Satisfactory Progress Standards

Class Attendance and Course Progress

Regular and punctual class attendance at all scheduled classes is expected. Each faculty member will inform students of the attendance policy and the course objectives at the initial class meeting and in the course syllabus.

• Students are required to be in class on time. Instructors may choose to lower a student’s grade because of tardiness. Excessive tardiness is disruptive to the educational process and may result in disciplinary action. Due process and the right to appeal will be provided to students subject to disciplinary action.
• Only instructors can authorize an excused absence. Regardless of the reason for the absence, the student is responsible for completing all coursework covered during any absence.
• Failure to meet the attendance requirements in a course may result in a lower grade or failure in the course.
• Students enrolled in distance learning courses are expected to maintain constant progress throughout the course. Lack of progress or participation may result in a grade of “F.”

Census Date Chart

The census date is the day that CTC officially certifies with the State of Texas the number of enrollments in each credit course. This chart depicts the census date based on course length.

NOTE: Census dates are subject to change by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Deadline to officially withdraw from a class is usually at the 75 percent point of class instruction. The number of weeks in the “Last Date to Withdraw from a Class” in the chart below are approximate. Refer to the applicable semester Enrollment Guide or CTC website for actual dates to withdraw

After the census date, students wishing to withdraw must withdraw themselves through the CTC Central Records or CTC Fort Cavazos Records Office or Etrieve (online). Faculty cannot withdraw students from a course after census and instead will report a last date of attendance with final grade for students who stop attending or participating in class.

NOTE: For co-requisite classes a withdrawal/drop from one class will result in an automatic withdrawal/drop from the other co-requisite class.

Absence/Participation Policy

Students are expected to actively participate in all courses at all times. Instructors are required to document attendance through the census date by requiring students to complete an academically related activity or to communicate extenuating circumstances to the instructor PRIOR to census. For face-to-face classroom courses the instructor has the discretion to use the student’s attendance in one or more class meetings in place of a graded activity to certify that the student is in class.

For blended or hybrid classes where the first class meeting is after the census, completion of a graded activity is still required.

For all courses, including competency-based, open entry, lack of evidence of active study participation before the census may result in the student being dropped from the course and having to pay partial tuition and fees.

NOTE: Refer to the Census Date section for more information about census dates.

Religious Holy Days

If you desire to be absent from classes for the observance of a religious holy day, you must work with the instructor prior to the absence. You will be excused, without penalty, from classes or other activities, including examinations, for the observance of a religious holy day, including travel for that purpose. However, you will be responsible for make-up of all work or examinations missed on the religious holy day on which the absence occurred. The instructor may respond appropriately if you fail to satisfactorily complete the assignment or examination. A “religious holy day” means a holy day observed by a religion whose places of worship are exempt from property taxation under Section 11.20 of the Tax Code.

Excused Absence for a Person Called to Required Military Service

HB 1630 of the 79th Texas Legislature (updated by SB 937 of the 87th Texas Legislature) requires Texas public colleges and universities to grant excused absences for students who are called to required military service for a brief duration of service and who do not choose to withdraw. Required military service is defined as service in the armed forces of the United States, the National Guard, or the Texas State Guard including travel associated with the service. The maximum period for which a student may be excused can be no more than 25 percent of the total number of class meetings, excluding the final examination, for the specific course or courses that the student is currently enrolled at the beginning of the period of required military service. For students who enroll in distance learning courses or other asynchronous courses, a student may be excused for a period of time not to exceed 25 percent of the length of the course.  Students who are called to required military service for a brief duration of service are required to provide to the CTC Associate Dean, Admissions, Registration and Records office an original copy or notarized copy of their orders, which indicates that they have been called to required duty. Students are responsible for contacting each of their instructors prior to leaving for required duty so that they can discuss which assignments and/or exams need to be completed once they return and a reasonable time for completion. Students will be given a withdrawal grade of WT (Withdrawal Temporary).

Upon returning from required duty, students must contact their instructor(s) and arrange for completing the remaining course requirements. Each faculty member has the right to issue a final grade based on coursework completed should students fail to satisfactorily complete the assignment(s) and/or examination(s) within the reasonable time designated by the instructor. Students who wish to dispute the institutional process regarding this policy will follow the informal grievance procedures outlined in the CTC Student Handbook. If the informal procedures do not resolve the grievance, then such students will follow the formal grievance procedures included in the CTC Student Handbook.

Withdrawal - Servicemembers

For purposes of this section, Servicemembers are military in the United States Armed Forces to include the National Guard or Reserve on active duty, active duty for training, or full-time National Guard under federal authority. Servicemembers who are temporarily unable to attend classes for less than 30 days within a semester/term due to a military service obligation when such absence results in a withdrawal under institution policies may be readmitted under the same academic status as when they last attended CTC or were accepted for admission to CTC. Servicemembers must provide oral or written notice of their intent to return to school within three years after completion of the period of service. A student who is hospitalized or convalescing due to an illness or injury incurred or aggravated during the period of service must notify the school within two years after the end of the period needed for recovery from the illness or injury. As an open-admissions community college, the student may apply for readmission at any time. However, certain conditions apply if the student makes said notification within the specified timelines. For more information regarding the readmission process refer to the “Readmission of Member of the United States Armed Forces” section in the Admissions and Registration section of this catalog.