Academic Policies

Attendance Policy

Attendance is mandatory. Students should refer to their enrollment agreement for class start and end times.

Instructor Notification

Students are required to notify the instructor before the scheduled start time each day they are absent or late. Failure to notify the instructor on the day of a tardy will result in a written advising (1st occurrence), and probation (2nd occurrence). Failure to notify the instructor on the day of an absence will result in immediate probation.

If a student fails to notify the instructor of an absence or tardy, the instructor is responsible to reach out to the student by the first scheduled break time via phone and/or email. Once the instructor has made an attempt to contact the student, the instructor notifies the attendance coordinator and the assigned dean. If the student has not shown up for class or contacted the instructor by the scheduled lunch time, the assigned dean contacts the emergency contact. The student will be dismissed after three consecutive days of unexcused absences without notification.

Clocking In

Students are required to clock in each day when arriving and clock out when leaving, at any time of the day other than at stated break periods. Student attendance is recorded using an electronic time management system. The time displayed on the time clock is the time that will be recorded. Students are provided an ID scan card on the first day of class. The cost to replace the ID scan card is $5.

Points

If a student misses up to three hours of scheduled class time in a day, the student will accrue one point. If a student misses more than three hours of scheduled class time in a day, the student will accrue three points. Once a student has accrued eight or more points in a term, the student is placed on attendance probation for the remainder of the term. If a student accrues additional points while on attendance probation, the student may be subject to immediate dismissal.

Students are limited to two one-point infractions in a month. For example, if a student misses one hour of scheduled class time (accruing one point) on the 16th day of a given month, the student will only be allowed one more one-point infraction until the 16th day of the following month. At the third one-point infraction in a month, the student will be placed on probation for one month or until the end of the term, whichever comes first, and may not accrue any points during the probation period. If additional points are accrued during that month, the student’s probation will be extended to the end of the term. Any points accumulated after the probation has been extended may result in immediate dismissal.

If a student misses scheduled class time without clocking out, the student’s instructor will notify the attendance coordinator, who will document the missed time.

Class Cut

A class cut is defined as not being present during scheduled class time at other than stated break periods, or leaving class prior to the end of the scheduled instruction period without instructor permission. This will result in immediate probation.

Scanning another student’s card will result in dismissal of all parties involved. Grades, financial aid and other agencies sponsoring students depend on accurate records of attendance.

Emergency Absence

An emergency absence is defined as an officially excused period of time, while maintaining the status of student. An emergency absence request must consist of two (2) or more school days and must meet one of the following conditions:

1. Military service
2. Medical restriction
3. Funeral for immediate family member
4. ER visit for student or immediate family member

Requests for other reasons may be granted in extraordinary circumstances with approval from the dean or associate dean of education. An emergency absence request will not be granted for failure to make satisfactory academic progress.

A request for emergency absence must be made to the dean or associate dean of education. Time away from school for an emergency absence will not be subject to point accrual. The written request to the dean or associate dean must include dated third-party verification of the reason for the emergency absence as well as a typed letter outlining the reason for the request. The Financial Aid Office will be notified immediately when the student is granted an emergency absence. An emergency absence will be for a maximum of 16 school days. Failure to return to class following the emergency absence may result in dismissal. Emergency absence requests must be submitted within five school days of returning to class. Only one emergency absence may be granted per term for each student.

Make-Up Work

Make-up work will be available for the following reasons: medical emergency, military leave, or other approved family crisis. To request make-up work, the student must provide the instructor with third-party verification of the reason for the absence.

The following types of make-up work are allowed: textbook assignments, quizzes, tests, projects, and lab work.

Pregnant Student Policy

Perry Technical Institute is committed to creating and maintaining a community where all individuals enjoy freedom from discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of sex, as mandated by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX).

Perry Technical Institute will not discriminate against any student, or exclude any student from its education program or activity, including any class or extracurricular activity, on the basis of such student’s pregnancy, childbirth, false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, or recovery therefrom. In accordance with Title IX, Perry Technical Institute will grant a pregnant student leave for the length of time deemed medically necessary by the student’s physician.

To the extent possible, Perry Technical Institute will take reasonable steps to ensure that pregnant students who take a leave of absence or medical leave return to the same educational status the student held prior to withdrawing. Given the nature of our cohort-style programs, medically necessary leaves are sufficient cause to permit the student to join a subsequent cohort when returning from leave, depending on the circumstances. Nothing in this policy requires modification to the essential elements of any academic program.

Pregnant students are encouraged to discuss their circumstances with their department head by the sixth month of pregnancy or sooner to explore options for academic success, which may include make-up work, or emergency absence (as outlined below). The Title IX coordinator will assist with plan development and implementation as needed.

Make-Up Work

Make-up work will be available to pregnant and postpartum/parenting students. The following types of make-up work are allowed: textbook assignments, quizzes, tests, projects, and lab work. The specifics of the make-up work assignments and related due dates will be left to the instructor and department head to determine.

Accommodations

Students with pregnancy-related disabilities, like any student with a short-term or temporary disability, are entitled to reasonable accommodations so that they will not be disadvantaged in their program of study. Students who wish to discuss their need for such accommodations should seek assistance from the Title IX coordinator. Pregnancy related accommodations shall be based on the pregnant student’s request, and shall not be initiated by Perry Technical Institute.

As with disability accommodations, information about pregnant students’ requests for accommodations will be shared with faculty and staff only to the extent necessary to provide the reasonable accommodation. Faculty and staff shall regard all information associated with such requests as private and will not disclose this information unless necessary. Administrative responsibility for these accommodations lies with the Title IX coordinator, who will maintain all appropriate documentation related to accommodations.

Reasonable accommodations may include, but are not limited to:

• Providing accommodations requested by a pregnant student to protect the health and safety of the student and/or the pregnancy (such as allowing the student to maintain a safe distance from hazardous substances)
• Making modifications to the physical environment
• Providing mobility support
• Extending deadlines and/or allowing the student to make up tests and assignments missed for pregnancy-related absences
• Offering remote learning options (where possible)
• Excusing medically-necessary absences
• Granting leave per Perry Technical Institute’s emergency absence policy or implementing incomplete grades for classes that will be resumed at a future date
• Allowing breastfeeding students reasonable time and space to pump breast milk in a location that is private, clean, and reasonably accessible

Attendance and Enrollment Options

The following attendance and enrollment options are options available to pregnant students or those facing pregnancy related conditions. As long as students can maintain satisfactory academic progress (maintain 2.0 GPA), faculty, staff or other PTI employees will not require them to take an emergency absence, or withdraw from or limit their studies as the result of pregnancy, childbirth, or related conditions.

Requesting Excused Absences

Absences related to prenatal medical care and other pregnancy related absences may be excused with a doctor’s note. Perry Technical Institute requires that an emergency absence request form be completed each quarter and documentation must be submitted for each related absence. A letter to the respective dean of your program describing your need for excused absences must be provided, along with documentation from your medical provider. Please see the Education Department for the emergency absence request form.

Student Medical Leave

Students who desire to take leave under this policy for pregnancy related reasons must notify their department head of intent to take leave at least 30 calendar days prior to the initiation of leave. Perry Technical Institute strongly encourages students to notify their department head by the sixth month of pregnancy so that the school can work with the student to address their needs to the greatest extent possible.

Previous absences will not be counted towards the medical leave. For example, you may miss two days at the beginning of the quarter and still take a medical leave. In the case of pregnancy and postpartum related leave alone, medical leave may last as long as your medical provider deems necessary (documentation from your provider will be required).

Students are expected to submit make-up work upon return (see below). Note that longer periods of leave may interfere with your ability to maintain satisfactory academic progress.

Medical Withdrawal

A medical withdrawal occurs when a student determines that they must pause their education for medical reasons by taking a quarter or more off from their program of study. If a pregnant student wishes to withdraw for pregnancy and postpartum/parenting reasons and re-enroll at a later date, Perry Technical Institute will work to help reinstate the student to the same educational status the student held prior to withdrawing. After a medical withdrawal, a student seeking re-enrollment will need to join the next available cohort. Perry Technical Institute reserves the right to require a student to restart a program if more than two years have passed between their withdrawal and re-enrollment, or if there has been a significant curriculum revision.

Students who wish to re-enroll in order to complete their program of study should know that Perry Technical Institute generally restricts the use of financial aid for the first quarter of re-enrollment, but students have the option to appeal for hardship and medically documented reasons. A financial aid specialist will provide more information about existing options or any financial aid questions in general.

Religious Accommodations Policy

Perry Technical Institute will make good faith efforts to provide reasonable religious accommodations for students to observe religious holidays. This policy will apply to students who have sincerely held religious practices or beliefs that conflict with a scheduled course/program requirement. Students requesting religious accommodation should submit a written request directly to their department head within the first two weeks of the beginning of the quarter.

Being absent from class or other educational responsibilities does not excuse students from keeping up with any information shared or expectations set during the missed class. Students are responsible for obtaining any materials and information provided during their absence. The student shall work with the instructor and department head to determine a schedule for making up missed work.

Examples of religious accommodations may include: rescheduling of an exam or giving a make-up exam for the student in question; altering the time of a student’s presentation; and allowing extra-credit assignments to substitute for missed class work or arranging for an increased flexibility in assignment due dates.

Academic Honesty Policy

Students caught in the act of plagiarism or cheating will be placed on probation until the end of the term and will be required to complete a student success plan. Repeat offenses may result in immediate dismissal.

Clock Hour/Credit Hour Conversion System

A clock hour is defined as 50 minutes of instruction in a 60-minute period of time. A credit hour is defined as an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement for academic activities as established by the institution comprised of the following units: didactic learning environment; supervised laboratory setting of instruction; externship; and out-of-class work/preparation.

One quarter credit hour equals 30 units comprised of the following activities:

1. One clock hour in a didactic learning environment = 2 units
2. One clock hour in a supervised laboratory setting of instruction = 1.5 units
3. One hour of externship = 1 unit
4. One hour of out-of-class work and/or preparation for the didactic learning environment or supervised laboratory setting of instruction that are designed to measure the student’s achieved competency relative to the required subject matter objectives = 0.5 units.

For financial aid purposes, the above conversion factors do not apply.

Course Identification System

Courses have titles represented by letters and numbers. The first few letters refer to the program, and the first number of the following three numbers represents the year. Note: Course crossover may occur in some programs.

Lettering System

Standards of Progress Policy

Grading

The progress or grading system by which a student will be evaluated is as follows:

Only in the case of an approved emergency absence will a student be assigned a grade of incomplete. Students will not be permitted to begin the next quarter of the program until all incomplete grades for previous quarters have been resolved. Before an incomplete grade will be given, an incomplete contract must be signed by the student, instructor and dean of education. Students must resolve incompletes by the date listed in the incomplete contract, which will be no later than one year from the end date of the term in which the incomplete was assigned. Students who do not resolve their incompletes before that date will be assigned the grade they would have earned with no credit given for missing assignments.

Students may view their grades or print an unofficial transcript through my.perrytech.edu at any time. A copy is sent to the student’s counselor (if applicable) at the end of each term and the documentation is maintained in the school’s database.

Grade Appeal Policy

A student who wishes to appeal a grade must submit a letter to the dean of education within 10 business days of the completed term. The letter must describe any and all circumstances deserving further consideration. The burden of proof in an appeal lies with the student. The dean of education will convene an appeal committee consisting of the department head, instructor, and a designated representative of the school in order to review the appeal. The student will be notified within one week of the official appeal decision.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is defined as completing each quarter with a minimum term GPA of 2.0, and the minimum grades established for each subject within the department. The student must make SAP in order to remain eligible for continuous enrollment under regular student status. Students who are at risk of failing to make SAP will be placed on advising and/or probation. A student is graded not only on test scores and homework, but also on participation in class, attendance, performance in lab, and conduct.

Students must complete each quarter with a minimum GPA of 2.0, and the minimum grades established for each subject within the department.

Disciplinary Hierarchy

Faculty members will regularly monitor their students’ performance in class and provide advising as necessary or requested. If a student has not met the criteria of satisfactory progress in the areas of conduct, attendance, or academics at any point during the term, the following hierarchy will be observed when applicable:

1. Verbal warning
2. Advising
3. Probation
4. Last chance agreement*

A student is encouraged to meet regularly with his or her instructor while on probation. A copy of the signed document will be given to the program counselor (if applicable) and the original will be filed in the student’s file. While on probation, a student remains eligible to receive Title IV funding. If the student has not achieved satisfactory academic progress by the end of the probation term, he/she may be dismissed.

The school reserves the right to dismiss students who have exceeded three probations. Financial aid programs do not typically pay for repeated terms.

*Receiving three probations during the duration of a training program will result in a last chance agreement. Once a student is placed on a last chance agreement, any subsequent probations may result in immediate dismissal from the program. Should the student pursue re-enrollment, the last chance agreement will remain in effect.

Repeating Quarters

A student failing to successfully complete the quarter may petition to repeat the quarter. Upon successful completion of the repeated quarter, the student will be granted the grade for the quarter successfully completed in lieu of the previous grade.

No student will be allowed to repeat quarters that result in a total time of enrollment exceeding 1.5 times the specified time for the program. Repeating quarters may affect financial aid eligibility.

All failures requiring the retake of courses will be charged the current academic year quarterly rate.

Academic Forgiveness

Students who have interrupted their attendance at Perry Technical Institute and changed academic programs may petition for academic forgiveness. Students must wait two years from the completion date of the terms they wish to have forgiven, and have completed 50% of their new program with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 to be eligible. Grades previously earned will still appear on the transcript, but will no longer be included in the grade point average calculation. Students who wish to petition for academic forgiveness should submit an academic forgiveness request form to the Registrar’s Office.

Transfer/Change of Program

Students wishing to change the program they are enrolled in must complete a new enrollment application, and may be required to retest and meet with the dean of their new program. Enrollment requirements for the new program the student wishes to pursue will apply. Transfer students will not be given preferred status, and enrollment in a different program is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Please see the transfer of credit policy regarding transferring credits outside the institution.

Graduation Requirements

1. Completion of:

   69.5 credit hours for Agricultural Equipment Technician

   76.5 credit hours for Automotive Technology

   116.0 credit hours for Business Technology & Accounting

   72.0 credit hours for Construction

   172.5 credit hours for Electrical Technology

   169.0 credit hours for Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Technology

   133.5 credit hours for Information Technology & Communication Systems

   159.0 credit hours for Instrumentation & Industrial Automation Technology

   74.5 credit hours for Medical Assistant

   77.0 credit hours for Medical Office Administration & Coding

   72.0 credit hours for Plumbing Technician

   75.0 credit hours for Precision Machining & Manufacturing

   77.0 credit hours for Welding Technology

2. Maintain satisfactory progress with a minimum grade point average of 2.0
3. Maintain satisfactory attendance record
4. Maintain proper student conduct
5. Full payment or satisfactory arrangement to fulfill all financial obligations

Credentials Awarded

Business Technology & Accounting and Information Technology & Communication Systems students who satisfactorily complete their course of training are granted Associate of Applied Science degrees. Students in all other programs who satisfactorily complete training are granted Certificates of Completion.

Transcripts

Former students who would like copies of transcripts will be charged $3 for each unofficial transcript and $10 for each official transcript. Transcripts can be requested in person during normal business hours, or ordered online through the National Student Clearinghouse at www.getmytranscript.org. Current and former students can access their unofficial transcript at any time at my.perrytech.edu.