Institutional Policies for Syllabi

Success Coaching (Advising) and Degree Planning

At Dallas College, our Success Coaching (Advising) team works side by side with you in (1) picking the right career path, (2) enrolling in the right classes and (3) finishing on time. Degree planning is critical as you prepare to be successful in the workforce and/or to transfer to other institutions.

If you are a first-time-in-college student, you are required to meet with an advisor and are encouraged to file a degree plan. If you are a continuing student, you are also encouraged to meet with available advisors, faculty and program coordinators to ensure your continued success in maintaining a quality educational pathway.

• Visit the Success Coaching (Advising) webpage for more information.
• Visit the Success Coaching (Advising) Centers page for contact information for all campus advising offices.

Dallas College and Community Resources

Dallas College understands that to be successful in the classroom and at college, you may need help with challenges outside the classroom. If you don’t have enough food to eat, need a safe place to live, don’t have reliable transportation or have other personal problems, these things make it hard to concentrate on school. The college provides a variety of ways to access the help you may need.

Connect With Staff: Connections staff provide students with one-on-one assistance and can offer guidance and referrals to college and community resources. You can contact with them by email Connections@DallasCollege.edu.

Self-Service Support: Dallas College provides a self-help website called My Community Services. You can use this website to find college and community resources available to our students and their families. This online directory lets you search for free and reduced-cost services like medical care, food, job training and more. Many resources are available to help you when you encounter life barriers that may seem to stand in the way of your success.

Walk-In Services: Dallas College provides personal counseling services through its Counseling and Psychological Services Centers. Counseling can help equip you with the tools, life skills and social service resources to help you get back or stay on track.

Online Outreach: Additionally, you can refer a peer or yourself to the CARE Team. The CARE Team was created to help people in distress, struggling with basic needs, experiencing unexpected crises or whose behavior raises concerns about their well-being or that of others.

Emergency Aid Funds

Emergency aid funds are available on a limited basis for students in need. You can apply for emergency aid funds using the Edquity mobile app or Edquity website.

Student Progress Reporting

If you are enrolled in a course at Dallas College that is longer than four weeks, you will receive one or two notices from your instructor providing a Student Progress Report. These reports are designed to inform you of your progress/performance in the class. When your Student Progress Report is available, you will receive an email notification with directions on how to access your report via eConnect.

Tutoring

All students are eligible for free, convenient tutoring in a wide range of subjects in addition to study skills coaching. Visit the Tutoring webpage for more information.

Child Care

Dallas College provides a child care program (Working Wonders) to enrolled students who are in technical, occupational and associate degree or certificate programs. To access Working Wonders’ program services, begin the application process, which can be found on the Dallas College child care website.

Rental Assistance

Dallas College has partnered with United Way and the city of Dallas to provide rental assistance for currently enrolled Dallas College students. Eligibility guidelines and the required intake form are on the Rental Assistance website.

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Students With Disabilities

If you are a student with a disability and/or special needs who requires accommodations, please contact the Accessibility Services Office at your campus. The office reviews each student’s request for accommodations on a case-by-case basis, assessing the request and any relevant documentation. Disability-related documentation may include assessments, reports and/or letters from qualified evaluators, professionals or institutions. Documentation should provide information on the impact of the disability so that appropriate accommodations can be identified. Please note that all communication with the Accessibility Services Office is confidential.

It may take up to four weeks for a request to be reviewed and accommodations put in place. New students are encouraged to contact the Accessibility Services Office at least four weeks before classes begin. Returning students are encouraged to contact the Accessibility Services Office at least three weeks before classes begin to resume services.

Cheating, Plagiarism and Collusion

Scholastic dishonesty is a violation of the Code of Student Conduct and Hazing. Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on a test, plagiarism and collusion.

Cheating includes copying from another student’s test or homework paper; using materials not authorized; collaborating with or seeking aid from another student during a test; knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing or soliciting (asking for) the contents of an un-administered test; and substituting for another person to take a test.

Plagiarism is the appropriating (taking in a way that is illegal or unfair), buying, receiving as a gift or obtaining by any means another’s work and the unacknowledged submission or incorporation of it in one’s own written work.

Collusion is the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work for fulfillment of course requirements. Academic dishonesty is a serious offense in college. You can be given a failing grade on an assignment or test, can be failed for the class or you can even be suspended from college.

Your enrollment indicates acceptance of the Dallas College Code of Student Conduct and Hazing.

Per FLB, Student Rights and Responsibilities: Student Conduct, no student may drop a course if an allegation of scholastic dishonesty is pending in the course or if the student has received a failing grade in the course based upon scholastic dishonesty.

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Computer Use Policy

For classes requiring the use of campus computers, review the college’s Computer Use Policy.

End of Course Survey

We use the End of Course Survey to find out how students perceive the quality of courses, faculty and instruction and to get feedback for improvement. To minimize disruption in the classroom, the End of Course Survey is available online through MyCourseEval in the eCampus institutional page in the Tools area. You will receive an email when the course survey opens. If you get a request to complete the End of Course Survey, please do so as soon as possible. By completing this survey, you will help the college and your instructors find out how we might improve your educational experiences. Your identity and responses will remain anonymous and confidential.

Grade Reports

Final grade reports are not mailed to students. You may view your final grades via eConnect at econnect.dcccd.edu. From the Current Credit Student menu, select “My Grades” under “My Personal Information.” If you are not already logged in, you will be prompted to do so. Select the grade type you wish to review. Press the submit button, and all grades for the selected grade type will be shown.

Religious Holiday Observance

Dallas College honors the right of each student to observe the practices of their belief system. It is your responsibility to provide your instructors a written justification for a religious accommodation promptly after the course begins. It is the responsibility of the instructor and student to negotiate completion of all missed assignments before the absence, if possible.

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Harassment, Discrimination and Sexual Misconduct (Title IX)

Dallas College is committed to providing a learning and working environment that is welcoming and inclusive of all its members.

Dallas College places the highest priority on the safety and well-being of all its students. If you encounter harassment or discrimination based on race, color, religion, age, national origin, disability or sexual orientation (see policy FFDB), please contact Student Services.

If you encounter sexual misconduct or retaliation based on sex or gender (see policy FFDA), please contact your campus Title IX coordinator or the Office of Institutional Equity. Reports of sexual misconduct shared with employees of Dallas College will be reported to the campus Title IX coordinator, in accordance with Texas law.

Confidential and nonconfidential resources and reporting options are available.

For more information about Dallas College policies, resources or reporting options relating to harassment, discrimination and sexual misconduct, please contact campus Student Services or your campus Title IX coordinator.

FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) gives students certain rights regarding their education records. Information about FERPA guidelines is available online in the college catalog.

Benefits of Being a Student

There are many perks to being a student at Dallas College. Free DART passes (for those who qualify), free Microsoft Office 365 and fitness centers are just a few. But there are many other benefits, including special events, scholarships, internships and the chance to study abroad.

You can find a complete list on our Services & Resources webpage.

Attendance and Participation

If you do not attend classes, you could lose your financial aid. You must attend and participate in your on-campus or online course(s) before the course certification date and continue beyond the course withdrawal date.

Your instructor is also required by law to validate/certify your attendance in your on-campus or online course(s) in order for you to receive financial aid. To meet this attendance requirement in an online course, you must demonstrate academic activity to establish eligibility for federal student aid with activities such as, but not limited to, the following examples: initiating contact with your instructor to ask a question about the academic subject studied in the course, submitting an academic assignment, taking an exam, completing an interactive tutorial, participating in computer-assisted instruction, attending a study group that is assigned by the instructor, or participating in an online discussion about academic matters relating to the course.

In an online class, simply logging in is not enough to demonstrate academic purpose. You are required to participate in your online class by taking part in an academically related activity as described above.

Withdrawing From Classes

If you are receiving any form of financial aid, you should check with the Financial Aid Office before withdrawing from classes. If you withdraw, it may affect your eligibility to receive aid in the future and could require repayment of funds you received for the current semester. Failing to attend or participate after the drop date will also affect you. To speak with someone, please contact the Financial Aid Call Center at 972-587-2599 or visit one of our campus Financial Aid Offices (dallascollege.edu/FinancialAidOffices).

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Withdrawal Policy

If you are unable to complete this course, it is your responsibility to officially withdraw by the official drop date for this course. Failure to do so will result in a performance grade, usually an F. If you drop a class or withdraw from the college before the official drop deadline, you will receive a W (withdraw). Students sometimes drop a course when help is available that would enable them to continue. Before you make the decision to drop this course, please contact the instructor by email.

If you are receiving any form of financial aid, check with the Financial Aid Office before withdrawing from classes.

International students on an F-1 visa cannot withdraw from classes without jeopardizing their official status. Please contact an international student advisor before dropping a class.

For more information, visit the Dropping or Withdrawing From Classes webpage.

Six Drop Rule

Under a Texas law (TEC Section 51.907), if you drop too many classes without having an acceptable reason, your GPA could be affected. Be sure you understand how this law may affect you before you drop a class. The law applies to students who enroll in a Texas public institution of higher education (including Dallas College) for the first time in fall 2007 or later. You may drop no more than six courses during your entire undergraduate career unless the drop qualifies as an exception. Your campus Advising Center will give you more information on the allowable exceptions. Remember that once you have accumulated six nonexempt drops, you cannot drop any other courses with a W. For more information, visit dallascollege.edu/SixDrop.

Repeating a Course and Third Drop Rule

Dallas College charges additional tuition to students registering the third or subsequent time for a course taken at the college since the Fall 2002 semester. All third and subsequent attempts of the majority of credit and continuing education/workforce training courses will result in an additional tuition charge. Developmental Education and some other courses will not be charged a higher tuition rate. See Third Attempt to Enroll in a Course at dallascollege.edu/ThirdCourseAttempt.

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All students are required to visibly wear a Dallas College ID while on college property or at college-sponsored or related activities. The purpose of the ID is to verify the identity and personnel or student status of the card holder.

Students enrolled in and attending the college are eligible to be issued an ID. Student ID cards are issued by each campus Student Life/Student Services Office.

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Sign up for Dallas College Emergency Alerts to receive a text message, email and/or phone call when there is an unscheduled evacuation or closure of a campus or office because of weather, utility outages or police or other emergencies. Subscribing is free, but standard text message charges from your cell phone provider will apply. For more information, see dallascollege.edu/Alerts.

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Any person who holds a license to carry may carry a concealed handgun on college property as permitted by law and college policy. A license holder who carries a handgun on college property must keep it concealed and on or about their person at all times. The open carry of a handgun (i.e., completely or partially visible) is prohibited on college property, including any public driveway, street, sidewalk, walkway, parking lot, parking garage or other parking area.

Weapons

The use, possession or display of a weapon in violation of law and college policy is strictly prohibited. This prohibition applies to firearms, knives, clubs, fireworks of any kind, incendiary devices, razors, chains, throwing stars and any other device designed to expel a projectile or to inflict bodily harm.

Violations may result in disciplinary action and/or criminal penalties.

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Instructors reserve the right to amend a syllabus as necessary.

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When class sessions are recorded, any duplication, distribution or altering of a class-session recording is prohibited (not allowed). If you participate in a class session with your camera on or display a profile image, you are agreeing to have your video or image recorded. If you participate in a session and do not consent (agree) to have your profile or video image recorded, it is your responsibility to ensure your video feed or profile image is not displayed. Likewise, if you unmute during the session and participate orally, you are agreeing to have your voice recorded. If you are not willing to consent to have your voice recorded during class, you will need to keep your mute button activated and communicate exclusively using the "chat" feature, which allows students to type questions and comments live.

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Textbooks, online publisher content, software, art supplies, science lab kits and even certain medical supplies are included in this class as part of tuition. If you have questions or concerns about your required learning materials, please contact studentquestions@dcccd.edu.

Learning materials for one or more of your courses are included in the tuition and fee charges for the current semester. Dallas College is able to obtain these materials at a discount and make them available to you promptly at the start of each course. If you choose to opt out of this service and purchase learning materials on your own, please read below to fully understand your rights and responsibilities:

• By opting out, you will be fully responsible for purchasing and obtaining all required textbooks, supplies and other learning materials for each course.
• Because failure to obtain learning materials on time could affect your academic success, opting out from this service is not recommended.

• For more information on the program, please visit the IncludED website.

• To opt-out of the program, please visit eConnect and choose Learning Materials Opt-Out under the Books and Supplies heading.
  

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