Academic Catalog

Student Records

Registrar’s Office

The Registrar’s Office, located in Room 126 of Lambdin Hall, is responsible for:

  1. maintaining the permanent records of students after they have enrolled,
  2. creating class rolls and grade reports,
  3. determining graduation lists, and
  4. providing academic transcripts and enrollment verifications.

This office is the primary contact for continuing and returning students. To contact the Registrar’s Office, call (678) 359-5022 or write: 

Registrar’s Office
Gordon State College
419 College Drive
Barnesville, GA 30204                                                     

Include the student’s name, Gordon State College identification number, return mailing address, and current phone number to allow the Registrar’s Office to respond to correspondence easily. 

Confidentiality of Records and Rights of Individual Privacy Definition of Directory Information

Under FERPA, “Directory Information” refers to student information that is not generally considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. USG has designated the following categories of information as Directory Information:

  • Student’s name 
  • Hometown 
  • Institution-assigned email address. Under this category, an institution assigned email address may be disclosed without consent only to other, current students. In addition, students may not request email listings of the entire student body or segments thereof, except for academic purposes. 
  • Major field of study 
  • Enrollment status (e.g., full-time, part-time) 
  • Participation in officially recognized activities and sports 
  • Dates of attendance 
  • Degrees, honors, and awards received 
  • Thesis/Dissertation title 
  • The most recent educational institution attended 
  • Height and weight of athletes 
  • Class level 

This information may be disclosed without the student’s prior written consent unless the student has opted out of such disclosure (see Student Rights below).

Notification of Student Rights under FERPA 

  1. Right to Inspect and Review Education Records: Students have the right to inspect and review their education records within 45 days of submitting a written request to the institution registrar. The institution will arrange access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. 
  2. Right to Request Amendment of Records: If a student believes their education records contain inaccurate or misleading information, they have the right to request an amendment. The request must be submitted in writing, clearly identifying the part of the record to be amended and explaining why it is inaccurate or misleading.
  3. Right to Provide Written Consent Before Disclosure: Students have the right to provide written consent before the institution discloses any personally identifiable information from their education records, except as authorized under FERPA. Directory Information, as defined above, may be disclosed without prior consent unless the student has opted out. 
  4. Right to Opt-Out of Directory Information Disclosure: Students may choose to opt out of the disclosure of Directory Information by submitting a written request to the Office of the Registrar. Once the request is submitted, the institution will withhold Directory Information from public disclosure. Important: Opting out does not prevent the institution from disclosing Directory Information to school officials with legitimate educational interests, including certain institution administrators, faculty, and contracted service providers. 
  5. Right to File a Complaint with the U.S. Department of Education: Students who believe the institution has failed to comply with FERPA may file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education at the following address: 

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-8520

Disclosure Without Consent

USG institutions may disclose education records without a student’s prior written consent to certain parties under certain conditions, as allowed by FERPA, including:

  • School officials with legitimate educational interests. 
  • Other schools to which a student is transferring. 
  • Specified officials for audit or evaluation purposes. 
  • Appropriate parties in connection with financial aid. 
  • Organizations conducting certain types of studies for or on behalf of the school. 
  • Accrediting organizations. 
  • Compliance with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena. 
  • Appropriate officials in cases of health and safety emergencies. 

Annual Notification

USG is committed to informing students of their rights under FERPA annually. This policy will be made available through each college or university official communications channels, including student handbooks, institution websites, and registrar’s offices.

Credit by Examination

Gordon State College recognizes that learning often results from advanced placement study, individual vocational study, and occupational experiences and offers credit by examination in accordance with the following policy.

Advanced Placement

Gordon State College recognizes the Advanced Placement (AP) Program of the College Board and awards credit for the examinations listed below according to the following regulations.

  1. Credit hours earned through AP examinations will be recorded on a student’s permanent record and will count toward graduation.
  2. Credit by AP examination will not be allowed for a course in which the student is enrolled or has previously received a grade. 

The AP examinations recognized by Gordon State College, the minimum scores required for credit, and the amount of credit awarded for each examination can be found at: https://www.gordonstate.edu/academics/Exceptional%20Students/advancedplacement-ap/index.html.  Contact the Registrar’s Office at 678-359-5022 if additional information is needed.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

Gordon State College recognizes the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) of the College Board and awards credit for the examinations listed according to the following regulations.

  1. Credit hours earned through CLEP will be recorded on a student’s permanent record and will count toward graduation. 
  2. CLEP credit will not be allowed for a course in which the student has received a grade.
  3. CLEP credit will not be awarded for an examination taken more than twice.

The CLEP subject examinations recognized by Gordon State College, the minimum scores required for credit and the amount of credit awarded for each examination can be found at https://www.gordonstate.edu/admissions/testing-center/clep-collegelevel-examination-program/index.html. Contact the Registrar’s Office at 678-3595022 if additional information is needed.

DSST (Dantes Testing Program)

Gordon State College participates in the University System of Georgia Soldiers to Scholars Program (S2S). As part of our efforts to be military friendly, we give credit for testing that occurs under the DSST program (also known as DANTES tests) using the scores recommended by the American Council of Education. 

Information concerning the DSST tests, and the corresponding Gordon State College credit can be found at https://www.gordonstate.edu/departments/enrollmentservices-and-marketing/registrar/dantes-subject-standardized-tests-dsstcredit/index.html.

International Baccalaureate Diplomas and Certificates 

Students who have participated in International Baccalaureate Programs in their high schools are welcomed at Gordon State College. In many circumstances, the college is able to award college credit for exemplary performance in IB courses. 

If the student did not earn an International Baccalaureate Diploma but did earn a certificate in one or more higher level International Baccalaureate (IB) courses with a score of 4 or better, course credit is awarded by the academic divisions when it is judged that the IB course is equivalent to a course at Gordon State. 

If the student completed the International Baccalaureate Diploma, the college will examine test results from both standard IB courses and higher level IB courses in all disciplines and award credit according to the following schedule. 

Score Standard Level Higher Level
4 0 3-4
5 0-4 3-8
6-7 3-8 3-12

Students who have completed International Baccalaureate diplomas and/or certificates should provide evidence to the Admissions Office of their success in their courses. The Admissions Office will then consult with academic officers and award credit as described above. There will be a maximum of 24 semester hours credit given on the basis of work completed in International Baccalaureate Programs. Students cannot earn credit for the same course on the basis of AP testing and IB course credit. 

Readmission of Former Students 

Students who have previously attended Gordon State but have been unenrolled for three or more consecutive semesters (including summer semester), or who are coming back after being suspended, must apply for readmission to the institution. Students seeking readmission must complete the readmission process with the Office of Admissions at least fifteen (15) days prior to the beginning of the semester for which readmission is sought. Applications for readmission are available at https://www.gordonstate.edu/admissions/readmission- policy.html.

To qualify for readmission to Gordon State College, a former student must be eligible to return to the most recent college or university attended or have approval from the Gordon State College Admissions Committee.

Students returning after being placed on academic suspension or probation within three years of their last date of attendance at Gordon State College or their former institution, must complete the Admissions appeal process and shall enter on academic probation and be subject to additional requirements as outlined in Gordon State College's academic standards.

Students returning after being placed on academic suspension or probation beyond three years of their last date of attendance at Gordon State College or their former institution, shall enter on academic probation and be subject to additional requirements as outlined in Gordon State College's academic standards.

Students returning to Gordon State College as undergraduates after being absent for at least three years from their intended date of re-enrollment may be eligible for Academic Renewal after completing six semester credit hours from CORE IMPACTS with a minimum GPA of 2.0 or higher. (Additional guidelines of the USG Academic Renewal Policy apply.)

Students returning after voluntary or military withdrawal* and who are on good academic standing or probation, will be readmitted to Gordon State College under their last term’s academic standing.

Gordon State College adheres to all federal regulations regarding requirements for returning service members seeking readmission to a program that was interrupted due to a Military service obligation.

Request for Transient Study

Gordon State College students who wish to attend another college on a temporary basis must request a Letter of Transient Permission by submitting the Request for Transient Permission Form to the Gordon State College Registrar’s Office.

Students are responsible for applying for admission to the school they wish to attend on a transient basis. 

Students must be currently enrolled at Gordon State College or be readmitted to Gordon State for the term of transient study to receive transient permission. Students who are on Academic Suspension or Learning Support Suspension are not eligible for transient study. Currently enrolled students who receive transient permission before the end of the term will be reviewed after the term has ended for appropriate academic standing. Transient permission will be revoked for students placed on Academic Suspension or Learning Support Suspension at the end of the term. 

Students who receive transient permission are allowed only one semester of transient study before returning to Gordon State College. It is the student’s responsibility to have an official transcript of transient courses and grades sent to the Gordon State College Registrar’s Office after the courses are completed. Students who receive transient permission but do not enroll at the requested transient college must provide a written, signed statement that they did not attend the transient college to the Gordon State College Registrar’s Office. 

Transcripts

Gordon State College will release an official College transcript to a specified third party upon written request from the student to the Registrar’s Office. All transcript requests should be submitted via Parchment (https://www.parchment.com/u/registration/33077/institution). There is a $10 fee per transcript. 

Verification of Enrollment

To obtain a written verification of enrollment at Gordon State College, a student must submit a request for the verification to the Registrar’s Office. A student is defined as anyone who has officially been accepted to Gordon State College, registered properly for at least one credit course, and paid all fees required for the semester.

Veterans Benefits

The Registrar’s Office will assist veterans who are eligible for federal educational benefits by facilitating the process of applying for the federal educational benefits and by maintaining proper liaison with the Veterans Administration (VA).

In accordance with Title 38 United States Code Section 3679(e), Gordon State College permits any covered individual to attend or participate in the course of education during the period beginning on the date on which the individual provides to the educational institution a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance under Chapter 31, 33 or 35 (a certificate of eligibility can also include a “Statement of Benefits” obtained  from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) website – eBenefits, or a VAF 28-1905 form for chapter 31 authorization purposes) and ending on the earlier of the following dates:

  1. The date on which payment from VA is made to the institution.
  2. 90 days after the date the institution certified tuition and fees following the receipt of the certificate of eligibility.  

Gordon State College will not impose any penalty including the assessment of late fees, the denial of access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities, or the requirement that a covered individual borrow additional funds, on any covered individual because of the individual’s inability to meet his or her financial obligations to the institution due to the delayed disbursement funding from VA under Chapter 31 or 33.  

Students who are eligible for Veterans Benefits are responsible for paying fees directly to the College and meeting payment deadlines applicable to all students.  Payments for Chapter 31 and 33 benefits are made directly to the College by the Department of Veterans Affairs.  Payment of Veterans Benefits normally begins 30 to 45 days after the College certifies the student’s enrollment for the semester. Students who are eligible for Veterans Benefits are responsible for paying fees directly to the College and meeting payment deadlines applicable to all students. Payment of Veterans Benefits normally begins 30 to 45 days after the College certifies the student’s enrollment for the semester. 

Attendance is strictly enforced for students receiving Veterans Benefits. Upon being absent from a class three consecutive weeks in a full fall or spring term, two consecutive weeks in a half fall or spring term, two consecutive weeks in a full summer term, or one week in a summer alternate or half term, the College is responsible for reporting the student to the VA. Failure to attend classes on a regular basis will result in reduction or loss of benefits for the semester.

Students receiving Veterans Benefits who withdraw from the College or reduce academic course loads are required by the Veterans Administration to report such action promptly to the Certifying Official in the Registrar’s Office. 

All questions and concerns involving Veterans Benefits should be directed to the VA Certifying Official in the Registrar’s Office.

Military Service Members  

Residency Requirements

A military friendly institution limits academic residency requirements for active duty service members to no more than 25 percent of the undergraduate degree program; recognizes all credit course work offered by the institution as applicable in satisfying academic residency requirements; and allows service members to satisfy academic residency requirements with courses taken from the institution at any time during their program of study, specially avoiding any ‘final year’ or ‘final semester’ residency requirement, subject to stated requirements in specific courses such as majors.

Gordon State College limits academic residency to no more than twenty-five percent of the degree requirements for all undergraduate degrees for active-duty service members. Academic residency can be completed at any time while active-duty service members are enrolled. Reservists and National Guardsmen on active duty are covered in the same manner.

To qualify for a Baccalaureate degree at Gordon State College, the student must earn at least 30 semester hours of credit applicable for the degree at Gordon State College. In addition, half of the upper-level hours required for the degree must be completed at Gordon State.

To qualify for an Associates of Arts or Science degree, the student must earn at least 16 hours of degree requirements at Gordon State College.

See “Graduation Requirements” for additional details.

Credit Learning from Military Experience  

A military friendly institution provides processes to determine credit awards and learning acquired for specialized military training and occupational experience when applicable to a service member’s degree program. 

Students will be allowed to connect workplace learning with academics by gaining academic credit for formal courses and examinations taken outside of traditional degree programs. During this audit process, a team of academic faculty evaluators from relevant disciplines will review courses or exams and, if appropriate, make college credit recommendations.

A military friendly institution recognizes and uses the ACE Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services in determining the value of learning acquired in military service, and in awarding credit for appropriate learning acquired in military service. Students must contact the Adult Learning Coordinator to initiate the process of seeking this credit.

Adult Learner Credit for Prior Learning

The Adult Learning Consortium defines an adult learner as possessing any one of the following three characteristics at the time of his or her enrollment/reenrollment: 

  • 25+ years old
  • 20-24 years old with fewer than 30 credit hours completed
  • 5 Years since high school completion

Some adult learners will have acquired college-level knowledge and insight through work experiences or through educational experiences and courses that did not carry college credit. The process of validating these experiences and assigning college credit to them is called Credit for Prior Learning (CPL). At Gordon State College, a student can seek Credit for Prior Learning by using national examinations, by examination connected to specific Gordon courses, by assigning of credit for formal courses and tests connected to the workplace and validated by the American Council on Education (ACE), and by portfolio evaluation. If an adult learner seeks Credit for Prior Learning, he or she should contact the Adult Learning Coordinator.

Prior Learning Assessment

National Examinations: By far the most frequently used mechanisms for CPL at Gordon are national examinations such as CLEP tests (milLevel Examination Program), AP Tests (Advanced Placement Tests) and DANTES tests (Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Educational Support). Through these testing services, there are tests that provide credit for most required courses and some major-specific courses. For information on these tests, refer to the Credit by Examination section of the Gordon State College Catalog.

Departmental Examinations: As mentioned above, there are national examinations that can yield credit for most 1000 and 2000 level courses. However, if there is a course at any level for which there is no such test, sometimes credit can be given on the basis of examination developed on the Gordon campus. A currently enrolled student who can present satisfactory evidence that he or she is qualified in a particular subject may petition to take a departmental examination in that subject. Satisfactory evidence may be, but is not limited to, work experience, non-credit courses, course work at non-accredited institutions, or military courses. However, campus-based exams will not be permitted for courses for which the student has previously taken an examination for credit or was previously enrolled at Gordon State College.

Courses, Examinations, and Experiences Validated by ACE: In some cases, formal courses and examinations that take place outside of traditional degree programs have been evaluated by the American Council on Education and recommended for credit. If a student can provide evidence of such experiences to the Adult Learning Coordinator, they will assemble a team of faculty evaluators to look at the course or examination and make recommendations relative to college credit.

Portfolio Evaluation: If a student has had college-level learning experiences that cannot be evaluated using the aforementioned mechanisms, he or she may wish to consider portfolio evaluation. Under the guidance of the Adult Learning Coordinator, the student would register in a section of PLA 2000. In that course the student would be guided as she or he prepares appropriate documentation to substantiate a request for credit.  These materials would then be reviewed by a disciplinary expert.

Ten Standards for the Assessment of Learning

Academic:

1. Credit or its equivalent should be awarded only for learning, and not for experience.
2. Assessment should be based on agreed upon and public standards and criteria for the level of acceptable learning.
3. Assessment should be treated as an integral part of learning, not apart from it, and be based on an understanding of learning processes.
4. The determination of credit awards and competence levels must be made by appropriate subject matter and academic or credentialing experts.
6. Credit or other credentialing should be appropriate to the context in which it is awarded and accepted.

Administrative:

6. If awards are for credit, transcript entries should clearly describe what learning is being recognized and be monitored to avoid giving credit twice for the same learning.
7. Policies, procedures, and criteria applied to assessment, including provision for appeal, should be fully disclosed and prominently available for all parties involved in the assessment process.
8. Fees charged for assessment should be based on the services performed in the process and not determined by the amount of credit awarded.
9. All personnel involved in the assessment of learning should pursue and receive adequate training and continuing professional development for the functions they perform.
10. Assessment programs should be regularly monitored, reviewed, evaluated, and revised as needed to reflect changes in the needs being served, the purposes being met, and in the state of the assessment arts.