Academic Regulations

Academic Honors

A list of students earning academic honors is compiled each fall and spring semester. The Distinguished Students Roster represents students who earn a grade point average of at least 3.25 on twelve or more semester hours of work (excluding developmental courses) and make no failing grades. The President’s Scholars honor roll represents those students meeting all the preceding requirements and attaining a grade point average of 3.75 or higher. Upon graduation, students with averages of 4.0 to 3.9 earn the distinction of summa cum laude; 3.89 to 3.70, magna cum laude; and 3.69 to 3.50, cum laude.

Religious Holy Days

A student shall be excused from attending classes, or other required activities, including examinations, for the observance of a religious holy day, including travel for that purpose. A student whose absence is excused under this provision may not be penalized for that absence and shall be allowed to take an examination or complete an assignment within a reasonable time after the absence.

A “religious holy day” means a holy day observed by a religion whose places of worship are exempt from property taxation under Section 11.20, Tax Code. A student who is excused under this section may not be penalized for the absence, but the instructor may appropriately respond if the student fails to satisfactorily complete the assignment or examination.

19 TAC 4.4 (c) If a student and an instructor disagree about the nature of the absence being for the observance of a religious holy day as defined therein, or if there is similar disagreement about whether the student has been given a reasonable time to complete any missed assignments or examinations, either the student or the instructor may request a ruling from the chief executive officer of the institution or his or her designee. The student and instructor shall abide by the decision of the chief executive officer or his or her designee.

Blinn Board Policy FC (LEGAL)

Attendance

The College District believes that class attendance is essential for student success; therefore, students are required to promptly and regularly attend all their classes. Each class meeting builds the foundation for subsequent class meetings. Without full participation and regular class attendance, students shall find themselves at a severe disadvantage for achieving success in college. Class participation shall constitute at least ten percent of the final course grade. It is the responsibility of each faculty member, in consultation with the Instructional Dean, to determine how participation is achieved in his or her class. The faculty shall require students to regularly attend class and shall keep a record of attendance from the first day of classes and/or the first day the student’s name appears on the roster through final examinations. If a student has one week’s worth of unexcused absences during the semester, he or she will be sent an email by the College District requiring the student to contact his or her instructor and schedule a conference immediately to discuss his or her attendance issues. Should the student accumulate two weeks’ worth of unexcused absences, he or she will be administratively withdrawn from class.

There are four forms of excused absences recognized by the institution:

1. Observance of religious holy days - Sec. 51.911(b), Texas Education Code. An institution of higher education shall excuse a student attending classes and/or required activities, including examinations, for the observance of a religious holy day. A student whose absence is excused under this section may not be penalized for that absence and shall be allowed to take an examination or complete an assignment. The student should notify his or her instructor(s) not later than the 15th day of the semester concerning the specific date(s) that the student will be absent for any religious holy day(s).
2. Representing the College District at an official institutional function. If a student is asked by the College District to be an official representative of the College District at any function approved by the institution, the student will be excused from any classes missed and must be allowed to complete all work without penalty for that absence(s) in a timely manner as directed by the faculty member.
3. A high school student representing the independent school district at an official institutional function. If a high school student is asked by the independent school district to be an official representative of the school district at any function approved by the institution, the student shall be excused from any class missed and must be allowed to complete all work without penalty for the absence(s) in a timely manner as directed by the faculty member.
4. Military Service - Sec. 51.9111(d), Texas Education Code; 19 Administrative Code 4.9. If a student can prove he or she is serving on active duty to which he or she is called with the Armed Forces of the United States, the student shall be excused from attending classes and allowed to complete an assignment or take an examination from which the student is excused within a reasonable time after the absence.

Other absences may be excused at the discretion of the faculty member.

Developmental Courses: A student enrolled in a developmental course is subject to College District-mandated attendance policies. Failure to attend developmental classes shall result in removal from the course as defined by the College District.

Blinn Board Policy FC (LOCAL)

Absences: Fall and Spring Semesters

An email will be sent from the Registrar to the student and respective instructor as soon as one week of cumulative, unexcused absences are recorded by the instructor on myBLINN.

The first email notification will contain the following:

• An explanation of attendance.
• A requirement for the student to meet with his or her respective instructor.

The second email notification will contain the following:

• An explanation of attendance.
• Notice that the student will receive a “Q” or “QF” as the final grade.
• Current appeal process instructions.

Due to the extension of attendance, student drops will be processed through the last class day. If a student is dropped from a class prior to the “Q” date, they will receive a “Q” in the class. When the student is administratively dropped after the “Q” date, students will receive a “QF”.

Absences: Other Semesters

Due to the compressed time frame in a short semester, no notification at the one-week point will be given during minimesters, summer semesters, ten-week, and accelerated semesters.

Class Attendance

Students are expected to attend all classes. An accurate record of each student’s attendance is kept by each instructor. It is the student’s responsibility to officially drop a class he or she is no longer attending. A student who acquires the equivalent of two weeks of absences will be withdrawn from the course and not allowed to attend class. Students are not assessed absences when representing Blinn College but are responsible for class work missed. Class days missed due to inclement weather will be made up as appropriate. A student on scholastic or disciplinary probation should not have any unexcused absences. For students receiving Title IV Financial Aid, attendance in class is mandatory. If the student is found not attending, their aid may be withdrawn.

Excused Absences for Students Called to Active Military Service

Upon notice from the Admissions Office of an excused absence for active military service, the instructor will:

1. Provide a mechanism for the retention of the student’s coursework completed during the portion of the course prior to the student being called to active military service;
2. Provide a mechanism for the retention of the course syllabus or other instructional plan, so that the student will be able to complete the course without prejudice and under the same course requirements that were in effect when the student enrolled in the course;
3. Follow up with the Admissions Office and report the student’s final grade once he/she has completed the course requirements in a reasonable time after the absence. The definition of a reasonable time after the absence for the completion of assignments and examinations will follow the Blinn College Incomplete Procedure (completion within ninety (90) days after the beginning of the next long semester). If the student has completed 95% of the course the instructor at his/her discretion has the option of issuing a grade based upon work completed.

Students enrolled in distance learning, self-paced, correspondence, and other asynchronous courses will follow the same guidelines listed above.

If the student fails to satisfactorily complete the assignment or examination within ninety (90) days after the beginning of the next long semester, the instructor will have the right to issue a final performance grade based on the work that has been completed.
Upon notice from the student of needing an excused absence for active military service, the registrar will require the student to:

1. Present an original copy of their orders notifying them they have been called to active duty;
2. Sign a “Military Withdrawal Contract” stating that it is their responsibility to contact each of their instructor(s) prior to leaving for active duty, so that they can discuss which assignments/projects/examinations will need to be completed once they return and sign a “Course Completion Contract” (only if an “I” is recorded).
3. Contact their instructor(s) upon returning from active duty.

A student who wishes to dispute the processes regarding this procedure should follow the procedures outlined in the College Catalog entitled Student Rights and Responsibilities: Student Complaints Board Policy FLD (LOCAL).

Blinn Administrative Procedure

Student Dress Code

Blinn College students are expected to dress following generally accepted community standards of neatness, cleanliness, modesty and good taste.

This procedure is interpreted to require students to wear shoes in all buildings other than residence halls and campus apartments. Elasticized, form-fitting, athletic-type apparel is not acceptable in the classrooms, labs, library or dining hall. Outer garments should cover underwear garments. Apparel with suggestive or obscene writing and/or indecent graphics may not be worn in any public area of the campus including, but not limited to, the classroom, labs, library, dining hall, student center, athletic fields or stadiums, and the residence halls day rooms. Tank tops are not permitted in the dining hall.

The right and responsibility to determine the appropriateness of the dress of a particular student lies with the classroom instructor or when the student is outside the classroom, with the immediate supervisor of the building or grounds the student is utilizing. An instructor may require specific, appropriate dress when students are to give classroom presentations or speeches of any type or when representing the College outside the classroom. When an instructor or supervisor informs a student that the clothing s/he is wearing is not appropriate, the student must leave the classroom or other facility until the student changes the clothing or agrees not to wear such clothing again, as the instructor or supervisor directs.

Students may appeal any decision or directive relative to dress in accordance with the appeals process established by the Board policy FLD (LOCAL) on student complaints or Board Policy FMA (LOCAL) on disciplinary appeals (if a disciplinary penalty has been imposed).

Blinn Administrative Procedure

Blinn Student Identification (ID) Card

Blinn ID Cards are issued from Enrollment Services at the Central Administration Building (Tejas Center) in Bryan, Enrollment Services at the Administration building in Brenham; and through the campus directors at Sealy and Schulenburg. Before a Blinn ID Card will be issued, a student must be registered for classes with their account paid in full, covered by financial aid, or enrolled in the payment plan. Students will receive one free Blinn ID Card per semester. The Blinn ID Card replacement fee is $7.00.

Students must present their Blinn ID Card when requested by a College employee; including police, faculty, staff, student employees, or other persons operating in an official capacity.

Students are subject to disciplinary action if they loan their Blinn ID Card to another person or are in possession of another student’s Blinn ID Card, tamper with or forge a Blinn ID Card, use an invalid/expired Blinn ID Card, or fail to present their Blinn ID Card when requested by a Blinn College employee. A student’s Blinn ID Card may be confiscated by a Blinn College employee at their discretion.

Blinn ID Cards are required for admission to, or participation in, Blinn College sponsored events, the library, open computer labs, specific bookstore privileges, visitation to the Brenham campus residence halls and apartments, non-emergency treatment at the campus Health Clinic, voting in student elections, College meal plans at the cafeteria, and assistance from the Blinn College administrative offices.