Academic Progress Standards are as follows:

• All students enrolled in credit bearing courses at Montana State University - Great Falls College of Technology are required to maintain a 2.0 cumulative grade point average (CGPA). Students with less than a 2.0 CGPA at the end of any academic term will be notified by the Registrar’s office that they have been placed on academic probation for the following academic term. If, at the end of a subsequent term, they meet the required 2.0 CGPA, they are removed from academic probation. Academic probation serves to notify students that the quality of their work is below an acceptable level and that the continuation of unsatisfactory work during their next semester of enrollment will result in academic suspension. Students on probation should not carry more than 13 credits in the probationary period.
  
  
• All students enrolled in credit bearing courses who receive less than a 2.0 GPA and have a CPGA below a 2.0 for the second consecutive academic term will be suspended from the college. Students on academic probation who earn at least a 2.0 grade average for the semester without raising their cumulative grade average to the
  required minimum will remain on academic probation.
  
  
• Following suspension, students will not be considered for reinstatement until at least one semester (excluding summer) has passed. Readmission must be initiated through the Admissions & Records Office by completing the Application for Readmission and the Admission Academic Progress Appeal Form. If the appeal for readmission is approved, students will be readmitted on probationary status, limiting students to 13 credits in the fall and spring terms and 6 credits in the summer term, and will be re enrolled under the current catalog requirements for graduation.
  
  
• Transfer applicants may be admitted on academic probation based upon their academic standing at previous institution(s).
  
  
• Readmitted applicants may be admitted on academic probation based upon their cumulative grade point average (CGPA) and/or academic standing when last in attendance.
  
  
• Students who have been placed on academic probation or suspension may appeal in writing to the Registrar for review of circumstances.

Course Numbering System

Courses numbered below the 100 level cannot be used to satisfy core requirements or general elective requirements and do not count toward graduation requirements, except when required in certificate programs. They do count as credits required to meet financial aid satisfactory academic progress requirements if enrollment is required based on placement test scores.

A unit of credit at MSU – Great Falls College of Technology is defined as 3 hours of student work per week for a 15 week semester, or an equivalent number of work hours in an instructionally related activity, and/or student study time. Academic credit is awarded based upon this definition, which is consistent with the glossary definition of a credit unit as defined by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

Attendance

Absences are handled exclusively within the purview of the faculty. When a student enrolls in a course, he/she enters into a contractual agreement with faculty for the duration of the course. Both the student and the faculty are expected to honor the specified terms of that
agreement. It is important, therefore, for the student to understand the particular attendance requirements in each course. Generally, faculty communicate these requirements to students through the course syllabus and/or verbally during the first or second class meeting.

Registration

Registration for continuing students is available via “Banner Web” on the Internet. For registration purposes, continuing students are defined as students who have been enrolled at MSU – College of Technology in at least one of the last two academic terms (excluding summer). Registration information and dates for new and continuing students will be available on the Academic Calendar posted on the College website.

The college reserves the right to deny registration access to a student who has an overdue debt to any Montana State University unit. Transcripts, certificates, and degrees will be withheld from any student owing tuition, fees, or charges to any Montana State unit. In the
event a student has not returned books and/or materials belonging to this college or another Montana State University unit, transcripts, certificates, and degrees may be withheld.

Web Services: Banner Web

To register, check grades, transcripts and course schedules, go to “Banner Web.”

Login to Secure Area

• User ID Social Security Number or student ID number
• PIN 6 numeric digits

Student Services

• Registration
  • Add/Drop Classes
  • Look Up Classes
  • Fee Assessment
• Student Records
  • View Student Holds
  • Final Grades
  • Unofficial Transcript
  • Account Summary

Personal Information

• Change PIN
• View Address Information

Financial aid and billing information are accessible through Banner Web.

Students experiencing any problems accessing or using Banner Web should contact Student Services.

Adding and Dropping Courses

Students may add and drop courses on Banner Web up to the end of the 5th day of the semester. Between the 5th and the 15th day faculty must approve any add requests.

Students may drop one or more courses with no grade up to the end of the 15th day of the semester. Although no refund will be given, students may continue to drop one or more courses with a grade of “W” prior to the end of the published deadline. See the tuition and fees section of the catalog for further information. These deadlines are pro-rated for
the summer term(s).

In all courses for which a student fails to complete all requirements and for which no formal drop (withdrawal) has been filed in the Admissions & Records Office, the final grade will be the grade the student has earned at the end of the course.

The following steps must be completed in order to drop or add a course after the 5th day of the term.

• Obtain an official drop/add card from the Admissions & Records Office;
• Complete the card and secure the necessary faculty signature(s).
  Note: No signature is required for dropping; and
• Return the card to the Admissions & Records Office.

Withdrawal from the College

Students planning to withdraw from all courses must consult a Student Services counselor. The counselor will provide important information regarding the way a withdrawal will affect financial aid eligibility, tuition refunds, readmission to the college and grade point average. Courses the student is enrolled in at the time of withdrawal from the college will be entered on the student’s transcript in accordance with the grading policy in effect.

Evaluation of Courses

Students are provided the opportunity to evaluate each of the courses they complete at the college during the final 4 weeks of each course.

Students are asked to approach the serious task of course evaluation professionally and positively. All faculty look forward to input from students who complete a course. Faculty utilize the input from their students to improve or modify courses.

Grading

The following table outlines the grading system used at Montana State University-Great Falls College of Technology:

• Audit: Registered students may, with the permission of faculty, enroll in a course as an auditor for no credit. A student must decide to audit a course by the Add deadline of the term. Auditors pay the same fees as students enrolled for credit and are expected to follow the attendance guidelines set forth in the course. If attendance guidelines are not followed, the student may be issued a failing grade. If attendance guidelines are followed, the student will receive a grade of AU.
  
  
• Incomplete: An Incomplete (I) grade is issued at faculty discretion when student course work has been satisfactory, but unavoidable mitigating circumstances have prevented the student from completing the course. After consulting with the instructor of the course, a student must make a formal request for an Incomplete grade by completing the Request for an Incomplete Grade form, stating what unavoidable mitigating circumstance(s) prevented completion of the work and proposing the conditions under which the work will be completed. If a request form does not accompany the final grade, the student will be issued a Not Recorded (NR) grade until the proper paperwork is completed and submitted to the Records Office. If the instructor approves the request, the student will have until the end of the following semester to make up the Incomplete. If a student fails to make up an Incomplete within the allotted time, the Incomplete grade will be converted to an “F”. The Department Chair will approve all Requests for Incomplete Grades before they are submitted to the Registrar for posting. The Department Chair must be given all information necessary to do final grading for the student as backup for the instructor in case he/she is not available to do the grading at the appropriate time.
  
  
• Pass/Fail Policy: As a general policy, courses at Montana State University-Great Falls College of Technology are graded with the letter grades A, A-, B+, B, B-,C+, C, C-, D+, D, D- and F. However, certain courses, as indicated in the catalog, are offered only on a pass/fail basis for ALL students registered in the course. A passing (P) grade is equivalent to a grade of “C-” or better. Students receiving “P” grades may not request a change to a letter grade.
  
  
• Course Repeat: Courses may be repeated to increase one’s knowledge and/or grade point average. The original grade, as well as subsequent grade(s) in the course, is reflected on the academic transcript. However, the grade and grade point value for the repeated course will replace the earlier grade and grade point value in the cumulative totals. The grade and accompanying information for a repeated course will be posted on the student’s academic transcript for the semester during which the repeated course was completed. Course repeats will not affect academic progress as it relates to recipients of Federal and State
  financial aid.
  
  
• Grade Point Average (GPA): A student’s level of academic performance is determined by the grade point average (GPA). To calculate the GPA the total number of grade points is divided by the total number of completed credits.
  
  
• Grade Reports: Grades are available on Banner Web one week aft er the end of Finals Week.
  
  
• Academic Records: Appeals regarding academic records must be addressed within three years of course enrollment. Any appeals filed more than three years after the date of last attendance will not be considered. Note: This policy applies to appeals for retroactive withdrawals and tuition refunds only. For policy on academic performance appeals, please see the Academic Complaints section of this catalog.
  
  
• Change of Grade: A change of grade may be submitted to the Registrar’s Office for a variety of reasons. All grade changes must come from the instructor or department chair. If, after consulting with the faculty member, questions still remain about the changing of a grade, please refer to the Academic Complaint Procedure.
  
  

Course Waiver

A course may be waived if the student has previously completed equivalent work. All waivers must be approved by the student’s advisor, Department Chair, and the Registrar. College credit will not be given for a waiver. In no instance will a reduction be made in the number of credits required for completion of a program.

Course Substitution

Students may request a substitution for a course if they have previously completed a college course in which the subject matter closely parallels that of the course for which they request the substitution. The Department Chair, Advisor and the Registrar must approve all substitutions. In no instance will a reduction be made in the number of
credits required for completion of a program.

Honors

Montana State University-Great Falls College of Technology recognizes students’ academic achievements according to the following standards:

• Honor Roll:The honor roll includes students who earn 12 or more credits with no Incomplete grades in Non-Pass/Fail courses at the 100 level or above, and who have a grade point average of 3.49 - 3.25 for that semester.
• Dean’s List :To be eligible for the Dean’s List, a student must earn 12 or more credits in Non-Pass/Fail courses at the 100 level or above in one term, have a semester grade point average of 3.5 or above, and not have any Incomplete grades. If Incomplete grades changed to passing grades affect Dean’s List eligibility, the student may request a letter noting Dean’s List recognition.
• Phi Theta Kappa: A chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, an international honor society for two year colleges, was chartered at MSU – Great Falls College of Technology
  in 1998. Membership is based primarily on academic achievement. Students who meet the criteria are invited to join each semester. To be eligible, students must be full-time, must have completed 12 semester credits, and must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5.
  
  Membership in Phi Theta Kappa offers much more than a mere certificate of membership. The organization offers opportunities for scholarships, intellectual enrichment and personal development through programs based on the four hallmarks of Scholarship, Leadership, Service and Fellowship.
  
  For further information, contact the chapter advisors: Roger Peffer and Lesa Pribyl.
  
• Graduation Honors: Upon successful completion of program requirements, a graduating student with a cumulative GPA of 3.75 or higher will receive highest honors, and a graduating student with a cumulative GPA between 3.5 and 3.749 will receive honors.

Graduation

Montana State University-Great Falls College of Technology students follow the catalog in effect when they began their enrollment at the college or may elect to follow any subsequent catalog. If a student is absent for one or more semesters, the catalog in effect at the time of readmission governs the student’s graduation requirements. Students must pass all required courses and have an overall grade point average of 2.0 to graduate from Montana State University-Great Falls College of Technology.

Each program in the Health Science Department has specific requirements for matriculation and graduation. Students are informed of other specific program policies and requirements both at the time of orientation and throughout their educational experience.

Identified programs in the Business and Technology Department have specific requirements for matriculation and graduation. Courses that require a grade of “C” or above are designated for each program in the program section of this catalog.

A student must submit a formal application for graduation by the published term deadline. Applications can be obtained from the information Desk. A $25 non-refundable graduation fee is due upon submission of the application to the Business Office. Application deadlines are published on page one of this catalog and on the Academic Calendar located on the college’s website. Students who fail to submit an application for graduation will not receive a certificate/degree.

Students will be awarded a certificate/degree upon satisfactory completion of all program requirements, provided that 25% of the course work required in the degree program has been completed at MSU – Great Falls College of Technology.

The commencement ceremony is held each May, at the conclusion of the Spring semester. Caps and gowns can be purchased through the Bookstore for a fee. Graduation announcements are also available for purchase through the Bookstore.

Diplomas can be replaced at the request of the student. The cost of replacing a certificate, diploma, and/or cover is $10.

Transcript of Record

Walk-in requests for transcripts should be turned in to the Business Office. If the student requesting a transcript has an unpaid financial obligation to any Montana State University campus, the request will not be processed until the bill has been paid and the student has notified the Registrar’s Office of payment.

Please note that no appeals for adjustments to the official transcript records will be reviewed beyond three years of the last date of attendance.

During most of the year, requests for transcripts will be processed within three to five working days after being received by the Registrar’s Office. Requests received during the last week of a semester will be held until final grades are processed.

Transcripts are sent only at the written request of the student. The request must include a signature, and can be paid with cash, check, money order, or credit card. Requests should be addressed to:

Registrar’s Office-Transcripts
MSU-Great Falls COT
2100 16th Ave S
Great Falls, MT 59405

The first request for an official transcript will be processed without a fee; thereafter the processing fee for each transcript is $3.00.

Transcripts/records submitted from other institutions/agencies cannot be released or duplicated, as they remain the property of the issuing institution/agency.

Students attending Montana State University – Great Falls College of Technology after 1987 can access an unofficial transcript at our website: www.msugf.edu by clicking “Banner Web” and logging onto the secure area.

Degrees Offered

• Certificate of Applied Science (C.A.S.): The Certificate of Applied Science recognizes a short program of study designed to prepare the student for entry-level employment in a specific technical field. The Certificate of Applied Science is comprised of 30 - 45 credits; with rare exceptions. Students must be able to complete the Certificate program in one calendar year or less if they are academically prepared in math and English. The general education course work in a Certificate of Applied Science often has an applied, rather than an academic focus.
  
  
• Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.):The Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree is awarded in specific technical career fields. This degree is designed to prepare students for immediate entry into employment but may be fully or partially transferable to programs at selected four-year institutions.
  
  The Associate of Applied Science degrees must be comprised of at least 60 but no more than 72 credits. For students entering these degrees prepared for the math and English required, the Associate of Applied Science degree requires at least two academic years to complete. A main difference between this degree and the Certificate of Applied Science is the added general education course work required.
  
  Montana State University-Great Falls College of Technology offers AAS degrees in both the Business/Technology and Health Science areas. Specific requirements for each program are listed in the program section of this catalog.
  
  
• Associate of Arts (A.A.): The Associate of Arts degree is a general transfer degree indicating that the student has completed a course of study equivalent to the first two years of a bachelor’s degree. This degree does not officially include a major or minor course of study. For example, a student who plans to emphasize history receives the Associate of Arts degree, not an Associate of Arts in History. At MSU – Great Falls College of Technology, students may choose to emphasize programs of study preparatory to specific career choices (e.g., visual arts, history, communications) or they may choose to emphasize a general program of study.
  
  
• Associate of Science (A.S.): The Associate of Science degree is a general transfer degree indicating that the student has completed a course of study equivalent to the first two years of a bachelor’s degree. This degree does not officially include a major or minor course of study. For example, a student who plans to emphasize mathematics receives the Associate of Science degree,not an Associate of Science in Mathematics. At MSU—Great Falls College of Technology, students may choose to emphasize programs of study preparatory to specific career choices (e.g., natural science, mathematics), or they may choose to emphasize a general program of study.
  
  Baccalaureate requirements vary considerably among and within universities. It is strongly recommended that students pursuing a general program of study for their Associate of Science or Associate of Art degrees carefully select courses that will meet specific university program requirements for a baccalaureate degree. A current catalog of the selected university should be consulted. Students should work closely with a university academic advisor.