DE | Student Application Process and Relevant FCC Policies

Student Application Process

California Education Code §48800 provides that the governing board of a school district may determine which students may benefit from advanced scholastic or vocational work. The governing board may authorize those students, upon recommendation from their principal and with parental consent, to attend a community college as a special part-time student and to enroll in one or more courses offered at the community college level. The purpose of the code is to provide educational enrichment for a limited number of eligible pupils. The educational enrichment opportunity will typically result in a request for concurrent enrollment in courses not currently offered by the approving school.

Applying and registering for dual enrollment pathways is a two-step process students should work closely with their high school counselors to complete:

Step One: Online Application. All first-time dual enrollment students must apply online at CCCApply. Any previously dual enrolled student who has skipped more than two consecutive semesters must apply online again at CCCApply. The application typically takes between 20-60 minutes to complete, and it can take between 48-72 hours for a SCCCD ID number to be generated. The students’ SCCCD ID numbers are required on the registration packet, the next step.

Timelines:

  • For classes that begin in the spring semester (January-May), the date that the online dual enrollment application will open is mid-September (the second Monday)
  • For classes that begin in the summer (May-August) or fall semester (August-December), the date that the online dual enrollment application will open is April 1.

Step Two: AB 30 Form.  A completed AB 30 form is required for all dual enrollment students before they wish to enroll into dual enrollment pathway courses. This form is available from the high school counselors. This form requires signatures from the high school counselor as well as the student and a parent or guardian. If the high school student will be 18 before the start of the semester, a parent signature is not required.

The completed packet should be returned to the high school counselor who will review it for accuracy including SCCCD ID#. Once it is reviewed, the high school counselor will then forward it to the Early College Office at FCC. Incomplete or inaccurate AB 30 forms will be returned to the high school counselor, and they will not be processed until the errors are corrected and the form is returned to the college. After the one-time form is coded, the students will be registered into their pathway classes; this form only needs to be submitted once during the students’ high school dual enrollment journey

To ensure timely registration, it is important for the high school partners to ensure that the AB 30 forms are completed with accurate information before they are submitted to the Early College Office. 

For more information including application links and step-by-step instructions regarding the online application process, please see the FCC Dual Enrollment webpage.

After registering for a class, students considering dropping out of a class should talk with their high school counselors. The high school counselor will confer with the student’s parents, class facilitator, and instructor of record to discuss the decision. If the decision is made to drop the student, the Office of Early College needs to be informed to process the drop with Admissions and Records.  Dual enrollment students are not able to drop themselves in Self-Service.

Note on timelines:

  • If a drop takes place before Census day (typically the end of week 3 of a regular 18-week semester), then the course will not appear on the student’s transcript.
  • If a student drops after Census day but before the final drop date (typically at the end of week 9 of a regular 18-week semester), then a “W” (withdrawal) will appear on the student’s transcript. A “W” will not affect a student’s college grade point average; however, it can affect a student’s SAP (Student Academic Progress) which can, in turn, affect the student’s ability to receive financial aid when entering college after high school. 
  • A student cannot be dropped from a course after the final drop date (typically at the end of week 9 of a regular 18-week semester).
  • Students can find exact census dates and final drop dates for their own classes in the instructor’s syllabus and in Self-Service in MyPortal.

If students have extenuating circumstances that require dropping from a class due to serious medical reasons, or a reason deemed by the college to be out of the student’s control, they can petition for an “EW” (Excused Withdrawal) by completing the form Petition to Withdraw Under Extenuating Circumstances along with the required documentation as specified on the form. If approved, this allows students to withdraw without consequences to their academic records.

FCC Policies Impacting Dual Enrollment Students

Please refer to the current Fresno City College catalog for the most recent policies and procedures updates.

Students are expected to attend every session of every class in which they are enrolled. Excessive absence can jeopardize a student's satisfactory progress in class. Students can be dropped from class if they fail to attend the first class session of the semester. There are no institutionally approved excused absences for any reason. Only the instructor may excuse an absence. Instructors are required to take attendance at each class session. Any student who is excessively absent may be dropped from the class as specified in each class syllabus. Unless there are significant extenuating circumstances, that student can be immediately dropped from class by the instructor if the absences occur before 50 percent of the class is expired. Once dropped, if a student believes there is just cause for reinstatement, the student may petition through the Office of Admissions and Records. Students are strongly encouraged to communicate with instructors before/after they miss any amount of class time.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act outlines the rights all students, including dual enrollment students, have concerning access to and release of their educational records. Copies of District Administration Regulations implementing this act may be obtained from the Admissions and Records Office. Each student is encouraged to obtain a copy. Students wishing to authorize the release of their educational and financial records must complete the State Center Community College District's FERPA Release form.

Students at Fresno City College, including dual enrollment students, are entitled to the best education the college can make available to them, and they, their instructors, and their fellow students share responsibility for seeing that their education is honestly attained. Because cheating, plagiarism, and collusion in dishonest activities erode the integrity of the college, each student is expected to exert an entirely honest effort in all academic endeavors.

Cheating is the act or attempted act of taking an examination or performing an assigned, evaluated task in a fraudulent or deceptive manner, such as having improper access to answers, in an attempt to gain an unearned academic advantage. Cheating may include, but is not limited to, copying from another’s work, supplying one’s work to another, giving or receiving copies of examinations without an instructor’s permission, using or displaying notes or devices inappropriate to the conditions of the examination, allowing someone other than the officially enrolled student to represent the student, or failing to disclose research results completely.

Plagiarism is a specific form of cheating and is the use of another’s words or ideas without identifying them as such or giving credit to the source. Plagiarism may include, but is not limited to, failing to provide complete citations and references for all work that draws on the ideas, words, or work of others, failing to identify the contributors to work done in collaboration, submitting duplicate work to be evaluated in different courses without the knowledge and consent of the instructors involved, or encouraging, permitting, or assisting another to do any act that could subject them to discipline. Incidents of cheating and plagiarism may result in a variety of sanctions and penalties that may range from a failing grade on the particular examination, paper, project, or assignment in question to a failing grade in the course, at the discretion of the instructor and depending on the severity and frequency of the incidents.

Academic dishonesty in any form is a very serious offense and will incur serious consequences as outlined in the Student Code of Conduct standards.

Dual enrollment students may order a transcript. The first two official transcripts are free, and a fee is required for each additional copy. The law authorizes the college to release transcripts to other designated parties, for example, institutions from which students have obtained loans to attend school, or officers of the court. If the college is required to provide other parties with a student's transcript, the college will attempt to contact the student in advance and will keep a record of all such inquiries, making the record available to the student upon request.

Students taking dual enrollment classes are creating a permanent college record that can affect future educational opportunities, such as admissions to impacted universities and programs, scholarships, and eligibility for financial aid. College faculty do not have a different grading system for dual enrollment students.

Final grades will be posted on the student's college transcript. It is important for students to understand the consequences of letter grades of D, F, and W. For example: earning a D grade is not considered satisfactory for meeting the graduation requirements in Math, Reading, Writing, Communication, and Computer Familiarity. In addition, the D grade does not meet requirements for prerequisite courses. Students must earn a C or better for a course to be counted as a prerequisite. A D grade is not considered satisfactory for meeting Program Major requirements.

Petitions: Students may petition for adjustments to their academic record under a few circumstances. Students can review the types of possible adjustments at Student Petitions.

Grievances: Students who reasonably believe a college decision or action has adversely affected their status, rights, or privileges may file a student grievance form and submit it to the Office of the Vice President of Student Services Office. This policy applies to complaints of discrimination and harassment. Students are expected to make a reasonable effort to resolve matters informally with either the person with whom the student has a grievance and then that person's supervisor or a college administrator, if necessary. Students have a right to file a grievance alleging discrimination and harassment whether or not they have attempted to resolve the matter informally with the accused party. All complaints are investigated.

An Incomplete (I) grade may be assigned in a course only by approval of the course instructor when all of the following conditions are met:

  • The student has completed all but the final examination or other minimal amount of course work required for a final semester grade.

  • The student has a serious and verifiable reason for not completing the required course work.

  • The student has a passing grade in the course at the time the I grade is assigned.

  • The student requires no additional class time for completion of the course.

  • In assigning an I grade, an instructor will specify, on the report for incomplete grade, a list of conditions necessary for the removal of the Incomplete grade. An “I” grade must be replaced by the appropriate evaluative grade symbol no later than one full semester after it has been assigned, though an earlier limit may be specified by the instructor. Students may not re-enroll in a course for which they have received an I grade during the time the I grade is in effect.

California state law requires students to maintain satisfactory progress while enrolled at a community college. Once students have attempted 12 or more units, they must work to continue satisfactory progress by maintaining a grade point average of 2.00 or higher and/or complete more than 50% of the units attempted. If students do not make satisfactory progress by completing courses and/or achieving grades, they will be placed on probationary status. The different levels of probation and remediation steps for a probationary status are available at Academic or Progress Probation.

Articulation with high schools: Fresno City College has entered into course-specific articulation agreements with many area high schools whereby students may have remedial course prerequisites to some college courses waived.

Articulation with California public universities: Fresno City College has developed articulation agreements with the California State University and University of California to assist students in the process of transferring to a university. The most current agreements can be found at ASSIST.org. Transfer Resources can also be found at the Transfer Center.