SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY COLLEGE INSTITUTIONAL ACCREDITATION POLICY AND INFORMATION ONE-STOP MISSION STATEMENT San Joaquin Valley College prepares graduates for professional success by offering Baccalaureate and Associate of Science Degrees and Certificates of Completion in business, medical, and technical career fields. The College serves a diverse student population with a common interest in professional development through career-focused higher education. The College is committed to student development through the achievement of measurable learning outcomes, emphasizing a balance of hands-on training and academic instruction. The College identifies and responds to the educational and employment needs of the communities it serves. The College is committed to the success of every student. (Adopted by the Board of Governors, July 2008, Revised May 2017) ACADEMIC PROGRAM OFFERINGS The current list of academic programs can be found at: https://www.sjvc.edu/programs-overview INSTITUIONAL LEARNING OUTCOMES Upon successful completion of their program of study, graduates of San Joaquin Valley College will be able to demonstrate the following Institutional Learning Outcomes: 1. Critical Thinking Demonstrate critical thinking through examination of ideas and evidence before formulating an opinion or conclusion. 2. Written Communication Demonstrate the ability to compose coherent, supported, and sensibly structured written work. 3. Oral Communication Demonstrate the ability to communicate verbally in an effective and professional manner. 4. Quantitative Reasoning Demonstrate the ability to problem-solve using numerical and logical evidence. 5. Information Literacy Demonstrate the ability to recognize, locate, evaluate, and relate information. CO-CURRICULAR LEARNING OUTCOMES Upon successful completion of their program of study, graduates of San Joaquin Valley College will be able to demonstrate the following Co-Curricular Learning Outcomes: 1. Professionalism Demonstrate professional behavior and effective interactions with other professionals, community members, and/or patients. 2. Intercultural Awareness Demonstrate awareness of and responsiveness to social and cultural differences by using effective interpersonal skills. 3. Self-Awareness and Learning Demonstrate self-awareness through reflection and the development of appropriate plans for self-directed learning and development. 4. Responsible Citizenship Demonstrate responsible citizenship through relationship development and service to others on campus and in their community. 5. Leadership and Teamwork Demonstrate the ability to lead, work collaboratively with others, and resolve conflict to accomplish a shared goal. PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES The Program Learning Outcomes can be found in Sections 6 & 7 of the college catalog at the following site: https://www.sjvc.edu/admissions/college-catalog San Joaquin Valley College Institutional Accreditation Policy and Information One Stop Revised January 2020 EVIDENCE OF STUDENT LEARNING CREDIT HOUR POLICY A credit hour is the amount of work represented in intended student learning outcomes and the coursework completed, inside and outside of the classroom. One credit hour is equivalent to a minimum of 15 semester hours of lecture/direct faculty instruction and 30 hours of outside-of-class student learning; 30 semester hours of lab/application and 15 hours of outside of class student learning; or 45 semester hours of clinical experience/externship in a course. Outside study of two hours is expected to support each hour of in class preparation, as supported by the course syllabus. TRANSFER CREDIT POLICY, CRITERIA & ARTICULATION AGREEMENT The transferability of credits you earn at SJVC is at the complete discretion of an institution to which you may seek to transfer. Acceptance of the degree or certificate you earn in your program is also at the complete discretion of the institution to which you may seek to transfer. If the credits you earn at this institution are not accepted at the institution to which you seek to transfer, you may be required to repeat all or some of your coursework at that institution. For this reason, you should make certain that your attendance at this institution will meet your educational goals. This may include contacting an institution to which you may seek to transfer after attending SJVC to determine if your credits will transfer. Policy: SJVC is committed to helping students achieve their educational goals. As students often complete coursework at more than one institution, it is the policy of SJVC to apply previously earned credit toward an SJVC degree or certificate (where appropriate) and to provide opportunities for course challenge. A maximum of 50% of the total credits required for an SJVC degree or certificate program may be transferred in from another institution; however, in exigent circumstances (e.g., school closure), the College may make allowance for additional earned credit to be applied toward a student’s program of study. All incoming coursework will be thoroughly evaluated to ensure that the nature, content, associated student learning outcomes, and level of credit earned aligns with the equivalent course requirements of the SJVC program of enrollment. General requirements for transfer credit include the following: • Course has been completed at an institution of higher education recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or is otherwise validated for comparability to coursework for which it is accepted. • Undergraduate coursework must be graded at a 2.0 (“C”) or higher. San Joaquin Valley College Institutional Accreditation Policy and Information One Stop Revised January 2020 • Coursework must be credit-bearing and completed at the same level for which it is credited, i.e., lower division for lower division, or upper division for upper division. • Some courses, including all science courses for Respiratory Therapy, Dental Hygiene, and Surgical Technology, require completion within the past seven (7) years in order to be considered. Please see complete Program Descriptions for information regarding required coursework, including prerequisites. • Course credit assessment must be completed prior to the academic year of enrollment for that course to be accepted toward program completion. Additional options and protocols for determining the transferability of previously earned credit and for course challenge are provided below: • Credits Earned by Students Receiving Veterans Affairs (VA) Benefits: Incoming students receiving VA benefits will have any previous college coursework or training (military and nonmilitary) evaluated to determine whether the previously earned credit may be transferred into their program of study. All accepted transfer credit will be applied toward the student’s program of study and a credit of $411.00 per unit will be given. • Credits Earned in Foreign Institutions: Students who have completed coursework in foreign institutions must have their transcripts evaluated by a foreign evaluation service in order to have that coursework considered for academic credit. Upon completion of this process, the evaluation report must be sent directly to the Registrar’s office. The Transcript Evaluator will evaluate the report and make a determination on whether credit will be awarded. • Credits Earned by Examinations and Advanced Placement Courses: Specific general education courses from the following testing sources may be eligible for transfer: o Advanced Placement Program of the College Board (AP) o College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) o DANTES Subject Standardization Test (DSST) o Excelsior College Examinations (formerly Regents or ACT/PEP) • Credit Earned through Course Challenge: Students may earn course credit in the subjects of math, English, and some program pre-requisite courses through successful course challenge. To challenge a course, students complete and pass an examination which tests their knowledge of the objectives and learning outcomes covered in the particular course. Students who successfully pass the examination will be granted the appropriate academic credit. Students must complete this process prior to the first scheduled start date of the applicable course. No tuition credit will be given to students who successfully pass the examination. SJVC does not grant credit or allow course challenge for experiential learning or previous experience. Procedure: A written request to transfer in previously earned credit must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office prior to the scheduled course(s). The request must include the following: • Official transcript demonstrating successful completion of the coursework or program for which recognition is sought o Transcripts must be sent directly from the institution of origin. • Copy of the Catalog program and/or course description or copy of course syllabus (if requested) The request and the accompanying materials will be reviewed by the Transcript Evaluator and students will receive a written notification of the decision. STUDENT COMPLAINTS & GRIEVANCES SJVC has created policies and procedures designed to protect students and provide an educational environment that is free from discrimination and harassment. The following policies and procedures serve as a method of communication between students and college administration and should be used to address any conflicts that may arise during the course of students’ educational experience. For additional information or clarification, please see the Office of the