ABOUT THE COLLEGE
Profile
Volunteer State Community College is a public two-year community college in Gallatin, Tennessee, serving a twelve-county region including the counties of Clay, Davidson, Jackson, Macon, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Robertson, Smith, Sumner, Trousdale and Wilson. The College is committed to the education of a non-racially identifiable student body.
Volunteer State Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award the Associate Degree and certificates. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097, or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Volunteer State Community College. Volunteer State holds membership in the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges, and the Southern Association of Junior Colleges and the Tennessee College Association.
Volunteer State Community College is approved by the Tennessee State Approving Agency for the training of veterans and their eligible dependents.
The College is an Equal Opportunity Institution of Higher Learning of the Tennessee State Board of Regents and maintains an “open-door” policy of accepting any student who desires to improve through education. A Faculty Assembly offers the faculty opportunities to become involved in decision making on an advisory level. The assembly is designed to improve communications between the faculty and administration and to express collective faculty opinion on issues of concern. The assembly is chaired by a speaker who is chosen from the body by the elected divisional representatives.
Brief History
The establishment of a state community college at Gallatin involved the cooperative work of many civic leaders and citizens of Sumner County as well as State officials. A unified proposal for a college was presented to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission in Nashville on September 11, 1967. Upon the recommendation of State Education Commissioner J. H. Warf, Governor Buford Ellington presented the college legislation to the 1969 General Assembly, and it was adopted. Following this action, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission on June 2, 1969 authorized the State Board of Education to establish a community college in Sumner County. A 100-acre tract of land on Nashville Pike was chosen for the new campus. The property was deeded to the State on December 4, 1969.
The new college was named Volunteer State Community College, and this was approved by the board on July 2, 1970. Ground breaking ceremonies for the first four buildings were held on November 5, 1970. Pending completion and occupancy of the initial campus facilities in early 1972, temporary operations were located in the Cordell Hull Hotel building in Gallatin. Utilizing the hotel and the educational facilities of several Gallatin churches, the College began instruction in the fall of 1971 with 581 students. In 1972, the General Assembly established the Tennessee Board of Regents as the governing board for the State University and Community College System, at which time the central control of the College transferred from the State Board of Education to the Regents System.
Volunteer State has experienced phenomenal growth in enrollment, curricula, staff, programs, public service, facilities, and quality, since its 1971 inception. The main campus of Volunteer State now comprises seventeen buildings, and the Volunteer State campuses at Livingston and Highland Crest continue to grow in every aspect as well. Numerous off-campus operations extend the College’s instruction and public service roles throughout its multi-county area.
Statement of Mission
Volunteer State Community College is a public, comprehensive community college offering associate degrees, certificates, continuing education, and service to northern Middle Tennessee. The College is committed to providing quality innovative educational programs; strengthening community and workforce partnerships; promoting diversity, and cultural and economic development; inspiring lifelong learning; and preparing students for successful careers, university transfer, and meaningful civic participation in a global society.
Definition Of Terms
In order for an applicant to understand the terminology, this list of definitions is provided.
Academic Clearance - This procedure requires any student who is on Suspension to meet with his or her assigned adviser and to jointly complete the Academic Clearance Form in order to continue the registration process or to remain enrolled if pre-registered.
Academic Probation - Indicates that the student has not met the criteria for academic progress as indicated in the section of this catalog entitled “Academic Status and Retention Standards.”
Academic Suspension - Indicates that the student has not met the criteria to remove Academic Probation status and will not be permitted to enroll the subsequent semester.
ADA (American Disabilities Act/Section 504 Rehabilitation Act) - Any person having questions about services and facilities for people with disabilities or feel that he or she has been affected by discrimination should contact the ADA Coordinator. Grievances and complaints concerning reasonable accommodation and equal access in College programs, facilities, activities, or services can be made to the ADA Coordinator whose office is located in the basement of Wood Campus Center.
Admission - Acceptance of a candidate for enrollment.
Admission with Advanced Standing - Acceptance granted on the basis of credits earned in another college or on the basis of demonstrated educational attainment beyond the minimum required for admission as a beginning freshman.
Advisee - The student.
Adviser - The person assigned to help students with their academic concerns.
Calendar - The system by which the institution structures its school year. The semester calendar is composed of three terms. Fall and Spring terms involve fifteen weeks of instruction. Summer term involves ten weeks of instruction and may be subdivided into shorter terms.
Classification - Student’s status in respect to progress toward the completion of his curriculum based upon the number of semester hours of courses to his credit at the time of registration and the scholarship achievement required for advancement to another class.
Continuing Education Unit - One CEU is defined as ten contact hours of participation in an organized continuing education experience under responsible sponsorship, capable direction, and qualified instruction.
Course - Organized subject matter in which instruction is offered within a given period of time and for which credit toward graduation or certification is usually given.
Course Number - Identification of a course by class level and a method to distinguish it from other sources in a given area of study.
Course Prerequisite - A preliminary requirement that must be met before a certain course may be taken without special permission.
Credit Hour (Semester Hour) - Defined by the number of hours per week in class and the number of weeks in the semester. One semester hour is usually assigned to a class that meets 50 minutes per week over a period of one semester, or a laboratory-type instruction that meets two (or three) hours a week for a semester, or a combination of these, depending upon the type of instruction and the material covered in the course. A three-hour non-laboratory course would meet three hours a week during the semester and the credit hours earned would be three semester hours. A total of 60 semester hours is the minimum required for graduation in associate degree programs.
Curriculum - The whole body of courses offered for study.
Dean’s List and Honor Roll - Common designations for the published lists of students who have achieved a recognized standard of academic excellence.
Degree (Earned) - Title bestowed as official recognition for the completion of a curriculum.
Degree, Associate - The degree granted upon the completion of an educational program of two years of college work and for the completion of a specific curriculum.
Degree Student - One who has fulfilled all the admission requirements and who is pursuing an associate degree program, referred to by some colleges as a regular student.
Division - A unit of organization which offers instruction in a general branch of knowledge, grouping related subject areas and fields.
Dual Enrollment - The opportunity for an eligible high school student to take college level courses on the high school campus with appropriate approvals to earn both high school and college credit for successful course completion.
Elective - A subject or course which the student may choose as distinguished from courses which are required.
Full-Time Student - One who is carrying at least 75 percent of the normal student work load. Twelve semester hours is commonly accepted as a minimum load for a full-time student.
Grant-in-Aid - A form of financial assistance made to a qualified student who possesses certain talent sought or valued by an institution, such as “Athletic Grant-in-Aid.”
Hours Attempted - The total credit hours carried by the student for courses in which a grade of A, B, C, D, or F is received.
Hours Enrolled - The total credit hours carried by the student for all courses except those from which the student officially withdrew or for those which the student audited.
Hybrid Courses - Consist of 25% in-class instruction and 75% on-line instruction. Through these courses, a student may enroll full-time (4 courses; 12 semester hours or more) but only attend class meetings one weeknight or on Saturday morning, each week of the semester. Each course has a significant (75%) online component.
Joint Enrollment - The opportunity for a high school senior to enroll jointly at Vol State with approval from the high school principal.
Major - The student’s primary field of interest or major area of emphasis. The field of concentration may fall within a single department of instruction or it may overlap several departments.
Matriculation - The initial enrollment of the student as a member of a college.
Part-Time Student - One who is carrying an academic schedule of less than 12 semester hours per term.
Grade Point Average - The GPA is determined by dividing the total number of quality points earned by the total number of quality hours which the student attempted at Vol State.
Readmission - The return of a student who was not enrolled the previous semester (Fall or Spring) of the academic year. A student who is readmitted after a one semester suspension will be readmitted on Academic Probation status.
Reinstatement - The act of readmitting a student after he/she has been socially dismissed.
Residency Status - Students are classified as resident or non-resident for the purpose of assessing tuition charges. The definition of residency is determined by the State Board of Regents, and all decisions concerning resident classification are made in the Office of Admissions.
Semester - Fall and Spring semesters constitute an academic year. Where there is a summer semester, it is an extra term and may or may not follow the same plan.
Social Dismissal - Involuntary separation of a student from the College as a result of action taken because of misconduct.
Special Student - One who is not pursuing an associate degree. Special students are those taking non-credit courses in continuing education or students taking credit classes for audit, job modification, or personal enrichment.
Student Financial Aid - Money made available to a student who demonstrates financial need. The term covers grants, loans and student work programs which are designed to assist the student in meeting their educational cost. Money made available to a student without regard to financial need is not classified as financial aid but as an award.
Transfer Student - A student who has withdrawn from one college and is admitted to another as a regular undergraduate; and is enrolled in courses for credit and programs leading toward an Associate Degree.
Transient Student - A student who is admitted for a limited period and who is regularly enrolled at another institution.
Withdrawal (Administrative) - A release from enrollment when an instructor notifies the appropriate authority within the designated time period of the student’s inability to pass due to excessive unexcused class absence.
Withdrawal (Student Initiated) - A release from enrollment when a student notifies the appropriate authorities within the designated time period that he/she wishes to withdraw from a course or courses.
Academic Misrepresentation
The catalog must contain the following pursuant to T.C.A Sec. 49-7-133:
It is a Class A misdemeanor to misrepresent academic credentials. A person commits the offense of misrepresentation of academic credentials who, knowing that the statement is false and with the intent to secure employment at or admission to an institution of higher education in Tennessee, represents, orally or in writing that such person;(1) Has successfully completed the required course work for and has been awarded one or more degrees or diplomas from an accredited institution of higher education; (2) Has successfully completed the required course work for and has been awarded one or more degrees for diplomas from a particular institution of higher education; or (3) Has successfully completed the required course work for and has been awarded one or more degrees or diplomas in a particular field or specialty from an accredited institution of higher education.
Snow Policy
Volunteer State Community College will normally remain open as scheduled regardless of weather conditions. However, should hazardous ice and snow conditions dictate that the school will be closed for the day, or part of the day, radio and television stations will be notified. Students should be aware that these stations do not ordinarily announce if a school is open, but only if a school is closed. For the most accurate information, students should check the College website (www.volstate.edu) or listen to the College radio station, WVCP (88.5 FM). When possible, notices will be posted by 6:00 a.m. on any day when there is any doubt whether the College will be open. When possible, information concerning evening classes will be broadcast by 3:00 p.m. on any day when there is inclement weather. It is not necessary for students to inform teachers in advance of absences due to inclement weather.
Should the College open late due to inclement weather, classes will meet at the regularly scheduled time throughout the day. For example, if the College opens at 10:00 a.m., the regularly scheduled 10:00 class will be the first class to meet for the day.
Even though the College is “open” in full or in part, students and college personnel should not endanger their lives or safety by attempting to reach campus when their local road conditions prohibit safe travel. Students are on their “honor” in observing this, but where such local hazardous conditions exist, individual students may be entitled to an excused absence (privilege of making up missed work.) Keep in mind that relative hazards may vary within our twelve-county service area and the decision to be open or closed will relate to conditions.
In the event of inclement weather when the College remains open, all faculty, administrators and staff will be expected to make every reasonable effort to maintain their regular work schedules but are advised to avoid undue risks in traveling. Employees who anticipate arriving late or not arriving to work at all should notify their immediate supervisors. Employees will have the option of charging their time off to annual leave or leave without pay; or, with approval, they may make up their lost work hours.
Students will be responsible for any academic work which they missed due to absences caused by severe weather conditions. It is the individual student’s responsibility to take the initiative to make up any class work missed.
Off-Campus-Snow Policy
In the event of inclement weather, a decision regarding the cancellation of classes at off-campus locations will be announced on the College radio station, WVCP (88.5FM), and other local radio and television stations by 3:00 p. m. or as soon thereafter as possible. Cancellation will also be posted by location on our website. This decision may vary by location due to weather conditions within a specific county. Students may contact the Division of Off-Campus Sites for specific information at 230-3743.
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