ADMINISTRATIVE RULE NO: 4020-13

RELATED TO POLICY SERIES NO: 4020

TITLE: GRADUATION

PURPOSE
This rule establishes the institutional standards for awarding degrees, certificates, and diplomas.

STATEMENT
To receive a state-approved credential from Linn-Benton Community College, students must complete the appropriate coursework and meet the following standards:

  1. General Credential Requirements (applies to degrees, certificates and diplomas)
    1. Be admitted to the college.
    2. Fulfill requirements listed in the degree audit system from any of the last five catalog years in which at least one credit was earned at LBCC. Credential requirements may not be combined from multiple catalog years.
    3. In the event that a specific AAS program degree, AAS program option, or program certificate of completion is suspended or deleted, the requirements for that program must be fulfilled within three years of the effective suspension date.
  2. Degrees
    1. Students must earn a minimum of 24 LBCC credits (12 for the AAOT) of which at least 15 (8 for the AAOT) must be in their major field.
    2. Students must have a 2.00 accumulative GPA.
    3. Complete a minimum of 70% of all credits attempted. Grades of F, NP, Y, IN, WP, and W are non-completion grades.
    4. To earn more than one degree or to major in more than one field, the student must complete an additional 24 credits for each program beyond those required for the first degree.
    5. The maximum number of P credits allowed is 16, not including those with an obligatory P grade.
  3. One-Year Certificate
    1. Students must earn at least 12 LBCC credits toward the certificate.
    2. Students must have a 2.00 GPA based on the LBCC courses completed for the program.
    3. The maximum number of P credits allowed is 8, not including those with an obligatory P grade.
  4. Less-than-one-year Certificate
    1. Students may apply only LBCC credits towards the certificate.
    2. No credits for Credit for Prior Learning (AR 4020-01) may be used to meet requirements.
    3. Students must have a 2.00 GPA based on the LBCC courses completed for the program.
    4. The maximum number of P credits allowed is 8, not including those with an obligatory P grade.
  5. Non-Credit Training Certificate
    1. Students may apply only LBCC non-credit course work toward the certificate.
    2. Credit course work may not be used to meet requirements.
    3. Credit for Prior Learning (AR 4020-01) may not be used to meet requirements.

  6. Apply for graduation by published deadlines.  The appropriate advisor and division dean must approve any program course substitutions, exceptions, or waivers.

  7. Official transcripts from other educational institutions with transfer credits to be used toward the credential must be received in the Admissions Office within 90 days of admission.

  8. Credit for Prior Learning as defined in Administrative Rule 4020-01 may be used to satisfy a maximum of 25% of the requirements for a certificate or degree.

  9. Students may petition for a waiver of a specific graduation requirement. The Degree Waivers Committee reviews petitions about exceptions or waivers of general or degree requirements.

  10. The awarding of a credential becomes official only when graduation information has been posted to the transcript.

  11. Posthumous Grades and Awards

    The student will receive “W” grades for current courses.

    Upon notice of a student’s death, the Registrar will determine if a posthumous award may be granted. An award would be granted if:

    1. The student was enrolled in courses meeting certificate or degree requirements at the time of death. If the student was a DPP student, enrollment at OSU or OIT would qualify the student as enrolled, and transcripts would be requested to be applied to a student’s graduation evaluation of a certificate or degree;
    2. A certificate or degree would be completed in no more than one additional term of enrollment of up to 15 credits.
    3. When the student is not eligible for a certificate or degree, but has been enrolled in credit courses in any of the three terms prior to their death, the student will be awarded a “posthumous certificate of academic achievement”.

The student’s record will indicate the award, a diploma ordered, and the student included in the annual published list of graduates.

DATE OF ADOPTION: 8/13/84
DATE(S) OF REVISION(S): 1/8/85; 6/18/85; 2/21/95; 10/3/95; 3/15/05; 3/20/07; 2/14/13; 10/3/13; 2/5/15; 1/7/16, 10/13/16; 6/3/21
DATE OF LAST REVIEW: 12/03/15, 10/13/16; 4/2/2020