Policies and Protocols
Anne Arundel Community College recognizes the importance of having policies and protocols that help define priorities for the college and document compliance with regulations.
Class Attendance/Participation
- Regular attendance is expected of students who are registered in face-to-face courses and in distance education classroom environments.
- For hybrid courses, attendance is defined as regular and substantive student participation in virtual learning activities as well as attendance at required face-to-face meetings.
- For online courses, attendance is defined as regular and substantive student participation in virtual learning activities.
- Attendance requirements and policies specific to each course are stated in the course syllabus. Students should be aware that lack of regular attendance and/or lack of substantive student participation as appropriate for the course format will adversely affect their grades in those classes in which attendance is a stated requirement. For courses in which attendance is not a stated requirement, student grades may be adversely affected by failure to satisfactorily complete assignments and course work.
- Regular attendance and active participation promote student success.
Communications
The college has endorsed the following standard for responding time to emails in an online course:
- Students should receive a response to emails from their instructor within two business days (Monday – Friday).
- Instructors will also communicate to students the turn-around time for grading assignments in an online course.
Class Expectation/Instructional Hour (Statement on Study Time)
A minimum expectation is that for every hour spent “in class,” as defined by your instructor, you should plan to spend at least two hours “out of class” in preparation. Your instructor or the class may require additional time. More important than how MUCH should someone study is HOW should someone study. Studying is a skill, and if students have not developed that skill, they may still struggle regardless of how much time they study. More information about study skills including time management techniques can be found at: http://ola2.aacc.edu/vc/timemanagement/TimeManagementWebShop/
Accessibility
Notice of Nondiscrimination
AACC is an equal opportunity, affirmative action, Title IX, ADA Title 504 compliant institution. Call Disability Support Services, 410-777-2306 or Maryland Relay 711, 72 hours in advance to request most accommodations. Requests for sign language interpreters, alternative format books or assistive technology require 30 days’ notice. For information on AACC’s compliance and complaints concerning sexual assault, sexual misconduct, discrimination or harassment, contact federal compliance officer at 410-777-1239 or complianceofficer@aacc.edu or the Title IX coordinator at 410-777-2256, or Maryland Relay 711.
Americans with Disabilities Act Policy
The Disability Support Services Office (DSS) provides equal access to educational opportunities for qualified students with disabilities. Students interested in course accommodations must provide relevant documentation in order to receive accommodations. For information, please contact the Assistant Director for DSS, at 410.777.2306, email dss@aacc.edu. or visit http://www.aacc.edu/resources/disability-support-services. Deaf and hard of hearing students can reach the office by calling Maryland Relay 711 or by emailing dss@aacc.edu.
Canvas ADA Statement
Canvas provides a user experience that is easy, simple, and intuitive. Special attention has been paid to making Canvas screen-readable. The Rich Content Editor encourages users to create universally accessible content. Canvas is designed to allow limited customization of colors and schemes to be accessible for all users. The National Federation of the Blind granted Canvas the Gold Level Web Certification in 2010. Find more information here: http://www.instructure.com/canvas_vpat
College policies governing areas such as academic integrity, electronic communication access and usage, and the Student Conduct Code, among other general policies, may be found on the college's Policies webpage.