Academic Policies

Academic Forgiveness

Students who have interrupted their attendance at Perry Technical Institute and changed academic programs may petition for Academic Forgiveness. Students must complete one quarter 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.

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.

Advising and Counseling

Career advising is available through instructors or Career Services. Career Services may be reached by phone at 509.453.0374 or in person in the Learning Resource Center.

Academic, attendance, and conduct advising is provided in tandem by the instructor, department head, and assigned program dean. Students in need of personal counseling may request services through their assigned dean. Counseling services are outsourced and will not be provided on campus.

Attendance Policy

Attendance is mandatory. Students should refer to their enrollment agreement for class start and end times. Due to the minimum training hours as required by the Department of Licensing, the attendance policy described below does not apply to the Professional Truck Driving program. Students enrolled in the Professional Truck Driving program should refer to their enrollment agreement for more information.

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 tried 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.

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, 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.

Name or Address Change

If a student undergoes a change of name or address while attending Perry Tech they must notify the Registration Office. Address changes may be made through the student's myPerryTech account. Changes to the student's name will require legal documentation. Approved documentation includes: birth certificate, passport, marriage license, and/or a social security card. For Financial Aid to process a name change, a social security card with the new name will be required. Students must deliver the appropriate documentation and fill out a name change form with the Registration Office to execute the change.

Grading

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

An incomplete “I” grade is a temporary grade which may be assigned due to extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control, and with prior approval from the student’s instructor, department head, and dean of education. An incomplete may only be assigned if the student has completed at least 60% of the course and is passing at the time of the request. An incomplete may not be assigned due to failure to make satisfactory academic progress or to allow a student additional time to raise a grade. 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 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 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 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. With instructor discretion, students will be allowed to make up work for extenuating circumstances.

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

Termination of Enrollment

Last Chance Agreement

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.

Withdrawal

Students who wish to voluntarily withdraw from school must contact their dean of education to initiate the withdrawal process to officially close their records.

Administrative Withdrawal

A student withdrawing from Perry Technical Institute due to circumstances outside their control may be eligible for an administrative withdrawal. Grades for administrative withdrawals will not be included in calculating the student’s term or career grade point average. A student’s eligibility for an administrative withdrawal will be determined by the dean of education at the time of the student’s termination of enrollment. A student approved for an administrative withdrawal will be assigned a grade of AW.

Dismissal

Perry Technical Institute reserves the right to dismiss students for any of the following reasons:

1. Violation of probation

2. Violation of a last chance agreement (exceeding three probations)

3. Three consecutive days of unexcused absences without notification

4. Scanning another student’s card for attendance

5. Aggressive, harassing, or discriminatory acts against other students or employees

6. Failure to pay tuition, fees, books, or tools

7. Failure to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

8. Failure to follow school procedures and policies

9. Acts of theft or dishonesty

10. Failure to comply with safety regulations

11. Malicious damage to school property

12. Insubordinate acts against staff or other Perry Technical Institute employees

13. Drug/alcohol abuse

14. Disruption of the learning environment

The dean or associate dean of education will conduct a full hearing of the facts and make a recommendation to the president. The authority to dismiss a student is vested in the president and the president’s decision following a review of the facts is final. In the event of the president’s absence, the authority to dismiss a student is vested in the dean of education.

After terminating enrollment, students will not be allowed back into the classroom or lab area for forgotten items without permission from the dean of education.

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.