Attendance
Attending every class meeting is important to your success in college. Guidelines for attendance are established by the faculty within a department or program, with the approval of the divisional dean.
Unless an announcement is made to the contrary, a class is considered dismissed if the instructor does not appear within fifteen minutes of the beginning of a class period. Students who expect to be absent for an extended period due to illness, accident, or other unavoidable problem should notify the Vice President of Student Services and Enrollment Management.
Students who attend a field trip should make arrangements with their other course instructors to make up any assignments missed on that day. Those who cannot attend classes, take an exam, study, or fulfill class assignments on a particular day because of their religious beliefs will be given an opportunity to make up their work at the convenience of the instructor. Students cannot be penalized for taking advantage of this right.
Course Load
A full-time course load is 12 credit hours or more a semester. A load of five courses (15 to 17 credit hours) is considered to be the normal load, although in some programs more credits may be required in some semesters to complete the program within two years. Plan for at least two to three hours of study for each class hour. A student carrying 15 credits, for example, should schedule 30 to 45 hours for study each week.
Registering for Courses
Students may register for classes at any time during the registration period. All students are to be registered for courses by the end of the first week of classes. No course changes will be permitted after that time, except with written approval of the faculty member concerned. Students can fill out the Course Change Form in myBristol by clicking on the Registration tab or with the help of an Advisor.
Registering for Courses
Students may register for classes at any time during the registration period before the registration deadline. All students are to be registered in courses by the end of the first week of classes. No course changes will be permitted after that time, except with written approval of the faculty member concerned. Students can fill out the Course Change Form in myBristol under the Student Services tab or with the help of an Advisor.
Dropping a Course
Students are encouraged to meet with an advisor before making any changes to their schedule. Students who need to adjust their schedules may do so during the registration period and through the first week of classes. After the first week of classes, students cannot add a class without instructor authorization. Students may drop any course through the second week of classes without penalty. After the second week of classes, any student who drops a class will receive a "W" enrollment status. See Withdrawal Policy & Procedures in this catalog.
To receive a "W," students must withdraw before the tenth week of classes of a 14-week semester. Students may withdraw online in myBristol, in person at any Enrollment Center, or via their college email to enrollmentservices@bristolcc.edu. Students should consult with the instructor or an advisor before withdrawing from a course. A grade of " WF" will be assigned to any student who stops attending a course but does not officially withdraw.
Repeating a Course
Students may repeat a course once without the permission of the Registrar or designee. Students will then be required to complete a “Repeat Course” form found in their myBristol account under Registration. The higher of the two grades will be applied to the student’s grade point average calculation and graduation requirements. All repeated courses remain on the student transcript. Students may repeat developmental courses as many times as it takes to pass or meet a prerequisite, but the total number of attempted developmental credits may not exceed 30. Students who wish to repeat clinical courses or courses in selective admissions programs must follow the policies of that program, which may include reapplying to the program.
Directed Study
A directed study is an independent study or group study course under the sponsorship of a faculty member which meets the objectives of a course which is offered in the Academic Catalog. Credit for a directed study course is equivalent to credit for a catalog course offering and tuition is based on the number of credits approved.
To be eligible for directed study, the student must be enrolled in a program of study (degree or certificate) with three or less courses remaining and have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5. Academic Affairs may also approve other requests based on special student and/or programmatic needs with detailed documentation.
Directed study requests should be submitted utilizing the online form in myBristol and must be submitted before the first day of the semester. If approved, and a faculty member is available to teach the directed study, students will be notified via Bristol email with details and the timeline to enroll.
For questions, please contact Academic Affairs at 774.357.2185.
Contract Learning
For students who want to investigate personal academic interests or pursue more experimental methods of learning, the College offers a flexible credit format where students can create part of their own study program. Advisors work with the student to determine plans, identify appropriate resource people, and write a learning contract. The contract includes the student’s goals, how and when s/he intends to accomplish them, and how that work will be evaluated. The credits earned are determined by the work proposed and may not total more than one-eighth of total credit hours required for graduation.
Students register with the Enrollment Center. Tuition is based on the number of credits determined through the learning contract. Proposals must be signed by the student, the advisor, the appropriate divisional dean, and the vice president of Academic Affairs. Credit will be awarded only if approval is granted before the student starts the project.