in mind, the College follows the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) regulations and has developed courses and transfer degrees that are based on the State’s Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI) general education core curriculum. IAI is a statewide transfer agreement, which is transferable among more than 100 participating colleges and universities in Illinois.
Transferology.com
DACC promotes and utilizes Transferology.com. Transferology is a nation-wide network designed to help students explore their college transfer options. The goal is to save students time and money by providing a quick, intuitive way of getting their college transfer credit questions answered. Students can answer the question, “Will my courses trans- fer?” by adding coursework, exams, and/or military learning experiences to see how many schools in the Transferology network have matching courses that may be awarded when they transfer. Students may also find out their options for taking classes over the summer (or whenever) at another school to transfer back to their current school by using the “Find a Replacement Course” feature.
Transfer Credit Guarantee:
The Transfer Guarantee promises that any course taken and approved by DACC will transfer to the college or university that the student has selected. If a course which has been approved does not transfer, the College will refund the tuition and fees for the course. Three steps must be in place to qualify for the credit transfer guarantee:
1. Students must register with a DACC Academic Advisor;
2. Students must know what their major/program of study is; and
3. Students must know what institution they are transferring to.
If all three of these requirements have been followed and a course does not transfer to a senior institution, the student is eligible to receive the Credit Transfer Money Back Guarantee.
University Transfer Program Guides
The first two years of most baccalaureate programs can be completed at DACC. Specific transfer program guides are in place for students entering some of the more popular programs at the most admired four-year colleges and univer- sities. DACC has created these guides to facilitate the transfer process for our students. These guides are available online at https://www.dacc.edu/aac/cguides. They are listed first by academic year, then by transfer school, and finally by major. This is not a finite listing of available areas of study. If there is a major that is not listed, a transfer plan can be developed between the student, the desired transfer institution, and a DACC advisor. For more information, contact an Academic Counselor or Advisor in Lincoln Hall, Room 104.