Academic Policies and Procedures
ACADEMIC AWARDS AND HONORS
Cal Maritime maintains several
programs to honor matriculating
students who have earned
distinction in the area of
academic excellence. Recognition
of those students is made
through the following programs:
A.
PRESIDENT’S LIST
The President’s List is
published at the end of every
semester to honor those students
who have excelled academically.
The student to be honored must
have met the following
qualifications:
• a minimum semester grade point
average of 3.75,
• no grade lower than a “C,”
• a minimum of 12 graded units
(excludes “CR” grades),
• no incomplete grades.
B.
DEAN’S LIST
The Dean’s List is published at
the end of every semester to
honor those students who have
excelled academically. The
student to be honored must have
met the following
qualifications:
• a minimum semester grade point
average of 3.25,
• no grade lower than a “C,”
• a minimum of 12 graded units
(excludes “CR” grades,)
• no incomplete grades.
C.
HONORS AT GRADUATION
At commencement, Cal Maritime
recognizes outstanding academic
students receiving baccalaureate
degrees with the distinction of
academic honors. The honor is
based on all academic degree
work completed at Cal Maritime and
indicates a high level of
scholastic achievement:
• Graduation cum laude,
3.25-3.49 GPA;
• Graduation magna cum laude,
3.50-3.74 GPA;
• Graduation summa cum laude,
3.75-4.00 GPA.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
POLICY STATEMENT
Cal Maritime functions best when
its community members treat one
another with honesty, respect,
and trust. Because the quality
of our graduates depends on the
ethics they display, faculty
members are expected to act
promptly on suspected cases of
academic dishonesty. The
following policy is controlled
by the California Code of
Regulations: specifically, Title
5 §41301.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
Cheating and academic dishonesty
comprise all student behavior
intended to gain unearned
academic advantage or interfere
with another’s academics by
fraudulent and/or deceptive
means.
Examples of inappropriate
student conduct that can lead to
the imposition of sanctions
include, but are not limited to,
the following (see Academic
Senate Policy #547) :
A. Taking Information:
Copying graded homework
assignments from another person;
Unauthorized collaborative
efforts on take home exams or
graded homework;
Looking at another student’s
paper during an examination;
Unauthorized use of text
materials or notes during an
examination.
B. Providing Information:
Giving one’s work to another to
be copied, paraphrased, or
plagiarized;
Giving answers to another
student during an examination;
After having taken an
examination, passing information
concerning the examination on to
students who still must take it;
Providing a required writing
assignment for another student;
Taking an exam, writing a paper,
or doing a project for another
student.
C. Plagiarizing:
Unauthorized copying of all or
parts of an article, paper,
book, published work or other
proprietary source including
documents from the World Wide
Web and submitting all or parts
of the article or paper as your
own work, without proper
citations or attribution;
Submitting a paper acquired from
a “research” or term paper
service;
Failing to give credit for
ideas, statements of fact, or
conclusions derived by another
author;
Failure to use quotation marks
when quoting directly from
another source, whether it is a
paragraph, a sentence, or part
thereof (except in some informal
writing assignments, such as
reading responses or reader’s
logs/journals, when your
instructor has specified
different guidelines)
Retyping a paper not originally
written by you and handing it in
for credit;
Submitting a paper from house
files for credit;
Claiming credit for artistic
work done by someone else, such
as a musical composition,
painting, drawing, photo,
sculpture, or design.
D. Other Examples of
Inappropriate Academic Conduct:
Conspiring with one or more
fellow students to engage in any
form of academically dishonest
conduct;
Lying to an instructor to
improve one’s grade;
Having another student take
one’s exam, do one’s computer
program, or lab experiment;
Submitting a paper that is
substantially the same for
credit in two different courses
without the approval of both
instructors;
Altering a graded exercise after
it has been returned, then
submitting the exercise for
re-grading;
Removing tests from any location
without the instructor’s
approval;
Stealing exams or other course
materials from an instructor or
his or her agent;
Stealing or altering an
instructor’s grade book or other
academic records;
Using spell-check or
grammar-check software on a
writing assignment when
expressly prohibited from doing
so;
Accessing, changing, or using
any information or data from a
computer system to gain academic
advantage for yourself or any
other student.
E. General Statement of Student
Responsibility:
The student has full
responsibility for both the
content of academic assignments
submitted for evaluation and the
integrity with which all
academic work submitted for
evaluation has been done.
Ignorance of an express rule
regarding inappropriate student
conduct does not excuse one from
adhering to appropriate ethical
standards in the completion of
academic assignments. When in
doubt as to the appropriateness
of any action, students are to
ask their instructors for
clarification and guidance.
ACADEMY PROCESS IN RESPONSE TO
INAPPROPRIATE STUDENT ACADEMIC
CONDUCT
Charges of inappropriate student
academic conduct can be brought
before the Committee on Academic
Integrity by an instructor, a
student, or any employee of the
California Maritime Academy.
This person, if other than the
instructor of record, must first
discuss the matter with that
instructor. The resultant
protocols follow the policy of
the Academic Senate, with the
burden of proof on the person(s)
bringing the charge of academic
dishonesty, and with the student
entitled to a hearing (see
Academic Senate Policy #547). A
summary of this policy follows.
Copies of all documents
pertinent to the charge should
be appended to the statement of
the instructor or person
bringing the charge. Committee
hearings are closed to all
except committee members, the
charged student, the instructor,
the person bringing the charge
and the charged student’s
advisor, witnesses, and other
appropriate campus
administrators.
Committee Findings:
Concurrent with the delivery of
the Committee’s findings and
recommended sanctions to the
involved student(s) and
instructor(s), and the Vice
President, Academic Affairs, the
Chair of the Committee shall
also forward a copy of his/her
findings directly to the Chair
of the Discipline Review and
Investigating Committee (DRIC).
The DRIC is NOT to conduct
separate or additional hearings
on academic issues already
adjudicated by the Committee on
Academic Integrity. But the DRIC
may initiate an inquiry and
conduct hearings into whether
the actions of individuals
brought before the Committee on
Academic Integrity also involve
moral, ethical, leadership and
character issues such as
cheating, lying, stealing,
breaking and entering, or other
conduct unbecoming a cadet in
training, and therefore also
fall within the purview of the
policies governing the DRIC.
Imposition of Sanctions:
The Vice President for Academic
Affairs will issue the letter to
the involved student(s) setting
forth the final disposition of
the case and the terms of any
imposed sanctions, with copies
sent to the Academy Student
Conduct Coordinator and Chair of
the Committee on Academic
Integrity.
A copy of the VPAA’s letter of
final disposition is to be sent
to the Student Conduct
Coordinator for inclusion in the
student’s file.
Student Rebuttal and Appeals:
Within three days of receipt of
the Committee’s findings, the
charged student may submit a
written rebuttal. Final
disposition of the case will
belong to the President.
SANCTIONS:
One or more of the following
sanctions may be imposed upon
any student whose conduct falls
short of the Academy’s standards
of academic integrity:
Probation:
A period of time during which
limitations on status may
include, but are not limited to,
loss of specified privileges
with acknowledgement by the
student that any additional
breaches of academic integrity
will result in additional, more
severe sanctions being imposed.
Suspension:
A mandated discontinuation of
student status and temporary
removal from the Academy for a
definite period of time.
Expulsion:
A permanent, irrevocable
termination of student status.
Expulsion from one campus of the
California State University
extends to all other campuses
within the system.
DENIAL OF ADMISSION OR
READMISSION:
Admission or readmission to the
Academy may be denied to any
student found to have violated
the provisions of the Academy’s
Policy on Inappropriate Student
Academic Conduct. (Section 41303
of Title 5, California Code of
Regulations)GOOD STANDING:
Imposition of a sanction or
denial of (or qualification
placed on) admission or
readmission means that a student
is not considered to be in good
standing for purposes of
admission to any institution of
the California State University
system, for the period during
which sanctions apply. (Section
40601(g) of Title 5, California
Code of Regulations)
RECORD OF DISCIPLINE:
Probation, suspension, and/or
expulsion shall be made part of
the student’s permanent academic
record.
ACADEMIC STANDING
Students must maintain a
cumulative grade point average
of 2.00 to be considered in good
academic standing. (See section
on Baccalaureate Degree
requirements for details.) If
students do not meet this
standard, the following actions
will ensue:
Academic Probation:
If an enrolled student’s
cumulative grade point average
(GPA) as described above falls
below 2.00, or if a student
transfers into Cal Maritime with
less than a 2.00 GPA from
previous college coursework, the
student will be placed on
“academic probation.” Students
on academic probation must meet
with their academic advisor to
choose appropriate courses in
which to enroll. Students will
be dropped from classes if they
fail to do so. Except in
extraordinary cases, students
shall enroll in a maximum of 15
semester credits.
To facilitate an improvement in
their grade point averages,
students on academic probation
are expected to repeat, within
the probationary term(s),
specific courses in which grades
of “F” or “D” were previously
earned. Additionally, they are
expected to complete a minimum
of 12 units with no grades of
“F” and earn a 2.00 semester
grade point average or raise
their cumulative grade point
averages above 2.00.
Students with cumulative grade
point averages below 2.00 will
be allowed to continue on
probation if their semester
grade point averages are at
least 2.00 and they have
completed 12 credits or more
with no grades of “F” in any
course taken. Students who fail
to meet the above terms of
probation will be academically
disqualified.
Academic Disqualification:
If, after a semester of academic
probation, a student’s
cumulative grade point average
is still below 2.00 and the
terms of probation are not met,
he or she will be academically
disqualified. In addition, a
student who has failed a course
three times will be subject to
academic disqualification. To
appeal an academic
disqualification, a student must
notify the Academic Dean or the
Student Records Officer prior to
the first day of the following
semester.
Readmission:
An academically disqualified
student may be allowed to
re-enroll at the California
Maritime Academy only after
completing an academic semester
with at least 12 semester
credits with grades of “C” or
better (C- grades are not
acceptable) in each course
attempted from an accredited
college or university. In
addition, students disqualified
for a third failure of a course
must successfully complete the
course prior to readmission.
Academically disqualified
students may elect to enroll at
Cal Maritime through Open
University to register for
courses in which grades of “D”
or “F” were earned.
Students readmitted after
academic disqualification will
be admitted under current
requirements for graduation,
unless they have remained in
“continuous attendance” at
another accredited school for at
least 1 semester or 2 quarters
per academic year.
Students readmitted after
academic disqualification will
continue on probation unless
through Open University or
another accredited college they
have been able to raise their
overall cumulative grade point
averages above 2.00. Students
readmitted on academic probation
must adhere to the terms of
academic probation as described
earlier.
ADMINISTRATIVE ACADEMIC
PROBATION/DISQUALIFICATION
A student may be placed on
probation or may be disqualified
by appropriate campus
authorities for unsatisfactory
scholastic progress regardless
of cumulative grade point
average or progress points. Such
actions shall be limited to
those arising from repeated
withdrawal, failure to progress
toward an educational objective,
and noncompliance with an
academic requirement, and shall
be consistent with guidelines
issued by the Chancellor.
The following three reasons
constitute grounds for being
placed on Administrative
Probation:
1. Withdrawal from all or a
substantial portion of their
courses in two successive terms
or in any three terms;
2. Repeated failure to progress
toward a degree or other program
objective, when such failure is
due to circumstances within the
control of the student;
3. Failure to comply, after due
notice, with an academic
requirement or regulation that
is routine for all students or a
defined group of students.
Students who do not meet the
conditions for removal of
administrative probation may be
subject to further
administrative actions,
including Administrative
Dismissal.
ACADEMIC TRANSCRIPT POLICY
It is the policy of the
California Maritime Academy to
issue transcripts to its
students and graduates in a
timely fashion. Official
transcripts of courses taken at
the Academy are issued only with
the written permission of the
student or graduate concerned.
Partial transcripts are not
issued. Family, friends, and
employers of the student may not
request the transcript.
A fee of $4 for a single
transcript must accompany the
written request of the student
or graduate. Additional (up to
ten) copies prepared at the same
time are $2 each. Additional
copies (exceeding the first ten)
prepared at the same time are $1
each. Unofficial copies of
transcripts for currently
enrolled students are free of
charge.
Transcript requests will be
processed within 5 to 10 working
days upon receipt of the
request. However, in urgent
situations, a transcript request
can be processed within 24
working hours for a fee of
$15.00.
Transcripts will not be issued
for any person who has an
outstanding financial obligation
to any department of the
Academy. Requests for
transcripts should be in written
form and accompanied by a check
or money order. Requests should
be sent to the Student Records
Office, California Maritime
Academy, 200 Maritime Academy
Dr., Vallejo, CA 94590-8181.
Further information is available
from the Student Records Office
at 707/654-1200.
ADDING AND DROPPING OF
COURSES
Students may add or drop courses
up to a specific deadline in
each semester. The official
Add/Drop Form must be approved
by the course instructor and the
student’s academic advisor and
turned in to the Student Records
Office by the prescribed date.
A. ADDING A COURSE
Students may add a course to
their schedules only during the
first five days of the semester.
An approved “Add Form” must be
submitted to the Records Office
by the fifth day of instruction.
Approval to add a course must be
obtained from the course
instructor and the student’s
academic advisor.
DROPPING A COURSE
Students are allowed to drop
courses with no grade recorded
on their academic transcripts
during the first four weeks of
instruction.
Students are responsible for
attending all courses in which
they have registered.
Non-attendance does not
constitute withdrawal. The
course instructor and academic
advisor must sign the drop form
before it is submitted to the
Student Records Office.
After the first four weeks of
instruction, withdrawal from a
course is permissible only for
serious and compelling reasons
(e.g., illness, accident or
death in the immediate family).
Students may be required to
provide documentation or
verification of their particular
circumstances. Approval to
withdraw from a course during
this period must be granted by
the course instructor,
Department Chair, and Academic
Dean. If approved, a grade of
“W” will be posted on the
student’s academic transcript,
but it will not be factored into
the grade point average.
Students withdrawing during this
period without a serious and
compelling reason may receive a
grade of “WU” in the course.
Appeals may be directed to the
Vice President, Academic
Affairs.
Withdrawal from a course with a
grade of "W" during the final
three weeks of instruction is
permitted only when the cause of
the withdrawal is clearly beyond
the student's control and
assignment of an "I"
(Incomplete) is not practicable.
CHANGE OF MAJOR
Students wishing to effect a
change of major may do so with
the approval of the department
chair of the new major. Students
must be in good academic
standing for this approval to be
granted.
When a change of major is
officially approved, the
department chair will determine
the curriculum sheet that is to
be followed and the
transferability of courses to
the new major. Change of major
forms may be obtained from the
Student Records Office.
COURSES
A. COURSE CHALLENGE
Students may receive credit for
courses (grade: CR) by passing
challenge examinations developed
at Cal Maritime. The following
rules apply:
1. Students must demonstrate
substantial knowledge and
background in the areas they are
challenging.
2. Approval must be obtained for
each challenge from the
instructor and department chair.
Applications are available in
the Student Records Office.
3. The instructor must be
presented with a receipt for the
required fee, which must be paid
to the Cal Maritime cashier
prior to the challenge
examination.
4. A course may be challenged
only once.
5. Challenges will not be
approved for courses in which
any grade has been assigned, to
include “F”, "IC", “U”, "WU", or
“W.”
6. Challenges will not be
approved for courses in which a
student is currently registered,
or in a semester in which a
student has dropped the course
to be challenged.
7. Challenges are not allowed in
certain cases, such as the GWE
Exam, EGL 100, and certain STCW
classes.
B. REPEATING COURSES
A student may repeat any course
regardless of grade earned
except not in the same semester
(see Academic Senate Policy
#548). The previous grade
remains on the student’s
transcript, but only the grade
earned in the most recent
enrollment at Cal Maritime will be used
in the calculation of the campus
cumulative grade point average.
A student who receives a grade
of “F” in a course for the third
time at Cal Maritime will be
academically disqualified (see
academic standing policy
regarding readmission).
A course may be repeated at
either Cal Maritime or another
accredited college. Students
repeating a course at another
college are expected to adhere
to Cal Maritime’s Course
Transfer Policy. When a course
is repeated at another
accredited college, the student
will be given credit toward
graduation; however, the Cal
Maritime grade point average
will not be affected.
Failed Course Make-up
A failed course may be made up
either at Cal Maritime or
another accredited college.
Students making up a failed
course at another college are
expected to adhere to Cal
Maritime’s Course Transfer
Policy. When a failed course is
made up at another college, the
student will be given credit
toward graduation; however, the
Cal Maritime cumulative grade
point average will not be
affected.
CREDIT FOR WORK EXPERIENCE
Cal Maritime does not grant
credit for work experience. If a
student has such knowledge,
he/she may apply to challenge
the appropriate course that
parallels the work experience.
D. CREDIT BY EXAMINATION
Cal Maritime grants credit to
those students who pass certain
examinations that have been
approved. These include the
Advanced Placement (AP)
examination of the College
Board, College-Level Examination
Program
Withdrawal from a course with a
grade of "W" during the final
three weeks of instruction is
permitted only when the cause of
the withdrawal is clearly beyond
the student's control and
assignment of an "I"
(Incomplete) is not practicable.
CHANGE OF MAJOR
Students wishing to effect a
change of major may do so with
the approval of the department
chair of the new major. Students
must be in good academic
standing for this approval to be
granted.
When a change of major is
officially approved, the
department chair will determine
the curriculum sheet that is to
be followed and the
transferability of courses to
the new major. Change of major
forms may be obtained from the
Student Records Office.
COURSES
A. COURSE CHALLENGE
Students may receive credit for
courses (grade: CR) by passing
challenge examinations developed
at Cal Maritime. The following
rules apply:
1. Students must demonstrate
substantial knowledge and
background in the areas they are
challenging.
2. Approval must be obtained for
each challenge from the
instructor and department chair.
Applications are available in
the Student Records Office.
3. The instructor must be
presented with a receipt for the
required fee, which must be paid
to the Cal Maritime cashier
prior to the challenge
examination.
4. A course may be challenged
only once.
5. Challenges will not be
approved for courses in which
any grade has been assigned, to
include “F”, "IC", “U”, "WU", or
“W.”
6. Challenges will not be
approved for courses in which a
student is currently registered,
or in a semester in which a
student has dropped the course
to be challenged.
7. Challenges are not allowed in
certain cases, such as the GWE
Exam, EGL 100, and certain STCW
classes.
B. REPEATING COURSES
A student may repeat any course
regardless of grade earned
except not in the same semester
(see Academic Senate Policy
#548). The previous grade
remains on the student’s
transcript, but only the grade
earned in the most recent
enrollment at Cal Maritime will be used
in the calculation of the campus
cumulative grade point average.
A student who receives a grade
of “F” in a course for the third
time at Cal Maritime will be
academically disqualified (see
academic standing policy
regarding readmission).
A course may be repeated at
either Cal Maritime or another
accredited college. Students
repeating a course at another
college are expected to adhere
to Cal Maritime’s Course
Transfer Policy. When a course
is repeated at another
accredited college, the student
will be given credit toward
graduation; however, the Cal
Maritime grade point average
will not be affected.
Failed Course Make-up
A failed course may be made up
either at Cal Maritime or
another accredited college.
Students making up a failed
course at another college are
expected to adhere to Cal
Maritime’s Course Transfer
Policy. When a failed course is
made up at another college, the
student will be given credit
toward graduation; however, the
Cal Maritime cumulative grade
point average will not be
affected.
CREDIT FOR WORK EXPERIENCE
Cal Maritime does not grant
credit for work experience. If a
student has such knowledge,
he/she may apply to challenge
the appropriate course that
parallels the work experience.
D. CREDIT BY EXAMINATION
Cal Maritime grants credit to
those students who pass certain
examinations that have been
approved. These include the
Advanced Placement (AP)
examination of the College
Board, College-Level Examination
Program (CLEP), and the CSU
English Equivalency Examination
(EEE).
E. COURSE COMPLETION BY
EXTENSION OR CORRESPONDENCE
Students may complete a total of
24 semester credits by extension
or correspondence to meet the
baccalaureate degree
requirements at Cal Maritime.
Only extension or correspondence
courses from accredited
institutions are acceptable. The
rules for course transfer apply.
F. INDEPENDENT STUDY
An Independent Study course is
substantial study above and
beyond the regular offerings in
the Academy catalog. One to
three units of credit,
determined prior to
registration, will be granted
for Independent Study. The
student must arrange with an
Academy faculty member to be the
Independent Study Advisor.
Grading is typically by letter
grade, although the student may
request the CR/NC grading basis.
An approved Application for
Independent Study must be on
file in the Student Records
Office by the end of the normal
add period.
G. INDIVIDUAL STUDY
Individual Study applies to any
course listed in the Academy
catalog but not being offered in
a particular semester. In very
rare circumstances, a student
may petition an instructor to
offer a course that falls into
this category. The Department
Chair and instructor must
approve; and an application,
obtained from the Student
Records Office, must be on file
by the end of the normal add
period.
COURSE TRANSFER AND ACADEMIC
CLASS LEVEL
A. COURSE TRANSFER
The Student Records Officer will
be responsible for approval of
course transfer. Appeals can be
made to the Department Chair.
A student may take a course
concurrently at another
accredited college if the course
is established as equivalent and
approval is made prior to
enrollment. The student may be
expected to provide a syllabus
and other information about the
equivalent course prior to the
approval process.
This equivalent course must
carry credit equal to or greater
than the course offered at Cal
Maritime. The student must have
an official transcript sent to
the Student Records Office upon
completion of the course,
regardless of the grade earned.
Grades earned in transferable
courses completed at other
colleges are not used in
calculating the campus grade
point average but are included
in the student’s overall grade
point average.
B. ACADEMIC CLASS LEVEL
Students are classified
according to the number of
overall units of
baccalaureate-level course work
completed (all college-level
work, including Cal Maritime) for
purposes of financial aid
determination. Class level
distinctions are not applicable
to watchstanding, priority
registration, housing,
graduation, or corps standing.
Academic class level is
calculated as follows:
Freshman 0 – 29.5 units
Sophomore 30 – 59.5 units
Junior 60 – 89.5 units
Senior 90 or more units
FACULTY ADVISORS
Faculty advising is necessary
for academic success. Students
must consult with their advisors
when doing any of the following:
• registering for courses,
• dropping or adding courses,
• taking an overload or
underload, or
• having been placed on academic
probation.
GRADING SYSTEM
The quality of a student’s work
is measured by a system of
grades utilizing the traditional
A–F grading system. The
following symbols will be used
in evaluating student
performance, including
appropriate participation in the
learning experiences as well as
formal testing.
A. LETTER GRADES
Letter Scale Definition
A+, A, A- Performance has been
of the highest level, showing
sustained excellence.
B+, B, B- Performance has been
good.
C+, C, C- Performance has been
adequate, satisfactorily meeting
the course requirements.
D+, D, D- Performance has been
less than satisfactory.
F Performance has been poor,
such that course requirements
have not been met.
WU Withdrawal unauthorized
(equivalent to an “F”)
IC Incomplete Charged
(equivalent to an “F”)
W Withdrawal indicating that the
student was permitted to drop
the course after the 4th week of
instruction for serious and
compelling reasons, with the
approval of the instructor and
appropriate campus officials. It
carries no connotation of
quality of student performance
and is not used in calculating
grade point average or progress
points.
CR A credit grade equates to a
Grade of “C” or better (see
section B: Grade explanations);
also used for transfer courses
and course challenges
NC A no credit grade equates to
a grade below “C” (see section
B: Grade Explanations).
I Incomplete. Course must be
completed by sixth week of the
following semester
(may be extended in
extraordinary cases).
RD Report delayed.
B. GRADE EXPLANATIONS
1. Credit/No Credit courses:
Some courses are only offered on
a credit/no credit basis. Grades
of credit or no credit are
neutral to the calculation of
the student’s cumulative grade
point average even if the final
grade is no credit.
2. Credit/No Credit courses
required for graduation:
Some courses required for
graduation are offered only on a
credit/no credit basis. Grades
of credit or no credit are
neutral to the calculation of
the student’s cumulative grade
point average. If the student’s
grade in these classes is no
credit, the course must be
repeated until the credit grade
is earned.
3. Credit/No Credit option:
A credit/no credit grade pattern
may be selected by the student
for courses for which the A-F
pattern is the norm for the
course. No course that meets a
student’s graduation requirement
may be taken on a credit/no
credit basis except as described
in 2 above. Grades of credit/no
credit are neutral to the
calculation of the student’s
cumulative grade point average,
even if the final grade is no
credit.
The following rules apply when a
student selects CR/NC grading
option in section 3 above, when
the course is not normally
offered on that basis: (1) the
student must submit an
application to the Student
Records Office, which must be
approved by the course
instructor and the student’s
department chair; (2) the
deadline for applying for CR/NC
grading is the fifth day of
instruction of the applicable
semester; (3) once the
application for CR/NC grading
has been made, the student may
not change the grading option
for that course; and (4) CR/NC
is not used in the computation
of the student’s semester or
cumulative grade point average.
An application for the credit/no
credit grading option can be
obtained in the Student Records
Office.
In the case of remedial courses
(EGL 001 Introduction to
Composition; EGL 105 English as
a Second Language; and MTH 001
Intermediate Algebra), the grade
awarded must be on an A, B, C,
NC basis. If a student receives
a grade lower than a C, a grade
of NC will automatically be
awarded. Remedial courses carry
units of credit that apply to
the student’s unit loads for a
given semester but do not apply
toward graduation.
4. Incomplete grades:
An Incomplete (I) grade is
awarded for a specific course
only when students are not able
to complete the course
requirements at the end of the
semester through no fault of
their own. The "I" grade will be
awarded only when (1) the
student is performing work of
passing quality at the time the
grade is assigned and (2) the
work can be completed for credit
within the student's remaining
stay at Cal Maritime. An
incomplete grade must be made up
by the end of the sixth week of
the next academic semester, or
the grade will automatically
become an "IC" (equivalent to an
"F") unless the student requests
an extension from the
instructor. This limitation
prevails whether or not the
student maintains continuous
enrollment.
C. GRADE POINT AVERAGE
COMPUTATION
Grade point averages are
determined by dividing the total
number of weighted grade points
earned in the semester by the
total number of units attempted
in the semester. A weighted
grade point is determined by
multiplying the grade points
earned in the course by the
number of units in the course.
The following grade points are
assigned for each equivalent
letter grade: A, A+ = 4.0 B- =
2.7 D+ = 1.3
A- = 3.7 C+ = 2.3 D = 1.0
B+ = 3.3 C = 2.0 D- = 0.7
B = 3.0 C- = 1.7 F/WU/IC =0.0
UNITS
A semester unit at Cal Maritime
assumes a one-hour class per
week class for a period of 14
weeks. It is the standard
quantity used for measurement of
college and university work.
1. Lecture.
One unit equals one hour of
classroom work per week in most
classes, predominately those of
the lecture or
lecture-discussion format. It is
generally assumed that a student
spends two hours of outside
preparation for each hour spent
in such classes.
2. Laboratory.
In laboratories, there are two
or three hours a week for each
unit, depending on outside lab
preparation. In specialized
training and performance
courses, such as sea training,
ship operations, and
intercollegiate athletics, there
are more than three hours per
week required per unit.
D. WITHDRAWAL UNAUTHORIZED
A grade of “WU” (equivalent to
an “F” for grade point average
computation) will be assigned to
a student who fails to complete
a course, fails to formally
withdraw from a course, or has a
significant number of class
absences after the fourth week.
It is the student’s
responsibility to officially
withdraw from a course in which
he or she has registered yet
never attended or has stopped
attending. A student has four
weeks from the start of
instruction to officially
withdraw from a course.
MISCELLANEOUS ACADEMIC
POLICIES
A. NORMAL COURSE LOAD
Twelve (12) to twenty (20) units
constitute a normal course load
at Cal Maritime. A student
wishing to enroll in more than
20 units (15 units when on
Academic Probation) must have
the approval of his or her
academic advisor and Department
Chair. A student receiving
financial aid must take at least
12 units during the fall or
spring semester to be considered
full time.
B. REGISTRATION PROCEDURES
The Student Records Office
handles all forms, procedures,
and deadlines for registration.
Registration for the fall
normally occurs in the middle of
the previous spring semester,
and registration for the
spring/cruise semester occurs in
the middle of the previous fall.
Registration forms of currently
enrolled and readmitted students
must be signed by the
appropriate academic advisor.
Students are not permitted to
attend any classes for which
they are not officially
registered.
Priority registration is offered
to currently enrolled students
by class, based on date of
entry. Regular registration is
typically the two-week period
that follows. Currently enrolled
students not registering by the
end of the regular registration
period are subject to a $25 late
fee.
Incoming freshmen and students
applying for readmission may
register upon acceptance to the
Academy, but only after priority
registration has ended.
C. CLASSROOM ATTENDANCE
Students are expected to attend
all classes unless an absence is
properly authorized. It is up to
the course instructor to
establish an appropriate
attendance policy, except for
those courses that have outside
agency requirements: i.e., STCW-approved
courses. Students failing to
adhere to the attendance
requirements established by the
course instructor or the Academy
may be dropped from the class.
D. GRADE CHANGE PROCEDURES
Institutional academic processes
leading to the awarding of
grades cannot be completely
error free. Events can transpire
which suggest to a student that
the grade he or she was assigned
for a particular course was
inappropriate. The Academic
Senate policy (#546) outlines
the procedures to be followed
should a student wish to
challenge the appropriateness of
a grade assigned for a specific
course. A copy of this policy
can be obtained from the office
of the Academic Dean or Vice
President, Academic Affairs or
on the Academic Senate web site.
Time limit for making grade
change request - absent exigent
circumstances, a student must
present a formal written request
for change of grade to the Chair
of the Committee on Academic
Integrity within the first six
weeks of the term following the
term within which the grade in
question was assigned.
STUDENTS CALLED TO PUBLIC
SERVICE
Students called to or engaged in
public service for reasons
beyond their control will not
lose registration priority,
academic credit, fees, or degree
status. Such activities may
include military service, fire
fighting, public security, or
the like. To accommodate such
students, Cal Maritime will
accept withdrawals at any point
throughout the semester.
Students may be granted an
extended leave of absence for up
to two years for engagement in
public service beyond their
control. If currently enrolled,
they must complete a leave of
absence form obtained from the
Student Records Office. An
approved leave will ensure that
they retain their catalog rights
and that they can register for
subsequent terms without
reapplying for admission.
The federal government
determines possible student loan
grace and deferment provisions
based on the circumstances of
involvement in a particular
public service. Should the
federal government modify its
regulations governing various
loan programs, Cal Maritime will
adopt those modifications for
its students.
WITHDRAWAL FROM SCHOOL
Students wishing to withdraw
from Cal Maritime within the
first four weeks of instruction
may do so by completing the
required paperwork in the
Student Records Office. No grade
for the semester of withdrawal
will be recorded on the
student’s transcript.
Students having a serious and
compelling reason to withdraw
after the first four weeks of
instruction may do so without
penalty. Approval to withdraw
during this period must be
granted by the student’s course
instructors, Department Chair,
and Academic Dean. If a petition
is approved, a grade of “W” will
be posted on the student’s
academic transcript. Students
withdrawing during this period
without a serious and compelling
reason may receive a grade of
“WU” in all classes. Students
withdrawing from school after
the first four weeks who have
been granted approval to
withdraw must still follow all
established procedures for
official withdrawal from the
Academy.
Withdrawal from school with a
grade of "W" during the final
three weeks of instruction is
permitted only when the cause of
the withdrawal is clearly beyond
the student's control and
assignment of an "I"
(Incomplete) is not practicable.
Students may either request a
leave of absence for up to one
year or resign if their return
within one year is not
anticipated. They are
responsible for notifying the
Student Records Office during
the semester or any break if
they do not plan to return to
school for the upcoming
semester. The required paperwork
for official withdrawal will be
mailed to the student.
ACADEMIC RENEWAL
A maximum of one academic year
of course work with
unsatisfactory grades may be
excluded from credit and grade
point consideration if course
repetition is inappropriate
(e.g., the major has changed, or
the courses are not offered at
Cal Maritime).
Removal of previous work from
degree consideration under the
above circumstances is subject
to the following provisions:
1. The student has requested the
action formally and has
presented evidence that the work
completed in the term(s) under
consideration is (are)
substandard and not
representative of present
scholastic ability and level of
performance; and
2. At least five calendar years
must have elapsed since the
course work was attempted; and
3. Since the most recent work to
be disregarded was completed,
the student has subsequently
completed at the campus 15
semester units with at least a
3.0 GPA; 30 semester units with
at least a 2.5 GPA; or 45
semester units with at least a
2.0 GPA; and
4. The student must provide
evidence that past performance
was due to extenuating
circumstances and that
additional enrollment would be
necessary to qualify for a
degree if the request were not
approved; and
5. When such action is taken,
the student’s permanent academic
record shall be annotated so
that it is evident that no work
taken during the disregarded
term(s) even if satisfactory,
may apply toward baccalaureate
requirements. However, all work
must remain legible on the
record to ensure a true and
complete academic history.
Information concerning academic
regulations and policies at Cal
Maritime may be obtained from
the Vice President, Academic
Affairs, 200 Maritime Academy
Drive, Vallejo, Ca 94590-8181,
at 707/654-1020
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