10.2 Public Information

The institution makes available to students and the public current academic calendars, grading policies, cost of attendance, and refund policies. (Public information)  

√  Compliance   ____Non-Compliance

Narrative

St. Petersburg College (SPC) makes available to the public and to students—regardless of modality (i.e., face-to-face, online) or location (Dual Enrollment at High Schools) —current academic calendars, grading policies, cost of attendance and refund policies.

SPC publishes its academic calendar and policies affecting students, such as grading and refunds, in the College Catalog (available online and in print) and the Student Handbook (available online and in print). These items are also made available via public online links, within SPC’s learning management system MyCourses, course shells, and various print publications. SPC does not offer graduate courses, thus no separate policies are needed.

Academic Calendar

St. Petersburg College establishes an academic calendar by following guidelines established by the State Board of Education as detailed in Florida Statute 1001.65 (7) and overseen by the SPC Board of Trustees Rule 6Hx23-1.29.

SPC’s academic calendar is available to all students (regardless of the modality and location) and the public. The academic calendar contains detailed information for campus and distance students pertaining to registration; schedule changes; last dates to add, change, drop, and withdraw from courses; class start and end dates; holidays; and final exam dates. The online academic calendar includes embedded links that provide convenient access to pertinent information such as tuition payment deadlines, payment plan details, financial aid information, and refund policies after dropping courses. The information provided addresses the various populations SPC serves: campus, online, modular, weekend, and express students.

The academic calendar is also available via a direct link found within the footer of each SPC webpage:

In addition, the calendar is available in the Student Handbook (p. 9-11) and College Catalog (p. 6), available in both electronic and printable versions. Finally, the calendar is linked within the syllabus of all courses within the learning management system, MyCourses.

Grading Policy

SPC’s grading system is established in accordance with Board of Trustees Rule 6Hx23-4.20 and the description of that grading system is described in Board of Trustees Procedure P6Hx23-4.20. The protection of student records, including grades, is maintained under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and in accordance with SPC Board of Trustees Procedure P6Hx23-4.37.

SPC’s grading policy, including quality points and special grading instructions, is available to all students (regardless of modality or location) and to the public online and in print in the College Catalog (p. 25) as shown below:

In addition, faculty are required to include the grading policy in their course syllabi, per the faculty manual (p.8).

Cost of Attendance 

SPC Board of Trustees Rule 6Hx23-5.17 and Rule 6Hx23-5.171 contains the listing of Student fees and Miscellaneous Charges the college is authorized to assess. The Cost of Attendance, as determined by Financial Assistance Services (FAS), is published directly on the College website, and linked to the Student Handbook (p. 47) and on the Student Right to Know policies page.

Refund Policy

SPC Board of Trustees Rule 6Hx23-5.19 authorizes the President to develop a refund policy and Board of Trustees Procedure P6Hx23-5.19 contains the description of the procedures to carry out that policy.

SPC’s refund policy is available to all students (regardless of modality or location) and the public via the FAS refunds webpage:

Additionally, the refunds webpage is linked through the College Catalog (p. 9), the Student Handbook (p. 48), the Student Right to Know webpage, and on the student’s Fee Schedule that they receive at registration. Refunds are provided to the students through BankMobile, and refund dates are provided with the explanation of the refund policy on the FAS website, as pictured below.