General Assurance Provisions
Washtenaw Community College (WCC) is committed to assuring that all its degree graduates demonstrate the knowledge and performance skills that are specified in their program major. This assurance extends beyond the students' graduation at WCC to include their performance in the occupational area they studied or in successfully transferring into a similar or compatible major at a four year college or university. In particular, WCC gives assurance to its graduates, their employers, and to transferring institutions, that persons earning degrees with a "C" average or better in their area (s) of major study are fully competent at the associate degree level. The specific assurances are as follows:
Application to Occupational Programs
WCC assures that the occupational courses completed with a grade of "C" or better in a degree program will provide entry-level skills normally expected in that particular occupational field. Any student who does not successfully demonstrate these skills will be permitted to retake a specified course or courses without an additional tuition charge if the following conditions are met:
- an employer who has judged a WCC graduate as not having occupational entry-level skills specifies in writing the skill deficiencies and requests remediation,
- the retraining request is made within 18 months after completing the WCC degree,
- the student had previously taken a course or courses specifically in the skill deficient area(s) earning a grade of "C" or better.
Application to Transfer Programs
WCC assures that its transfer courses, as part of a standard degree program, will provide the expected knowledge and skills necessary for a student to be successful with junior year courses in the same field of study at a four year college or university. Any student who does not successfully demonstrate the requisite knowledge or competency which results in poor course performance, will be permitted to retake a specified course or courses without any additional tuition charge if the following conditions are met:
- A representative from the transferee institution shows evidence (transcript of course performance below the "C" level or other evidence acceptable to WCC) that the WCC graduate lacks prerequisites knowledge or skill in the major field of study and in writing requests remediation,
- The request to retake courses is made within 18 months after completing WCC degree,
- The student had previously taken a course or courses specifically in the area of deficiency and had earned a grade of "C" or better.
Limitations
The tuition free retraining or course "retakes" are limited to 18 credits of re-registration regardless of outcome. Retaking of appropriate course work to this limit would be the sole obligation of WCC for students showing the above cited performance deficiencies.
Activating the Assurance Policy
A student or graduate who wishes to submit a claim or complaint based on these assurance provisions will be referred to the Dean of Students/Ombudsman to determine if the complaint or claim is covered by the policy. Complaints or a claims that are covered by this policy would in turn be referred by the Dean to a student success ad hoc review panel. Each ad hoc panel would have the following faculty and staff representation:
- Dean of Students/Ombudsman
- Instructional Dean from the program area involved
- Faculty member from the program area
- A counselor
The graduate would work with the counselor in collecting all the relevant information related to the claim. Once compiled, the information is presented to the ad hoc board for deliberation and decision. The graduate will be notified of the decision by the counselor who will then work with the individual to implement the recommended action. Denials may be appealed to the Vice President for Instruction for a final decision.
Effective Date
This policy will apply to all WCC associate degree graduates who complete their program requirements during or after the Winter 1989 semester.
Adopted: September 13, 1988
Administrative Review: May 2002
Updated: February 2017
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