ACADEMIC POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
AC/C TECH’s “Academic Policies and Procedures includes the following areas:
Lecture/Lab Policy
Students have an option of repeating lecture and lab assignments to improve scores. All assignments must be submitted before the course ends. If an assignment is not submitted, the student will be given a zero score for that assignment/lesson.
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Testing Policy
A 10-question quiz is assigned at the end of each lecture. Also, students have an option of repeating quizzes twice to improve scores. A 100-question final examination is assigned at the end of all training lessons. Final examinations can be repeated, but just once. All exams must be completed before the course ends; otherwise, the student will be given a zero score for each test not completed. In addition, students may complete all testing requirements on-line by using GoToMeeting.com or Zoom.com software. The student is not required to have a subscription to the noted software, but they must have access to a web camera. They can use a desktop computer, laptop computer, tablet, or mobilephone.
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OJT Evaluation Policy
Students are required to submit 15 hours of OJT documentation for each course, the OJT must align with the course lessons, and the OJT documentation must be submitted to AC/C TECH within 6-months after the course ends. Moreover, the OJT assignments must parallel the lessons, for example, while a student is learning about electric furnace maintenance, he/she can assist in repairing or cleaning a furnace. While a student is learning about interior building maintenance, he/she can assist in prepping a unit for leasing.
Much in the same way as the AC/C TECH faculty evaluates students academically, maintenance supervisors will evaluate students based on how well the following primary objectives were completed: Planned Maintenance, Breakdown Maintenance, Job Task Standards, Restoring Vacated Apartment Units, and Uniform Physical Inspections. Students may also be evaluated on how well secondary objectives were completed, such as WorkOrders, Technical Skills, Special Projects, Safety Skills, Customer Relation Skills, and Documentation Skills. These activities/objectives are meaningful to students insofar as job placement and retention. Also, they are meaningful to our alumni insofar as being prepared for employment advancements.
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Make-Up Work Policy
No make-up work is allowed unless approved by the instructor.
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Course Extension Policy
Students are encouraged to complete all coursework pursuant to the schedule; however, course extensions may be granted due to extenuating circumstances. Extenuating circumstances may include family or medical emergencies, work related accidents, building system failures*, job relocations, employment terminations, military deployments, natural disasters, universal precautions, or hazardous substances and cleanup.
* Building System Failures mean significant damage to the electrical power, gas supply, water distribution, sewer system, or building structure that requires maintenance work from numerous technicians until repaired. This definition does not include failures that one individual can repair.
Students who meet this criteria may submit a request to have his/her course extended. Documentation is required to support such claim. More importantly, students are required to set realistic goals and timelines to complete outstanding assignments. Requests stemming from routine maintenance operations will not be considered. If the request is denied, that decision can be appealed by obtaining approval from the student’s management team: specifically from [1] the Maintenance Director or Maintenance Committee, [2] Property Manager, and [3] Regional Property Manager. Their approval must be unanimous; otherwise, approval from the Company CEO is required.
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Course Withdrawal Policy
Students are allowed to drop courses up to the fifth-class session. Courses dropped will not appear on the student's transcript. Approvals for withdrawals are not required; however, we recommend that students consult the Director of Student Services prior to withdrawing from a course. We will help them realize possible consequences of reducing their course load as it could affect financial aid.Failure to maintain the requirements of a fulltime student status may affect Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and receipt of federal, state and other benefits, including but not limited to veterans’ benefits.
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Copyright Policy
Except as necessary to utilize the Services and Information contained in the training program, students may not reproduce, create derivative works from, perform, publish, transmit, distribute, lease, rent, assign, transfer, sell, offer to sell, or otherwise access, use, or exploit any material retrieved from or contained in the Services or Information in any manner whatsoever that may infringe any copyright or proprietary interest of AC/C TECH; store any content from the Services or Information in any information storage and retrieval system except for memory caches and similar temporary file storage associated with internet usage or online content; or alter, translate, modify, or adapt the Services or Information to create derivative works; make use of “framing” or other means of redirecting content; copy and redistribute (internally or externally) any of the training Information or Services or any tables of contents, highlights, indexes, or other finding aids included therein. All rights reserved!
Violation of this policy will result in disciplinary action which may include “PERMANENT SUSPENSION” from the institution. Also, AC/C TECH may report the incident to the appropriate law enforcement agencies. Under federal law, a person found to have infringed upon a copyright may be liable for actual damages and lost profits attributable to the infringement, and statutory damages from $200 up to $150,000, per infringement. In addition, criminal penalties may be assessed against the infringer and could include jail time of up to 10 years depending upon the nature of the violation.
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Student Code of Conduct
The Honor Code at AC/C TECH defines and expresses the ethical spirit in which we pursue students and promote their skills through apartment maintenance professionals. AC/C TECH recognizes that a community of learning cannot function well without respect for basic moral order, and therefore, we understand that the furthering of excellence requires greater commitments. In addition to basic moral principles, we affirm emphasis on the development of personal character and ethical standards that oversee the conduct and quality of our training.
In short, the AC/C TECH family commits to: [1] personal responsibility, [2] academic honesty and integrity of work, [3] moral respect for everyone and their property, [4] ethical concern for the good of AC/C TECH and for the good of mankind, particularly our students. Embracing these ideas will help us achieve a humane learning institution.
The following items are considered examples of academic violations of the Honor Code.
- Dishonest preparation of course work. In the preparation of assignments, intellectual honesty demands that a student not copy from another student’s work.
- Papers borrowed or purchased. It shall be considered an act of dishonesty for a student to submit any document that has been borrowed or purchased from any source whatsoever.
- Dishonest examination behavior. The unauthorized giving or receiving information during testing is prohibited. This applies to all types, such as quizzes and final examinations, written or oral or online tests, and lab or take-home tests. Unauthorized use of books, notes, papers, etc. is notacceptable.
- Excessive help. It shall be considered an act of dishonesty for a student to receive excessive help when performing lab assignments. Such help shall not exceed the general discussion of ideas. In short, excessive help is that in which the supervisor/technician diagnoses the problems and/or does most of the work. The instructor will define the parameters of legitimate help.
- Plagiarism. Plagiarism is a form of stealing another person’s ideas or even his/her very words are borrowed without acknowledgement or credit being given. Plagiarism may be all the way from directlyc opying an entire paper froma single source to a merging together of quotations from many sources; it exists when these sources are not properly identified and when quoted material is not put in quotation marks or indented. Even when the student paraphrases the ideas of another writer, he/she is obligated to credit thatwriter.
- Dishonest OJT Documentation. Falsifying or submitting inaccurate OJT documentation will not be tolerated and such action is consideredfraudulent.
- Aiding and Abetting. Aiding and abetting, related to cheating in any way, is considered academic dishonesty and shall be treated with the sameconsequences.
- Unauthorized Collaboration. Unauthorized collaboration is the use of another student or outside source on a test or assignment that was given with the intention that it was to be completed without assistance.
AC/C TECH maintains that any violation in the spirit of the Honor Code is viewed as disobedience. If a student has doubt, he/she should consult the Director of Student Services before engaging theactivity.
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Non-Academic Dismissal Policy
Non-Academic Suspensions can stem from non-compliance, absenteeism, poor behavior, plagiarism, drug or theft related problems (or any other violation that may not be listed in this publication). At the time of enrollment, students are required to review our Student Code of Conduct Policy. A violation of any policy will result in disciplinary action that could range from counseling to suspension depending on the severity of the offense, the number of offenses involved, whether this is the first violation of the honor code, and the impact of the offense(s) on the rest of the AC/C TECH community. When an incident occurs, AC/C TECH will document the situation and warn the student that if it reoccurs, he/she will be suspended from the program for a period of not less than one year. The evaluation of the offense will be at the discretion of the Administrators with input coming from the instructors on a case- by-case basis.
Students who violate the Honor Code are subject to a grievance being filed against them. Such grievances will be reviewed by a Program Advisory Committee. However, faculty members of AC/C TECH are responsible for determining if a situation has risen to the level of academic dishonesty (cheating) and for the discipline of students whom they believe to be guilty. The consequences depend on whether the incident is a single infraction or involves multiple infractions. The result of a single violation may lead to a “0” score for the assignment, with no possibility of redoing the work. Multiple violations may lead to a “0” score for the course and subsequent expulsion from the program.
Students found guilty of violating the Honor Code twice are subject to automatic suspension.Any student who has had sanctions imposed by a faculty member and/or the Director of Education may appeal their case before a Student Complaint Resolution Committee. This committee will consist of five individuals: one active student, one graduate, one AC/C TECH Faculty Member, one AC/C TECH Administrator, and one Advisory Committee Member from the Apartment Industry.
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Academic Probation/Suspension Policy
If a student fails a course, he/she will be allowed to retake the course at no additional charge.
- Should a student fail the same course twice, he/she will be placed on academic probation.
- Should a student fail any two courses, within a 9-month period, he/she will be placed on academic probation.
- Should a student fail the same course three consecutive times, he/she will be suspended from the program for a period of not less than one year.
- Should a student fail any three courses, within a 12-month period, he/she will be suspended from the program for a period of not less than one year.
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Suspension Reinstatement Policy
After getting suspended, reinstatement is not automatic; the student must apply in writing and his/her documentation shall include a plan to correct all deficiencies. The President of AC/C TECH will establish a committee to review the student’s plan. If the plan is considered genuine, the committee will make a recommendation for reinstatement. The President will review the recommendation(s) and make a final ruling.
additional information, the committee will consist of five individuals: one student, one Graduate, one AC/C TECH Administrator, and two Advisory Committee Members from the Apartment Industry.
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Permanent Suspension Policy
Should a student get reinstated, and subsequently violate another policy that leads to a second 1-year suspension, he/she will be permanently removed from all AC/C TECH programs.
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Student Identification Policy
During the admission process, all candidates are required to submit identification. Acceptable ID’s may include a valid driver’s license, governmental identification card, passport, or military identification. At the conclusion of each course, instructors verify the identity of students to assure that they are indeed the person who completed the online training. In addition, the instructors verify if the student developed the skills necessary to complete work assignments expected of a maintenance technician. The instructor may ask questions related to diagnostic procedures, adjusting the system for optimum efficiency, annual maintenance activities, etc. Again, it’s just a 1-hour verification assignment.
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Non-Discrimination Policy
AC/C TECH will not discriminate against individuals based on race, religion, color, gender, sexual orientation, genetic information, age, disability, or national origin.
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Student Disability Policy
If a student has a disability, which may affect learning via the internet, the student is required to disclose that disability to AC/C TECH. Disabled students requesting academic assistance may be requested to provide documentation of the disability and the extent of support services necessary. More specifically, the documentation must stem from a medical professional, and it must be recent, less than three years old. In response, AC/C TECH will provide reasonable accommodations to remove all barriers that prevent learning.
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Graduation Requirements
Students are required to pass all course objectives listed in each program to earn a Technical Certificate or AAS Degree. Again, student achievement is determined by completing lectures, labs, quizzes, a final examination, and OJT assignments. As the minimum passing standard, students are required to demonstrate a proficiency in 70% of the course activities. That includes earning a 70% or higher score on the [1] Final Examination, [2] OJT Assignment, and [3] Final Score. Successful completion of a program is based on meeting all requirements listed under the program objectives and will be confirmed by an appropriate credential.
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