New Student Orientation

Orientation is an important part of getting started at TTC. The orientation process is available in one-on-one or group sessions or online. Orientation provides answers to general questions you might have about the college and explains the different services at TTC. An Orientation staff member assigns your academic advisor after you complete the orientation process. Orientation is vital to your academic success, and TTC expects all new students to attend. You may attend orientation as soon as your application is processed and you have submitted qualifying test scores, taken the college placement test or had your test requirements waived. You may attend Orientation before acceptance to TTC. Registration for the next semester begins at midterm, so the earlier you attend Orientation, the better. You will need time to make an appointment with your academic advisor to register for courses. For your convenience, Orientation Centers are open on all four campuses Monday through Friday. No appointment is necessary; drop by when you are on campus.

Orientation Center Locations

Schedule of Classes

The class schedule is accessible on the website and can be accessed through TTC Express. The college reserves the right to adjust the published schedule, including the cancellation of any class, if TTC deems it necessary and appropriate.

Academic Advising

Your academic advisor guides you in scheduling an academic program to meet your educational goals. Appointments are required during the advisement/registration process. Office hours for academic advisors are posted on their office doors.

Registration

After meeting admission requirements and being accepted to the college, you will be eligible to register for courses. You must meet with your Navigator or academic advisor to register. Your enrollment is not official until you complete all the steps of registration, including payment of fees and attending classes or participating in online classes.

Catalog Applicability

To graduate, you must fulfill degree requirements as published in the applicable Catalog. If you have had continuous enrollment at TTC, you have two options:

1. fulfill all the program curriculum requirements listed in the Catalog at the time of acceptance into the academic program, or
2. fulfill all the program curriculum requirements listed in any subsequent Catalog in effect while you are enrolled.

If you discontinue enrollment for three consecutive semesters or longer, you must fulfill the program curriculum requirements listed in the Catalog in effect at the time of re-enrollment. The dean of the academic division offering your program must approve any exceptions.

Advanced Standing

If you earned credit hours from other institutions or agencies, you may fulfill up to 75 percent of program requirements through advanced standing. TTC awards the following types of advanced standing credit:

College Transfer Credit: You may receive transfer credit for courses successfully completed at regionally accredited colleges and universities. In awarding transfer credit, TTC considers equivalency of course content, quality, level, hours and program relevance. The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers’ “Transfer Credit Practices of Educational Institutions” serves as a guide for acceptance of transfer credit.

For TTC to consider your transfer credits, you must have official transcripts of previous college work sent to TTC’s Admissions office, and you may be asked to provide additional documentation. TTC awards transfer credit only when the grade is C- or higher or when the sending institution confirms that the grade (P for example) is equivalent to a C- or higher. Transfer credit will not be included in the calculation of your GPA at TTC except for certain financial aid requirements. For more information, see Transfer: State Policies and Procedures and Financial Aid.

Military: You may receive credit for selected formal military course work and training. TTC uses the credit recommendations of the American Council on Education’s Guide for the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services to evaluate military course work.

Experiential Learning: Students may receive experiential learning credit for selected courses. Credit may be awarded only for courses offered within the current curriculum and must be appropriately related to the student’s educational program. Credit may be awarded only to students currently enrolled in credit courses. Credit may not be granted for a course in which the student has already earned a grade, including audit and withdrawal. Credit may be awarded only to students who have previously completed at least three hours of program-specific course work with a grade of C or better. Some formal business and industry training as well as military experience may be considered for experiential learning credit based on recommendations contained in the National Guide to Educational Credit for Training Programs. The American Council on Education’s Program on Non-Collegiate Sponsored Instruction (ACE/PONSI) produces this guide. No more than 25 percent of program completion requirements may be composed of experiential learning credit. Exceptions for up to 75 percent of the program requirements may be granted if credit has been previously earned and documented from organizations such as the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence.

Tests for Advanced Standing

Limitations on Test Credit: The awarding of advanced standing through testing is subject to the following:

1. You may receive up to 16 semester credit hours in advanced standing but not more than one-fourth of the total curriculum hours required for program completion.
2. You must verify that the Registrar’s office has your official score reports prior to the beginning of the semester in which you seek advanced standing.
3. You may not receive credit for a course you previously attempted, including withdrawals.
4. You may retest three months after the original test date of a CLEP or 30 days after the original test date of a DANTES DSST exam.
5. Your GPA will not be affected by advanced standing credits.
6. TTC does not guarantee that advanced standing credit awarded for TTC courses will transfer to other institutions.

Advanced Placement: You will receive college credit for a score of 3, 4 or 5 on selected Advanced Placement examinations.

International Baccalaureate: You may receive college credit for scores of 4 or greater on selected International Baccalaureate higher-level exams.

Excelsior College Testing: You may receive credit for selected college-level exams if your scores are satisfactory to the college. Your official Excelsior transcript must be on file in the Registrar’s office prior to credit being awarded.

CLEP: You may receive credit for selected College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams if your scores meet TTC’s minimum score requirements. Contact Testing Services for a listing of accepted CLEP examinations. Official score reports must be on file in the Registrar’s office prior to credit being awarded.

DANTES DSSTs: You may receive credit for selected Defense Activity for Nontraditional Education Support (DANTES) exams if your scores meet minimum score requirements for TTC. Contact Testing Services for a listing of accepted DANTES DSSTs examinations. Official score reports must be on file in the Registrar’s office prior to credit being awarded.

You may retest three months after the original test date for CLEP and 30 days after the original test date for DANTES DSSTs.

Home Program

The Home program is available for Associate in Arts and Associate in Science students who leave TTC before completing their degrees. Participants in the program can transfer selected, preapproved credits back to TTC to complete their associate degrees. Other academic programs may be eligible upon approval from the academic dean. See your advisor for details on eligibility.

Servicemembers Opportunity College (SOC)

Servicemembers Opportunity College (SOC) functions in cooperation with the Department of Defense (DoD) and Active and Reserve Components of the Military Services to expand and improve voluntary postsecondary education opportunities for servicemembers worldwide. The DoD funds the program through a contract with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU). The SOC Program is a cooperative civilian and military effort designed to link servicemembers to institutions that provide high quality education while 1) maximizing the proper award of academic credit for military training and experience, and alternative testing, and 2) facilitating the transferability of credits, so servicemembers can reach their educational goals and the goals of the services.

TTC is a member of the Servicemembers Opportunity College Degree Network System. By declaring a major in a program of study and completing six credits at TTC, all active duty personnel and their adult family members are eligible for a Servicemembers Opportunity College (SOC) Student Agreement. The Student Agreement is a “contract for degree” and shows the evaluation of completed and remaining program requirements. This agreement guarantees that you will receive a degree from TTC when all requirements are completed and remains in effect even if you leave the military.

To receive a Student Agreement, contact the Registrar’s office, Thornley Campus Student Center (Bldg. 410). You must complete a minimum of 25 percent of the curriculum in your program of study at TTC. If you transfer to other duty stations, refer to the SOC Handbook or work with a local Education Center to identify courses from other colleges that can be used to complete your degree at TTC.

Grade Information/Transcripts/Privacy of Student Records

The Registrar’s office issues official transcripts in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), known as the Buckley Amendment. FERPA regulations require that you sign individual release forms for each company, school or individual to whom you desire information released. Parents or guardians of a dependent student may access the dependent student’s records by completing a request form and providing appropriate documentation to verify the dependent status of the student to the office of the vice president for Student Services. The college issues official transcripts to outside agencies and to students in a sealed envelope. Students may request student copies of their official transcripts, which the Registrar’s office will stamp as Issued to Student.

In accordance with FERPA, the college may release student information known as public or directory information, including the student’s name, address, telephone listing, email address, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, and the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student. The college periodically updates student addresses for future contact purposes. Students who do not wish to be included in releasable directory information or in the address updates must submit the request in writing to the Registrar’s office.

Grading System

*Defaults to F (or U for developmental courses and other courses graded SC/U) automatically after term 1 of the next semester, unless work is completed and grade is assigned by the instructor.

Unit of Credit

The semester credit hour is the system of credit used by TTC.