Records and Registration

Records

It is the student's responsibility to notify Seminole State College of any change in records, such as address, status, etc. Students are required to keep Seminole State informed of their current mailing address, which can be updated through their MySeminoleState accounts. All documents submitted to Seminole State become the property of the College and will not be returned.

Notification of Students Rights under Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

Notification of Students Rights under Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. They are:

1. The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days of the day Seminole State College receives a request for access. Students should submit, to the registrar or a College official, a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. Seminole State officials will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the official to whom the request was submitted, the official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
2. The right to request the amendment of the student's education records that the student believes are inaccurate or misleading. Students may ask the College to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the College official responsible for the record; clearly identify the part of the record they want changed; and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the College decides not to amend the record as requested by the student, the student will be notified of the decision and advised of his or her right regarding the request for amendment.
3. The right to control access to personally identifiable information contained in the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception that permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by Seminole State College in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position, including law enforcement unit personnel; a person or company with whom Seminole State has contracted, such as an attorney, auditor or collection agent; a person serving on the District Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record to fulfill his/her professional responsibility. Upon request, the College discloses education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by Seminole State College to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the office that administers FERPA is:
   Family Policy Compliance Office
   U.S. Department of Education
   400 Maryland Avenue, SW
   Washington, DC 20202-4605

Directory Information

Seminole State College designates the following items as directory information. The College may disclose any of these items without prior written consent of the student unless notified in writing to the contrary by the end of the registration period:

• Student name
• Major field of study
• Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
• Weight and height of athletes
• Dates of attendance
• Enrollment status
• Degrees and awards received
• Photograph

Types of Records Maintained

Social Security Number Collection Statement

Seminole State College recognizes that an individual's Social Security number is a unique form of identification that can be utilized to obtain sensitive information. However, Seminole State must collect Social Security numbers under certain circumstances to accurately and efficiently perform its duties and functions as an educational institution.

Social Security numbers are collected only for the following purposes:

• Identification and verification
• Background checks
• Billing and payments
• Payroll administration
• Tax reporting
• State and federal educational and employment reporting
• Administration of federally funded financial aid and student services programs
• Vendor applications
• Independent contractors

This Social Security Number Collection Statement has been prepared by Seminole State College in compliance with Section 119.071(5), Florida Statutes (2007), (January 2008), (April 2011).

Academic Recognition

The Seminole State College of Florida District Board of Trustees recognizes superior academic achievement. College-credit students who are enrolled in six or more credit hours and postsecondary adult vocational students who are enrolled in 180 contact hours (six credit hours) and in good academic standing are eligible for recognition.

• Students with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.75 or higher will be placed on the President's List for a period of one term.
• Students with a GPA of 3.25 to 3.74 (inclusive) will be placed on the Dean's List for a period of one term.

Graduation Honors and Honors Diploma

College-credit and postsecondary adult vocational students are eligible for graduation honors if they have been in attendance at Seminole State for at least two full terms. The appropriate honors are recorded on the students' diplomas and their names are identified in the graduation program. Colleges and universities utilize the following criteria to award academic honors:

Grade Point Average Honors

• Cum Laude: 3.2-3.49
• Magna Cum Laude: 3.5-3.79
• Summa Cum Laude: 3.8-4.0

College-credit students who have earned at least 23 hours in honors courses and have at least a 3.2 GPA will receive an Honors Diploma and be recognized at graduation.

The Science Merit Diploma is awarded to those who complete the required courses with a GPA of at least 3.3.

Recognition of Phi Theta Kappa and Phi Beta Lambda is posted to the student's transcript and noted on the diploma at the time of graduation.

Classification of Students

• Non-Degree-Seeking Student: A student admitted for purposes other than earning a degree. Non-degree-seeking students may complete up to 11 hours in non-degree seeking student status. Once a non-degree seeking student enrolls into the 12th hour, he/she must be reclassified to degree-seeking status and will be required to meet degree-seeking admission and placement testing requirements.
• Transient Student: A student who is registered for a course(s) at Seminole State College with the approval of their home college or university for that specific course(s). Degree seeking students currenlty enrolled at Seminole State who wish to enroll in a course at another institution for the purpose of applying that credit toward their degree at Seminole State will maintain their current degree-seeking status and are not classified as "transient" at Seminole State.     
• Audit Student: A student who enrolls in a college course in which no credit is earned. Audit students must complete the admission procedures and meet all requirements as a student attempting the course for credit. Students may not register to aduit a course until the add/drop period begins. Students cannot change from an audit to credit after the add/drop deadline. 

Enrollment Verification

Full/Part-Time Hours

• College Credit: 12 hours/6-11 hours
• Vocational: 15 hours/7.5-14.5 hours
• Social Security: 21 hours/20 hours or less 
• ABE/GED: 15 hours/12 hours
• ESOL: 20 hours/12 hours
• High School: Full-time days = 18 hours (minimum three classes; each class must have six contact hours); Full-time nights = 12 hours (minimum two classes; each class much have six contact hours)

Grades and Transcripts

Grade Point Average (GPA): Final grades for each term are recorded and preserved. The following chart is used to calculate the GPA.

The following enrollment codes do not affect GPA:

1. Incomplete: An "I" may be given when the student has not completed the required coursework by the end of the term. To award this grade, the student must present valid reasons to the instructor for not having completed the course requirements. The "I" grade will become an "F" 30 days from the first day of the next semester if the coursework is not completed during this time period. Transcripts will indicate "grade lapse" when "I" grades are lapsed to the grade of "F." The student is not eligible for graduation or honors until all "I" grades have been removed from the academic record. The "I" grade may also affect eligibility for financial aid.
2. Withdrawal:Florida State Board of Education Administrative Rule, Chapter 6A-14.0301, requires state colleges to adhere to the following procedures relating to the award of a "W" when students withdraw from a course:
   1. The student may withdraw without academic penalty from any course by the midpoint of the semester or term. A withdrawal is considered an "attempt;"
   2. The student will be permitted a maximum of two withdrawals (two attempts) per course;
   3. Upon the third attempt, the student will not be permitted to withdraw and will receive an "A," "B," "C," "D" or "F" grade for that course. An appeal for a fourth attempt may be submitted based upon major extenuating circumstances.
3. Audit: Students who wish to enroll in a course but do not want to receive a grade or credit for that course may enroll for an audit. Students will not be allowed to change from audit status to credit status or from credit status to audit status after the 100 percent refund date each term. Audit courses will be included on the student's academic record with a grade of "X."
4. Non-Credit: The "NC" is assigned automatically for any zero-credit-hour course. "NC" is used for continuing education, economic development, lifelong learning and other classes for which no credit is awarded.
5. No Grade Assigned: The "NG" is assigned by the Enrollment Services Office in cases where the instructor did not submit a grade in time for normal processing of grades.
6. Satisfactory Progress and Unsatisfactory: The "SP" and "U" grades are used only for those courses that have received prior approval through the curriculum review process to award the satisfactory/unsatisfactory grades.

Grade Forgiveness Policy

The grade forgiveness policy allows a student to repeat a course in which the student has earned a "D" or "F" in an attempt to improve the grade earned in the course. Only the last grade earned in a repeated course will be computed into the student's GPA, provided the final grade is not an "NC," "X" or "W." A student is limited to two repeat attempts per college-credit course.

All courses attempted at Seminole State will appear on the student's transcript. Repeated courses will be indicated by a "Take" for initial attempt and "Retake" for the final attempt. Courses that may be repeated more than once for credit will be indicated with an "Allow."

Students should be aware that some colleges and universities may not honor Seminole State's forgiveness policy and compute the initial attempt in the GPA. Once a degree is awarded, a student may not repeat a course to improve the GPA.

Students may not repeat courses by credit-by-examination. Students receiving financial aid should consult with the Student Financial Resources Office prior to enrolling in any course for grade forgiveness.

Grade Reports and Transcripts

Grades are accessible online via MySeminoleState one week after the end of each term or semester. Grade reports are not mailed to students.

Credit and vocational career students may request an official transcript* through MySeminoleState. Transcript requests are processed by the National Student Clearinghouse. Printed transcript request forms are no longer accepted. Official transcripts for Adult High School and Adult Education students must be requested through Seminole State's Enrollment Services Office. For more information, visit www.seminolestate.edu/registrar/transcriptpolicies.htm.

*Official Transcript:To be official, the transcript must have the College seal, the Registrar's signature and be provided in a sealed envelope. If the seal is broken (envelope opened) the transcript is no longer official. Official transcripts are for colleges, universities and employers.

Withdrawals

Student Withdrawals: A student desiring to withdraw from a course after the add/drop period must initiate withdrawal procedures by completing the withdrawal form. Withdrawals are not official until the completed withdrawal form is received and processed by the Enrollment Services Office. The student is solely responsible to ensure the accuracy of the course(s) and section number(s) from which he wishes to withdraw. Students cannot withdraw by phone or online.

The final withdrawal date shall be interpreted to mean the point by which midterm assessments are completed. This will be the day that is closest to, but not to exceed, 61 percent of the total class days for that class. Withdrawal deadlines for the term are published in the official College Catalog academic calendar section.

Students should be aware that a reduction in course load may jeopardize their athletic eligibility, financial aid, veterans benefits, standards of progress or student visa status.

State Board Rule specifies that students are permitted a maximum of three attempts per course. Upon the third attempt, students must pay full cost of tuition. Students are not permitted to withdraw from the course and will receive a grade for that course.

Before the third attempt, students may withdraw without penalty from any course before the midpoint in the semester. Withdrawals after this date are granted by established institutional procedures.

Administrative Withdrawal from Courses: Faculty have the right to withdraw a student from class for "no attendance" as determined by the established college procedures. 

A student who is absent from class 10 percent of the scheduled class time is subject to be withdrawn without warning by the instructor. Attendance for an online course is at the discretion of the instructor.  The last day an instructor may withdraw a student will be the day closest to, but not to exceed, 61 percent of the total class days for that class.  After the 61 percent date, the faculty may assign a grade of "F" for lack of attendance. 

Withdrawal from the College: Students who are withdrawn from all courses must follow the same procedures as students who are withdrawing from a course. Failure to follow procedures may cause a student to fail courses unnecessarily and in some cases may prevent their receipt of a refund. Students who withdraw after the published add/drop period are not eligible for a refund.

Request for Official Transcripts

Official College Transcripts

National Student Clearinghouse now provides online transcript ordering services for the College.

Notice: Effective Nov. 2, 2009, college-credit and vocational career students must use the National Student Clearinghouse to order their official transcripts. Printed transcript request forms are no longer accepted.

Processing

• Orders take two to three business days to process from: a.) the date they are received by Seminole State College; b.) the date grades are posted; or c.) the date a degree is posted. The timeline is determined by the processing option selected on the transcript order form. During peak periods, transcript requests may take longer than three business days to process.
• Official transcripts cost $5 each. Payment must be submitted at the time of the request. Payments will not be processed until the order is completed. Any questions regarding payment or ordering should be directed to the National Student Clearinghouse.
• Seminole State College will not release an official transcript until all outstanding obligations are resolved. Outstanding obligations include, but are not limited to: short-term loans, library books, and high school and college transcripts.

Ordering Instructions

Students with MySeminoleState access:

• Log in to MySeminoleState. If the student is lacking a login name or password, click "Forgot Your Login Name or Password" on the MySeminoleState home page.
• Click "Student Center."
• Click the "Transcript Ordering" link to be transferred to the National Student Clearinghouse website.
• Once the Clearinghouse website displays, click "Order or track a transcript."
• Review the information provided on the Seminole State College ordering page.
• Click the "Order" button, and follow the Clearinghouse's instructions to complete the required information.
• The site guided students through the remainder of the ordering procedure, including processing options, delivery methods, fees and ordering multiple transcripts.

Students without MySeminoleState access:

• Visit the National Student Clearinghouse website.
• Click the "Order or Track a Transcript" button.
• Select "Seminole State College of Florida" from the drop-down list. Click "Submit."
• Review the information provided on the Seminole State College ordering page.
• Click the "Order" button, and follow the Clearinghouse's instructions to complete the required information.
• The site guides students through the remainder of the ordering procedure, including processing options, delivery methods, fees and ordering multiple transcripts.
• Sign the required consent form, and return it to the National Student Clearinghouse. Note: This step can take several days to complete.

Delivery

Seminole State College will attempt to send official transcripts electronically. If the receiving institution cannot accept them in this format, transcripts will be mailed first class through the U.S. Postal Service. Please allow up to 10 days for delivery after processing has been completed.

The Registrar's Office is not responsible for incorrect addresses provided on transcript order forms. It is the student's responsibility to verify the accuracy of all recipient addresses. If an official transcript cannot be delivered due to an incorrect address, the student will have to resubmit the request with the correct address and pay an additional $5 processing fee.

Note: Pick-up, fax and Express Mail services are not available for transcripts.

Unofficial Transcripts

Students may obtain an unofficial transcript at any time through their MySeminoleState account. To access an unofficial transcript:

• Log in to MySeminoleState.
• Click the "Student Center" link.
• Under the Academic History heading, select "Unofficial Transcript" from the "other academic..." drop-down menu. Click the ">>" icon to the right of the menu.
• Print your unofficial transcript.

Adult High School and Adult Education Transcripts

Adult High School and Adult Education transcripts are not available through the National Student Clearinghouse and must be requested through Seminole State's Enrollment Services Office. To request an Adult High School or Adult Education transcript:

• Download and print an Adult High School and Adult Education Transcript Request form.
• Submit the completed form to Enrollment Services via mail or fax. You may also bring the form to any Seminole State Student Affairs Center.

Mail:

Seminole State College of Florida
Office of Enrollment Services
100 Weldon Blvd.
Sanford, FL 32773

Fax: 407.708.2029

Additional Information

For questions regarding a National Student Clearinghouse service, please contact the Clearinghouse's Customer Service Department at 703.742.4200, transcripts@studentclearinghouse.org. National Student Clearinghouse, 2300 Dulles Station Blvd., Suite 300, Herndon, VA 20171.

Request for Enrollment and Degree Verification

Seminole State College has made the National Student Clearinghouse its authorized agent for processing Degree and Enrollment Verification requests for our students.

College Credit Degree Verification

The Clearinghouse's DegreeVerify service is designed to fulfill the verification requirements of companies or organizations requiring proof of a student's degree status. To request a Degree Verification, visit the National Student Clearinghouse online.

College Credit Enrollment Verification

The Clearinghouse's EnrollmentVerify service is designed to fulfill verification requirements for students and companies or organizations needing proof of a student's enrollment status. To make a verification request, Seminole State students should log into MySeminoleState and use the Enrollment Verification link provided in the Student Center. All other requesters should visit the National Student Clearinghouse website.

Adult High School and Adult Education

Degree and Enrollment Verification

Adult High School and Adult Education diploma verification or enrollment verification is not available from the Clearinghouse service and must be requested through Seminole State's Enrollment Services Office. To make a request, please complete the Diploma and Enrollment Verification Request form and submit it to Enrollment Services by mail, fax, or in person at the Student Affairs Center on your campus. Seminole State Enrollment Services, 100 Weldon Blvd., Sanford, FL 32773

Fax: 407.708.2029.

If you have questions regarding a National Student Clearinghouse service, please contact their Customer Service Department at 703.742.4200 or enrollmentverify@studentclearinghouse.org. National Student Clearinghouse, 13454 Sunrise Valley Drive, Suite 300, Herndon, VA 20171

Official transcripts are available only through the Office of the Registrar. Students can view their unofficial transcripts through MySeminoleState. Seminole State College will not give any records to a third party unless authorized by FERPA or the Registrar’s office.