Admissions Faculty Guide

• Class rosters are available prior to the start of the course through mProfessor.
• You may download and print rosters any time. Active students will be noted with an “X” on the “Active” column.

mProfessor

• In mProfessor, the class-specific deadlines below are displayed under the“Class Roster Dates and Deadlines” header:
  • Class Census Day,
  • Class 60% Day
  • Last Day to Withdraw to Receive a Refund
  • Last Day to Withdraw to Avoid a "W,"
    • This date has been updated, effective fall 2023, to the 5th Sunday of fall and spring semester, and to the 30% point of short term classes, including winter and summer.
  • Last Day to Withdraw to Guarantee a "W"
  • Last day to request Pass/No Pass grading
• These deadlines are also available to students on Corsair Connect, the student portal.

• Student profile information is available for each student in the class.
• Just click on the student’s name on the online class roster.
• A photo may be available — along with their math and English/ESL placement history.

• Students must be officially enrolled to attend the class.
• Students are officially enrolled if their name appears on the class roster and are marked as “Active.”
• The online roster will always be current.
• Drop any student on your online roster if they are a “no show,” stop attending, or are not actively participating (for hybrid/online classes).
• Consider granting an add code to a student on the class Wait List.

• Students authorized to add your class with an Authorization Code (an add code) must enroll online on Corsair Connect, the student portal, prior to the next class. Verify students have enrolled and do not permit them to attend until they do.
• When granting Authorization Codes, please adhere to the order shown on the Wait Lists. in mProfessor, click on “Online Class Roster Tasks” then on “View Class Waiting Lists” to get the updated Wait List for your class(es).
• Instructors are not required to provide Authorization Codes to students. 

• Semester and section-specific deadlines are available through mProfessor when you login.
• Class specific deadlines may be found on your mProfessor account. 
• In mProfessor, the class-specific deadlines below are displayed under the“Class Roster Dates and Deadlines” header:
  • Class Census Day,
  • Class 60% Day
  • Last Day to Withdraw to Receive a Refund
  • Last Day to Withdraw to Avoid a "W,"
    • This date has been updated, effective fall 2023, to the 5th Sunday of fall and spring semester, and to the 30% point of short term classes, including winter and summer.
  • Last Day to Withdraw to Guarantee a "W"
  • Last day to request Pass/No Pass grading

District Calendar

• To view a wait list, login to mProfessor, click on “Online Class Roster Tasks” then on “View Class Waiting Lists.”
• Resort to the wait list when considering granting add codes. 

• Ordered wait lists become available two weeks before the start of the semester. Students who put themselves on a wait list will receive notification if a seat opens in that section but will not be automatically added to the section.
• Students may place themselves on the wait list for only one section of each course, and may not place themselves on the wait list for a section if they are already enrolled in another section of the same course.
• The idea behind starting wait lists only 2 weeks before classes begin is to ensure the wait lists are populated with students who are still interested in taking the class.
• Faculty should give priority to wait list students when issuing approval codes.
• The wait list is capped at 25% of the class seat capacity.
• Students are able to join any wait list, subject to course/section eligibility requirements (e.g., prerequisites, time conflicts).
• The wait list is updated as students enroll in the class or remove themselves from it.
• Students are able to see their position in the wait list (“Wait List Rank”) in Corsair Connect.

• Authorization Codes are generated on Monday evening of the week prior to the start of the term (Week -1). Thus they will be available on mProfessor by Tuesday morning.
• Issue codes based on Wait List priority, and then to other students. Faculty may not conduct any type of assessment/test in order to grant an add code.
• Safeguard and check who uses the codes you give as sometimes they end up with the wrong student or are sold to a different student.
• Faculty may generate more authorization codes on demand via mProfessor by going to “Online Class Roster Tasks” and clicking on “View / Request Instructor's Authorization Codes.”

There are three authorization codes:

• Regular Add - valid for Week 1 of the course
• Late Add - valid from Week 2 to 50% of the term
• Reinstate - can be used to reinstate a student you dropped or as a late, late add through the 89th percentile of the class.

• Auditing courses is not permitted by students at SMC.
• The SMC Faculty Contract provides for course audits by current and retired faculty members only. Audits are permitted in a class, provided the instructor teaching the class agrees and it does not displace a student. Faculty audit is informal. There will be no official enrollment in the class.

• Your course Census day may be found in mProfessorin the class deadlines section.
• A reminder will display on mProfessor with a "sticky" note to “Verify Roster.”
• Census verifications are mandated by Education Code and have a major impact on funding for the College and must be completed by faculty.
• Verify which students are actively attending or actively participating (in hybrid and online classes) in your classes. Drop any students who are not.
• Census drops must be completed before the Census date for the class.
• Always ensure students are enrolled. Direct students to Admissions if they tell you they are having problems enrolling.
• A high volume of Petitions for Special Consideration ( retroactive withdrawals) are for students who never attended the class. Manage your class enrollment regularly.

It is critical that any fraud prevention or mitigation approach aim to prevent harm to real students. With this in mind, we recommend engaging with students in authentic, meaningful, and diverse ways. A multi-layered and varied approach to student engagement is an important strategy that facilitates support for real students while establishing multiple data points for identifying inactive or suspicious student participation. A short list of recommended strategies developed by the Statewide Academic Senate and the Chancellor's Office  include the following:

• Proactively reach out to students that have not engaged prior to dropping them from the course
• Hold and encourage early attendance in virtual office hours
• Review, at least briefly, any work submitted prior to Census to ensure it matches the subject matter being taught, or relates in other ways to the assignment the student was to complete.
• Be aware of oddities in enrollment, such as multiple students with the same phone number.
• Review student engagement and login frequency data in Canvas for online courses.
• Include real-time or near real-time interaction with students either during or outside of class
• For larger online classes, consider activities that are harder to automate responses to, including those that are separate from the course delivery platform, e.g., incorporating polling questions in Poll Everywhere or iClicker or using options within your local Learning Management System, such as a Canvas quiz.

• Submission of grades in a timely fashion is critical to ensure that students' records are accurate and updated in a timely fashion. 
• Grades are due no later than one calendar week from the last date of the semester or intersession (for six or eight week classes, grades are due  no later than one calendar week from the last day of the class).
• Grade rosters launch on Friday of the week prior to the final examinations week.
• Submit grades directly on mProfessorfor each enrolled student in the class. Inputting grades in Canvas will not post grades on mProfessor.
• Submitting grades is a two-step process. You first input and save them; then, you submit them for posting to transcripts. Step-by-step instructions are available.
• Students have the option to request to be graded on a Pass/No Pass basis (must apply for it through Corsair Connect), but the instructor may only assign a “regular” letter grade. A “P” or “NP” will be posted to the transcript based on the final grade earned in the class.
• Incomplete grades may be granted at the time of grade submission. See section below for more information.
• Grade appeals and grade changes are a possibility. Instructors should maintain their grade books with sufficient information to recreate a grade.
• Keep grade records and final exams/projects for at least 2 years—3 is best.
• Students whose name does not appear on the grade roster but are attending your class likely either never officially enrolled, you dropped the student, or the student withdrew. Students cannot be added to your class once the grade rosters have launched. Contact Admissions to see if anything can be done for this student, but it may not be possible to retroactively enroll them. It is the instructor's responsibility to properly and consistently manage classes and rosters throughout the term.

• Grade changes may be made in cases of a clerical or computational error made by the instructor.
• Grade changes will not be made after 2 years from the end of the term when the class was taken.
• A grade change form link is available in mProfessor(left-side navigation menu). 

• A grade change form is available in mProfessor. Look for "Grade Change Form" on the left-side navigation menu. 
  • Log into Dynamic Forms using your network user account and password (same as mProfessor)
  • Complete all required fields. Make sure you provide accurate information. Incomplete or inaccurate forms will be returned for revision.
  • Upload the requested backup documentation (e.g., Grade Calculation) or provide a comprehensive explanation on the form. Otherwise, the grade change form will be rejected.
  • Sign the form electronically at the bottom of the page
  • Click “Submit” at the bottom of the form
  • You will be able to retrieve a PDF copy of the form that was submitted.
  • After a few minutes, you will receive an email from “gradechange@smc.edu” confirming submission of the Grade Change form.
  • You will receive a confirmation email when the form is processed by Admissions.

 Issue Incomplete grades (I) consistent with college policy.

• An incomplete (I) is a temporary grade that can be given to a student who is doing C or better work but who is unable to finish the final exam or final project because of an extenuating circumstance beyond the student's control.
• It is not appropriate to give an Incomplete if the student is missing more than 10% of the coursework. If the instructor agrees to give an incomplete, the instructor will do so using the online grade roster when submitting grades.

An Incomplete grade form is completed as part of the grade submission process-- for each impacted student.

• The instructor must record the conditions of the Incomplete, the default grade once the Incomplete lapses, and the deadline for the completion of the coursework.
• Both the instructor and the student will receive a notification by email specifying how to retrieve an auto-generated Incomplete Grade Petition to review the conditions leading to a grade change from "I" to another grade. The email will also caution students that failing to act by the prescribed deadline will result in issuance of the default grade noted on the petition.
• Students may access a copy of the Incomplete Grade Petition at any time by login in to Corsair Connect, then clicking the “Enrollment Services” button; then clicking the “Student Records” option on the left side navigation bar; and finally, clicking the “Incomplete Grade Petitions” link.
• Students should not be permitted to attend your class to make up an Incomplete. Class attendance cannot be required in order to change the Incomplete to another grade.
• Students are blocked from re-enrolling in the class where they have an Incomplete grade. A message will display on Corsair Connect, which will link them to the Incomplete grade petition.

Instructors may change an Incomplete grade to a letter grade once the student has met the conditions of the Incomplete.

• Submit a Grade Change form on mProfessor.

Classes with a "To Be Arranged" hours component require the submission of a record of when each student in the class will complete the arranged hours. Admissions and Records will communicate directly with impacted faculty to remind them.

How to Submit Arranged Hours Rosters

Arranged Hours Policy

• As an instructor teaching a Weekly Census class with arranged hours, you are required to report when each officially enrolled student in the class will complete these arranged hours during the week. Arranged hours require strict adherence to Title 5 regulations which are enforced through our annual state audit.  Auditors will verify you are meeting all these requirements:
• Your section-specific Syllabus must show that Arranged Hours are required for the class and how students will meet these arranged hours and for how many hours per week. Describe the specific instructional activities and expectations of all students enrolled in the course.  If your syllabus does not currently include this information, please amend it and provide it to students and then upload the update syllabus on mProfessor.
• All arranged hours must be supervised by someone possessing the minimum qualifications in the discipline of the course—namely, the instructor of the class—not a lab technician or another employee.
• The number of weekly arranged hours required of each student is specified in the Schedule of Classes. These hours must be reflected for each student in your class.  For example, if your class requires 6 weekly arranged hours, the roster should reflect that the student will complete 6 arranged hours per week.  Students cannot complete arranged hours in lump or during alternating weeks.
• Track student completion of the arranged hours. Keep a log and be prepared to provide to Admissions and Records in the event the state auditor requests proof of completion (and they do request it every year) for a sampling of classes.

• Some instructors may be asked to verify the reason why a student who received all F grades in his/her classes, received the F; namely, was it because the student stopped attending before the 60th percentile in the class or because of poor academic performance.
• This check only impacts Financial Aid recipients.
• Admissions will notify you by email if you need to conduct this verification.
• Impact on Financial Aid Students: The 60% drop roster is extremely important for the College to determine if students receiving Federal Financial Aid will have to possibly pay money back to the Department of Education if they have stopped attending classes. Accurate attendance accounting maintained by faculty is the sole determination we have in ensuring that our calculations are accurate.

• Students seeking to withdraw for extenuating circumstances past the 75th percentile of the class will need to complete a Petition for Special Consideration.
• Instructors will be asked to review the petition and provide feedback, including the last date of attendance and if the student completed the final exam. Instructor input will be considered in any final decision.
• Please sign and submit the Petition electronically. The form will be routed to Admissions.

• Students who wish to add a section that is already closed may opt to put their name on an “Open Seat Notification List” for that course. Students have the option to do so from Corsair Connect. These students will receive an email notification when any seat opens in any section of the course of interest.
• These lists are in effect until 2 weeks before the start of the semester and are then replaced by the Wait Lists.

• Class sections set up by Academic Affairs with “Positive Attendance” for the Attendance Type (instead of Weekly Census, etc.) will require the instructor to submit via mProfessor the actual number of hours the student was present each week the class met. All Emeritus and Noncredit classes are set up as Positive Attendance. Some music and theatre arts classes are positive attendance type.
• Backup documentation showing the student was present during those weeks must be maintained by the instructor for state audit purposes. Instructors are urged to create an attendance sign-in sheet for each class meeting and have students print and sign their name. Alternatively, instructors may use the class roster to take attendance and record who was present and for how many hours.
• Step-by-step instructions on how to report positive attendance are available.

• Prerequisites are enforced at the time of enrollment in the following courses:
  • Biological Science (Anatomy 1, 2; Biology 21, 22, 23; Microbiology 1; Physiology 3), Chemistry 11, 12, 21, 22, 24, 31), Early Childhood Education (ECE 22), English (all courses), ESL (ESL 11A, 11B, 21A, 21B, 23, 28), Film (Film 32, 33), Mathematics (all courses), and Physics (Physics 7, 9, 21, 23, 24).
• Students may enroll in one of these courses by completing the relevant prerequisite or through current enrollment in the prerequisite course and obtaining a midterm placement status of “passing" (see Midterm Placement Rosters below). Students who completed the prerequisite at another institution must request a placement/prerequisite waiver.

Midterm Placement Rosters are required for courses with an enforced prerequisite. This currently includes some courses in Biology, Chemistry, Early Childhood Education, English, ESL, Film, Mathematics, and Physics.

Due Dates are available on the Dates and Deadlines of Interest to Faculty for the corresponding term. Step-by-step instructions are available.

Midterm Placement Rosters are launched and due as follows:

• Summer and Winter Launched: Monday of Week 2 Due: Friday of Week 3

Fall and Spring - 

• Week 1-8 Classes: Launched: Thursday of Week 3 Due: Friday of Week 5
• Week 1-16, 1-17, 4-16: Launched: Thursday of Week 7 Due: Friday of Week 8 
• Week 9-16, 10-17: Launched: Thursday of Week 12 Due: Friday of Week 13

If in doubt, ask your department chair if courses you teach require the completion of an online Midterm Placement Roster.

Conduct an assessment of the student’s standing in your class up to the date when the Midterm Placement Roster is due. Then, indicate on the roster if the student is passing the course or not passing. Those passing will be able to enroll in the next two courses in the sequence. Those not passing will be able to re-enroll in the same course.

A final eligibility check will be conducted before the term starts (or possibly on the first week of class). If the student did not successfully complete the prerequisite, the student will be administratively dropped.

The purpose of this feature is to allow students to enroll in up to two consecutive courses in a prerequisite-enforced course sequence, such as English, ESL, or math, even if the student is currently enrolled in the prerequisite course at SMC. Please note that students who are currently taking the prerequisite course elsewhere must have the final grade posted on their transcript before being issued a prerequisite waiver.

Here are the basics of how the feature works:

• Student is currently enrolled in the prerequisite course at SMC or has already taken the first course in the prerequisite sequence, call this Course "A".
• A midterm placement report is available for the current term with a status of "Passed" or "Not Passed." The Midterm Placement status determines which next two courses in the prerequisite sequence (call them Course "B" and Course "C") the student may add for the upcoming two terms in the enrollment cycle.

All policies previously in place concerning enrollment, repetition, and prerequisites remain in effect.

Students may re-enroll in a course where they have a "Not Passed" on the Midterm Placement. They may now immediately enroll in the next course in the sequence.

Students will not be dropped from the initial course in the sequence because of a "Not Passed" status on the Midterm Placement. Students may remain in the class and should seek any assistance to ensure they pass the class.

Students may only enroll in one course in the prerequisite sequence per semester at this time, at the time of priority enrollment. Students who enroll in a course taught during the first 8 weeks of the term, for example, cannot also enroll in the next course in the sequence during the second 8 weeks of the same term using the Consecutive Enrollment feature. This may change at a later time. Students may still enroll in late start classes once a midterm placement is available.

Students who do not pass the initial class in sequence will be automatically dropped from the courses in prerequisite sequence they enrolled in("B" and "C" courses) once final grades for the first class become available if the final grade is D, F, NP, I,or W. Students will be sent a notification by SMC email and will get 2 business days to show alternate proof of having met the prerequisite elsewhere. Otherwise, they will be dropped. There will be no financial penalty to the student and a W will not show on the student's transcript.

Students may re-enroll in the same prerequisite enforced class (one that has a midterm placement roster) in a future term if they have earned a failing midterm placement “grade,” while still enrolled in the class. This enrollment is subject to all course repetition limitations.

Once final grades are available, students who
were allowed to re-enroll in the same class
based on a failing midterm placement, but who then passed the class, will be identified and automatically dropped from the re-enrolled class section.

Students may re-enroll in a class from which
they officially withdrew (or were dropped from the course by the instructor) despite the term not having officially ended. This enrollment is subject to all course repetition limitations.

• Example: Student is enrolled in Film 1 but drops on Week 8, thus “earning” a “W.” Student will be able to re-enroll in this class in Winter or Spring during the enrollment priority cycle (i.e., December).

• When at least 85% of all the seats for a course are filled, students have the option to request an additional section of that course also from within Corsair Connect. Academic Affairs and Department Chairs can review these requests and add sections when possible. Students should note that adding a section is not always possible and depends upon instructor and room availability.

Students cannot enroll in courses that meet at the same or overlapping time, or if in the College’s estimation the student would fail to arrive on time to the second course due to distance traveled between the sites where the classes are held. Some exceptions may be made.

Classes may not overlap by more than 15 minutes, including travel time. The faculty member teaching the affected class must grant his/her approval in order for the student’s request to enroll in the class to move forward. The instructor must complete the Time Conflict Approval form provided by the student stating how the student will make-up the missed time, under that faculty member’s direct supervision, including the specific location, and day and time of the make-up sessions. The instructor is under no obligation to approve the student’s request.

In general, students may not enroll in:

• (1) same campus classes unless there is a minimum 10-minute gap between classes; or
• (2) different sites/campuses unless there is a minimum 30-minute gap between classes.