New Mexico Junior College

Located on the first floor of the Pannel Library, the Academic Success Center offers a variety of academic support resources and services to students, faculty, and staff. The center provides a computer lab with Internet access, the latest Microsoft Office software, educational programs, audio/visual aids, instructional videos, group study hall facilities, and additional learning resources. Services include free tutoring for NMJC students (including dual- credit students), group Supplemental Instruction, academic success consultations/workshops, stress management and test taking strategies, and portfolio building/resume writing assistance. Students can sign up for individual tutoring and/or Supplemental Instruction, online tutoring, and study groups / workshops. Tutoring may be provided for other subjects by special request.

Appointments are highly recommended; as walk-in tutoring assistance is available but not guaranteed. Walk-in tutors may not be able to assist with all subjects, so if guidance is needed for a specific assignment or subject, please come speak with ASC staff coordinator ASAP or call (575) 492-2624 to schedule a session.

For students who are unable to visit the Academic Success Center on campus tutoring is available via the applications Moxtra and/or Skype. Users may sign up for a free account at www.moxtra.com or www.skype.com. Both Moxtra and Skype are optimized for use with mobile devices such as tablets and smart phones, in addition to computers. Both Moxtra and Skype require access to microphone and webcam. Please visit the Academic Success Center for more information or assistance with using Moxtra/Skype and accessing the ASC’s tutoring services.

NMJC offers the Accuplacer Next Gen for assessment of a student’s abilities in reading, math, and English. This assessment is provided to assist students in the selection of class(es) that are appropriate for their academic background. New students who will be seeking a degree or certificate, or taking their first college level math and / or English class, are required to take the Accuplacer in the absence of other exempting test scores.

NMJC honors AP and CLEP scores but administers only the CLEP.

As a college of higher learning, NMJC is concerned that all participants in the learning environment conduct themselves with a high level of academic honesty and integrity.  As much as it is the students’ responsibility to conduct themselves according to accepted values of honesty and integrity, so too is it the institution’s responsibility to provide a fair and equitable process for addressing behavior that falls outside of what has been deemed as acceptable.

• Unauthorized aids – Use of material, information, or study aids not permitted by the professor during tests, quizzes, or other graded class activities. This also includes intentional sharing of information or working together on a graded academic exercise when such collaboration is not approved by the professor. The cheating might be premeditated as in the case of preparing “cheat sheets” or securing a copy of the test beforehand or opportunistic as in the case of looking at another student’s test.
• Plagiarism – Use of another person or group’s words or ideas without clearly acknowledging the source of that information, resulting in the false representation as one’s individual work. To avoid plagiarism, a student must give credit when he / she uses:
  • Quotations of another person’s spoken or written words.
  • Paraphrases of another person’s spoken or written words.
  • Another person’s data, solutions, or calculations without permission of the source, including an individual’s computerized files.

• Falsification/Fabrication – Intentional and unacknowledged invention or alteration of any data, incident, quotations, or citations in an academic exercise.
• Facilitating Academic Dishonesty – Intentionally or knowingly helping or attempting to help another student to violate any aspect of academic dishonesty.

In all cases of disruption of the educational process, the professor should document the suspected event, meet with the student(s) and impose a disciplinary sanction up to removal from the class. The professor may make a recommendation to the dean (director) and VPI that the student be expelled from the class or program. The professor will provide the dean and VPI a copy of the documentation.

• The name of the professor who imposed the academic sanction;
• The name of the student requesting the appeal;
• The course number, course name, and section;
• A description of the imposed sanction; and
• The grounds for the appeal.

1. Deny the appeal request.
2. Grant the appeal request and refer the matter back to the professor to amend the original decision and sanction.

The Registrar’s Office is responsible for the maintenance of the educational records at NMJC. This includes, but is not limited to, student transcripts. The following information refers to some of the policies and procedures for educational records. Note: Proper photo identification (driver’s license, NMJC ID card, passport or other state or federal issued identification) is required for all in-person transactions.

• personal notes (available only to writer or substitute) of College staff and faculty;
• certain student employment records;
• counseling records used solely for treatment;
  
• certain records of the college Security Office;
  
• parents’ financial records;
  
• confidential letters and statements of recommendation placed in the records before January 1, 1975; and
  
• confidential letters and statements of recommendation for admission, employment, or honorary recognition placed in the records after January 1, 1975, which students have waived the right to inspect and review.
  

• NMJC officials who have a legitimate educational interest in the records;
• officials of another school in which a student seeks to enroll, intends to enroll, or is enrolled;
• officials of the U.S. Department of Education, the Comptroller General, and state and local educational authorities;
• organizations providing the student’s financial aid or determining or assisting in determining financial aid decisions concerning eligibility, amount, condition, and enforcement of terms of said aid;
• federal, state, and local officials or authorities if required by a state or federal law;
• accrediting institutions;
• organizations or individuals conducting studies for or on behalf of NMJC;
• individuals serving a judicial order or a lawfully issued subpoena;
• any person with the written consent of the student or the parent or legal guardian of dependent students;
• appropriate parties in a health or safety emergency;
• authorized recruiters of the U.S. Armed Forces, as per the Solomon Amendment; and
• parents and / or legal guardians of students under the age of 21 who violate any Federal, State, local law, or any rule or policy of the institution governing the use or possession of alcohol or a controlled substance.

• student’s name;
• local, permanent, and email addresses;
• telephone listing;
• date and place of birth;
• major fields of study;
• dates of attendance;
• enrollment status;
• degrees, awards, and honors received;
• classification;
• expected graduation date;
• participation in officially recognized activities and sports;
• weight and height, if a member of an athletic team; and
• photographs
  

This information is available to the public and can be released unless an annual written request to withhold the information is on file in the Registrar’s Office. Confidentiality request forms may be obtained in the Registrar’s Office and at www.nmjc.edu

• Student Academic File—five (5) years after the last semester attended by student
• Student Transcript—one hundred (100) years from student’s date of birth
• Grade Sheets—five (5) years after term for which created
• Veterans’ Benefit File—three (3) years after termination of enrollment
• Class Schedule File—five (5) years after end of term for which created
• Drop / Add and Withdrawal Form Files—one (1) year after end of term for which completed
• Student Awards and Honor Files—five (5) years after date created

• Students have the right to inspect and review information contained in their student records. Requests to inspect and review records must be made, in writing, to the office that keeps the records. Although it is the College’s policy that requests to inspect records be honored as promptly as possible, the offices have up to 45 days to honor such requests.  It is the policy of the College to provide the student upon request with photocopies of her or his records where that will help the student in inspection and review of the records unless: (1) the record to be copied is an examination, in which case permission of the faculty member is necessary, or (2) where a student’s record is being withheld because of an outstanding financial obligation to the University. Fees for photocopies of materials in the records are the same as College offices charge for photocopies of other materials. At its option, an office may furnish copies at no charge, or take the materials to a copy/duplicating center on campus, where the current rate for cash work will be charged.
• Students have the right to request an amendment of the contents of their records believed to be inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy or rights. Students must submit a written statement to the custodian of records clearly identifying the part of the record they want changed and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading.The fairness of a grade may not be challenged under this provision. Any dispute over the contents of the record will be handled through informal discussions between the student and the Registrar. If such meetings are not satisfactory, the student has the right to a formal hearing before an appeals committee.
• Students have the right to prevent disclosure without consent, with certain exceptions, of personally identifiable information from their records. The student should carefully consider the consequences of any decision to withhold any category of directory information. Regardless of the effect upon the student, NMJC assumes no liability that may arise out of its compliance with a request that such information be withheld.  It will be assumed that the failure on the part of the student to request the withholding of directory information indicates the student’s consent to disclose.
• Students have the right to secure a copy of the college’s policy.
• Students have the right to file complaints with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the college to comply with the provisions of the Act. If students believe that such rights have been violated, they may contact the Family Policy Compliance Office at the Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave SW, Washington DC 2002-4605. Additional information is available at www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco

• The President’s Honor List - students must be enrolled in at least 12 semester hours of college-level work and earn a grade point average of 4.0.
• The Vice Presidents’ Honor List - students must be enrolled in at least 12 semester hours of college-level work and earn a grade point average from 3.5 to 3.99, with no grade less than a “B.”
• The Deans’ List - students must be enrolled in at least 12 semester hours of college-level work and earn a grade point average from 3.0 to 3.49, with no grade less than a “B.”

Developmental and transitional courses are not college-level courses and do not count for honors list purposes. Students enrolled in any developmental or transitional courses are not eligible for scholastic honors.

Registration is not complete until tuition and fees have been paid. Payment is due within 48 hours of registration for classes. If payment is not made, students who have not paid or made a “serious financial commitment” toward registration at NMJC will be dis-enrolled according to published policy. A student is considered to have made a “serious financial commitment” under any of the following circumstances:

• The student has set up a formal payment plan through Nelnet.
• The student has pending financial aid awards and the student has set up payment through Nelnet.
• The institution has received a valid purchase order from a third party for which full payment will be received by the end of the semester, regardless of the student’s academic outcome; for example, a local school district agrees to these terms.

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• If the criteria above are met, the instructor and student enter into a completion contract.  The contract specifies what the student must do to complete the course and receive a grade.  The method used to calculate the final grade must also be stated.  The burden for completing the work resides with the student. The instructor will provide minor assistance to help the student complete the work.  The instructor, the student, and the appropriate Dean sign the contract. If the student is incapacitated, the student does not have to sign.  A copy goes to the student, the instructor, and the Registrar.
• The student must complete all course work no later than the end of the next long semester.
• The instructor specifies on the contract what grade the student will receive if he/she does not complete the required coursework.  When the student completes the required coursework, the instructor computes the final grade and turns in a grade change form to the appropriate academic Dean for processing. If no grade change form is processed because the student failed to complete the work in the specified time, the Associate Dean will change the “I” grade into the grade specified on the contract at the end of the appropriate semester.

• The student is to obtain the Formal Grade Appeal Form from the Academic Division in which the course was offered.
• The student is to contact the Professor and provide the Formal Grade Appeal Form with the top section already completed by the student. This is to allow written documentation of reasons for the appeal. This contact with the Professor may be by any method including person-to-person, letter or e-mail. If the Professor is not available, the student should submit the Formal Grade Appeal Form to the Dean who supervises the Professor. (This information may be obtained from the Registrar’s Office or the Vice President for Instruction’s Office.)
• The Professor will complete his/her part of the Form within 10 business days (Monday – Friday) following receipt of the form from the student. If the Professor agrees with the student request for grade change, within 5 business days of that decision, a Grade Change Form will be initiated by the Professor and submitted to the Registrar. If the Professor does not agree with the student, the grade remains unchanged.
• The student may either accept the Professor’s decision or advance the appeal to the appropriate Academic Dean no later than 20 business days following receipt of the Professor’s decision.
  

• The student makes a formal, written appeal to the Academic Dean by submitting a copy of the Grade Appeal Form as completed at the previous level, to the appropriate Dean.
• The Dean will complete his / her part of the Form within 10 business days of receiving the formal, written request for appeal from the student.
• If the Academic Dean agrees with the student request for a grade change, within 5 business days of that decision, the Dean will have a Grade Change Form initiated. If the Dean does not agree with the student, the grade remains unchanged.
• The Student may either accept the Dean’s decision or advance the appeal to the Vice President for Instruction no later than 20 business days following receipt of the Dean’s decision.

• The student requests a formal, written appeal to the Vice President for Instruction by submitting a copy of the Form, as completed at the previous levels, to the Vice President for Instruction.
• The Vice President will complete his / her review of the grade appeal request within 10 business days of receiving the formal, written request for appeal from the student.
•  If the Vice President agrees with the student request for a grade change, within 5 business days of that decision, the Vice President for Instruction will have a Grade Change Form initiated. If the Vice President does not agree with the student, the grade remains unchanged.

• The decision of the Vice President for Instruction is final. No further appeals of this grade may take place.

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• The GPA will be determined by using only NMJC courses;
• Students must have completed 30 credit hours of non-developmental courses at NMJC;
• The NMJC cumulative GPA must total 3.5 or higher;
• For the printed commencement program, the calculation will be made only on those courses that have been completed through the end of the fall semester prior to spring graduation; and
• For posting to the transcript, the cumulative grade point average to determine honors will be calculated at the end of the semester in which students complete degree requirements.