Student Records
The Registrar’s Office maintains permanent academic records on all students ever enrolled at the College. All practices and policies regarding the acquisition, retention, and disclosure of information to student records are formulated with respect to the student’s right to privacy. No record is kept that will detrimentally discriminate by race, creed, gender, or political belief of a student.
The Registrar’s Office maintains the official transcript and the official documents of each student. In summer 1995, the department began retaining new-student information in an electronic documents retrieval system. Transcripts of educational records contain only information about the student’s academic status and disciplinary action in cases where it affects the student’s eligibility to register. The personal electronic folder may contain the application for admission, immunization record, official transcript(s) from high school or previous college/university, results of admissions test, copies of official correspondence concerning admission status, and other actions taken with respect to the student’s academic work or study. These records are available only to members of the staff and faculty of the College who have demonstrated need for such information. Information is made available to other persons only with written permission of the student.
Students have the right to inspect the official transcript of their academic record and personal folder; to request an interpretation and explanation of information contained within these records; to request amendment of educational records that are incorrect or misleading or that violate privacy or other rights; and to request a hearing to amend such records, if necessary. Please note that FERPA rights extend only to applicants upon their acceptance and subsequent enrollment. Any and all records connected with an application are not subject to FERPA rights if the applicants was denied or accepted but never enrolled. The right to inspect does not include the right to copies of transcripts received from other educational institutions or other documents that do not originate from Georgia Highlands College. The College, without the student’s consent, may release the following information: name, address, phone number, enrollment status, dates of enrollment, degrees earned, major, honors, and awards. This information will be released upon request unless the student requests in writing to the Registrar that it not be released. The College will comply with applicable federal and state laws and with court orders that require the release of information under legal compulsion or in cases in which the physical well-being or safety of persons or property is involved.
Release of Transcripts
Georgia Highlands College charges per transcript request for paper and electronic transcripts. The Federal Educational Rights to Privacy Act (FERPA) requires written permission of the student to release a transcript. Transcripts will not be released to any student who has an outstanding financial obligation or any records hold.
President’s and Dean’s List
Academic excellence is recognized each semester by inclusion on the President’s List or Dean’s List. Students who complete a minimum of nine credit hours in a given semester - excluding Learning Support course work and who earn a GPA of 4.0 will be named to the President’s List for that semester. Students who complete a minimum of nine credit hours in a given semester - excluding Learning Support course work and who earn a minimum GPA of 3.5 will be named to the Dean’s List for that semester.
Academic Integrity
Members of the College community are expected to be familiar with the Georgia Highlands College Academic Integrity Code. This policy is found in the Student Handbook and the GHC website. Academic integrity applies to all academic work, including, but not limited to, exams, tests, quizzes, papers, reports, presentations, lab work, artwork, experiments, or any other effort that would be used in assessing the student’s grade. Work may be in written, oral, digital, or electronic form. Suspected or alleged violations will be reported and adjudicated according to the established policies and procedures found in the Student Handbook.
Catalog Editions
Students satisfy the degree requirements of the catalog in effect at the time they enter Georgia Highlands College. Students may request to change to a later catalog year, as long as they are enrolled during that same academic year. Degree requirements of more than one catalog edition cannot be combined. GHC reserves the right to change any provision listed in this catalog, including but not limited to academic requirements for graduation, without actual notice to individual students. Changes in academic regulations affect all students, regardless of catalog edition. Every effort will be made to keep students advised of any such changes. It is especially important that students note that it is their responsibility to keep themselves apprised of current graduation requirements for their degree program.
The Academic Year
The academic year is divided into two academic semesters of approximately sixteen weeks each and a shorter summer semester. Important dates for each semester can be found on the academic calendar. Students may enter Georgia Highlands College at the beginning of any semester or part of term.
Academic Credit Units
The unit of credit is the semester hour. A semester hour represents one hour of class meetings per week for one semester or its equivalent in other forms of instruction. Two or more hours of laboratory work per week are considered the equivalent of one semester hour. In the course description section of the catalog, the total semester hours of credit earned in the course is listed.
Student Classifications
The classification of a Georgia Highlands student is determined by the number of credit hours earned as follows:
| Classification | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| Freshman | 1-29 credits |
| Sophomore | 30 – 59 credits |
| Junior | 60 – 89 credits |
| Senior | 90 or more credits |