Academics

ACADEMIC INFORMATION

The student is obligated to know his/her standing and rating in college classes during the semester and to secure these ratings before registering for the next semester. He/she is expected to always be familiar with his/her scholastic status. The advisors and success coordinators will confer with students concerning unsatisfactory work during and at the end of the semester. The object of such conferences will be to determine the cause of unsatisfactory work, to advise the student about improvement, and to offer any assistance which the college and instructors of the college might give the student.

Classification:

Freshman: Students with less than 30 semester hours of credit are freshmen.
Sophomore: Students with 30-60 hours of credit are classified as sophomores.

TYPES OF DEGREES AND CERTIFICATES

Hill College offers the Associate of Arts Degree, the Associate of Science Degree, the Associate of Arts in Teaching, the Associate of Applied Science Degree, Certificate of Technology, Certificate of Completion, and Occupational Skills Award.

A student who fails to graduate at the expected time and completes the remaining requirements at another institution may transfer hours of work back to Hill College. Official transcripts must be requested to be sent to Student Information Services. Reverse graduation students should complete an online graduation application.

SEMESTER HOURS AND CREDIT

The college operates on the semester plan with two long semesters (16 Week) and summer terms (5 Week each).

Hill College follows federal, and state accepted practices by awarding credit based on semester credit hours for courses and programs, regardless of format or mode of delivery. Hill College defines credit hour as one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work for each week for approximately fifteen weeks of one semester or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or at least an equivalent amount of work as required in other activities established by the College, including laboratory work, internships, clinical work, independent study, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours. In accordance with commonly accepted practices in higher education, Hill College operates on a 50-minute hour for this definition. Only exceptional students, upon approval of the Vice President of Student Learning and Success, Vice President of the Student Experience, or designee may take more than 19 semester hours.

In the summer semester, a student normally earns 6 semester credit hours in five weeks and 12 in eleven.

ARTICULATION AND TRANSFER

Hill College has the highest accreditation possible for any college or university. Because of this recognition, Hill College credits are regarded as equivalent to courses of the same description at 65 all colleges and universities. Transfer problems occur only when students elect to deviate from planned educational objectives. Examples of transfer difficulties include those encountered by students who change majors or who change from a two-year career education program to a transfer program. Please refer to the college website at www.hillcollege.edu for specific articulated programs with colleges and/or universities or speak to an Advisor or Success Coordinator.

Advisors have access to a wide range of information on credit transfer. Students should work with an advisor to design a pathway consistent with the student's educational goals. Changes in plans should be discussed with the advisor to avoid potential transfer problems.

To assist students transferring to other institutions within the state of Texas, Hill College has joined with other junior/community colleges and universities in the State of Texas and has adopted a common course numbering system. The numbering system improves articulation and assists students transferring between institutions.

A senior college is authorized by the Association of Texas Colleges to accept 66 semester hours from a junior college. After attending a senior college, a student may transfer 6 additional hours (in addition to the 66) from the junior college provided the hours are approved in advance by the senior college.

Many schools will accept 72 semester credit hours from a junior college because of the heavy load required of first year and sophomore students in some degrees.

RESOLUTION OF TRANSFER DISPUTES
FOR LOWER-DIVISION COURSES

The following procedures shall be followed by public institutions of higher education in the resolution of credit transfer disputes involving lower-division courses:
1. If an institution of higher education does not accept course credit earned by a student at another institution of higher education, the receiving institution shall give written notice to the student and to the sending institution that transfer of the course credit is denied. A receiving institution shall also provide written notice of the reasons for denying credit for a particular course or set of courses at the request of the sending institution.
2. A student who receives notice as specified in subsection (1) of this section may dispute the denial of credit by contacting a designated official at either the sending or the receiving institution.
3. The two institutions and the student shall try to resolve the course credit transfer in accordance with Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board rules and guidelines.
4. If the transfer dispute is not resolved to the satisfaction of the student or the sending institution within 45 days after the date the student received written notice of denial, the institution that denies the course credit for transfer shall notify the Commissioner of its denial and the reasons for the denial.
The Commissioner of Higher Education or the Commissioner's designee shall make the final determination about a dispute concerning the transfer of course credit and give written notice of the determination to the involved student and institutions.
Each institution of higher education shall publish in its course catalogs the procedures specified in subsections (a), (b), (d), and (e) of this section.
The board shall collect data on the types of transfer disputes reported and the disposition of each case considered by the commissioner or the commissioner's designee.
If a receiving institution has cause to believe that a course being presented by a student for transfer from another school is not of an acceptable level of quality, it should first contact the sending institution and attempt to resolve the problem. If the two institutions are unable to come to a satisfactory resolution, the receiving institution may notify the Commissioner of Higher Education, who may investigate the course. If its quality is found to be unacceptable, the board may discontinue funding for the course.

TRANSFER OF CREDIT

Credit for courses in which a passing grade (D or better) has been earned may be transferred to Hill College from a postsecondary institution accredited by one of the regional accrediting bodies. Each transfer student is responsible for having official transcripts from all colleges sent to Hill College. A course from an accredited institution will be accepted in lieu of a specific course at Hill College only if evidence indicates the course is equivalent.

Course work completed at colleges and universities outside the United States will be considered for transfer on an individual basis. All foreign credentials submitted to Hill College must include the original transcript plus a certified English translation.

Transfer work from accredited institutions will be posted to the Hill College transcript when:

all official transcripts have been received, and
the student has been identified as seeking a certificate or degree from Hill College.

UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS

Hill College is working with university partners to develop upper-level degree course offerings on the Hill College campus that will enable students to complete a bachelor’s degree without leaving Hill College or the central Texas area. This makes it easier for students interested in continuing to a four-year degree program to get the right advice, take the right courses, and have a seamless transition.

Students receive course counseling, registration assistance, and introductions to the partner university instructors. Dual admission participants will have access to various student benefits, such as:

University credit for their work at Hill College
Library usage on participating campuses
Attendance to university student performances, sporting venue, & other events
Access to university advisors
Huge saving from lower housing costs and lower admissions costs by attending Hill College the first two years
Transfer Scholarship Opportunities

Refer to the Hill College website for a complete listing of University Partners.

TEXAS TWO-STEP PROGRAM PARTNERS

The Texas TWO-STEP Project offers a seamless transition from an associate’s degree in specified areas at Hill College to a BA/BS at partnering Universities. This program will allow students to use technological interest as part of a four-year degree.

The Texas TWO-STEP Project (Technology Workforce Opportunities through Seamless Transitions and Educational Partnerships) allows a student to utilize up to 37 technical hours of coursework in a degree plan that focuses on a career goal.

Refer to the Hill College website for a complete listing of Texas TWO-STEP Project university partners.

TUITION REBATE PROGRAM

(Texas Education Code ss.54.0065)

Students who graduate with a baccalaureate degree from a Texas public university may qualify to receive $1,000 from the baccalaureate-granting institution if they meet the following criteria:

Must have enrolled for the first time in an institution of higher education in the fall 1997 semester or later,
Must be requesting a rebate for work related to a first baccalaureate degree received from a Texas public university,
Must have been a resident of Texas and have been entitled to always pay resident tuition while pursuing the degree, and
Must have attempted no more than three hours more than the minimum number of semester hours required to complete the degree under the catalog under which they were graduated. Hours attempted include transfer credits, course credit earned exclusively by examination, (except that, for the purposes of this program, only the number of semester credit hours earned exclusively by examination in excess of nine semester hours is treated as hours attempted), courses dropped after the official census date, for-credit developmental courses, optional internship and cooperative education courses, and repeated courses. For students concurrently earning a baccalaureate degree and a Texas teaching certificate, required teacher education courses shall not be counted to the extent that they are over and above the free electives allowed in the baccalaureate degree program.

HILL COLLEGE GRADUATE GUARANTEE

Guarantee for Transfer Credit

The Hill College District guarantees to its Associate of Arts graduates and other students who have met the requirements of a 60-credit hour transfer plan the transferability of course credits to those Texas colleges or universities which cooperate in the development of Hill College District Course Selection Guides. If such courses are rejected by the college or the university, the student 68 may take tuition-free alternate courses at Hill College which are acceptable to the college or university. Special Conditions which apply to the Guarantee are as follows:

Transferability means the acceptance of credits toward a specific major and degree. Courses must be identified by the receiving university as transferable and applicable in course Selection Guides dates 1992-93 or later;
Limitations of total number of credits accepted in transfer, grades required, relevant grade point average, and duration of transferability apply as stated in the catalog of the receiving institution; and,
The guarantee applies to courses included in a written transfer (degree) plan -- which includes the institution to which the student will transfer, the baccalaureate major and degree sought, and the date such a decision was made -- which must be filed with Hill College.
Only college-level courses with the Academic Course Guide Manual (ACGM) approved numbers are included in this guarantee.
If all conditions are met and courses or courses are not accepted by a receiving institution in transfer, the student must notify Hill College within 10 days (about 1 and a half weeks) of notice of transfer credit denial so the “Transfer Dispute Resolution” process can be initiated.
If it is determined that the course or courses are not transferable, Hill College will allow the student to take up to 6 semester credit hours of comparable courses, which are acceptable to the receiving institution.
The guarantee does not imply that the graduate will pass any licensing or qualifying examination for a particular career.
The students’ sole remedy against this College and its employees for academic deficiencies shall be limited to 6 credit hours of tuition-free education under the conditions described above.

Guarantee for Job Competency

If a recipient of an Associate of Applied Science degree, Certificate of Completion, or Certificate of Technology is judged by his/her employer to be lacking in technical job skills identified as exit competencies for his/her specific degree program, the graduate will be provided up to 6 tuitionfree credit hours of additional skill training by the College under the condition of the guarantee policy. Special conditions which apply to the guarantee include the following:

The graduate must have earned the Associate of Applied Science degree, the Certificate of Completion, or Certificate of Technology beginning May 1993, or thereafter in an occupational program identified in the college catalog.
The graduate must have completed the requirements for the Associate of Applied Science degree, the Certificate of Completion, or the Certificate of Technology at Hill College, with a minimum 75 percent of credits earned at Hill College, and must have completed the degree within a four-year time span.
Graduates must be employed full-time in an area related to the area of program concentration as certified by the Vice President of Student Learning and Success.
Employment must commence within 12 months of graduation.
The employer must certify in writing that the employee lacks entry-level skills identified by Hill College as the employee’s program competencies and must specify the deficiency areas within 90 days of the graduate’s initial employment.
The employer, division dean, job placement counselor, and appropriate faculty member will develop a written educational plan for retraining.
Retraining will be limited to 6 credit hours related to the identified skill deficiency and to those classes regularly scheduled during the period covered by the retraining plan.
All retraining must be completed within a calendar year from the time the educational plan is agreed upon.
The graduate and/or employer are responsible for the cost of books, insurance, uniforms, fees, and other course-related expenses.
The guarantee does not imply the graduate will pass any licensing or qualifying examination for a particular career.
Student’s sole remedy against district and its employees for skill deficiencies shall be limited to 6 credit hours of tuition-free education under conditions described above.
The program can be initiated through a written contract with the office of the college president.

PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT

Hill College (HC) strives to provide students with opportunities to receive credit for prior learning while still maintaining the academic integrity of its academic programs. Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) evaluates an individual’s learning outside the college classroom. PLA gives students an opportunity to earn college credits for college-level knowledge they have acquired through experience including military service and training, advanced high school courses, recognized exams and certifications, and others.

Students may petition for course credit for experiential learning, non-credit course completion, professional development, licensure/certifications, and national exams. Course credit is awarded when content mastered through an experience is comparable to the student learning outcomes of a HC course. Participants benefit from recognized learning outside the traditional classroom, reduced program costs, and timely degree completion.

To accommodate this need, HC has developed the Prior Learning Assessment Guidelines and Procedures Manual. This manual is designed to provide information about the diverse ways in which students obtain academic credit for learned knowledge and skills outside a classroom setting. This academic college credit can be awarded through the following prior learning demonstrations:

Military Training
Professional Work Experience
External Exams Credit
Internal Credit by Exam
Job Training and Workforce Education Mirror Courses
Licensure and Professional Certification

The offices of Instruction and Student Services work collaboratively to process assessment requests. The Office of the Vice President for Instruction ensures PLA adheres to institutional policies and regional accreditation standards, maintains academic integrity, and follows current business processes. The Vice President of the Student Experience provides support to PLA applicants through academic advising, application assistance, and credit posting. HC policies and procedures are consistent with Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) principles and with Hill College Board Policies EGA (Legal) and EGAA (Local).

This PLA Guidelines and Procedures Manual provides students with insight regarding student eligibility requirements to request credit, the credit for prior learning guidelines, the amount of fees required if applicable, the criteria for each prior learning assessment, and the HC procedures for granting credit.

CREDIT BY EXAMINATION/EXPERIENCE

(College Credit Granted for Non-Traditional Education)

Hill College supports the concept that learning can and does occur outside the traditional college classroom. In today's world, many students acquire substantial education through intensive reading, travel, correspondence courses, television, and other non-traditional avenues of learning.

A maximum of 24 semester hours of credit may be earned by examination or other non-traditional forms of education and applied towards the degree.

A student planning to transfer to other institutions should consult with those institutions regarding their policies on acceptance of evaluated credit.

Students must be enrolled in and successfully complete at least 6 semester credit hours at Hill College for credit to be posted on the permanent record. A posting fee is charged to record the course on the student’s permanent transcript. See Tuition and Fee Schedule on the college website at www.hillcollege.edu.

The course number, the course title, and the number of semester hours of credit will be recorded on the transcript. No grade points are earned; credit may not be used to meet residency requirements.

Evaluated Credit - (Evaluation of Credentials)

Students may earn credit by an evaluation of various credentials:

State or national board exams/certifications, (LVN, R.N., Cosmetology, Criminal Justice, Fire and Emergency Management Services).
Non-traditional transcripts, (Hospital schools, cosmetology, etc....)
Nationally recognized tests or certifications.
Formal Military Training.

Advanced Placement Examinations (AP)

Entering first-year students who have participated in advancement placement courses in a secondary school and who present scores of 3 or above on the appropriate Advanced Placement Examination may be granted, on request, credit, or placement for comparable courses at Hill College following enrollment. Credit may not be used to meet residency requirements. Requests for additional information on Advanced Placement (AP) credit at Hill College should be directed to the Academic Advising and Success Center.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

Students who believe that they already possess the knowledge and/or skills taught in certain courses or programs offered by the college may obtain credit for one or more courses by successfully taking an examination. The College Level Examination Program (CLEP) is a national testing program administered by the Educational Testing Service. Hill College is a test center for CLEP. Hill College awards credit for students who successfully complete one or more CLEP subject examinations. Except in ENGL 1301, Composition, and ENGL 1302, Composition and Intro. to Literature, Hill College grants credit based on the College Board CLEP General Examination Scores. To receive credit in ENGL 1301 and ENGL 1302, students must also pass a written essay. (For additional information, see an advisor.)

Scholastic Assessment Test I (SAT I & SAT II)

American College Test

Beginning freshman who present scores of 600 or better on the verbal or mathematics section of the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT I) of the College Board or scores of 30 or better on the English or Mathematics sections of the American College Test (ACT) of the American College Testing Program may take the English and/or Mathematics Departmental Challenge Examination. Successful applicants may receive credit for ENGL 1301, ENGL 1302, MATH 1314, MATH 2413, and/or MATH 2414.

ARTICULATED COURSES

Any high school student graduating with one or more years in a technical program may receive advanced placement or advanced standing in a parallel college program at Hill College. Advanced placement or advanced standing at Hill College can be awarded based on any one or any combination of the following:

Recommendation of the high school vocational instructor,
Recommendation of the high school vocational director,
Evaluation of the student's vocational program competency profile,
Departmental examinations.

A student should apply within one year after high school graduation. A maximum of 15 semester hours of college credit can be awarded for courses provided the student has not enrolled in the same course or on a higher-level sequential course at Hill College or another college. The student will be allowed to apply for advanced placement or advanced standing only one time. Credits earned this way will not become part of the student's permanent record until an equivalent number of semester hours are earned in regular classes at Hill College.

Students desiring credit by this means and who expect to transfer to another institution are advised to check with the receiving institution concerning the transferability of credit obtained by this method.

ITERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE DIPLOMA

The International Baccalaureate Diploma is an international program of courses and exams offered at the high school level. In keeping with Senate Bill 111 passed in 2005, the Hill College will grant (CR) credit for IB exams with certain required scores beginning fall of 2006.

Texas institutions of higher education must award 24 hours of course-specific college credit in appropriate subject areas on all IB exams scores of 4 or above if the incoming freshman earned an IB diploma. However, course credit does not have to be awarded on any IB exams where the score received is a 3 or less. This may mean that such students will not receive 24 hours of college credit, even if they have an IB diploma.

Students must send an IB transcript to Hill College. All IB students must show proof of meeting the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) requirements prior to their initial enrollment at Hill College.

Students bringing in an IB transcript for credit evaluation should consider the total number of qualifying credits to be awarded. Additional hours above the required amount to graduate may have an adverse impact on students’ financial aid or other grant programs. In addition, no Texas public university or college shall be required to accept in transfer, or toward a degree program, more than 66 semester credit hours of lower division academic credit.

Hill College Credit of IBD - Policy

IB EXAMINATION	SCORE	HILL COLLEGE COURSE	CREDIT HOURS
BIOLOGY (SL)	4, 5, 6 or 7	BIOL 1406	4
BIOLOGY (SL)	4, 5, 6, or 7	BIOL 1406 & 1407	8
BUSINESS & MANAGEMENT	4, 5, 6 or 7	BUSI 1301	3
CHEMISTRY (SL)	4, 5, 6 or 7	CHEM 1411	4
CHEMISTRY (HL)	4, 5, 6, or 7	CHEM 1411 & 1412	8
COMPUTER SCIENCE	4, 5, 6 or 7	COSC 1301	3
ECONOMICS (SL)	4, 5, 6 or 7	ECON 2301 & 2302	6
ECONOMICS (HL)	4, 5, 6, or 7	ECON 2301 & 2302	6
ENGLISH (SL) Language A1 or A2	4, 5, 6 or 7	ENGL 1301 & 1302	6
GEOGRAPHY	4, 5, 6 or 7	HL- GEOG 1301 7 1303 SL0 GEOG 1301	6
HISTORY OF THE AMERICAS (HL)	4, 5, 6, or 7	HIST 1301 & 1302	6
Mathematics (HL)	4, 5, 6 or 7	MATH 1314	6
Mathematics w/ Further Mathematics	4, 5, 6, or 7	MATH 1314 & 1316	9
Mathematical Methods	4, 5, 6 or 7	MATH 2413	5
MODERN LANGUAGES
Language A1 or A2 (SL)

French	4, 5, 6, or 7	FREN 1411 & 1412	8
Spanish	4, 5, 6 or 7	SPAN 1411 & 1412	8
Language A1 or A2 (HL)
French	4, 5, 6 or 7	FREN 1411, 1412, 2311 & 2312	14
Spanish	4, 5, 6, or 7	SPAN 1411, 1412, 2311 & 2312	14
Language B (SL)
French	4, 5, 6 or 7	FREN 1411 & 1412	8
Spanish	4, 5, 6, or 7	SPAN 1411 & 1412	8
Language B (HL)
French	4, 5, 6 or 7	FREN 1411, 1412, 2311 & 2312	14
Spanish	4, 5, 6, or 7	SPAN 1411, 1412, 2311 & 2312	14
Language AB Initio
French	4, 5, 6 or 7	FREN 1411	4
Spanish	4, 5, 6, or 7	SPAN 1411	4
MUSIC	4, 5, 6 or 7	MUSI 1306	6
PHILOSOPHY	4, 5, 6 or 7	PHIL 1301	3
PHYSICS (SL)	4, 5, 6, or 7	PHYS 1401	4
PHYSICS (HL)	4, 5, 6 or 7	PHYS 1401 & 1402	8
PSYCHOLOGY	4, 5, 6 or 7	PSYC 2301	3
THEATRE ARTS	4, 5, 6, or 7	DRAM 1310	3
VISUAL ARTS	4, 5, 6 or 7	ARTS 1301	3

GRADES

The grades used in college reports and records are A (excellent), B (above average), C (average), D (below average), F (failure), I (incomplete), W (withdrawn), and WC (withdraw COVID-19). (A grade of “D” given in a developmental or remedial course is not considered passing and students could not advance to the next level of courses.) The lowest passing grade for most courses is D.

Grade point averages are computed by assigning values to each grade as follows:

A = 4 points B = 3 points C = 2 points D = 1 point F = 0 points

In calculating the grade point average under the above system, a student with 12 hours of A's and 3 hours of F's would have 48 grade points divided by 15 semester hours, thus a grade point average of 3.20 for the semester hours attempted. Under this system a student must have at least a 2.00 for the "C" average required for graduation.

In case of illness or similar emergency, a grade of Incomplete (I) may be given. Students requesting an Incomplete (I) must see their instructor for approval. If course requirements are not completed during the next long semester, the grade of "I" will be changed to "F".

A student who repeats a course to improve a grade will be awarded the grade from the last attempt.

GRADE REPORTS

Permanent grades are reported at the end of each semester via MyHC, the online student portal, on the Hill College website at www.hillcollege.edu.

PRESIDENT'S LIST

The purpose of the President's List is to honor those students who achieve academic perfection by making the highest-grade point average possible, 4.0, while enrolled in at least 12 semester hours of courses, excluding developmental/remedial courses.

DEAN'S LIST

At the end of each semester, a Dean's List of the highest-ranking students will be compiled. To make the Hill College Dean's List, a student must complete at least 12 semester hours, excluding developmental/remedial courses, during the semester under consideration and earn a grade point average of 3.50 in all courses attempted during the semester.

SCHEDULE CHANGES

Students who have satisfied mandatory advising, do not have registration holds, and are considered college ready in all areas have the ability to make changes to their schedule online through MyHC during registration periods. After the 1st day of class until the last day to make changes based on the college calendar, students can Add/Drop courses online, but are not allowed to resign from all courses and must contact the Advising and Success Center. After last chance registration, students must see the Advising and Success Center for assistance. No course(s) may be added after the date designated by the school calendar as the last date to add a course.

A student may withdraw from a course with a grade of "W" any time after the census date for the semester and on or before the end of the 12th week of a long semester or on or before the last day to withdraw from a class of a term as designated in the college calendar. The request for permission to withdraw from a course is initiated by the student contacting the Advising and Success Center. Other steps in the withdrawal process to be taken by the student will be explained at the time of request. A student who discontinues class attendance and does not officially withdraw from the course on or before the last day to withdraw from a course will receive a performance grade for the course.

Students may withdraw from a developmental course unless they are required by TSI to be in remediation. A student who is enrolled in a developmental course for TSI purposes may not withdraw from his/her only developmental course unless the student completely resigns from the college or shows proof of passing the TSIA or a board approved alternate test prior to the official final date to withdraw.

International students and students receiving financial aid or veterans’ assistance should see the appropriate college official before dropping or withdrawing from any class. Any student considering withdrawing from a course should contact his/her instructor before initiating a drop or withdrawal.

A student who wishes to retroactively withdraw from Hill College for any reason is expected to withdraw by the withdrawal deadline as published in the Academic Calendar. Requests to withdraw after this date are considered only if there are compelling documented reasons that prevented the student from completing their withdrawal on or before the designated deadline per term.A retroactive withdrawal may be initiated through the Official Appeal for Withdrawal/Resignation with the Advising and Success Center. Students have until the next long semester's end date, as published in the current or succeeding year's Academic Calendar, to be considered for approval. Note that tuition refunds are limited according to the College Refund Policy.

DROP-LIMIT PROCEDURE

Section 51.907 of the Texas Education Code, enacted by the State of Texas during spring 2007, applies to students who enroll in a public institution of higher education as a first-time first-year student in fall 2007 or later.

Based on this law, Hill College may not permit a student to drop more than six courses during their undergraduate career, including courses taken at another Texas public institution of higher education. Any course that the student drops is counted towards the six course limit if “1) the student was able to drop the course without receiving a grade or incurring an academic penalty; 76 2) the student’s transcript indicates or will indicate that the student was enrolled in the course; and 3) the student is not dropping the course in order to withdraw from the institution.” College credit taken while enrolled in high school and below college credit courses does not count towards six courses.

All courses dropped after the census date (the 12th day of classes) are included in the six-course limit unless (1) the student resigns from all courses or (2) the drop is approved by an appropriate Hill College official as a Drop Exception. If a student drops a course and then later resigns from Hill College, the individual drop(s) from earlier in the semester will be counted as a part of the complete resignation and not count towards the six-drop total. Once the six drops have been used, the student must complete all courses they are enrolled in regardless of academic performance.

Unusual circumstances may arise which prevent a student from satisfactorily completing a course. Drop Exceptions can be considered when the student provides documentation that the drop is required and that because of the circumstances, the student could not satisfactorily complete the course. Examples include (but are not limited to):

Serious illness or debilitating condition
Responsible for care of sick, injured, or needy
Death of a family member or other important person
Family or important person called to active-duty
Change in student’s work schedule that is beyond control
Other good cause
Total withdraw for the term
Withdrawal/drop that contributes to 6-drop count
Hill College determines another good cause for the students to drop the course with appropriate documentation.

If one of the above exceptions is approved, the student will be allowed to drop the course and the drop will not count towards the six-drop limit total.

The student has up to one year from the initial drop to petition for a Drop Exception.

RESIGNING FROM THE COLLEGE

When a student finds it necessary to resign from school before the end of the semester and by the published deadline as designated in the academic calendar, he or she should inquire with the Advising and Success Center. Full instructions for resigning from college will be given when the resignation is made. Students may also resign from the college by sending a written request for such action to Student Information Services. The request must include the student's signature, the student's current address, Hill College student identification number, phone number, and course names and numbers of the courses for which the student is currently enrolled. The date postmarked on the envelope will be the official resignation date. Students who resign after the census date for the semester and on or before the end of the 12th week of a long semester or on or before the last day to drop a class of a term as designated in the college calendar will be assigned a grade of "W." A student who discontinues class attendance and does not officially resign before the last day to drop a class will receive a performance grade for the course.

EXAMINATIONS

Semester Examinations. At the end of each semester examinations are given in all subjects according to a prepared schedule. Because of the value in bringing about a general view of a whole subject, no student is excused from any final examination for any reason. No final examination may be given other than on the regularly scheduled date unless approved by the Vice President of Student Learning and Success.
Postponed Examinations. A student who misses a semester examination for reason beyond control should petition in writing for a postponed examination. The student will be notified of the time and place of the postponed examination if the request is granted. Absence from an examination without valid reason will result in a grade of "F" for the course.

SCHOLASTIC STANDARDS OF PROGRESS

Measure of Quality. The records of all students who attempt 12 or more semester hours will be reviewed and evaluated at least once per year. A full-time student's record will be reviewed at the end of each semester. Full-time students and part-time students who have attempted 12 or more semester hours will be achieving satisfactory progress in "Good Standing" if they earn a cumulative 2.0 grade point average or higher (on a 4.0 scale).
Scholastic Probation. Students who do not achieve satisfactory progress (cumulative minimum G.P.A. of 2.0) will be placed on Scholastic Probation for the next long semester. Students on scholastic probation are expected to attend every class unless hindered by circumstances beyond their control.
Scholastic Suspension. Students who are on scholastic probation and fail to achieve minimum cumulative G.P.A. of 2.0 or higher during the next term will be placed on scholastic Suspension (suspended from enrollment for the next long semester). After serving a one-semester suspension, these students can re-enter scholastic probation. A student may appeal this action by submitting an online appeal application if there are extenuating circumstances which might alter the suspension status. Students are notified of the appeal decision through the online appeal status. If an appeal is denied, a student may request in writing to meet with the Admissions Committee for further review of circumstances. Approved appeals may have restrictions on enrollment.
Continued Scholastic Probation. Continued probation instead of suspension will be in effect for students who fail to achieve the cumulative 2.0 G.P.A. but in the current semester earn 12 or more semester hours with current 2.0 or higher G.P.A. When these students attain the cumulative minimum of 2.0 or higher G.P.A., they will be in "Good Standing."
Re-entry. Students who have been on suspension may re-enter scholastic probation. If they fail to meet the minimum requirements as indicated, they will be placed on scholastic suspension for one calendar year. After one year the student may be admitted on scholastic probation. Should the student still not meet the minimum requirements, he/she will be placed on scholastic suspension again for a calendar year and may be re-admitted only upon approval through the online appeal process.

STANDARDS OF PROGRESS IN REMEDIAL COURSES

Students who do not make satisfactory progress in mandatory remedial course(s) (regardless of overall G.P.A. will be placed on attendance probation. Students are expected to attend every class unless hindered by circumstances beyond their control.

TRANSCRIPTS OF CREDITS

A student’s transcript, a student’s permanent record of classes taken at Hill College, is available upon written request from Student Information Services. Official transcripts are free of charge. Requests for official transcripts are completed and submitted electronically through MyHC, the online student portal. Transcripts can be sent electronically via SPEEDE servers within Texas to participating public and private colleges and universities. Please allow 48 hours (about 2 days) for processing a transcript request. If a student’s account is not active or the student does not have a MyHC account, then students will need to email admissions@hillcollege.edu. A link will be provided to the official transcript request form. For additional assistance, contact Student Information Services at 254.659.7600.

Official transcripts may be withheld if a student has an administrative hold on his or her record or if a student has an outstanding financial obligation with the institution. Official transcripts will be released after all administrative holds have been released and all financial obligations to the institution have been discharged.

Academics