Student Records

student transcripts | records policy | guidelines and procedures for the evaluation of incoming transfer credits | credits earned at accredited institutions | credits earned at non-accredited institutions | credits earned in foreign institutions | credits earned at military schools | examinations and ap courses | other experiences (workshops, work experiences, seminars, etc.) | credit for approved state or national licensure or certification | appeal procedure | credit for previously acquired knowledge and learning experience | credit by examination

STUDENT TRANSCRIPTS

The Enrollment Services Office maintains the permanent official transcript of every student who attends the College. The transcript is a copy of the student’s academic record and contains the signature of the Registrar. The transcript includes courses waived, courses attempted and completed, courses and credits transferred, credits awarded for experiential learning, credit hours, GPA points, Lansing Community College grade point average, current program and major, associate degrees, certificates of achievement, and certificates of completion awarded at the College.

Students may request that a copy of the official transcript be given or mailed to any party by submitting a request in writing to the Enrollment Services Office. Transcript requests require three working days to process, and a fee is charged for each transcript. A hold may be applied to the release of the transcript of any student or former student who has indebtedness to the College.

RECORDS POLICY

Lansing Community College shall not distribute student lists to non-college agencies except as required by law.

In compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, Lansing Community College provides the following information:

1. Students and/or a parent of a student, if the student is a dependent, have the right to access, inspect, and review all educational records directly related to the student. Upon presentation of pictured identification and a written request from the student to the Enrollment Services Office, Room 203, Gannon Building, access to all educational records shall be provided within a reasonable period of time (not to exceed 45 days from the date the request is submitted).

2. Educational records include all information maintained by the College that is directly related to the student with the exception of:

1. Financial records of the student’s parents.

2. Confidential letters of recommendation prior to January 1, 1975.

3. Confidential letters and recommendations associated with admissions, application for employment, or receipt of an honor or honorary recognition to which students have waived rights of inspection and review.

4. Educational records containing information about more than one student. Note that the College must permit access to that part of the record which pertains only to the inquiring student.

5. Reports made by physicians, psychiatrists, or psychologists in connection with their treatment.

6. Records of instructional, supervisory, administrative, and certain educational personnel which are in the sole possession of the originator.

7. Records of the law enforcement unit of the College if compiled for law enforcement purposes.

8. Records which relate exclusively to individuals in their capacity as College employees.

3. Directory information may be released at the discretion of College officials for any student who has not submitted a completed Request to Prevent Disclosure of Directory Information form to the Enrollment Services Office. The disclosure prevention form remains in effect until the student provides a written release to the Enrollment Services Office. Directory information includes but is not limited to:

1. Name of student

2. Dates of attendance

3. Enrollment status

4. Awards, degrees, or certificates received

5. Participation in officially recognized activities

6. Sport, weight, and height of members of athletic teams

7. Previous educational agency or institution attended

8. Email address

Copies of the Request to Prevent Disclosure of Directory Information form and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act are available upon request in the Enrollment Services Office and the Office of the Dean of Student and Academic Support.

4. Lansing Community College prohibits the release of personally identifiable information other than directory information from educational records without the student’s written consent. Exceptions to this statement are listed below:

1. Academic and administrative officials, staff, and persons who have entered into a partnership or contract with Lansing Community College and whom the College has determined to have legitimate educational interest. An official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an educational record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.

2. Other educational institutions in which the student is enrolled or intends to enroll.

3. Individuals and organizations who provide financial aid or scholarships to the student.

4. Authorized representatives of the Comptroller General of the United States, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Veterans Administration, the Department of Education, and administrative heads of state and federal educational agencies authorized by law.

5. Accrediting organizations to carry out their accrediting functions.

6. Appropriate authorities in compliance with judicial orders and pursuant to lawfully issued subpoenas. The College shall notify the student of any such orders or subpoenas unless the subpoena or order prohibits notification. The College shall comply with the subpoena ten (10) days after an attempt to notify the student of the request.

7. Appropriate parties in an emergency if knowledge of the information is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student or other individuals.

8. Parents who have established the student’s status as a dependent according to Internal Revenue Code of 1954, Section 152.

9. An alleged victim of any crime of violence of the results of any disciplinary proceeding conducted by the College against the alleged perpetrator of the crime.

10. Military recruiters for the purpose of federal military recruiting as stated in Public Law 104-206, Section 509(2).

Lansing Community College will maintain a record of each disclosure of identifiable information from the external individuals or agencies listed above. The record will be maintained in the Enrollment Services Office and will include the date, the name and address of the requesting party, the information requested, and the reason for requesting the information. The College reserves the right to correct any error made on an academic record or evaluation and will notify the student in writing of any record or evaluation correction. Staff of the College are subject to the requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended.

Students have the right to request correction or amendment of information on educational records that are inaccurate, misleading or which violate privacy rights. Due process procedures for requesting correction or amendment to educational records are stated in the College Catalog under Student Appeals.

Students who feel their rights under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act have been abridged may file complaints with the Family Policy and Regulations Office, U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C. 20202.

GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES FOR THE EVALUATION OF INCOMING TRANSFER CREDITS

Only official transcripts will be evaluated for transfer credit. Lansing Community College will determine the credit value of each of the courses. The College will accept as official transcripts only incoming transcripts that have appropriate signatures and/or official college seals and that are mailed directly to the Lansing Community College Enrollment Services from an issuing institution. Transcripts or copies of transcripts carried by individuals may be used for academic advising or counseling, but transfer credits will NOT be posted to the Lansing Community College academic record from transcripts that are not received directly from the issuing institution. It is the function of the Enrollment Services Office of the College to verify the official status of all incoming transcripts prior to the evaluation and posting of transfer credit. All transcripts submitted to LCC for evaluation become the property of LCC. Students will receive official notification of transcript evaluation results upon completion of the process.

Course work which is similar in nature, content, and level to that offered by Lansing Community College will be accepted in transfer. Transfer credit will be accepted at full value in transfer if earned:

1. In a program, college, or university which offers programs that are comparable to programs offered by Lansing Community College, and the program or institution is either accredited or a candidate for accreditation by an accrediting association which is a member of Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), or

2. From institutions with professional accreditation but lacking regional accreditation, with attainment of a final grade of 2.0 or higher, providing an evaluation has been completed by appropriate program officials at Lansing Community College.

CREDITS EARNED AT ACCREDITED INSTITUTIONS

1. Freshman and sophomore level courses are reviewed for credit, provided the student has declared a curriculum (major or program of study). Higher-level credits may be accepted if they correspond to a specific course at Lansing Community College. In situations where Lansing Community College does not have a department or area similar to the courses on incoming transcripts, credit may be denied.

2. Credits in courses graded Pass/Fail will be accepted in transfer only if it can be documented that "Pass" represents competency at a 2.0 level or higher and will be recorded as P-Z course credits. With departmental approval, the limitation on the use of P-Z course credits for an LCC degree or certificate may be waived when incoming P-Z credits are directly related to the degree or certificate in a course of study.

3. Credits earned by an examination administered by an accredited institution will be accepted only if the institution that administered the examination has granted credits for one of their courses.

4. Because standards differ for granting credits for national examinations such as AP, CLEP and DSST, credits granted by other institutions for those examinations will not be accepted in transfer. However, scores on those examinations may be submitted for possible LCC credits. See EXAMINATIONS AND AP COURSES.

5. General Education courses (college-level Writing/English, Science/Mathematics, Social Science, Humanities) are routinely accepted in transfer.

6. Physical Education courses may transfer, depending upon the program at Lansing Community College.

7. In some programs of study, credits earned in Math, Science, Technology, Health Careers, and/or other rapidly evolving fields may not be accepted in transfer due to age and/or content of courses and will be evaluated by appropriate program officials.

8. Independent study, field experience, and internships may transfer depending upon the level and appropriateness of the learning experience.

9. Study abroad courses may transfer depending upon the international institution offering the courses, the relationship between the international institution and the domestic institution from which the student is transferring, and the level and appropriateness of the learning experience.

10. Remedial or developmental courses are not considered college level and do not transfer.

11. Each course that is accepted in transfer will be evaluated to determine if it will be considered as an equivalent of a corresponding Lansing Community College course. Evaluation of courses will be implemented on a consistent basis. Equivalencies have been established for the most commonly transferred courses from a number of colleges and universities in Michigan and the surrounding area. Those equivalencies may be found at http://www.lcc.edu/admissions/general/incoming_credits/equivalencies.htm. Changes in students' curricula will not justify a change in how a course has been evaluated by the Enrollment Services Office. For example, should a student bring in credit for ACCG 210, that evaluation is permanent. If the student's curriculum requires a different ACCG course from that evaluated, if appropriate, a Course Substitution/Waiver form will be filed out at the department level.

12. In most cases, an accepted course that is not considered as an equivalent of a corresponding Lansing Community College course will be considered as general credit in a corresponding Lansing Community College program. A course that is granted general credit in an LCC program and meets LCC Core or MACRAO guidelines, may, upon college approval, be used to satisfy LCC Core or MACRAO requirements. See an LCC academic advisor or counselor for details.

13. Credit equivalencies will be converted using the following guidelines:

1. Quarter credits should be converted to semester credits (quarter credits x 2/3 = semester credits), without rounding up.

2. A transfer course, which equates to an LCC course, and is lacking one credit or less, should be designated as the equivalent LCC course. However, a transfer course must be at least three credits to be designated as equivalent to an LCC General Education Core course. Transfer students with fewer credits than those awarded for an LCC equivalent course may not have met all requirements of the equivalent course, and should meet with a program advisor.

3. When the overall grade point average of a transferring student is at or above a 2.0 on a 4.0 scale, the 1.0-1.5 or “D” grades may be accepted. Credits transferred in to specifically fulfill LCC General Education Core requirements and MACRAO requirements must be graded 2.0 (“C”) or higher. When the transferring overall grade point average is below 2.0 on a 4.0 scale, only courses graded 2.0 (“C”) or higher will be accepted. With the exception of credits transferred in to fulfill LCC General Education Core requirements, the student may petition the departmental chairperson of his or her academic department to waive a degree or certificate course requirement(s) in which he or she has previously earned the 1.0–1.5 or “D.” Waiver of a course requirement does not provide credit for a course. The department chair will notify the Enrollment Services Office of waivers.

4. A student may request a review of the evaluation if he or she feels that a course description differs from the way in which it was evaluated. The department chairperson, in conjunction with the Registrar, will review the evaluation. Any resulting change(s) to the evaluation may be verified through the Enrollment Services Office.

CREDITS EARNED AT NON-ACCREDITED INSTITUTIONS

The following evaluation information applies to transcripts from non-accredited institutions:

1. The Enrollment Services Office will forward a transcript from a non-accredited institution to the departmental chairperson of the department in which the student has enrolled.

2. The departmental chairperson has the following four prerogatives in evaluating transcripts issued by non-accredited institutions:

1. Credit may be granted with demonstration by the student of skills commensurate with the performance required for satisfactory completion of existing courses.

2. Credit may be granted upon review of the content, goals, and objectives of a particular course with determination of whether the course is on par with existing courses of the College. It is the responsibility of the student to provide requested materials to enable proper evaluation.

3. Credit may be granted upon demonstration of proficiency in a particular existing course by a comprehensive examination.

4. Credit may not be granted.

3. Course equivalence will be granted using the same procedures that are used for credits earned at accredited institutions. However, credits earned at non-accredited institutions will not be granted course equivalence to LCC General Education Core courses.

4. The departmental chairperson will return the transcript to the Enrollment Services Office and indicate in writing the credits granted and the course equivalency at Lansing Community College. The final transcript evaluation will have the signature of the appropriate divisional dean.

5. When two or more instructional departments are involved, the departmental chairperson of the department offering the student’s program will be responsible for consulting with the additional departmental chairpersons. When two or more departments are involved, the written reply to the Enrollment Services Office will include the signatures of each respective departmental chairperson and the respective dean or their designee(s).

6. Credits from non-accredited institutions are evaluated by the departmental chairperson of the area in which the student is enrolled. If the student changes his or her curriculum, he or she should notify the Enrollment Services Office because there may be a difference in the evaluation.

CREDITS EARNED IN FOREIGN INSTITUTIONS

Students with foreign education credentials (other than credits at Lansing Community College sister institutions) should contact one of the following National Association of Credential Evaluation Services, Inc. (NACES) member credential evaluation services and request a course-specific evaluation. (A course-specific evaluation converts grades, educational experiences, and levels of study into equivalents.)

• Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc., P.O. Box 514070, Milwaukee, WI 53203-3470; www.ece.org

• World Education Services, Inc., P.O. Box 5087 Bowling Green Station, New York, NY 10274-5087; www.wes.org

• International Education Research Foundation, Inc. (medically-related credentials), P.O. Box 3665, Culver City, CA 90231-3665; www.ierf.org

When LCC receives a NACES evaluation report, the Enrollment Services Office will compare it to the course requirements for the program indicated on the application. If LCC grants credit based on this report, it will become part of the student transcript at LCC.

CREDITS EARNED AT MILITARY SCHOOLS

Military Schools - Credit may be granted for degree programs. Recommendations found in Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services, published by the American Council on Education, and available online at http://www.militaryguides.acenet.edu are forwarded to the appropriate program for evaluation. If the experience is determined to provide appropriate preparation, credit is granted. For course work completed by the Defense Language Institute, Foreign Language Center at the Presidio of Monterey in California, credit is routinely granted.

EXAMINATIONS AND AP COURSES

AP (Advanced Placement Program of the College Board) (http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/) - Credit or waiver of courses may be granted for the successful completion of AP courses and examinations. Specific recommendations will be determined by the AP grades received. Official high school transcripts listing AP grades should be sent to the Lansing Community College Enrollment Services Office.

CLEP (College Level Examination Program) (http://www.collegeboard.com/clep/) - Credit or waiver of courses may be granted for the successful completion of General Examinations and/or Subject Examinations. Specific recommendations will be determined by the scores received. CLEP transcripts should be forwarded directly to the Lansing Community College Enrollment Services Office from the CLEP Transcript Service, P. O. Box 6600, Princeton, NJ 08541-6600.

DSST (DANTES Subject Standardized Test) (http://www.getcollegecredit.com) - Credit or waiver of courses may be granted for the successful completion of DSST examinations. Specific recommendations will be determined by the DSST grades received. DSST transcripts should be forwarded directly to the Lansing Community College Enrollment Services Office.

OTHER EXPERIENCES (WORKSHOPS, WORK EXPERIENCES, SEMINARS, ETC.)

For credit to be granted for a non-collegiate course, workshop, or seminar, the student must demonstrate the quality of their learning achievement through measurable means, e.g. course final examination, comprehensive examination, the completion of “Credit for Previously Acquired Knowledge and Learning Experience” as outlined in the College catalog, approved state or national licensure or certification, or other means specified in a formal, articulated agreement. Contact the Enrollment Services Office for specific details.

CREDIT FOR APPROVED STATE OR NATIONAL LICENSURE OR CERTIFICATION

Lansing Community College recognizes that current licensure or certification represents learning for which credit may be granted. Therefore, the College assesses national and state licenses as part of its credentialing function. Any student who has applied to Lansing Community College may apply for license or certification credit evaluation. Contact the Enrollment Services Office, Gannon Building, (517) 483-1200 to determine which college department will perform the assessment.

Note: Lansing Community College’s decision to award credit for licensure or certification does not obligate any other institution to accept such credits in transfer. Receiving institutions reserve the right to assess transcripts of incoming students and award credit as they see fit. Credits received by students that are based on licensure or certification may not be used for financial aid or veteran’s benefits eligibility. Some Lansing Community College courses are excluded from licensure or certification consideration.

Lansing Community College does not accept the transfer of credit for licensure or certification awarded at other institutions.

APPEAL PROCEDURE

Students who believe these Guidelines and Procedures have not been implemented accurately in the evaluation of their transfer credits may initiate an appeal with the Enrollment Services Office in conjunction with the appropriate area or department. If dissatisfied with appeal results, the standard academic appeal process is available. (See the Lansing Community College catalog for more information.)

CREDIT FOR PREVIOUSLY ACQUIRED KNOWLEDGE AND LEARNING EXPERIENCE

Lansing Community College recognizes that learning outside of the classroom is valid. Therefore, the College assesses extra-institutional learning as part of its credentialing function. Any student who has applied to Lansing Community College may apply for experiential learning credit by obtaining an Experiential Learning Processing Form from the Enrollment Services Office, Room 203, Gannon Building, (517) 483-1200.

Note: Lansing Community College’s decision to award credit for experiential learning does not obligate any other institution to accept such credits in transfer. Receiving institutions reserve the right to assess transcripts of incoming students and award credit as they see fit. Credits received by students that are based on experiential learning may not be used for financial aid or veteran’s benefits eligibility. Some Lansing Community College courses are excluded from experiential learning consideration.

Lansing Community College does not accept the transfer of credit for experiential learning awarded at other institutions.

Application Procedures

Relevant aspects of personal and professional experience gained through actual job-related activities and special training experiences may be applied to an academic program at Lansing Community College. Learning experiences must directly relate to a specific course or courses required within a Lansing Community College program (curriculum) or the LCC General Associate Degree. These experiences must have been obtained from a nonacademic source or not otherwise be available for academic credit through the transfer process outlined earlier. The student will be asked to declare his or her program of study on the Experiential Learning Application.

Prior to payment of a $25.00 processing fee and submission of a portfolio of supporting documents, the student is advised to review with the academic department in which credit is being sought the probability of credit being granted. Students must then submit the completed Experiential Learning Processing Form to the Enrollment Services Office including as much supporting documentation as possible. The student must also attest by his or her signature that the information submitted is true to the best of his or her knowledge. The processing fee must accompany submission of the form and portfolio. The processing fee is not refundable.

Upon completion of the portfolio assessment, a fee of the resident tuition rate per credit hour will be charged for those credits which are determined awardable and which apply to the student’s program (curriculum). Fees are subject to change by the Board of Trustees without prior notice. A student will have three (3) months from the date of credit authorization to make selections and pay all fees in full.

Documentation

The student must document all experiential learning. The purpose of the documentation is to substantiate that a student’s knowledge and/or experience equates to specific Lansing Community College courses. The documentation must therefore be arranged within the application portfolio on a course-by-course basis and should demonstrate knowledge and/or skill equivalent to at least 80 percent of the course objectives. Documentation may be defined as, but not limited to, complete job descriptions, copies of course materials and outlines, certificates, training reports, signed supervisory verifications and evaluations on letterhead, and any other descriptive information that may provide a clear understanding of a student’s background and competencies. Lansing Community College requires certification that the work or training experience is the student’s own. The College will retain the portfolio containing the Experiential Learning Processing Form and all supporting documents.

Assessment of Portfolio

The completed Experiential Learning Processing Form and portfolio of supporting documents will be forwarded by the Enrollment Services Office to the appropriate divisional academic leader. The academic leader will assign the portfolio to an appropriate and impartial assessor for review and credit assessment. Assessors have the responsibility for evaluation and assignment of academic credit for experiential learning.

In the evaluation process, the assessor will verify the relevance of the information stated on the Experiential Learning Processing Form and the accompanying documentation as it equates to the courses requested. The authorization of credit must be stated in terms of equivalent courses that are offered by LCC.

Applicability of Credit

In determining whether it is appropriate to accept a student’s experiential learning for credit, the major considerations should be the student’s educational objective and extra-institutional learning achievement. The assessor will determine from documentation submitted the courses for which the student can be granted experiential learning credit. The student is responsible for determining how these courses may fit within their academic program (curriculum). Credit for experiential learning will be recorded on a student’s official transcript on the basis of course-by-course equivalency and shall be prominently identified as credit for experiential learning. A maximum of 40 semester hours of experiential learning credit may be applied towards an LCC associate degree. (Twenty credits must be earned in attendance at Lansing Community College.)

Student Appeal Procedures

Students who believe the evaluation of their experiential learning is incorrect may file a written appeal to the dean of the division in which the experiential learning credit is being sought. Appeals must be received within six months from the date the credit application was assessed. In such instances, the dean will conduct a procedural review to ensure that the student has been treated in a fair and nondiscriminatory manner. The decision of the dean shall be final.

CREDIT BY EXAMINATION

Comprehensive Exams

A student may obtain credit for certain courses at the discretion of an instructor and department head by passing comprehensive examinations only during the semester in which the student is enrolled. The procedure a student uses to obtain comprehensive examination credit is as follows:

1. The student picks up an application for credit by examination at the Enrollment Services Office.

2. The student completes the required information on the application and takes the application to the department for instructor and departmental chairperson signatures of approval.

3. After obtaining the required signatures, the student returns the signed application to the Cashier’s Office for payment of tuition.

4. The student will complete an examination for each course in which he or she hopes to receive credit.

5. An examination will not be given by the instructor until the student presents the appropriate payment receipt. No more than one examination will be given for a single payment.

6. The examination, after being evaluated by the instructor, will be maintained on file in the departmental office.

7. The Enrollment Services Office will contact the department and request the grade which was earned upon completion of the examination. A grade will be recorded for each comprehensive examination given.

8. The student will receive an official notice of the grade earned at the end of the semester in which the examination was taken or when processing has been completed.