ACADEMIC POLICIES & PROCEDURES
24 CCSN 2007-2008 COURSE CATALOG
• Select the catalog they declared or changed major or
• Select the catalog in effect when the student has com-
pleted the degree or certificate or
• Select a degree that is offered for the first time after the
student has enrolled. The student must choose the cata-
log year in which the degree or major was first offered.
In no case may a student use a catalog that is more
than six years old at the time of graduation.
Students planning to receive an Associate of Arts,
Associate of Applied Science, Associate of Business,
Associate of General Studies, or an Associate of Science
degree must complete a minimum of 60 credits, depending
on specific program requirements, of various courses meet-
ing general education and program specific requirements
and have at least a 2.0 grade point average.
Students planning to receive a Certificate of Achievement
must complete a minimum of 30 credits, depending on spe-
cific program requirements, of various general education
and certificate specific requirements and have at least a 2.0
grade point average.
In addition, students must:
• Satisfactorily complete a minimum of 15 semester
credit hours in residence at the College for an
Associate degree or Certificate of Achievement, which
may include the required 15 semester credits in resi-
dence in the major occupational area for an Associate
of Applied Science or Certificate of Achievement.
• Students can not have any outstanding financial obliga-
tion to the NSHE
• Complete all course requirements by the last day of
final examinations of the candidate’s final semester
• Students cannot have a grade of “D" or below in the
major occupational area for the Associate of Applied
Science degree
• And, if a student is earning two certificates or degrees
subsequently or simultaneously he/she must satisfy the
following dual degree policy requirements. File a sepa-
rate Application for Graduation and pay the fee for
each degree. Complete all curricular requirements for
each degree. Complete 15 credits in residence beyond
the requirements for the first degree. This means a stu-
dent must have a minimum of 75 semester credits, 30
of which were earned in residence at CCSN. Students
earning dual degrees may use a course only once to
fulfill each certificate or degree requirements.
Students transferring credits completed at other institu-
tions toward their CCSN degree or certificate must have
their transcripts evaluated prior to applying for graduation.
Any student who fails to meet graduation requirements in
any given semester must file a new application with the
Office of the Registrar.
Students may apply for and receive diplomas for one of
three graduation dates: August, December or May.
Application for Graduation- CCSN awards the following
degrees upon successful completion of all requirements:
Associate of Arts, Associate of Applied Science, Associate of
Business, Associate of General Studies, Associate of Science
and the Certificate of Achievement. Diplomas and transcripts
indicate the degree and any emphasis if applicable.
Commencement exercises are held once a year in May.
Students who graduated during the preceding summer or
fall semesters will be listed in the commencement program
and may participate in the May commencement.
Students must file an application for graduation with the
Office of the Registrar and pay a graduation application fee
of $15.00 and a $5.00 diploma-mailing fee during the
semester in which they plan to complete requirements for
graduation. Deadlines for filing are noted in current Class
Schedules. There is a late fee for applications submitted
after published deadlines.
High Honors/Honors- All students graduating from CCSN
are considered for High Honors or Honors based on their
CCSN cumulative grade point average. High Honors
requires a cumulative GPA of 3.6. An Honors designation
requires a cumulative GPA of 3.4. All honor students
receive recognition on their diplomas, academic transcripts
and in the commencement program.
Course Substitution- If a student is unable to obtain a
course which is listed as a program requirement or has
already taken a course which appears similar in content,
he/she may apply for a substitution. The student is not
granted any additional credit but is merely allowed to sub-
stitute a course not listed as a requirement for a course,
which is required. The student must fulfill the appropriate
15 credit residency requirement. It is the student’s responsi-
bility to:
• Complete a separate Substitution Waiver form, avail-
able in the Office of the Registrar, for each request and
• Submit the request to the appropriate Department Chair
for review and signature.
The appropriate Dean for the course will then review the
request for approval or denial and forward it to the Office
of the Registrar. The student will receive a copy of the form
on completion of the process.
Course Waiver- If a student feels he/she has the training or
experience equivalent to the instruction given in a specific
required course, he or she may apply to the appropriate
Department Chair for a waiver of that course. Students
should keep in mind:
• If a waiver is granted, the student must still complete
the appropriate 15 credit hours in residence.
• Students must still have the total number of credits
required for graduation, since a course waiver does not
waive the total credits required to receive a degree.
• Waiver of an institutional degree or certificate require-
ment requires the approval of the appropriate Dean for
the course.
