Student Admission/Enrollment Policy:
AC/C TECH’s “Admission/Enrollment Policy” includes the following areas:
Admissions Criteria
AC/C TECH will admit candidates interested in maintenance technology, likely to complete their educational objectives, and suited for employment at the end of the training. To reach this status, candidates are required to meet the following standards:
a. EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS
NON-DEGREE PROGRAMS: There are no prerequisites or entrance exams for candidates making enrollments into courses only or technical certificate programs. It should be noted that provisions can be made for special needs in reading and/or completing exams.
DEGREE PROGRAMS – UNDERGRADUATE: Students enrolling in the AAS Degree program must have a high school diploma or equivalent. An official transcript or evidence is required. If a student wishes to transfer credits from another institution, an official transcript from that institution must be provided. Students who are homeschooled or attend an alternative school should submit credentials that demonstrate equivalent levels of achievement and ability.
b. HONOR CODE STANDARDS
All candidates must commit to the AC/C TECH Honor Code. The Honor Code defines the ethical spirit in which students must work. This policy was implemented because maintenance technicians are required to complete assignments in occupied units while the resident is away. This will assure that all residents and their property are respected and that all work-orders are completed in a professional manner. So, in short, all candidates must commit to [1] personal responsibility, [2] academic honesty and integrity of work, [3] moral respect for everyone and their property, and [4] ethical concern for the good of AC/C TECH and the good for our students.
c. IDENTIFICATION STANDARDS
Prior to course enrollments, potential candidates are required to submit an acceptable form of identification. That may include a valid driver’s license, or governmental identification card, or passport, or military identification.
d. EMPLOYER BACKGROUND STANDARDS
Part of our Mission Statement is to recruit students according to job demands of employers. Once recruited, the student will be assigned to one of the employer’s property communities to complete OJT (On-Job-Training) assignments. That may require some candidates to undergo a background check. The investigative inquiries may include credit, criminal, driving, or other background reports.
e. ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY ASSESSMENT
Prospective candidates whose native language is not English and who have not earned a degree from an appropriately accredited institution where English is the principal language of instruction, must demonstrate college-level proficiency in English through one of the following for admission:
- Undergraduate Degree: A minimum score of 500 on the paper-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL PBT), or 61 on the Internet Based Test (iBT), a 6.0 on the International English Language Test (IELTS), or 44 on the Pearson Test of English Academic Score Report. A high school diploma completed at an accredited/recognized high school (where the medium of instruction is English).
- Master’s Degree: A minimum score of 530 on the paper-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL PBT), or 71 on the Internet Based Test (iBT), a 6.5 on the International English Language Test (IELTS), or 50 on the Pearson Test of English Academic Score Report.
- First Professional Degree or Professional Doctoral Degree: A minimum score of 550 on the paper-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL PBT), or 80 on the Internet Based Test (iBT), a 6.5 on the International English Language Test (IELTS), or 58 on the Pearson Test of English Academic Score Report.
- A minimum score on the College Board Accuplacer ESL Exam Series as follows: ESL Language Use: Score of 85 ESL Listening: Score of 80 ESL Reading: Score of 85 ESL Sentence Meaning: Score of 90 ESL Writeplacer: Score of 4 Comprehensive Score for all exams of 350.
- A minimum grade of Pre-1 on the Eiken English Proficiency Exam.
- A minimum B-2 English proficiency level identified within the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) standards and assessed through various ESOL examinations, including the University of Cambridge; 7.
- A transcript indicating completion of at least 30 semester credit hours with an average grade of “C” or higher at an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the United States Secretary of Education and/or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
When admission request exceeds the number of job openings for the location/industry, AC/C TECH will interview and select candidates via algorithms. The instructional staff will conduct interviews by utilizing video conferencing equipment such as “GoToMeeting.com” or “Zoom” software. The interviews will be recorded for future reference. The interview process will cover 13 significant topics: [1] Scrutinizing the candidate’s resume, [2] Exploring the candidate’s technical background, [3] Discussing job-task-standards and work performance benchmarks, [4] Promoting the educational plan established for all Maintenance Technicians, [5] Reviewing the job description as it relates to health requirements, [6] Exploring how the candidate is able and willing to contribute his/her skills towards the prosperity of the organization, [7] Evaluating how the candidate’s personal comportment can be a key factor, [8] Determining if outside special assistance is necessary, [9] Instructing the candidate to complete the pre-employment inquiry form, [10] Requesting information from previous schools and employers, [11] Having a discussion about references, [12] Having a discussion about information posted on social networks, and [13] Allowing the applicant to express why he/she is the best candidate for the program.
Selecting candidates based on algorithms will remove biases and improve the selection process, and the algorithms can be tweaked to achieve future improvements. The algorithms will be set up to factor the topics covered above. The instructional staff will assign a score from 0 to 8 for each topic: 8 points representing outstanding, and 0 representing unsatisfactory. The last topic will be scored 0 to 4 points. When computed, the candidates can earn 100 points maximum.
- Those who earn the highest rating will be admitted into the program first.
- Those who meet the admissions criteria will be informed in writing.
- Any applicant not meeting qualifications to become a student will be denied admission. Likewise, they will also be notified in writing and the communication will indicate the basis for that denial.
AC/C TECH will not deny admissions nor discriminate against individuals based on race, religion, color, gender, sexual orientation, genetic information, age, disability, or national origin.
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Chronology of Events for Admissions/Enrollments
The following is AC/C TECH’s typical process for admissions/enrollments:
ADMISSIONS PROCESS
a) When prospective students make an inquiry, AC/C TECH thoroughly answers their questions and provides detailed information about the activity. As one example, we may provide detail information about courses, certificate programs, and/or the AAS degree requirements. At the same time, the admission requirements and total cost are discussed. In addition, the prospective students contact information is obtained, so that we can make a follow-up call, if necessary.
b) During that discussion, the prospective students are informed to complete the application for admission which is setup on the AC/C TECH website. That document includes the student’s personal information, login information, emergency contact information, employment information, and other key information. That document also includes their educational background & self-certification, the chosen course(s) and/or program(s) with total cost, optional financial assistance information, and the student’s electronic signature. A notification is automatically sent to the Director of Recruitment/Admissions and to the prospective students indicating that the application was submitted and will be reviewed for completeness. The application is reviewed to assure that every question is answered and that all supporting documentation (such as a high school transcript, etc.) is submitted. If questions are unanswered or if the supporting documentation is missing, AC/C TECH will notify the student about the discrepancy.
- If the application is complete and all admissions criteria have been satisfied, the student is informed that they have been accepted for their chosen program via email and provided a link to the Enrollment Agreement.
- If the application is complete and the student does not meet admissions criteria, they are informed via email and provided the reason for denial.
- If the applicant has not successfully completed high school or its equivalent, they are considered for provisional admission pursuant to AC/C TECH’s admissions exception policy. Students are considered for this exception if the student successfully completed all other information on the application form, submitted a copy of an official identification, and if correspondence with the student indicates an aptitude for technical training. This exception is only made in limited circumstances. Provisionally admitted students are required to successfully complete GEN101 Careers in Apartment Maintenance with a 70% score before they are matriculated into their chosen Technical Certificate or AAS Degree program. This path to matriculation aligns with the institution’s mission to provide training and job skill improvement for anyone who might benefit.
c) AC/C TECH accommodates students with disabilities according to the Disability Accommodation Policy, in accordance with Americans with Disabilities’ Act. Students are provided reasonable accommodations, if they do not significantly alter the education provided and if they do not create an undue burden for AC/C TECH. Students are required to self-disclose their disability and provide recent documentation of such from a Medical Professional, and the documentation cannot be more than three years old. Examples of potential accommodations may include:
- Additional time to complete assignments, e.g.: all pre-assessments, quizzes and final examinations are timed. Lab assignments are due before the course ends. OJT assignments are due 6-months after the course ends to earn a maximum score… 2 points is deducted for each day the assignment is submitted late.
- Having assignments and examinations read aloud.
- Video captions can be inserted into lessons for accommodation of deaf students.
d) AC/C TECH does not deny admission nor discriminate against candidates based on race, religion, color, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or national origin. We admit students interested in maintenance technology, who are educationally prepared to complete the objectives, and suited for employment at the end of the training. We also admit students with a disability as long as they understand the job expectations of maintenance technicians, can perform the duties, and can pass the physical, vision, hearing, speaking, and mental/emotional requirements.
e) After admitting students into the institution, we review all submitted transcripts for possible transfer of credits.
ENROLLMENT PROCESS
a) Next, the student is required to complete an enrollment agreement. That document includes the student’s personal information, emergency contact information, employment information, course/program enrollment options with tuition & fees, payment options if requested, distance education disclosure, cancellation policy, refund policy, collection policy, transfer credit disclosure statement, AC/C TECH’s obligations, the students’ rights responsibilities and obligations, student identity verification, student acknowledgements, and the student’s electronic signature.
b) All correspondence’s will be saved as part of the student’s record… including a copy of the application for admission, transfer of credit evaluation, release of information form, and all enrollments. Moreover, a copy is retained in the student’s private account, which is accessible to them anytime, after their login process.
c) As further transparency, AC/C TECH will assure that all applicants clearly understand that distance education is being offered and that they are required to read and understand the Distance Education Disclosure page.
In general, the process for group and third party-funded enrollments are the same as noted above, except, an employer or sponsor may be instructing the prospective students to complete the noted documents. As a final point, AC/C TECH takes full responsibility for the actions, statements, and conduct of all student recruitment personnel.
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Reliable Methods for Admitting Qualified Students
AC/C TECH seeks to admit prospective students who request to improve their careers through individual maintenance courses, technical certificate programs, and/or the Associate of Applied Science Degree in Residential & Apartment Technology. Those individuals must achieve the following requirements:
a) Complete an application form
b) Certify high school completion or a recognized equivalent such as a general educational development (GED) test.
- Applicants who are homeschooled or attend an alternative school must submit credentials that demonstrate equivalent levels of achievement and ability.
- Applicants who did not complete high school or a recognized equivalent must review the provisional admission policy. As noted in the previous section, applicants who did not complete high school or a recognized equivalent may be granted provisional admission for one course in order to demonstrate that they possess the ability to succeed in their chosen course or program. After successful completion of all other admission requirements, provisionally admitted students must pass GEN101: Career Opportunities in Apartment Maintenance on their first attempt with a passing score of 70% or higher. This course must be completed before students are matriculated into their chosen Technical Certificate or AAS Degree program.
c) Submit a copy of a government-issued identification such as a driver’s license, passport, military ID, etc.
d) A prospective student may be subject to a background check prior to being admitted, if required by the sponsor/employment partner. The investigative inquiries may include credit, criminal, driving, and/or other background reports.
e) Students whose native language is not English are required to demonstrate English Proficiency according to AC/C TECH’s English Language Proficiency Policy.
AC/C TECH allows prospective students to self-certify their completion of high school in alignment with our mission and goals to provide opportunities to those seeking technical training, while minimizing any encumbering admission and enrollment processes. When prospective students self-certify their completion of high school or a recognized equivalent, AC/C TECH obtains a signed statement from the individual attesting that they successfully completed high school, earned a GED, or a recognized equivalent. Prospective students are required to state the institution name, city, state, and year of graduation for either their high school or the educational testing center as applicable. The prospective students high school completion is evaluated and if AC/C TECH has reason to believe that a prospective student may have submitted a false certification, an investigation will be implemented. Any prospective student who knowingly provide false information, will be removed from all enrollments.
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Responsibility for the Admission/Enrollment Process
As noted previously, the President assures that all promotional materials are truthful, accurate, and clear because he is intimately familiar with the institution’s operations, programs, courses, and services. The President is also responsible for changes to the curriculum, services, or promotional messaging, which makes him most suitable to coordinate any changes to advertisements, website content, or promotional flyers when updating related content.
The Director of Recruitment/Admissions is responsible for student recruitment, advertisements, promotional materials, disclosures, cancellations, refunds, admissions policies, and practices. This individual is also responsible for executing our marketing plan.
Together, the Director of Recruitment/Admissions and the President of the institution, will manage the process to maintain a continuous systematic and effective approach towards recruitment and admissions. Currently, there are no other personnel involved in the process.
As AC/C TECH continues to grow, the institution will hire various personnel, or expand the responsibilities of adjunct instructors, as needed. The hiring process will include the creation of a job description and required qualifications. First, the adjunct instructors will be approached about increasing their hours and job responsibilities to include recruitment. If the need extends beyond this group, job postings will be published in appropriate local and national job boards and websites. Candidate resumes will be screened, and a handful of the most qualified candidates will be interviewed. An offer of employment and applicable contract will then be issued to successful candidates. After being hired (or if adjunct instructors are brought on to participate in recruitment) they will be trained to fulfill the duties.
The training will include:
- Review of all admission policies, catalog, and website content for familiarity.
- Training on the communication methods used and any templates for email or phone call scripts.
- A period where the Director of Recruitment/Admissions and the President observes recruiter communication and provides feedback.
- A review of ACCET Document 30 - Policy on Recruiting, Advertising, and Promotional Practices.
Lastly, we believe that our admissions and recruitment processes are ethical because students are not subject to undue pressure towards enrollment. Students initiate the inquiry and enrollment process and determines how the process unfolds through their engagement. When a student provides their contact information and does not immediately complete an application, follow up communications are encouraging and frequent enough to remind the student of the remaining steps required, but infrequent enough so they do not feel pushy or harassed. Follow up communications will be limited to one per week, unless otherwise requested or stated by the student. In addition, the institution’s admission criteria and policies are fair, clearly stated, and publicly available to facilitate a student-driven and student-centric enrollment process. As a final point, AC/C TECH evaluates its recruitment process and documents annually including the website, course/program catalog, and promotional flyers.
Please reference “Forms and Documents” to obtain a copy of the Application for Admission and Enrollment Agreement.
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Transfer of Credit Policy
AC/C TECH allows transfer of credits when an official transcript is received indicating the student’s academic performance. In general, we only transfer credits for students enrolled in the Associate of Applied Science Degree in Residential & Apartment Technology. The degree requirements involve earning 60 semester credits: 38 credits from required technical courses, 7 credits from technical electives, and 15 credits from general education coursework. The general education coursework may include natural and physical sciences (mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry, etc.); social and behavioral sciences (psychology, sociology, history, geography, economics, etc.); humanities and fine arts (English, written and oral communication, literature, foreign language, etc.).
Students will be highly encouraged to transfer all general education coursework, when applicable. Students may transfer a maximum of 75 percent of the credits required to earn the AAS Degree, which amounts to transferring 45 semester credits. Credits awarded for experiential or equivalent learning cannot exceed 25 percent of the degree requirements which totals 15 semester credits.
To be considered for transfer:
- The coursework must have been completed through an accredited institution recognized by either the United States Department of Education, or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, or the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training.
- Course content must be similar to AC/C TECH’s.
- Courses must have been completed no more than 10 years ago.
- A grade of C (2.0 GPA) is required for any course to be considered.
Prior to course enrollments, it is the students’ responsibility to have official transcripts sent to AC/C TECH, either digitally or physically, by the granting institution(s). Afterwards, we review the transcript(s) without further requirement from the student.
When transcripts are received, they are first authenticated and the courses to be considered are added to a ledger. If a course title is unclear, AC/C TECH will look up that information on the institution’s website? In any event, the courses evaluated for transfer are listed on the left side of a ledger and those approved are listed on the right side, so that students will clearly realize which courses were approved. All courses are considered together to assure that transfer credit maximums are not exceeded, etc. A sample of AC/C TECH’s transfer of credit evaluation is provided in Exhibit 7-C3.1 for review. Furthermore, that document becomes part of the student’s permanent record, which is accessible to them anytime, after their login.
- Awarding credits from other accredited institutions shall be made by qualified individuals and through a team approach. Together, the Director of Admission/Enrollment, Director of Education, and instructional staff will evaluate official transcripts and make transfer credit decisions with feedback from the management team where the student will be job placed.
- Awarding credit from experiential learning is also made by qualified individuals. Similar to the above, the Director of Admission/Enrollment, Director of Education, instructional staff, and maintenance supervisors, will interview the student and make decisions which courses to grant credit based on experiential learning. Alternately, students may complete an experiential assessment and if they score 80 percent or above, full credit will be granted based on experiential learning. AC/C TECH aligns its experiential assessment criteria with topics covered in the course lectures, e.g.: identifying components, understanding how the components function, tracing the sequence of operation, testing components by using a VOM, following diagnostic and repair procedures, doing planned maintenance activities, completing assignments within job-task standards, maintaining a clean and safe working environment, etc.
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Experiential assessments are proctored examinations. We proctor exams on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays during the times indicated below (except holidays):
Tuesdays 9:00 am - 3:00 pm EST
Thursdays 1:00 pm - 7:00 pm EST
Saturdays 9:00 am - 1:00 pm EST
AC/C TECH uses GoToMeeting.com or Zoom.com software to proctor exams. The student will need a detachable webcam or smart phone to satisfy this requirement. Most students use their smart phone for proctoring and their desktop (or laptop) computer for testing. Note: The device must be positioned so that the proctor can see the student, and the computer monitor at the same time (see example). This positioning will allow us to verify that the student answered the questions without using books and notes, and without searching the internet for answers. The student will not be permitted to start the exam until the webcam or phone is positioned correctly. In addition, the student cannot leave the visual area until all exams are completed.
AC/C TECH has the right to accept or deny credits based on how they align with the program and how they could affect property management firms and apartment communities supporting this institution. Students may appeal transfer credit decisions using procedures outlined in the Complaint/Grievance Policy.
Financially, students are not required to pay any fees related to the transfer of credits; however, there is a $50 fee per experiential assessment. Students will be made aware of potential ramifications for financial aid, should they decide to reduce their school workload, based on accepting transfer of credits.
When AC/C TECH courses are being transferred to another institution, the acceptance of that transfer is determined by the receiving institution, not our evaluation team.
Lastly, we maintain that AC/C TECH’s transfer of credit policy is fair and equitable because it allows students to submit any prior education as long as it is appropriately accredited, similar to AC/C TECH’s courses, and less than 10 years old. That expiration timeline is important because our course content is updated regularly to provide students with the latest building codes and maintenance regulations, thus acceptance of transfer credits more than 10 years old, would be disadvantageous towards complying with the current workforce requirements. Furthermore, the institution’s transfer credit maximums are fair because they allow for proper consideration of the student’s prior educational work.
Please reference Forms and Documents to obtain a copy of the Transfer of Credit Form.
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Advanced Standing Through Examinations (Test-Outs)
AC/C TECH uses various methods for determining student knowledge, skills, and competencies including a pre-assessment. Pre-assessments contain 25 questions, and if the student scores 80% or above, it’s considered a test-out and the student will be awarded full credit for that particular course. Pre-assessments/Test-outs are proctored examinations. We proctor exams on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays (except holidays).
AC/C TECH uses GoToMeeting.com or Zoom.com software to proctor exams. The student will need a detachable webcam or smart phone to satisfy this requirement. Most students use their smart phone for proctoring and their desktop (or laptop) for testing. Note: The device must be positioned so that the proctor can see the student, and the computer monitor at the same time (see example). This positioning will allow us to verify that the student answered the questions without using books and notes, and without searching the internet for answers. The student will not be permitted to start the exam until the webcam or phone is positioned correctly. In addition, the student cannot leave the visual area until all questions are answered.
AC/C TECH considers pre-assessments/test-outs as equivalent to credits awarded for experiential or equivalent learning. Once more, students are permitted to test-out 25 percent of the program requirements as measured in semester credits. For example, students can test-out of 15 semester credits when enrolled in the Associate of Applied Science Degree in Residential and Apartment Technology.
As additional information, AC/C TECH developed a test bank from which the assessment pulls questions randomly for each topic. The test bank contains questions that a maintenance technician will experience on the job and the formats include multiple choice, true/false, fill-in-the-blank, short answer, matching, hot spot, sequence, and rating scale questions. Some questions require a step-by-step approach towards answering, some require detailed thought, and some require analysis of a cause-and-effect (chain reaction). During testing, the test bank will randomly pick questions and shuffle answers.
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