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Academic Affairs Policies

Academic Affairs Policies: 2000s

2010: Academic Freedom Policy

Academic freedom allows all faculty to seek and present knowledge in their respective disciplines. Faculty members are free to explore problem and issues, without fear of interference from administrators, the Board of Trustees, governmental agencies, the public, students or parents of students. Faculty members have a basic responsibility to promote freedom of thought, expression and the pursuit of knowledge.

Faculty members have an obligation to protect students’ rights to freedom of inquiry. In using potentially controversial materials, the faculty member has the obligation to ensure the material meets the valid educational objectives of the class. Faculty members have the responsibility to exercise reasonableness and good judgment in their presentations and to function within the ethics and standards of their respective disciplines and the teaching profession.

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2020: Academic Honesty

Students are expected to maintain a high standard of honesty in their academic work. Cheating and plagiarism are specifically prohibited under the college’s Student Rights and Responsibilities provisions.

Acts of cheating may include submitting for credit work that is not the student’s own, copying examination answers from fellow students or other sources or assisting other students in acts of these kinds.

Plagiarism, the presentation of another’s writing or ideas as one’s own, can take a number of forms – failing to cite sources, copying source text or online sources without quotation, or inadequately paraphrasing or synthesizing source materials.

Students who are unsure of what might constitute plagiarism or cheating are encouraged to consult their instructors, class materials and other college resources for guidance.

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2040: Attendance

Students are expected to attend all sessions of their classes. Some instructors may require class attendance as part of their grading criterion. Only students in a valid status may attend classes.

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2050: Catalog Information

Highline’s catalog contains general information about the college and its programs, courses, services, staff and policies. Information is subject to change between catalog updates. It is the student’s responsibility to become familiar with all academic and administrative regulations and procedures that relate to his or her course of study.

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2060: Course Requirements

Students are responsible for meeting the requirements of any course in which they are enrolled. Instructors will inform students of course requirements in the course syllabus.

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2070: Credits

College Credits

Courses offered during the instructional year are assigned credit values of one of more credits. In general, a class that meets two hours a week awards two hours of credit per quarter; one that meets five hours a week awards five credit hours. Some classes, such as laboratories, may vary from this pattern.

  • Necessary preparation time will also vary according to the class and the student’s background.
  • Credits are earned only for courses in which students are officially enrolled.
  • One semester credit hour is equivalent to one and one-half quarter credit hours.

Credit Load

Students intending to enroll in more than 18 credits must meet the following conditions:

  • Have completed at least 15 credits of college level (100 or above) coursework
  • Have a 3.0 or better college-level GPA
  • Have a 3.0 or better college-level GPA The maximum enrollment is 23 credits per quarter.

Students seeking an exemption from the policy must submit a written request to their advisor of record. When the advisor of record is a faculty member, the request may be approved by that instructor or that instructor’s division chair. When there is no assigned advisor of the assigned advisor is a Student Services staff member, the request may be approved by the Vice President for Student Services (or designee). In either case, the decision of the reviewer is final.

Placement Information

Advanced Placement: Students may receive college credit for a score of three or above on an Advanced Placement test taken in high school. In some subjects, 10 to 15 credits may be awarded for a score of five. Advanced Placement credit may be used to satisfy distribution or elective requirements.

For a list of Advanced Placement course exams and their credit equivalency, see the “Advanced Placement Equivalency Table“.

Military Service Schools, Military Experience, DANTES, CLEP and Other Training: Credit may be granted for training received at other institutions as recommended by the American Council on Education. To receive credit, a student must present evidence of satisfactory completion of such education to the credentials evaluator in the Registration office in Building 6. Credit for this type of learning may be used for restricted gray area credit only and is limited to 15 credits for the transfer associate degree.

Examination of Challenge: A currently enrolled student who believes previous professional, business or educational experience, or private study has provided the skills and knowledge required for passing a course offered by Highline may be permitted to challenge that course by examination.

Courses that may be challenged and procedures for challenging can be obtained from the department that schedules the course.

Credit for this type of learning may be used for distribution or elective credit and is limited to 15 credits for the Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees. For details, speak with the credentials evaluator in the Registration office in Building 6.

International Baccalaureate: Highline will grant five credits for each higher level subject in which a score of five or higher is achieved. These credits may be used to satisfy distribution or elective requirements.

Note: International Baccalaureate credits used at Highline may not transfer to other colleges or universities. Students need to check with the individual schools. To request your IB official transcript, please see the following: www.ibo.org

In order to evaluate/transfer your AP/IB courses, you must request this from Registration and Records. Please visit Registration and Records to find form and directions.

Departmental Placement: Individual departments have different requirements.

English: All English writing courses have prerequisites of either previous courses, high school transcripts, or minimum scores on either the Reading COMPASS or ESL COMPASS placement tests. Students should check the quarterly class schedule before enrolling in an English course.

Mathematics: Most MATH or MATH& courses have prerequisites of either a previous course in college or high school or a minimum score on the MyMathTest (MMT), Highline’s placement test. Students should check the quarterly class schedule before enrolling in a mathematics course. For information, contact a mathematics instructor.

Reading: Many courses require a minimum COMPASS reading score.

World Languages: Most world language courses have prerequisites of a previous course, grade and/or minimum score on the COMPASS placement test. Students can usually select the right level for their first college foreign language course by using these guidelines:

  • Students who have not studied – or who have very minimal study in – a foreign language, enter 121;
  • Students who have successfully completed (grade 2.0 or better) two years of a high school language are ready for 122;
  • Students who have successfully completed three years of a high school language are ready for 123;
  • Students who have successfully completed more than three years of a high school language enter 221;
  • Students who have considerable preparation other than high school and college and some fluency in the language can enter 221;
  • Native speakers of a language must register for 221 or higher.

Students are urged to discuss preparation for world language study with their adviser or the instructor of the language so that satisfactory placement can be made. Instructors will help place students through the end of the registration period.

Caution: Some four-year colleges and universities do not grant credit for 101 or 121 to students who entered college in fall 1987 or later if they had two or more years of that language in high school.

Transfer Credits

Highline College grants academic credits toward its degrees for courses completed at other regionally accredited institutions. To have other colleges’ transcripts evaluated, an official transcript must be sent to the credentials evaluator in Building 6, along with a Request to Evaluate Official Transcripts from Other Institutions form. The form is available in the Registration office in Building 6. Students will receive a copy of the transcript record upon completion of the evaluation.

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2080: Examinations Policy

All examinations must be taken at the times scheduled by the instructors. A request to take an examination at any other time must be approved by the instructor.

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2090: Final Examinations for Courses

A final examination or evaluation is part of each course. Students are required to take the final examination or participate in the evaluation at the scheduled time in order to complete the course and receive credit. A final examination schedule is included in the quarterly class schedule.

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2100: Honors (Graduating With)

A student completing an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree who achieves a college-level cumulative GPA of 3.5 to 4.0 is eligible for honors at graduation. The transcript will indicate “Honors”. Winter quarter GPA is used for students who are scheduled to complete degree requirements during spring or summer quarter.

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2110: Instructional Cycle

College Year: The college instructional year consists of fall, winter and spring quarters of approximately 11 weeks each and a summer quarter of about eight weeks.

During the instructional year, class sections are offered during the early morning, late afternoon and evening hours at the college and at other sites throughout the district. Transfer, professional-technical and basic skills courses are offered during summer quarter, as well.

College Quarters: Highline offers classes on a quarterly schedule. Fall quarter classes begin in late September, winter quarter begins in January and spring quarter begins in late March or early April. Summer quarter begins in June.

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2120: Instructional Grievance Process

Highline College provides a process through which students can seek resolution of complaints about instructional matters. Typically, these matters include grades and classroom practices. An attempt should be made to resolve all instructional complaints in an informal manner. The interests of all are best served when complaints are resolved at the lowest possible level of the administrative structure. Any employee of the College receiving a complaint concerning a faculty member shall encourage the student to discuss the situation with the faculty member involved before meeting with anyone else. In the case of a student not wishing to discuss the matter with the faculty, employees should direct the student to the appropriate Division Chair or Office of Academic Affairs (who will help refer the student to the appropriate Division Chair). Complaints against faculty members, even when arising out of student conduct remain the purview of academic affairs as noted in the HCEA contract.

Reports will be evaluated in order to determine the appropriate institutional response. Excluded from this process are those complaints for which other specific remedies are provided such as Title IX, faculty against faculty, and administration against faculty, or non-academic complaints. Reports indicating concern for discrimination or harassment will be immediately referred to the Title IX Officer. If the person has already discussed the matter with the faculty member or refuses to do so, and desires to pursue the complaint, the person will be directed to meet with the Division Chair. Complaints must be initiated within 120 calendar days of the end of the quarter in which the precipitating incident(s) occurred.

Informal Process
Upon hearing the complaint, the Chair should attempt to facilitate resolution by encouraging further discussions between the student and the faculty member. During this informal process, the Chair may decide to meet with both parties separately or together, and collect and review course information as necessary to move towards a resolution, such as syllabi, information in Canvas, etc. If attempts at an informal resolution fail, the following steps must occur.

Formal Process
Step 1: The student must create a written version of the complaint, including the steps they have taken to try and resolve the concern, and deliver this to the Division Chair.
Step 2: The Chair will promptly forward a copy of these materials to the faculty member. In addition, the Chair will document the formal complaint in a shared drive and notify the Chief Academic Officer (CAO). If the faculty member is an adjunct, the Chair will also notify the appropriate Coordinator.
Step 3: At this point, the student, the Division Chair, and/or the faculty member may request that a different Division Chair conduct further review. The re-assignment of the new Chair will be facilitated by the CAO, or designee.
Step 4: After receiving the materials from the Division Chair, the faculty member may choose to send the chair a written response to the complaint.
Step 5: After reviewing the complaint with the parties involved, the Chair will provide, in a timely manner, a written response to the student and faculty member which includes the Chair’s resolution to the complaint.
Step 6: The Chair will document the resolution in the shared drive and notify the CAO, and Coordinator when necessary.
Step 7 Failure of the faculty member to comply with the resolution will be considered the same complaint and will be appealed to the Chair. At this point, the Chair has the option of either continuing to facilitate the resolution or to refer it to the CAO.

Referral to CAO
If the student wishes to pursue the matter, the student will be directed to provide a narrative appeal specifying the reason(s) why to the CAO (or designee).

CAO Response
Upon reviewing the complaint, the CAO (or designee) will provide an opportunity for the faculty member and the student to submit additional materials related to the written complaint. The CAO (or designee) may consider other related complaints in reaching a resolution. Prior to receiving a formal written response from the CAO, the faculty member will have the opportunity to review all written materials that have been considered in resolving the complaint(s). Copies of the CAO’s (or designee) resolution will be sent to the student and the faculty member.

Further Consultation with CAO
The faculty member can ask for further consultation with the CAO (or designee) regarding the decision. The faculty member and the CAO (or designee) have the right of representation in any meeting.

Faculty Right to Pursue Grievance
If, after these events have transpired, the faculty member disagrees with the recommended solution, the faculty member may seek appropriate resolution through the formal grievance procedure.

Conditions for Disciplinary Action
No disciplinary action may be taken against any faculty member as a result of any complaint unless there has been compliance with the above procedures. The student should first discuss the situation with the faculty member involved, before meeting with anyone else. Any employee of the college receiving a complaint concerning a faculty member shall encourage the complainant to meet with the faculty member involved.

Policy updated by the BOT September 8, 2022

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2130: Grades and Transcripts

Grade Point Average

Grade point average (GPA) is a measure of a student’s overall academic achievement. GPA is computed on both a quarterly and cumulative basis from those courses in which students have received grades. The cumulative GPA shown on the student’s transcript is based solely on courses taken at Highline and specifically excludes transfer credits.

GPA is computed by dividing the total cumulative grade points by the total possible credits for courses taken. Grade points are calculated by multiplying the number of credits by the numeric value of the grade for each course. The sum of the grade points is then divided by the total possible credits.

Credit or pass grades are printed on the transcript as CR and do not count in the quarterly or cumulative GPAs, but do count as credits earned. I, N, W and NC grade symbols do not count in the quarterly and cumulative GPAs and do not count as credits earned toward graduation.

Students are encouraged to review their transcripts carefully. Questions about grades, grade points or credits should be immediately presented to the instructor of the class or the registrar.

Grade Report

Grades are available approximately five days after the quarter ends through ctcLink.

Grading System

Highline uses a numerical grading system to measure and evaluate student performance. Instructors are responsible for measuring and evaluating the performance of their students and must provide a course syllabus that clearly defines the grading requirements for each course.

Instructors may report numerical grade points within a range of 0.7 to 4.0, in 0.1 increments. The grade of 0.0 does not satisfy minimum academic standards for earning credit.

Numerical grades measure achievement according to the following standards:

4.0 Highest achievement 2.0 Satisfactory achievement 0.7 Minimum achievement for credit 0.0-0.6 No credit

Note: Students are responsible for checking with appropriate departments for minimum grades required for program completion or as prerequisites for higher-level courses.

Other Grading Symbols

In addition to numeric grades, the following letter grades are also used. Of these, only the CR (credit) grade will be awarded college credit. Explanations of each symbol follow this list:

  • CR Credit
  • I Incomplete
  • N Audit
  • NC No Credit
  • R Repeated Class
  • W Withdrawal

CR: Credit. A grade of Credit (CR) may be granted for completion of course requirements at the 2.0 level or above. A CR grade must be initiated by the student at the time of registration or by the 15th instructional day of the quarter (an equivalent date is listed in the quarterly class schedule for summer).

The instructor will provide a numerical grade point evaluation, and if it is 2.0 or above, it will automatically be converted to CR by the registrar’s office. Otherwise, the numerical grade given by the instructor will be entered.

Only 15 CR credits are applicable toward the Associate of Arts Option A degree. CR credits may or may not be recognized by other institutions. Other degrees and programs will designate the maximum number of applicable CR credits. Divisions may designate specific courses which are only graded CR/NC.

I: Incomplete. An instructor may issue an I when the following conditions apply:

A student was still registered for the class after the official withdrawal date;

A student satisfactorily (grade of 2.0 or higher) completed at least 80 percent of the total coursework but was not able to complete all coursework due to extenuating circumstances;

A student and instructor have agreed on a date of completion to occur within the following 12 months;

A student and instructor have completed an “Incomplete Grade Contract” and submitted to Registration.

The I will be converted to a numerical grade or CR/NC upon completion of the course requirements. If the I is not removed through the completion of the requirements after 12 months, it will be converted to the grade earned, as shown on the “Incomplete Grade Contract.” This converted grade may not be changed. If an I grade is submitted and the instructor and student fail to file an Incomplete Grade Contract within one quarter, the grade will automatically convert to a 0.0.

N: Audit. Students may enroll for a course on an audit (N) basis. Regular tuition and fees are charged. The N does not carry decimal points.

NC: No Credit. NC indicates a student did not satisfactorily complete course requirements at the 2.0 level to receive credit. The NC grade is used only for courses designated by an instructional division as CR/NC, and carries no GPA calculation.

R: Repeated Class. The symbol R prefixed by a numerical grade or CR, such as 3.2R, indicates the class was repeated. See statement on repeating a course following this section.

W: Withdrawal. The W grade indicates that the student withdrew from the course, in keeping with college withdrawal policies. The W carries no credit, indicates neither passing nor nonpassing work at the time of withdrawal and does not affect GPA. Some courses, identified in the catalog and/or quarterly class schedule, require group participation and are not eligible for a W without the instructor’s permission.

If a withdrawal to the registrar’s office is submitted on or before the 15th instructional day of the quarter (an equivalent date will be listed in the quarterly class schedule for summer) the class will not be reported on the transcript.

First-week nonattendance. In order to accommodate students waiting to register for a course, instructors have the discretion to initiate a withdrawal at the end of the first week of the quarter (or its equivalent for summer). This withdrawal may be authorized when students do not attend at least 60 percent of the class time during the first week. Students should contact their instructors to request an exception to this policy so that in the event of unavoidable absences they will not be withdrawn.

*: Missing Grade. An asterisk (*) indicates that no grade was received from the instructor.

Repeating a Course

Students may repeat courses taken at Highline in order to improve their skills or GPA. To repeat a course, a student must reregister and pay all necessary fees. Upon completion of the repeated class, a student must notify Registration and Records to request the GPA recalculation be performed. A course may not be repeated more than twice to improve the cumulative GPA.

Grade Forgiveness Policy

(Approved by Faculty Senate, June 2, 2010)

This policy provides an option for qualified students to set aside or exclude quarters previously attempted or completed from the GPA, when the coursework does not reflect their true academic ability.

With written approval of the adviser, students who meet the conditions outlined below may petition the Registrar to exclude from their transcript grades that negatively affect their cumulative credits and cumulative GPA. All courses and credits prior to the selected quarter will be excluded.

Option 1

  • Student has not been enrolled for at least 1 year.
  • Student must have completed 15 credits with a 2.5 GPA or better (since returning to Highline).

Option 2

  • Student has less than a year’s break in enrollment.
  • Student must have completed 30 credits with a 2.5 GPA or better (after the most recent quarter to be excluded)

Further conditions:

Students cannot select individual courses or quarters for forgiveness. For example, if a student wishes to exclude courses in which failing or poor grades were received during the fourth quarter at Highline, all work taken during the first four quarters would be excluded.

Credits and grade points for excluded courses will be changed to zero (0) and will not be included in the Highline credit total and GPA. The course number, course title, and original grade will remain on the transcript.

Once forgiven, courses and credits may not be reinstated, may not be used as prerequisites, and may not apply toward degree requirements. Students will be allowed to have Grade Forgiveness applied once.

Financial Aid does not honor Grade Forgiveness.

Although Highline College makes provisions for Grade Forgiveness, students should not assume that other colleges to which they transfer will compute the GPA in the same manner. Only the Highline record can be set aside; the College cannot set aside records from other colleges.

“Grade Forgiveness Request” forms are available at the Registration Office, Building 6, lower level.

Transcripts

An official transcript is a grade report of academic achievement and carries the signature of the registrar and the college seal. Institutions receiving a transcript will interpret it according to their own policies.

Transcript request forms are available at the Registration office and www.studentclearinghouse.org. A fee for each transcript is payable at the time of the request. Current fees are available through Registration and Records.

For an unofficial copy of a transcript, visit Registration and Records

Transcripts from Other Schools

Highline does not release or certify copies of transcripts from other institutions. Transcripts that have been submitted to Highline from previously attended secondary schools and colleges become part of Highline’s official file and may not be returned to the student or the college.

Official transcripts from previously attended schools and colleges must be received by the Registration office in Building 6 directly from the sending institution.

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2140: Guests in Classroom

There is no inherent right to bring non-enrolled individuals (guests or children) into classes. Faculty members have full authority to deny such access to classrooms and to discourage such requests. To that end, faculty members are encouraged to include in course syllabi a statement about guests and children. However, faculty members may use their judgment in permitting guests or children to remain in class on an emergency or one-time/limited occasion basis. In determining the appropriateness of approving a request to permit a child or guest in class, faculty members should consider the following:

  • Under no circumstances should children (non-enrolled individuals under 18) be allowed into any laboratory or other hazardous area. If a student wishes to invite an adult guest into a laboratory or other hazardous area, specific arrangements with the instructor must be made beforehand. In such cases, the instructor should pay special attention to the guest’s understanding of safety precautions.
  • Neither guests nor children should be brought into any class on a regular basis.
  • The college environment should remain conducive to teaching and learning. Guests or children who are distracting either to the students or to the instructor should be asked to leave.
  • Children should remain under the supervision of the responsible parent/guardian while on campus, whether they are in classrooms, offices, or public areas.

Adopted by Instruction Cabinet October 14, 2002

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2150: Use of Human Participants in Instructional Activities

In the use of human participants in instructional activities, Highline Community College’s policy is to protect the rights, well being, and personal privacy of individuals, to assure a favorable climate for the acquisition of technical skills and the conduct of academic inquiry, and to protect the interest of Highline Community College.

The policy for the Use of Human Participants in Instructional Activities addresses classroom, laboratory or clinical activities in which learning by students requires the use of human participants as part of the training procedures, demonstrations, and/or classroom experiments. This policy does not pertain to medical patients seen in clinical settings. 

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2160: Faith and Conscience Policy

In accordance with RCW 28B.137.010, Highline College will grant reasonable accommodation for students who request to be absent for reasons of faith or conscience, or for an organized activity conducted under the auspices of a religious denomination, church, or religious organization. Such absences must be requested in writing to the faculty member within the first two weeks of the quarter and may not incur additional fees for students. Students should notify faculty within the first two weeks of the course.

Faculty must include the approved language referencing this policy in theirsyllabiii. This policy and the associated procedure will be posted on the college website.  Students who have concerns about approval or a grade impact may utilize the student grievance procedure for concerns not directly related to grades, or to the grade appeal process in cases impacting a final grade.

Reasonable accommodation is defined as coordinating with the students on scheduling examinations or other activities necessary for completion of the class and/or program and includes rescheduling examinations or activities or offering different times for examinations or activities.

Adopted by The President November 3, 2022

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2180: Course Repeat Policy

This policy is in compliance with SBCTC requirements and uses the language of SBCTC 02-09-16 Chapter 5 Appendix A: Reporting Enrollment Repeat Course Rule.

A student may enroll in a course no more than three times (the original enrollment plus two repeats). If a course is repeated for a higher grade, students will receive credit for the course only once. Only the highest grade will be included in the calculation of the Highline GPA. 

The repeat course rule is automatically applied to repeated courses in which a grade is earned, including classes in which a “W” withdrawal is earned.

Grade replacement in GPA calculations cannot be applied retroactively once degree or certificate credentials are posted to the transcript.

Exceptions may include: 

A. Extenuating Circumstances: At the discretion of the college, students with extenuating circumstances may receive permission to enroll in a course for a fourth attempt. These extenuating circumstances may include, but not limited to, medical or military withdrawals as defined in state statute, course required for a certificate or degree with limited or no substitute option, significant break in enrollment, grade forgiveness process, or mandated training for employment.

B. Variable Credit Courses: A student may enroll in a variable credit course as many times as necessary to complete the entire curriculum and credit value of the course. However, a student may not repeat any portion of a variable credit course that has already been completed.  A student cannot earn duplicate credits for the same variable-credit course, but they can take the course to earn a higher GPA

Students who retake a previously passed course more than once may become ineligible for federal or state financial aid. Students who receive veteran benefits cannot be certified for or receive compensation for repeating a course they have previously passed.

Adopted by The President March 7, 2022

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2190: First Week Course Participation Policy

First Week Course Participation Policy
To accommodate students waiting to register for a course, instructors have the discretion to initiate a withdrawal during the first week of the quarter (or its equivalent for summer). Students who do not engage in at least 60 percent of the course activities or attend 60 percent of class time during the first week may be withdrawn. Students with questions regarding what counts as 60 percent and/or seeking an exception to this policy should contact their instructors by the second day of the quarter.

Approved by PDC April 1, 2025

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