5G. Graduation Requirements.

5G.1. PURPOSE.

The success of students, as measured by graduating with a credential, is strongly influenced by proper academic planning on the part of the student and on the part of the College. To facilitate proper academic planning by students, this policy clarifies "Catalog-Year" and its importance to the student. This policy establishes a student's right to modify his or her Catalog-Year. As proper academic planning cannot occur without curricula being set when advising and course registration occur, this policy also establishes a deadline for the modification of a Program’s requirements for a Catalog-Year.

5G.2. DEFINITIONS. 

1. "Academic Year" means the annual period of sessions at Snow College beginning fall semester and running through the subsequent spring and summer semesters.
2. "Catalog-Year" means the course and Program requirements, admissions standards, and academic policies in effect during a single Academic Year. It indicates the requirements in place for the fall semester of the Academic Year when a student (1) first enrolled at Snow College as a degree-seeking student, (2) readmitted as a degree-seeking student after an Interruption in Enrollment, or (3) changed his or her Program of Study, i.e. Matriculated into a Program. This has reference to the printed and PDF versions of the college catalog Snow College publishes once each year. Thus, that year's requirements do not change for the duration of that Academic Year. The requirements published in the electronic college catalog, if different from the printed or PDF version of the catalog, apply to the next Academic Year.
3. "Matriculate" to enter a Program of Study leading to a credential. A matriculated student is a student accepted into a Program that leads to a credential.
4. "Program" refers to an academic curriculum leading to a credential.  Programs are specific types of degrees. For example, Snow College awards Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees. An example of a program under the AAS degree is the AAS in Agribusiness (AAS-AGBS).
5. "Program of Study" means a student's declared Program, i.e. what the student is pursuing while at Snow College.
6. "Interruption in Enrollment" means the student stopped attending Snow College for two (2) or more semesters (excluding summers) without submitting a leave of absence or deferment.

5G.3. POLICY.

1. To graduate, Snow College students must meet all of the graduation, general education, and Program specific requirements listed in the catalog for their Catalog-Year. Snow College students can have only one Catalog-Year for their Program of Study.
2. Students' Catalog-Year will be the Catalog-Year in effect the fall semester of the Academic Year when they first enrolled at Snow College or were readmitted after an Interruption in Enrollment. The Catalog-Year for students who change their Programs of study will be the one current on the date their Program of Study changed.
3. When a student completes Snow College's General Education Program's requirements (the whole GE block, e.g. Certificate of Completion in General Education) and the Graduation Office has been properly notified, this portion of a student's Program of Study's requirements will be considered fulfilled regardless of future changes to the Program's General Education requirements or expiration of the catalog under which he or she completed the General Education requirement.
4. The College reserves the right to change, at any time, the requirements for graduation.
5. Students are responsible for knowing their Programs' requirements for their Catalog-Year.

5G.4. PROCEDURES.

5G.4.1. Catalog-Year Determination.

The following standards determine a student’s Catalog-Year for graduation purposes.

1. A student’s Catalog-Year is initially assigned at the time of admission.
2. If a student must apply for readmission due to an Interruption in Enrollment, the student will receive the Catalog-Year in effect at the time of readmission.
3. A student’s Catalog-Year is updated when a student Matriculates into a new program, i.e. declares a new Program of Study. The student's Catalog-Year then becomes the Catalog-Year current when the change to the student's Program of Study was initiated.
4. A change in major, emphasis, or concentration within the original Program will not change the student's Catalog-Year.

5G.4.2. Exceptions.

1. Exceptions may be granted on an individual basis. Procedures for petitioning for an exception can be found on the Registration Office’s website.
2. Students may petition the Registration Office to keep their original Catalog-Year or to acquire any active Catalog-Year subsequent to it, but they cannot choose a Catalog-Year prior to their original Catalog-Year. See Catalog Expiration below.
   1. Students cannot petition for Catalog-Years that cover an Academic Year they did not attend Snow College. 
   2. Students cannot petition to have multiple Catalog-Years apply for the same Program of Study.
   3. If the student's petition is granted, the student may not move back to an older Catalog-Year.

5G.4.3. Catalog Creation.

1. Because students are responsible for knowing their Catalog-Year's requirements and building their semesters accordingly, all changes to Snow College's Programs must be submitted to the Curriculum Committee by the end of the January before the Academic Year the changes are to take place.
2. Changes that remove GE courses' GE designation must follow this same deadline.
3. Changes to Programs should be in the catalog before the next fall semester's schedule is published so students and advisors can plan their academic paths accordingly.
4. New Programs can be added at any time.

5G.4.4. Catalog Expiration.

1. A student's Catalog-Year remains active so long as there is no Interruption in Enrollment. Otherwise, a catalog is active for 6 years.

 

Originally approved by Board of Trustees November 5, 2015. Updated June 8, 2019.