Academic Appeals
Ogeechee Technical College faculty and administrative staff have the right and responsibility to exercise professional judgment in making decisions about student performance and progress. The College is accountable for setting and maintaining standards of academic performance and is committed to ensuring students are treated fairly in all matters that relate to academic performance and progress. A student will be provided with a fair opportunity to have decisions that are believed by the student to negatively impact academic performance and progress reviewed in accordance with policies and procedures established by the College.
If a student believes that a basis exists for appealing an academic decision regarding a grade which prevents progression in a program of study, that student should first attempt to resolve the matter through discussion with the instructor who made the decision.
A student has five (5) working days to discuss the academic decision. The expectation is that the difference of opinion is to be resolved as closely as possible to the level at which it originated, and as quickly as is possible with careful review. It is only when a disagreement cannot be resolved through this informal process that the student should proceed with the next step in the appeal process.
To continue the appeal process, the student must submit written notification of his/her intent to appeal the decision to the Dean for Academic Affairs regarding the decision under question within five (5) working days of the discussion with the instructor. The Dean for Academic Affairs, upon completion of his/her review (course outline, documentation related to the student’s progress, transcript, summary of events, etc.) may uphold, modify, or reverse the academic decision. The Dean for Academic Affairs will notify the student, the instructor, and the Registrar (if necessary) in writing of his/her decision with a rationale for the decision.
If any party believes that the decision is not fair or reasonable, the decision may be appealed to the Executive Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs within five (5) working days from the decision from the Dean for Academic Affairs. This gives the opportunity to ensure that all necessary and relevant information, documentation, opinion, and argument are fairly presented. The decision of the Executive Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs is final.
A student may seek advice from a counselor for support and direction.
Repeating Courses
By registering for a course in which the student has already received credit, the highest grade earned will be used for graduation purposes. Although all grades remain on the official academic record, only the highest grade will be calculated for the purpose of meeting graduation requirements.
For graduation purposes, a student must have a graduation GPA of a 2.0 and a cumulative GPA of 2.0.