Reciprocity Agreement Instructions

What is Reciprocity?
Reciprocity is a new policy among Washington community and technical colleges (CTCs). It is designed to assist students in transferring courses that have met Communication Skills, Quantitative Skills, or Distribution requirements from one CTC to another.

Who is eligible for Reciprocity?
Students who transfer from one CTC to another may be eligible for reciprocity if they have:

• Applied for Admission to the receiving college
• Completed an individual course at the sending college that meets the Communication, Quantitative, or Distribution Area requirement for the same degree; OR, completed entire areas of their degree requirements at the sending college (Communication, Humanities, etc.)
• Maintained a cumulative college-level GPA of 2.0 or better at the sending college
• Met the sending college residency requirement (minimum number of credits earned)
• Continued to pursue the same degree (DTA or AS-T) at the receiving college
• Provided all necessary documentation to receiving college
• Met the receiving college local provisos of unique, local prerequisite and graduation requirements. These requirements may include learning communities/coordinated studies requirements, writing-intensive course requirements, diversity requirements, physical education/health requirements, the last certain number of credits completed at the receiving college, and the receiving college continuous enrollment policy (catalog agreement).

Then, the receiving institution agrees to consider that the distribution area requirements have been met upon evaluating the student's transcript and awarding the student's degree.

What steps do students need to follow to have their credits transferred under the reciprocity agreement?

1. Have an official copy of your transcript sent to the receiving college
2. Submit "Request for Evaluation of Transfer-in Credits" to the Registrar's Office of the receiving college (or whatever the receiving college calls this form)
3. Submit the "Reciprocity Agreement Request" form to the Registrar's Office

Residency Status/Tuition:

NOTE: Resident tuition applies to active duty military, Washington state Reservists/Guard members and refugees. Effective July 1, 2003, Washington state law made certain students who are not permanent residents of the United States eligible for resident tuition. Students meeting the above criteria who were previously classified as non-residents are responsible for requesting a change in their residency status. Forms and information are available online and in the Registrar's Office.

For state-supported class tuition purposes, a state resident is one who is a U.S. citizen or who has permanent resident immigrant status, refugee-parolee status, or conditional entrant status, and

1. Has established a domicile (residence) in the state of Washington primarily for purposes other than educational for the period of one year immediately prior to the first day of the quarter and was financially independent from parents or legally appointed guardians for the calendar year during which college enrollment begins, OR
2. Is a financially dependent student, one or both of whose parents or legal guardians have maintained a domicile in the state of Washington for at least one year immediately prior to the first day of the quarter.

NOTE: Typically, state residents document their legal residence in Washington by showing that for the entire 12 months immediately preceding the beginning of the quarter, they have done all of the following:

1. Held a Washington driver's license or identification card
2. Had their vehicle registered in Washington
3. Have registered to vote in Washington, AND
4. Can provide proof of residence in the state.

Students wishing to change their non-resident classification should petition the college prior to their registration day, by completing a Residency Questionnaire available in the Registration Office (Rm BE1104). Or you can visit the "forms" section of this website.

Repeating a Course/Grade Change:

You may repeat any credit course only once and request that the Division of Registration and Records use the highest grade received for computing the cumulative GPA. Unless you submit a specific request, however, the first grade and repeat grade will be averaged together. NOTE: Course(s) must be repeated at the same campus.

There are two situations in which you may repeat a course. Both the initial course and the repeated course must be taken at the same campus.

1. GPA Improvement. A credit course may be repeated only once. Upon successful completion of a repeated course, the student can submit a formal request to the Registration office to have the highest grade used in the GPA computation. Unless specifically requested, the first grade and the repeat grade(s) will be averaged. NOTE: The student will be credited only once for the class. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the Registration Office when the repeated course is completed.
2. Multi-quarter continuous training courses. A continuous or ongoing program course that uses the same course number from quarter to quarter, for example, music performance classes and typing classes, is considered a repeat course. In this situation credits earned are cumulative, and all grades are used to determine the GPA. NOTE: Students planning to transfer to four-year institutions should be aware that many four-year institutions have strict policies on course repeats. It is recommended that students check with the Advising Office before repeating a class to determine potential course transfer difficulties.

Attendance:

Students may not attend any class unless they have been officially registered, paid fees and received a valid receipt from the college cashier.

Instructors may not allow a student to attend their class if the student's name is not on the official class roster. Students who are officially enrolled in credit classes must be in attendance or communicate with the instructor no later than the first scheduled class. Students who are absent without prior approval of the instructor or the division/department chair may be withdrawn by the college.

NOTE:  : Students should not assume that they have been dropped if they have not attended class on the first day. This procedure is usually implemented only when there are other students waiting to enroll in that class.

Change of Address:

The student is responsible for informing the college of his/her current address. If there are address changes, please complete a "change card" at Counter Services in Room BE1104. Delivery of mail to the last address on record constitutes official notification to students.

Students can now view and update their address using the World Wide Web! Just access the Student Online Services and click on Update Address! By using the Student Identification number and Global PIN (date of birth: month|day|year - six digit number), this secure system provides fora way to maintain current address information.

Release of Student Information:

Photo ID is required to view and/or receive copies of your educational records

Confidentiality of Records:

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) is designed to protect the privacy of a student's educational records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds from the U. S. Department of Education. Information about Seattle Central Community Colleges is collected, maintained and used to meet the colleges educational objectives. Students are protected against improper disclosure of their records. These rights begin with the first day of class and extend to all former students.

Students Rights:

1. The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days of the day the college receives a request for access. Students should submit written requests that identify the record(s) they wish to inspect to the registrar, dean, head of the academic department, or other appropriate official. The college official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place that the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the college official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
2. The right to request amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes are inaccurate or misleading. Students may ask the college to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the college official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record they want changed, and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the college decides not to amend the record, the college will notify the student of the decision and advise the student of his or her right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when he or she is notified of a right to a hearing.
3. The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure with consent. One exception which permits disclosures without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. School officials have a legitimate educational interest if they need to review an education record in order to fulfill their professional responsibility. A school official is a person employed by the college in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the college has contracted (such as an attorney, auditor, national student loan clearinghouse, legal counsel, or collection agency); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as disciplinary or grievance committee, or who is assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks.
4. In addition, upon request, the college discloses education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
5. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the college to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The office administering FERPA is: Family Policy Compliance Office, U.S. Department of Education, 600 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20202-4605.

Chapter 132F-121 WAC

Student Activities, Rights and Discipline

Directory Information:
The Seattle Community Colleges define Student Directory Information, (information that can be released):

• student's name
• enrollment status in the college
• date(s) of enrollment
• area of study
• awards granted by the college
• participation in official sports activities
• weight and height of athletic team members, AND
• email address

Students may request that the college NOT release directory information by notifying the Registrars office and submitting this FORM prior to the first day of the quarter. Directory information cannot include social security numbers, race/ethnicity, nationality or gender. For more information regarding student's rights, students should contact the Registrars office, 206 587-6918.

Exceptions
Exceptions to the directory-information-only restrictions are: Judicial subpoena of records, upon condition that the college makes a reasonable effort to notify the student in advance of release of records. Emergency situations, if knowledge of personal information is necessary to protect the health or safety of a student or other person(s).

Additional Information
For more information regarding student rights, students should contact the Registrar’s Office on each campus.

Student Responsibilities:

• Students are expected to comply with the policies, procedures and regulations established by the Board of Trustees. Students are obligated to respect the rights of others and to refrain from any actions endangering the health, safety, and welfare or property of others.
• The Seattle Community College District prohibits the abuse of alcohol and the unlawful manufacture, distribution, possession, and use of illicit drugs. This policy applies to all employees and students of the Seattle Community Colleges while they are on District property or while they are conducting college business, regardless of location.
• State motor vehicle laws and the Seattle traffic code apply to campus traffic. The speed limit is 15 miles per hour on campus.
• The possession of firearms on campus is illegal.
• Disciplinary action will be taken against students who violate standards of conduct established by the college. If informal procedures do not resolve the issue, formal committee proceedings may be initiated.

Student Complaints:

The college has a formal and informal process for students to resolve complaints about any aspect of their college experience, including complaints about teachers, grades, course content, student services, treatment by staff or administration, etc. The Student Complaints Officer is also the Associate Dean of Student Leadership and may be reached at (206) 587-3840.