Academic Procedures and Requirements

Academic Requirements

Students’ Responsibilities

The following regulations, procedures, and definitions are important for all students taking classes for credit. Understanding and following these procedures is an essential part of acquiring a college degree or other credentials. Any questions should be directed to the Admissions and Registration Office.

Students are responsible for following their curriculum, meeting graduation requirements, and/or meeting transfer requirements. Assistance in planning acceptable programs is available from faculty advisors and Student Support Center advisors.

FVCC courses require college-level reading as well as basic computer and typing skills. For every one credit hour students take, they may expect to spend a minimum of 2-3 hours each week on coursework; therefore, a student enrolled in 15 credits should spend 30-45 hours per week outside the classroom engaged in studying, reading, writing, and/or reviewing course materials.

Graduation Application

Graduation applications are due on December 1 for spring graduation and May 1 for summer and fall graduation.  Students intending to graduate in the summer who would like to attend the spring graduation ceremony will need to meet the December 1 graduation application deadline. Applications for Graduation are available from the Admissions and Registration Office in BH 111 or at fvcc.edu/graduation.

Students commonly graduate under the catalog in use during the first year they attended FVCC. However, a student may graduate using any FVCC catalog under which they have attended and were enrolled in the program, up to five years prior to graduation. For example, the 2019-2020 catalog can be used through summer 2025. College or program requirements may change to comply with accreditation requirements, professional certification, and licensing requirements, etc. In the event a change is made after the catalog is published, the changes will be posted online.

If a student initially enrolled more than five years before their graduation, they must follow the catalog requirements currently in effect during the semester they apply for graduation.

Note: A student who has been on hiatus for at least one year will not be able to return to a program that is no longer offered at FVCC.

Graduation Substitutions and Waivers

Substitutions: Program requirements may be substituted for another course with the approval of the program director or advisor. If a student holds a higher degree than that which they are seeking, General Education and Related Instruction requirements may be substituted at the program director’s discretion. If a student does not hold a higher degree, General Education and Related Instruction substitutions need additional approval from the Gen Ed Team. 

A single course may not be used to meet more than one group requirement, e.g. if ARTH 200 is used to meet the humanities requirement, it cannot also be used to meet the global requirement.

Waivers: Program requirements may be waived with the approval of the program director or advisor when there is evidence that the student has already gained a level of competency that will satisfy the program requirement or if the student holds a higher degree than that which they are seeking. Otherwise, waivers for General Education and Related Instruction courses need the additional approval of a majority vote of the Gen Ed Team.

When a waiver is approved, it only waives the specific content requirement and not the overall credits required to obtain a degree. Therefore, if a waiver will put a student below the degree credit limit, request a substitution instead. Credit requirements are as follows: AA, AS, and AAS - 60 credits; CAS - 30 credits; and CTS - 16 credits.

Academic Advising

Academic advising is critical to student success, and FVCC is committed to providing every student with meaningful academic advising. FVCC employs a mixed advising model with full-time faculty advisors and Student Support Center advisors.

All degree-seeking students (including transfer students) are required to meet with an academic advisor for course schedule approval each semester. Non-degree students taking courses with prerequisites need to meet with an advisor in the Student Support Center. Degree students are blocked from registration until they meet with their advisors.

Students with a declared major are generally assigned to a faculty advisor most closely aligned to their field of study.
 

The role of the advisor:

• Assist students with defining and developing realistic educational and career plans.
• Make available pertinent and accurate information about FVCC programs and professional requirements.
• Approve designated educational transactions (e.g. registration, drop-adds, directed study, petitions, graduation applications, other forms).
• Assist students in the evaluation of progress toward established goals.
• Provide accurate information about resources.
• Assist students in identifying career opportunities.
• Refer students when attitudinal, educational, or personal problems require intervention.
• Reinforce student responsibility for academic decisions and behaviors.
• Encourage program completion.

The role of the student:

• Spend time and effort to identify and clarify personal values, abilities, interests, and goals.
• Communicate and share ideas in the academic planning process.
• Become knowledgeable about and adhere to institutional procedures, policies, and requirements. This means reading, understanding, and utilizing the catalog.
• Contact and make appointments with advisors when required and as needed. The online campus directory has phone numbers, email addresses, and office locations.
• Notify the advisor about changes in appointments, career or major plans, or course schedules.
• Plan in advance for advising sessions: bring necessary materials such as transcripts, placement scores, proposed class schedule, and questions.
• Follow through on actions identified in each academic advising session.
• Request a change in major/degree online via the Student Portal. Program changes submitted after 30 business days from the start of the fall or spring semester will be applied to the next semester. See the Academic Calendar  for specific dates for fall, spring, and summer semesters. 
• Accept final responsibility for all decisions.

Associate of Applied Science Degree Requirements (AAS)

The Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree is an occupational degree and is the only degree FVCC awards with a specified area of emphasis.

To earn the Associate of Applied Science degree, the following must be met:

1. Completion of a minimum of 60 semester credit hours.
2. Completion of course requirements as outlined for the specific AAS program listed in the “Programs” section of the catalog, which include three Related Instruction requirements: Communication (one speaking, one writing), Interactions, and Quantitative Literacy.
3. Final cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or above. A grade of “C-” or better is required for all program requirements unless otherwise stated.
4. At least 20 semester credits earned at FVCC and the final 10 credits earned at FVCC.
5. A limit of 15 semester credits graded “S” may count toward the AAS degree, excluding AP and IB credits. Some programs may further limit “S” grades.
6. Courses within the department “SR” (Senior) cannot be used toward an AAS degree.

Note: Substitutions for Related Instruction requirements must have approval from the Program Director. In most cases, Division Chair and General Education Team approval is also required.

(One course cannot satisfy more than two Related Instruction areas.)

Certificate of Applied Science Degree Requirements (CAS)

To earn a Certificate of Applied Science, the following must be met:

1. Completion of a minimum of 30 semester credit hours for each certificate.
2. Completion of course requirements as outlined for the specific CAS program listed in the “Programs” section of the catalog, which include three Related Instruction requirements: Communication (only one course required, speaking or writing), Interactions, and Quantitative Literacy.
3. Final cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or above. A grade of “C-” or better is required for all program requirements unless otherwise stated.
4. At least one-third of the program credits must be earned at FVCC.
5. A limit of one-fourth of the semester credits graded “S” may count toward a CAS, excluding AP and IB credits. Some programs may further limit “S” grades.
6. Courses within the department “SR” (Senior) cannot be used toward a CAS.

Note: Substitutions for Related Instruction requirements must have approval from the Program Director. In most cases, Division Chair and General Education Team approval is also required.

(One course cannot satisfy more than two Related Instruction areas.)

Certificate of Technical Studies (CTS) Requirements

To earn a Certificate of Technical Studies, the following must be met:

1. Completion of a minimum of 16 semester credit hours.
2. Completion of course requirements as outlined for the specific CTS program listed in the “Programs” section of the catalog.
3. Final cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or above. A grade of “C-” or better is required for all program requirements unless otherwise stated.
4. At least one-third of the program credits must be earned at FVCC.
5. A limit of one-fourth of the semester credits graded “S” may count toward a CTS, excluding AP and IB credits. Some programs may further limit “S” grades.
6. Courses within the department “SR” (Senior) cannot be used toward a CTS.

Related Instruction Learning Outcomes

The goal of Related Instruction at FVCC is to prepare students for a productive life of work by developing skills in the areas of communication, computation, and human relations that align with and support program-specific outcomes. Related Instruction courses are embedded within the AAS and CAS program curricula and are organized into three categories: Communication, Interactions, and Quantitative Literacy.

Communication

Upon completion of the Communication Related Instruction requirement, students should be able to express, interpret, or modify ideas to communicate effectively.

Components:

1. Speaking
   • Develop the main point of a speech/presentation with specific, concrete examples and details
   • Present in an organized manner, connecting sections with effective transitions
   • Use appropriate delivery strategies and techniques
   • Use outside sources, vocabulary, and visual aids with accuracy and relevancy
   • Actively listen using paraphrasing, questions and reflections
   • Recognize that conflict is natural and demonstrate competent methods/strategies of conflict management
   • Employ strategies to overcome communication problems
2. Writing
   • Effectively use relevant, adequate supporting details, examples, reasons, logical arguments, facts, and/or statistics
   • Organize and connect major ideas with effective transitions
   • Use a variety of sentence structures and appropriate word choice in the expression of ideas for readers and purposes
   • Use appropriate conventions in areas of mechanics, usage, sentence structure, spelling, and format

Interactions

Upon completion of the Interactions Related Instruction requirement, students should be able to collaborate with others in complicated, dynamic, and/or ambiguous situations.

Components:

1. Self-Awareness
   • Demonstrate responsibility/accountability for one’s actions/thoughts/emotions
   • Display self-initiative
2. Interpersonal Communication/Teamwork
   • Apply appropriate verbal and nonverbal communication skills
   • Demonstrate methods/strategies of conflict management
   • Respond to changing job demands and help others succeed as needed
3. Human Relations/Ethics
   • Respect cultural and ethnic differences
   • Maintain positive working relationships
   • Practice integrity and observe confidentiality
   • Apply ethical principles to situations and make decisions appropriately

Quantitative Literacy

Upon completion of the Quantitative Literacy Related Instruction requirement, students should be able to understand and apply quantitative concepts and reasoning using numerical data.

Components:

1. Ratios and Percent
   • Recognize problems as ratios or proportions.
   • Use proportional reasoning when appropriate.
2. Graphical Interpretation
   • Collect and identify information from graphical representations of data using appropriate terminology/units of measurement.
   • Evaluate graphical information and interpolate and/or extrapolate as necessary.
   • Recognize trends in data from a graphical display.
3. Problem Solving
   • Represent mathematical information symbolically and numerically as needed to solve a problem.
   • Evaluate results for acceptable solutions and communicate findings using appropriate mathematical language and symbolism.