Academic Standing
Academic standing is based on a student’s Grade Point Average (GPA) and determines the student’s eligibility for many benefits including whether the student may continue to be enrolled in the College. It is the student’s responsibility to determine and understand their academic status (good, probation, suspension, or dismissal) by checking their standing on the current student portal. At the end of each semester or term, academic standing is determined based on grades earned for that semester.
Good Standing – A student is considered to be in Good Standing when a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher is maintained.
Academic Probation – A student who fails to maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher is placed on Academic Probation. The student may continue to enroll while on probation as long as a 2.0 semester GPA is earned.
Academic Suspension I – A student on academic probation who becomes ineligible to re-enroll is suspended from the College for not less than one long semester (the next fall or spring semester, including summer). As an option, the student may request an Academic Recovery Plan that allows the student to re-enroll with limited coursework, frequent sessions with an on-campus counselor, and the development of an action plan. After a student has served the first suspension, the student may continue to re-enroll by maintaining a semester GPA of 2.0 or higher. A student returning following Suspension I must consult with an on-campus counselor and remain on Suspension I until cumulative GPA reaches Good Standing status.
Academic Suspension II – A student who does not meet the required standard for a second time and incurs a second academic suspension will be suspended for a period of one long semester (the next fall or spring semester, including summer). A student returning from Suspension II must consult with an on-campus counselor to obtain permission for readmission. Conditions of re-admissions may include special requirements or restrictions. After counseling, the student may be readmitted and have records reactivated by the campus Admissions and Registrar Office but remains on Suspension II until the cumulative GPA improves to Good Standing.
Academic Dismissal – A student readmitted after the second suspension must maintain a semester GPA of 2.0 or higher or be placed on academic dismissal. A student on academic dismissal must remain out of TCC for a minimum of one calendar year (12 months). At the end of the initial dismissal period, the student can petition for readmission. Conditions of readmission may include special requirements and/or restrictions.
A student returning from academic dismissal must a) consult with an on-campus counselor for development of an Academic Recovery Plan, b) schedule an appointment with the campus Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA) or VPAA’s designee for readmission approval, and c) visit the campus Admissions and Registrar Office for reactivation.
Transfer to TCC Following Suspension at Another College/University: A student who has been placed on academic suspension or dismissal by another college or university must meet the same criteria as TCC students. Depending on the circumstances of the suspension, the counselor, Admissions and Registrar Office, or Vice President for Academic Affairs may require an interview and/or may direct the applicant for additional review through campus channels. Conditions of admission may include special requirements and/or restrictions.
Attendance Policy
Regular and punctual class attendance is expected at Tarrant County College. Student absences will be recorded from the first day the class meets. In case of absence, it is the student’s responsibility to contact the instructor.
Students absent on official College business are entitled to make up coursework missed. In all other cases, the instructor will determine whether the student will be permitted to make up work and will decide on the time and nature of the makeup. The student is responsible for any work missed regardless of the cause of the absence. The student must discuss such work with the instructor and should do so immediately on returning to school. Communication between the student and instructor is most important, and it is the student’s responsibility to initiate such communication. If students do not appear at the prearranged time or meet the prescribed deadline for makeup work, they forfeit their rights for further makeup of that work.
Students who stop attending class for any reason should officially withdraw from the class through the current student portal. Failure to officially withdraw may result in a failing grade for the course.
Class attendance and participation are essential to student success. The following attendance guidelines apply:
- A student in an on-campus course missing a cumulative of 15 percent of the class meetings and not keeping up with the course assignments may be dropped at the discretion of the instructor.
- A student in an online course is required to successfully complete the online course orientation and actively participate in the course as described in the Instructor’s Course Requirements (ICRs). A student not meeting these requirements may be dropped at the discretion of the instructor.
Refer to Attendance in Developmental Studies for additional information.
Classification of Students
A student who has earned fewer than 30 semester hours of college credit is classified as a freshman. A student who has earned 30 or more semester hours of credit is classified as a sophomore.
Course Credit (Semester Credit Hour)
The semester credit hour is the unit of credit at Tarrant County College and is generally defined as the amount of credit given for one classroom hour per week for a 16-week semester. Courses requiring laboratory and many special purpose courses may require additional contact hours per credit hour.
Course Load
A student enrolled for 12 or more semester hours during the fall or spring term is considered a full-time student. Special sessions of less than term length comprise a proportionate share of full-time or part-time enrollment. Students enrolled in a special session should consult the campus Admissions and Registrar to determine how special sessions might affect their enrollment status.
Twelve hours constitute a full-time course load during a 16-week session of the fall or spring term. No student will be permitted to enroll for more than 18 semester hours without the permission of the Vice President for Academic Affairs or VPAA’s designee. The College reserves the right to limit the course load of any student.
The recommended student course load limit during each five-week session of the summer term is six semester hours. The maximum load shall not exceed seven semester hours for one five-week session. The maximum credit that a student can earn during the entire summer term shall not exceed 17 semester hours. The Maymester is considered part of the summer term. The Wintermester is considered part of the spring term.
Students who are employed or who plan to seek employment are cautioned to consider carefully the amount of college work they attempt in relation to the number of hours they are employed each week and to the student and community activities in which they participate. Students who overload themselves in these areas are likely to have scholastic difficulties. A good rule to remember is that two hours of preparation outside class are necessary for each hour of class time.
Deans’ List
The Deans’ List includes those students who have completed 12 or more college-level semester hours of work for the term with a grade point average of 3.5 or higher. The Honors List includes those students who have completed 12 or more college-level semester hours for the term and with a grade point average of 3.0 to 3.49. The Merit List includes students who have completed fewer than 12 college-level semester hours in each of two consecutive terms, whose enrollment totals no fewer than 18 hours for the two terms, and whose grade point average for the two terms is 3.5 or higher.
Drops or Withdrawals
A student may withdraw from a course or from the College until the last day to drop as noted in the Academic Calendar . Courses dropped on/or before the Official Day of Record (census date) do not earn any grade and do not appear on the student’s transcript. Courses dropped after the Official Day of Record will receive a grade of “W” and will appear on the student’s transcript. A student whose first college enrollment occurred in Fall 2007 or later may not drop more than six courses during their cumulative enrollment at any Texas public college or university.
A student enrolled in special session courses (i.e. eight-week courses, late start courses, mini-terms, summer sessions, etc.) should be advised of the withdrawal deadline by the instructor or contact the campus Admissions and Registrar Office.
A student may withdraw from courses prior to the last day to drop through the current student portal, or by contacting the campus Admissions and Registrar Office in person during business hours. Withdrawing from classes may affect a student’s Financial Aid status. A student who withdraws is responsible for verifying the drop processing was completed by viewing the unofficial transcript or student schedule. Until a student is officially withdrawn, the student remains on the class roll and may receive a grade of “F” for the course.
A student unable to withdraw in person or electronically may mail, email, or fax a letter to the campus Admissions and Registrar Office specifying the class or classes for which withdrawal is requested. The letter must include the student’s name, ID number, date, and class information along with the student’s signature. If mailed, the request for withdrawal must be postmarked on or before the last day to drop a class, or if faxed, the date shown on the fax confirmation must be on or before the last day to drop a class. Email requests must come from the student’s TCC email account.
Six Drop Limit Regulation
Section 51.907 of the Texas Education Code, enacted by the State of Texas, Spring 2007, applies to students who enroll in a Texas public institution of higher education as a first-time freshman in Fall 2007 or later.
The College may not permit a student to drop more than six courses, including those taken at another Texas public institution of higher education. All courses dropped after the Official Day of Record are included in the six-course limit unless (1) the student withdraws from all courses or (2) the drop is authorized by an appropriate College official as an approved Drop Exception. The official day of record for an undergraduate regular term course is the 12th class day (census date). Check the calendar for all census dates, including other than regular terms.
Drop Exceptions can be approved by the Vice President for Student Development Services if the student documents one of the following:
- The student, a member of the student’s family, or a person of equally important relationship to the student experiences a serious illness or other debilitating condition;
- The student becomes responsible for the care of a sick, injured, or needy person;
- There is a death in the student’s family or of a non-family member of equally important relationship;
- The student or a member of the student’s family, or a person of equally important relationship to the student, is called to active duty service as a member of the Texas National Guard or the Armed Forces of the United States;
- There is a documented change of the student’s work schedule that is beyond the student’s control.
- The course is dropped while the student is still in high school.
After a student drops a course, they may request a Drop Exception Request in the current student portal. Requests can be submitted no later than 30 days after the end of the term.
Enrollment and drop activities of students affected by this legislation will be monitored. Those who drop six or more courses without an approved Drop Exception will incur registration and drop restrictions during all subsequent terms and may incur other enrollment limitations or requirements.
TCC students liable under this legislation who plan to attend another Texas public college or university should determine that institution’s policies and penalties for dropping courses and for approving Drop Exceptions.
Final Assessments
At the end of each term, TCC publishes a special schedule for final assessments. A student who must be absent from a final assessment activity should petition the faculty member to request permission and approval with final review by the Academic Dean to reschedule the assessment. A student absent without permission from a final assessment activity will be graded zero on the assessment.
Other assessments will be scheduled during the course of the term at the discretion of the instructor. Makeup of a test other than the final assessment will be at the discretion of the instructor if a student is absent on the day of the test.
Grades and Grade Points
The grading system used at Tarrant County College follows:
A (excellent)
B (good)
C (average)
D (passing)*
F (failure)
I (incomplete)
W (approved withdrawal)
CR (credit)
NC (noncredit)
AU (audit)
WA (audit withdrawal)
* Grade of D is not considered passing in developmental courses
The grade point average (GPA) is found by dividing the total number of grade points by the total number of semester hours attempted. Grades of CR, NC, W, I, AU, or WA or grades earned for work in developmental courses do not affect the grade point average.
A: 4 points per semester hour
B: 3 points per semester hour
C: 2 points per semester hour
D: 1 point per semester hour
F: 0 points per semester hour
Grade Review and Change of Grade
Students may petition for review of a grade within 30 calendar days after the first class day of the next long session by following these procedures:
- The student must inform the instructor and the Academic Dean in writing of the reason for review of grade.
- The Academic Dean should then examine the records and submit his/her recommendations through administrative channels to the campus Vice President for Academic Affairs who will make the final decision regarding the grade and notify the student. If the instructor recommends not changing the grade, it should be explained in writing. If the decision is to change the grade, the instructor should submit a completed “Change of Grade Request” form. In all cases, copies of the student’s written appeal, attendance records, and grade report (with legend) must be attached. The process of review of grade must be completed within 30 calendar days after receipt by the instructor of the written appeal.
- If the instructor is no longer employed, the department chairperson will then examine the instructor’s records, make a recommendation, and send the recommendation through the proper channels to the campus Vice President for Academic Affairs who will notify the student of the final decision.
Incomplete Grades
The conditional grade of Incomplete (“I”) may be given to a student prior to the end of the term, only with the approval of the Instructor, the Department Chair or Coordinator, the Division Dean, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
To be eligible for an Incomplete, a student must be passing the course at the time the Incomplete request is made, have a record of regular attendance, and timely submission of assignments in the course throughout the term.
Requests for Incompletes are only prior to the administering of final assessments for the term and the assignment of the final grade in the course. Emergency circumstances that will be considered for an Incomplete must be unforeseen and unavoidable such as (1) serious illness/injury, (2) a natural disaster, (3) a death in the immediate family, or (4) military deployment. Students must provide documentation of the circumstance with their request.
The instructor will determine the due date for completion of the remaining work. The deadline for completion of work for courses that are scheduled within the fall semester must be no later than the end of the spring semester. For summer and spring semesters, the deadline must be no later than the end of the fall semester.
The student must complete all course requirements prior to the deadline established by the instructor. If a Change of Grade is not submitted by the last day of the next long semester, the “I” will automatically convert to an “F.”
Repeating a Course
Only courses specifically designated in this catalog as repeatable for credit may be taken more than two times.
All courses that receive assigned grades appear as part of the student’s permanent academic record. When courses are repeated, both grades are included in the GPA for courses taken and repeated prior to fall 1996; only the latest grade is included in the GPA when a course was repeated between fall 1996 and summer 2003. Effective with the fall 2003 semester, when a course is repeated, only the highest grade earned is used to calculate the student’s cumulative grade point average.
Schedule of Classes
The Schedules of Classes for both credit and non-credit are available on the TCC website. The College reserves the right to add, change or cancel any course section as necessary.
Terms and Special Sessions
Tarrant County College provides all credit coursework in semester units (semester credit hours). The standard fall and spring terms include 16 weeks of instruction. In addition, each term usually includes two sessions of eight weeks each, a session of 12 weeks, and a Weekend College session of 13 to 16 weeks. A Maymester is held before summer classes and a Wintermester before the beginning of spring classes.
The summer term includes two regular sessions of five weeks each and a variety of other sessions varying from three weeks to 10 weeks. State regulations currently limit the amount of credit that may be earned during summer sessions.
Withdrawal dates, refund dates, and other calendar events for each session are included in the TCC master calendar. Dates for sessions are individually assigned. Students whose course enrollment determines eligibility for financial aid benefits, veterans’ educational benefits, insurance coverage, tuition reimbursement, or any other entitlement should check with their benefit program to determine the effect of session enrollment. Students may not withdraw from any course after the withdrawal date for the session.
Detailed information about session offerings is included in the schedule of classes on the TCC website. Students should check with the department office of the course involved or with the campus Admissions and Registrar Office for additional information about particular session offerings.
Transcript of TCC Student Record
The transcript of college work is an official copy of the student’s permanent record bearing the College seal and designated signature. A student may request a transcript online through the current student portal (PDF or mailed copies) or they may pick up transcripts in person at the campus Admissions and Registrar Office. Any outstanding debts to the College must be paid to the Business Services Office before the student’s record will be released.
If students desire official transcripts of work completed at other institutions, they must request those transcripts from the original institutions.
Transfer Dispute Resolution
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) intends that approved academic coursework transfer between Texas public institutions, provided that (1) courses are within the approved transfer curriculum of the declared major field and (2) published transfer policies are met. Texas public institutions are required to notify students if approved academic coursework earned at another institution will not transfer.
If an academic course or any course with a Texas Common Course Number is not accepted in transfer by another Texas public college or university, students can request that TCC submit a Transfer Dispute Form to the receiving institution. Most TCC courses transfer to other Texas public institutions of higher education, and Core Curriculum and Field of Study courses are guaranteed to transfer to fulfill the core or field element designated. This assumes the course has at least a C grade outcome, though some institutions will also accept grades of D. A student who feels their TCC course work did not transfer as expected can request that TCC investigate. A request can be made by emailing DT.records@tccd.edu. If TCC cannot identify an appropriate reason for a course not transferring, it will file a dispute notice with the receiving institution and/or the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
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