Academic Policies

For information on the Academic Honor Code, grading system, student classification, course repeat policies, acceptance of Advanced Placement credit, Dual Credit/Early College, and other academic policies, please refer to the Student Handbook.

Student Attendance Policy

The student attendance policy for each class will be determined by the instructor and it will be the student’s responsibility to comply with the policy for each class and/or program. No central attendance records, other than those required by state and federal regulations, are reported.

Withdrawal from Class

Student-Initiated Withdrawal: Students who choose not to continue in a course are responsible for officially withdrawing or dropping the course from their schedule. This can be done by submitting the Request to Drop Courses form through the myJALC student portal, or by contacting the Admissions and Records Office via email at admissions@jalc.edu or by phone at 618-985-2828, Ext. 8298.

To avoid academic penalties, students may formally withdraw from a course during the withdrawal period outlined in the Advisement Calendar. Due to the different course subterms, students must carefully review the course’s start and end dates to ensure they are within the allowable withdrawal period.  A grade of “W” will be assigned, which does not impact the student’s grade point average but may negatively affect completion rate and financial aid eligibility. Students with financial aid concerns should consult the Financial Aid Office. Students who withdraw from a class may register for that class again in a subsequent semester.

Students who do not drop a course during the designated drop period at the beginning of the semester, as outlined in the Advisement Calendar, will not be eligible for a refund of tuition and fees and may receive a failing grade.

Administrative Withdrawal: John A. Logan College reserves the right to administratively withdraw students for disciplinary reasons as outlined in the Student Handbook. The College may also withdraw students who fail to attend and/or actively participate in classes as required under federal financial aid funding guidelines.

Faculty-Initiated Withdrawal: Faculty are required to withdraw students who fail to regularly attend and/or participate in class as outlined in federal financial aid guidelines. To maintain compliance for the distribution of Title IV funds, instructors must withdraw students who fail face- to-face courses and participate in online and hybrid courses. The only exception would be for students with excused absences approved by the instructor or a scheduled, supervised College trip or function.Please refer to the examples below for further guidance on the withdrawal process for various course types:

• Face-to-Face (16, 12, and 10-week courses) Students should be withdrawn after missing consecutive class sessions equal to one week of the scheduled meetings for the course.
• Face-to-face (8 and 5-week courses) Students should be withdrawn after missing consecutive class sessions equal to half the weekly scheduled meetings for the course.
• Face-to-face (4-week and winter session courses) Students should be withdrawn after missing two consecutive class sessions, except for class sessions that fall on holidays recognized by the College. 
• Online (16, 12, and 10-week courses) Students should be withdrawn after failing to actively participate for one consecutive week of the course.
• Online (8 and 5-week courses) Students should be withdrawn after failing to actively participate for three consecutive days of the course.
• Online (4-week and winter session courses) Students should be withdrawn after failing to actively participate for two consecutive days, except for days that fall on holidays recognized by the College.
• Hybrid (16, 12, and 10-week courses) Students will be withdrawn after a combination of missing a class session(s) and failing to actively participate online for the equivalent of one week of the course.
• Hybrid (8 and 5-week courses) Students will be withdrawn after a combination of missing a class session(s) and failing to participate online for three days of the course.
• Hybrid (4-week and winter session courses) Students will be withdrawn after a combination of missing a class session(s) and failing to participate online for two days, except for days that fall on holidays recognized by the College.

Participation in online courses is defined as consistent and active engagement with course content, activities and assignments. This includes, but is not limited to, properly submitting assignments, participating in and completing online discussions, completing quizzes or exams, and fulfilling any other instructor-assigned tasks. Simply logging into D2L does not meet the standard for participation. Exceptions may apply for students with instructor-approved, excused absences.

Administrative Procedure to Withdraw a Student

The appropriate college administrator or faculty member will notify the Admissions and Records Office, in writing or through email or Qwickly Attendance, requesting students be withdrawn. Once the notification is received, students will be formally withdrawn from the course.The student will then receive an email notification of the withdrawal from the Admissions and Records Office. The notification will outline the student’s appeal options if they wish to re-enroll in the course. A faculty member granting a student’s appeal to be re-enrolled in a course must notify the Admissions and Records Office through email. “Withdrawal” grades may not be issued after the withdrawal period for the semester, as noted in the Advisement Calendar.

Audit Policy

Students who wish to explore a subject, review material, or attend a class for personal interest without affecting your GPA can audit a course. Students must obtain approval from the instructor of the course and contact Admissions and Records to enroll by emailing admissions@jalc.edu. Students will be charged the current tuition rate for the course(s). The course will appear on your transcript with an “AU” (Audit) grade instead of a letter grade. 

Academic Programs and Requirements

Specific degree and certificate requirements are outlined in program guides linked in this catalog. The following degrees are granted by John A. Logan College:

• Associate in Applied Science (AAS Degree): The AAS Degree is awarded for the satisfactory completion of a prescribed curriculum intended to prepare individuals for employment in a specific field. Some AAS degree programs include coursework and requirements dictated by specialized accreditation or licensure by a state or national organization. Many health career programs have entrance requirements based on specific test scores, academic grades, and residency. AAS degree programs are often articulated as a package with select four-year institutions in specified bachelor degree programs including Two-plus-Two, Capstone, or Program-to-Program articulation agreements.
• Associate in Arts (AA) Degree: The AA Degree is intended to equate to the first two years of a four-year baccalaureate degree. An AA degree program includes the IAI transferable general education core curriculum (GECC) to satisfy the lower division general education requirements for a bachelor’s degree at participating IAI institutions in Illinois. The program guides prepared for each AA degree program include the common lower division course recommendations/requirements for the corresponding bachelor’s degree option at four-year institutions
• Associate in Engineering Science (AES) Degree: The AES Degree is aligned with the first two years of a baccalaureate degree in engineering. Unlike the AA degree, the AES does not include the full IAI GECC component. Completion of the GECC package should be an option after transferring to an IAI-participating institution.
• Associate in Fine Arts (AFA) Degree: The AFA Degree is aligned with the first two years of a baccalaureate degree in a fine arts area such as music or art. Unlike the AA degree, the AFA does not include the full GECC package. Completing the GECC package should be an option after transferring to an IAI-participating institution.
• Associate in General Studies (AGS) Degree: The intent of the AGS is to meet the unique needs and interests of students that cannot be met by another associate degree option. An AGS degree program is individually designed by mutual agreement between students and a college-appointed academic advisor. The courses selected may or may not be accepted by a four-year institution, and if accepted may or may not be evaluated as applicable to a specific degree program or major. AGS candidates may be enrolled in a certificate program and find a need for earning an associate degree. Other AGS candidates may want to design a program providing a broad general education background.
• Associate in Science (AS) Degree: The Associate in Science (AS) degree is designed to align with the first two years of a bachelor’s degree. It includes the Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI) General Education Core Curriculum (GECC), but does not fully meet lower-division general education requirements at participating IAI institutions. To complete the GECC, students must take an additional 3 credit hours in humanities or fine arts and 3 credit hours in social sciences. These courses may be taken as electives at John A. Logan College or after transfer. If completed at the four-year institution, students may request a transcript be sent back to John A. Logan College for review and, if eligible, the “IAI GECC package completed” designation will be added to their official transcript. Program guides for each AS degree outline recommended lower-division courses that align with related bachelor’s degree pathways at four-year institutions.
• Certificate of Achievement: The Certificate of Achievement prepares individuals for employment or advancement in various occupational specialties.

General Program Requirements

To be awarded an Associate in Applied Science (AAS), Associate in Arts (AA), Associate in Engineering Science (AES), Associate in Fine Arts (AFA), Associate in General Studies (AGS) or Associate in Science (AS) degree, a student must:

• complete at least twelve (12) semester hours of credit from John A. Logan College with an overall grade-point average of 2.0;
• satisfactorily complete all specific degree and credit hour requirements outlined on the appropriate curriculum guide; and
• apply for graduation online by the application deadline set by Admissions and Records displayed on the College website.

A student can only be awarded one Associate in Arts, Associate in Engineering Science, Associate in Fine Arts, or Associate in Science degree; however students can be awarded a combination of the above-mentioned degrees. A student can be awarded multiple Associate in Applied Science degrees if all requirements are met.

To be awarded a Certificate of Achievement, the student must:

• complete at least nine (9) semester hours of credit at John A. Logan College. If the certificate is less than fifteen (15) semester hours, three (3) semester hours of credit must be completed at John A. Logan College;
• satisfactorily complete all certificate program and credit hour requirements outlined on the appropriate curriculum guide with a 2.0 overall grade-point average; and
• apply for graduation online by the application deadline set by Admissions and Records on the College website.

To be awarded the General Education Core Curriculum (GECC) Credential, the student must:

• complete at least nine (9) semester hours of credit at John A. Logan College with an overall grade-point average of 2.0;
• satisfactorily complete all credential requirements as noted in the IAI General Education Package Requirements on the Illinois Articulation Initiative Transfer Portal (iTransfer.org).

The GECC credential will not be awarded if a student has already earned an Associate of Arts degree.

Student Success (ORI)

Beginning Fall 2019, students are required to complete ORI 100   or SCI 100  , college orientation, as part of their degree completion prior to graduation. Orientation is designed to help students transition smoothly into college life by introducing them to key resources, support services, academic expectations, and campus policies. It also helps students build connections with faculty, staff, and fellow students, setting a strong foundation for success in their first semester and beyond. 

Students pursuing a degree or certificate requiring more than 29 credit hours must enroll in a first-year experience course, either ORI 100   or SCI 100  . Students may be exempt if they have 30 or more qualifying transfer credits, have previously completed a first-year experience course, or already hold a degree. To apply for an exemption, students should consult with their academic advisor to complete the ORI 100   Exemption form.

Reverse Transfer

Students who transfer to a four-year institution before completing the IAI GECC package and/or earning an Associate Degree may later send an official transcript back to John A. Logan College for a review of remaining requirements. If all degree or GECC requirements are met, the student may submit an online graduation application to have the degree awarded. Prior to applying for graduation, students must contact the Admissions and Records Office via email at admissions@jalc.edu or by phone at 618-985-2828, Ext. 8213 to notify them of the reverse transfer.

Waiver of Academic Requirements

Institutional Responsibility: To maintain the integrity of the College’s academic programs, specific criteria must be established for admission to certain courses and curricula, minimum standards for continued enrollment must be defined, and clear requirements for program completion and degree conferral must be set.

In certain cases-such as curriculum updates, transfer credit evaluations, or scheduling conflicts-requests to waive required courses or substitute alternative courses must be submitted through the student’s advisor and approved by the Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs. Written approval from the Assistant Dean must be on file with the Admissions and Records Office before the student’s formal graduation check.