Course Definition

Courses are the building blocks of certificates and degrees.  The description of each course can be found on the Course Descriptions page.  Each course has a defined set of learning outcomes that are a subset of the College’s Institutional Learning Outcomes.  

Courses are organized according to their academic discipline.  An academic discipline is a subset of knowledge grouped around common concepts.  College students are encouraged, and in some cases required, to have a basic understanding of the concepts related to five major disciplines

• English and Communication;
• Mathematics
• The Humanities - the study of language, art, and culture
• The Natural Sciences - the study of natural phenomenon based on empirical evidence
• The Social Sciences - the study of societies and the relationships among people within and between them

Courses are also organized according to their level of complexity.  For this reason, a student may be required to take courses in a particular sequence.  For example, an introductory course may be required prior to an intermediate level course; or a mathematics course may be required prior to a complex science course.  Such required courses are called prerequisites,  Prerequisites are designated in the description of each course and on the course schedule.

Course Attendance

POLICY 3.21

Students are expected to attend the courses for which they register.  Students who do not attend their classes are reported to the Registration Office and to the Office of Financial Aid.  Failure to attend will result in being marked as "never attended."  Additionally, a student receiving financial aid may have their award decreased or completely reversed.  

When a faculty member recognizes that a student's absence record equals that of the number of hours in a course, the faculty member can request that a formal notice be sent from the student's advisor or the Vice-President of Academics advising the student about this matter.

If there is no change in the student's behavior, and if the individual misses 15 percent or more of the class time in any given course, the faculty member teaching that course has the option of dropping the student from the class.  The student will receive a W grade for the course.

IF a student decides not to attend a course, the student is responsible for dropping the course.  If a student stops attending and does not formally drop a course, they will be charged the full tuition amount for the course(s).

Note:  See 3.21A for Nursing Student Attendance Policy

July 1992, revised 7/02, 9/14/05, 9/17/14, 1/20, reviewed 1/12/23

Course Audits

POLICY 3.26

A student who desires to attend classes regularly but does not desire to take final examinations or receive grades or credit may register as an auditor.  A student electing this option must register as an auditor at the time of registration and pay all tuition and fees.  A record will be kept of the courses audited.  A grade of "V" will appear on the student's grade reports and permanent records.

Credit for audited courses cannot be established at a later date.  Students once registered in a course for credit cannot change to audit, nor can a student registered for audit change to credit after the end of the first 10% of the academic period.

Credit for courses previously audited may be earned by registering for credit and completing the course with a satisfactory grade.

Course Categories

Courses within academic programs generally fall into one of three categories:

• General Education
  The General Education program at GOCC includes courses in Communications and English, the Humanities, Mathematics, the Natural Sciences and the Social Sciences.  Courses from these General Education offerings are required for each of the College’s degree offerings.  The courses designated for the College’s General Education program also satisfy the Michigan Transfer Agreement.  Through its general Education course offerings students gain the broad knowledge and skills to be life-long learners, succeeding in their careers and their communities.  General Education courses are structured to foster critical thinking, the competent use of information, effective communication, and the recognition of diverse perspectives. 
• Program Requirements
  Each degree or certificate program at GOCC includes a set of required courses specific to that academic focus or career preparation. 
• Elective Courses 
  In addition to fulfilling the General Education and Program Requirements for degrees or certificates, students may elect to enroll in courses of interest.  A certain number of elective courses may be applied to each degree program.  Students are encouraged to talk with faculty members in the discipline and/or to their academic advisor to identify the most relevant courses.

Course Evaluations

Approximately three weeks prior to the end of each semester, students are asked to provide feedback regarding their experience in each course.  These course evaluations are used to monitor course effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.  The course evaluations are anonymous and handled by an external agency.  Access to the aggregated results is provided to faculty 10 days after grades for the semester have been submitted.  

Course Examinations

Examinations, both midterm and final, are considered part of the total requirements for the course as specified in the course syllabus.  Additional examinations or final papers may be given by instructors at their discretion.  The last week of each semester is considered a part of the semester and, at the instructor’s discretion, may be used for final examinations.

Courses - Independent Study Requests

POLICY 3.29

Independent study classes demonstrate mastery of a course's objectives independently and without the structure of a classroom or regular meetings with the instructor.  In general, independent studies are more work than a traditional course and should be requested only as a last resort.  However, an independent study may be a student's best option for completing a required or desired course prior to it being offered.  To request an independent study:

1. The student must submit an independent study request for to an instructor through Etrieve.  
2. The instructor will review the request and if s/he approves will add details for how the student will meet the course's student learning outcomes and how the student's learning will be assessed and then submit the form for the Vice-President of Academics review. 
3. If the Vice-President of Academics approves, approval receipts will be forwarded through Etrieve to the student, instructor and Registrar.
4. The following regulations apply:  
   1. Any student is limited to one Independent Study course per semester and may take no more than 12 Independent Study credit hours during his/her enrollment at Glen Oaks.
   2. The normal number grading system will apply.
   3. Independent Study course options will not be approved for a semester's regular course scheduled.  

July 1992.  (Position titles updated 07/02) revised 9/14/05, 9/17/14, title updated 1/20, reviewed 1/12/23.

Course Schedule

Glen Oaks operates on a semester basis, with two 15-week semesters (fall and winter) and one summer session.

Shorter term courses may be offered within these sessions. Regardless of their duration, the credit hour calculation remains the same: each credit hour represents 825 minutes of instruction.  Short-term courses may have different refund and withdrawal dates than semester-length courses.  Students receiving federal financial aid may have refund adjustments for these courses, as determined by the federal government.

The annual course schedule for the academic year is available for planning on mygocc.glenoaks.edu.  Registration generally opens on the first of March for Summer and Fall and the first of November for Winter.  

Course Load

Earning an Associate Degree with 60 credit hours requires that a student completes 15-16 credit hours each semester. For purposes of financial aid and eligibility, a student who carries 12 or more credits is classified as a full-time student.      Students with a 3.0 grade point average or above, may, with the permission of their academic advisor, enroll in more than 18 credit hours during the fall or winter semester.

Course Load and Student Classifications

• Full-time Student.  A student who is registered for 12 credit hours or more in a given semester.

• Part-time Student. A student who is registered for fewer than 12 semester hours of credit in a given semester.  

• Freshman. Any student who has completed fewer than 28 credit hours.

• Sophomore. Any student who has completed 28 or more credit hours.

Course Locations and Modalities

Glen Oaks Community College courses may be offered on the main campus in Centreville, Michigan, in high schools, in clinical settings, or in workforce locations.  Course content may be delivered in face-to-face instruction, virtually, or as a mix of the two.  In each case, the expectation for 825 minutes of instruction/credit hour and additional study time remain in place.  Courses that are delivered virtually (online) may be synchronous or asynchronous.

• Synchronous classes are those in which all students meet with the instructor at the same time using an online platform such as Zoom;
• Asynchronous classes are those in which course content consistent with the credit hour load is made available to students.  Students interact with the instructor and with each other at varying times during each week of the course.
• Asynchronous courses may be online courses.  They may also be Open Entry/Open Exit (OE/OE) courses.  In OE/OE courses, students work in the labs on modules and at their own pace.  Students are required to engage in at least one instructional activity within the first two weeks of OE/OE enrollment in order to maintain satisfactory academic progress and to maintain contact with their instructor at least every two weeks.  Students wishing to enroll in OE/OE courses must meet with the appropriate instructor and with an academic advisor to map out an approved program of study.  All other requirements for admission, orientation, payment apply to students in OE/OE courses.

Course Registration

Students register for classes by logging into the MYGOCC portal at mygocc.glenoaks.edu [hyperlink].  Course registration, including the payment of tuition and fees, is required prior to class attendance and is the only process that allows credit to be awarded on a student transcript.  

Changes to your course schedule can be made without penalty for a limited time at the beginning of each semester (see Refunds)  Students are strongly encouraged to consult with their instructor(s) and with an academic advisor before modifying their course schedule.  

No courses can be added by a student after 10% of the academic period has elapsed unless there are documented extenuating circumstances and written approval by the Vice-President of Academics is obtained.  Students are also not permitted to add a course if they have missed the equivalent of one week of instruction (Board Policy 3.18)

A change in course registration is only official when the student has logged into MYGOCC and added the proposed class or completed the drop function or completed the drop form in Etrieve and been processed by the Registrar. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that courses are properly added or dropped.

Course Repetition

A course taken at Glen Oaks Community College for which a grade has been recorded may be repeated.  The highest grade earned in a repeated course is the grade that will count towards graduation and will be utilized in computing the cumulative grade point average required for graduation.  On the official transcript, the term, course title and course number of the previous attempt(s) will remain as a permanent record.  Title IV funding and other government programs may have regulations regarding repeat of courses (Board Policy 3.25).

Course Syllabus

A course syllabus is provided to each student in each course through the Learning Management System, Canvas.  The syllabus is an important academic document that provides information about this learning outcomes for the course and explains the rules, responsibilities, and expectations of the student.  It is the guiding document for resolving questions that may arise regarding assignments and grades.

Course Transfer

When successfully completed with a 2.0 grade point average or higher, many courses can be transferred from one college/university to another and will satisfy their degree requirements.  For further information on transfer courses see Transfer Information. 

Corequisites for College-level English and Mathematics

Proficiency in English and Mathematics is fundamental for student success in most college-level courses.  Many GOCC programs require the successful completion of English Compositions (ENG-121) and one of three foundational math courses: Quantitative Reasoning (MATH-101), Intermediate Algebra (MATH-104), or Introduction to Statistics (MATH-201.  The College uses diagnostic assessment tools to determine whether a student is academically prepared to be successful in these foundational courses in English and Mathematics. A self-diagnostic survey tool is used to determine the appropriate placement into English Composition.  In Math, students who earned one credit of high school Algebra or who earned a qualifying score on the ALEKS test, are eligible to enroll in one of the three foundational Math courses.  All first-time college students must complete the placement process prior to their first advising appointment and prior to registering for English or Mathematics courses. Should the self-assessment or ALEKS score indicate the need for more support in one or both these disciplines, the student will be required to take a corequisite support  course (MATH-081, MATH-084, or MATH-091 for Math or ENG-073 for English) at the same time as the college-level class in order to support and reinforce their learning. 

Credit by Examination

Students may receive credit for a course offered by Glen Oaks Community College by requesting and then successfully completing a comprehensive examination in the subject matter area.  Whether a course is eligible for credit by exam will be determined by the Vice-President of Academics and the faculty who teach the course.  The request for Credit by Examination must be initiated by the student, using the request form available through Etrieve.  The decision to permit credit by examination is made by the Vice President for Academics.  Once approved, the student will be permitted to register for a specially created section of the course.  Tuition and fees for the relevant course, along with a credit-by-examination fee, will be required.  If the examination is successfully completed, a grade of “CR” (credit granted)  will be issued for the semester in which the exam was given.  No record will be added to the transcript if student performance on the exam is unsatisfactory. The fee for the exam is $50.00 (Board Policy 3.08).