College Guidelines
Class Drop/Withdrawal
The student is responsible for officially dropping or withdrawing from a class according to procedures described in the college catalog and student handbook.
Dropping a class: Students may drop a class without the class becoming part of their permanent academic record if they do so during the “drop” period and will receive a full refund of tuition and fees. The length of the drop period will vary based on the length of the course. Students may drop by completing the drop form which is available in the Office of Admissions and Registration or at any KC Education Center, by emailing kcadmissions@kaskaskia.edu or drop online using the “Register and Drop” option in the Student Self Service section on myKC. Refer to the Academic Calendar, posted on the website, for dates or contact the Admissions and Registration Office at 618-545-3040.
Withdrawing from a class: Students may withdraw from a class after the drop period and receive a “W” grade on their academic record that will not affect their grade point average at KC. You will not be eligible for a refund. Students may withdraw by completing the withdrawal form which is available in the Office of Admissions and Registration or at any KC Education Center, by emailing kcadmissions@kaskaskia.edu or withdraw online using the “Register and Drop” option in the Student Self Service on myKC. Failure to officially withdrawal from a class may result in an “F” grade. Refer to the Academic Calendar, posted on the website, for dates or contact the Admissions and Registration Office at 618-545-3040.
Please keep in mind that dropping or withdrawing from a class can affect your financial aid for the active and future semesters. Please contact the Financial Aid office at 618-545-3080 to find out how dropping a class may impact you.
Attendance
Students are expected to be present for all scheduled class meetings and will be held responsible for any work missed as a result of absences or tardiness. For a 16-week course scheduled in the fall or spring semester, absences for more hours than the class meets per week may result in the student being dropped from class by the instructor. When courses are offered in a more condensed format such as the summer semester or an 8-week course, a student may be dropped by the instructor after missing more hours of class than the class would meet in one week.
Any student dropped with an effective date prior to the midterm date, but after the tenth day of the class, will receive a W. If the effective date of the withdrawal is after the midterm date of the class, the instructor may assign a W or F grade.
Certain class meeting absences may be allowed without direct penalties and shall be prearranged with the instructors. It is up to the student in these situations to communicate with the instructors and follow-up in the event of any missed material or work. These absences include:
• Performances or activities required for institutional scholarships (athletic, dairy judging, theatre, vocal, instrumental).
• Pre-approved religious observances.
Allowable absences for military service personnel and their direct family members include:
• Temporary Duty (TDY, TDA, TDT, TAD,).
• VA medical appointments.
• Deployments.
• Family preparation for deployment.
These absences should be communicated with the instructors.
Absences due to other circumstances such as jury duty, volunteer emergency service in accordance with Illinois law or documented disability related needs shall be discussed with the instructor and appropriate dean to determine whether exceptions to the attendance policy should be made. In the event of unforeseen circumstances leading to absences that exceed those allowed in a course, the student may request an incomplete grade following the Incomplete Grades Policy and Procedure (#3.41).
Special admission programs may vary according to program specific accreditation requirements or as outlined by regulatory and advisory approval boards. Instructors will communicate to students if their program of study has additional attendance policies above and beyond this policy set forth by Kaskaskia College.
Should you develop any of the following medical symptoms, do not attend in person class, contact your medical provider for consultation, and contact your instructor regarding the make-up of missed work due to illness. Absences of more than three consecutive class days will require a medical release to return to in person classes.
- cough
- shortness of breath
- difficulty breathing
- chills
- shaking with chills
- muscle pain
- headache
- sore throat
- loss of taste or smell
When on campus or preparing to visit any KC campus locations, please review and adhere to all posted guidelines. Please maintain social distancing and do not congregate in large groups. A mask is required indoors, except for employees in private offices and work areas where no social interaction is occurring.
Incomplete Grade
The grade of Incomplete or “I” is given at the instructor’s discretion. It is normally given when a student has been actively engaged in the class, but missed work or a test due to illness or excused absences. A maximum of one semester or less, at the option of the instructor, is the time allotted to make up the incomplete work. If, after this time, the coursework is not completed satisfactorily the “I” is recorded as an “F.” In most cases, students should have successfully completed 75% of the course requirements to be eligible for an “I.” This process is initiated by the student and at the instructor’s discretion. Students should not expect to be issued an “I” without facilitating the appropriate paperwork with the faculty member. An incomplete grade form MUST be signed by the student and the instructor and submitted to the records office within two weeks of the end of the semester in order for an incomplete grade be assigned.
Class Cancellations
Class cancellations due to inclement weather will be posted on the College Website: http://www.kaskaskia.edu, KC’s Facebook page, and; announced on local area televisions stations and radio stations, recorded on the KC Main Campus voicemail greeting, and sent to the student’s KC email account and via text message if the student has opted into the KCAlert system.
KC Alerts
The intent of this service is to notify students, staff, and faculty by email or text message on their cell phone, of campus closures for weather and/or other emergencies and class cancellations. This is an opt-in service provided by Kaskaskia College. While there is no direct cost for signing up for this service, you may be charged a text message fee by your cell phone provider. Please check your cell phone plan to understand the costs you may incur using this service. All users who sign up for this service will receive announcements regarding campus closures for weather and other emergencies, test messages to validate the service is working and notification when your account is about to expire. All accounts will expire automatically after August 1st. Sign up on KcAlerts.
Academic Dishonesty
Acts of Academic Dishonesty include: plagiarism, preparing work for another that is to be used as that person’s own work, cheating by any method or means, knowingly and willfully falsifying or manufacturing scientific or educational data and representing the same to be the result of scientific or scholarly research, knowingly furnishing false information to a college official relative to academic matters, and solicitation, aiding, abetting, concealing or attempting conduct in violation of this code. Sanctions for academic dishonesty are at the discretion of the instructor and subject to appeal as provided in the Student Code of Conduct. A complete explanation of this policy and procedures as well as information about student’s rights and responsibilities are located in the Policy and Procedures and Student Conduct sections of the current Student Handbook.
Copyright
The College requires that students know and follow the rules and laws associated with copyright. You are individually and solely responsible for violations of copyright and fair use laws. Violations of copyright laws could subject you to federal and state civil penalties and criminal liability as well as disciplinary action under college policies. To help you familiarize yourself with copyright and fair use policies, the college encourages you to visit the following web pages for more information on copyright: Copyright Basics and Copyright Clearance Center.
Graduation Requirements For Degree/Certificate Student
Each student will be certified for graduation in degree and/or certificate programs according to the requirements specified in the Kaskaskia College catalog at the time of the student’s initial enrollment if graduation requirements are met within a five-year period. Refer to the college catalog for specific requirements for graduation. It is recommended that students file the application for graduation prior to their last term of enrollment. The online graduation application can be found on myKC, under Web Advisor/Academic Profile.
Graduation application deadlines are as follows:
Spring March 1
Summer July 1
FALL December 1
Disability Services
Kaskaskia College provides support services and accommodations for students with documented disabilities. A disability can include physical, mental, psychological or learning limitations. The College is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. For further information, please contact the Director of Equity and Access at 618-545-3280.
Academic Center For Excellence Resources (ACE)
The ACE offers several services to enhance student success. Tutors are available for several courses by appointment; however, walk-ins are welcome. Distance tutoring through video chat is available at the KC Education Centers. The ACE proctors testing (as allowed by your instructor) for make-up exams and proctored online exams. Testing accommodations are available to students who receive DSS (Disability Support Services). ACE staff can assist students with making connections to services to meet personal and academic issues. The KC Library, housed in the ACE, provides access to over 17,000 books and a variety of periodicals in support of student research efforts. It also provides computers and quiet study areas as well as access to information housed in over 500 other libraries. ACE staff can be reached at 618-545-3160.
Emergency Procedures/Safety
The central Safety and Security desk is located at the main entrance of the HB Building. Each classroom and main entrance contains a campus map outlining procedures that include fire escape routes, first aid kits, AED (Automated External Defibrillator) locations, tornado shelter areas, and evacuation meeting areas. In the event of an emergency a detailed announcement will be made over the campus-wide PA system. Other methods of disseminating information include the College website, KCTV, KC Facebook, and KC Alerts.
College Activities/Religious Observances
Students faced with planned absences that include: college sponsored athletic events, college sponsored club events, or schedule conflicts with religious observances should make prior arrangements with the instructor a minimum of seven school days in advance of the absence.
Student Email
Kaskaskia College assigns an email account to all students consisting of an official college email address with a domain name of @students.kaskaskia.edu. All official communications will be emailed to these addresses. Email services are included in the Use of Computing and Network Facilities Policy; therefore students are advised that electronic data (and communications using the college network for transmission or storage) are the property of the college and may be reviewed and/or accessed by authorized college officials for purposes related to college business. Kaskaskia College has the right to expect all students to check their official email account on a frequent basis and read their emails in a timely fashion in order to remain informed of official college communications which may contain time sensitive information or affect day-to-day activities. Student email accounts are web accessible. Students who are not in possession of a home computer, or do not have access to a computer at work, can use computers available in the computer labs at the main campus and all education centers.
Sexual and Gender Based Misconduct
The College is committed to providing a learning and working environment that is free from discrimination, harassment, and other forms of sexual and gender based misconduct. To this end, a policy has been adopted to address issues directed at students including, but not limited to: unfair treatment based on sex, sexual harassment, sexual assault, sexual misconduct, and sexual violence. A policy titled , is the College’s comprehensive policy and meets requirements outlined in Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Violence Against Women Act, and the Illinois Preventing Sexual Violence in Higher Education Act. If a student experiences or observes sexual or gender based misconduct and reports this to a responsible employee, the College is required to respond quickly to protect students and investigate the report. Reports of any occurrences of sexual or gender based misconduct are to be made to the College’s Title IX coordinators. This reporting can be completed electronically on myKC. (https://mykc.kaskaskia.edu/), or by email, phone call or in person. The College’s Title IX Coordinator is:
Vice President of Student Services
Amy Zanton
azanton@kaskaskia.edu
Office 205 AD Building
618-545-3048
Use of Respondus Platform for Exam Proctoring
Kaskaskia College may use the web-based platform Respondus to monitor quizzes and/or exams taken remotely for purposes of detecting potential instances of academic dishonesty.
On quiz/exam day, students will need to have a photo ID available, and find a space to test that is quiet and where they are alone. As part of the proctored test, students may be required to undertake a “room scan”, which will involve rotating the webcam three hundred sixty degrees around the testing space.
If you have questions or concerns regarding the room scan requirement, please contact the Learning Innovation Center at OnlineSupport@kaskaskia.edu Technical information about how to use Respondus can be found on the Respondus Website.
In order to support student success, Kaskaskia College does provide students free computer and internet access at the main campus and all Education Centers. If you do not have access to the recommended computer resources needed for your course(s), please utilize the services provided by Kaskaskia College.
Kaskaskia College’s Mission Statement
Kaskaskia College is committed to life-long student learning and to providing quality comprehensive education.
