Commencement exercises at Orange County Community College are held at the end of the Spring semester for students who have fully completed academic degree or certificate requirements for programs approved by the New York State Department of Education and the State University of New York. Participation in the Commencement exercise shall be open to all students who have completed their degree or certificate requirements in the academic sessions after the most recent Commencement exercise. Those students who expect to complete their academic requirements by the conclusion of the Summer Session (which ends in August) may apply to participate in the May Commencement exercise only if they are no more than eight credit hours short of completing their academic requirement in the Summer Session.

Students who have successfully completed the Orange County Community College BRIDGES program during any of the academic sessions after the most recent Commencement exercise, may also participate in the College’s Commencement exercise. Any other individuals or groups, not covered by this policy, seeking to be included in Commencement must have their involvement approved by the Board of Trustees prior to their participation.

The Board of Trustees directs the President to develop such procedures as to fairly implement this policy.

Amended: May 11, 2022

Commencement

Orange County Community College is committed to the philosophy that no eligible student be denied access to higher education due to a lack of financial resources. To establish eligibility for financial aid, a student must have a certificate of graduation from a school providing secondary education, or the recognized equivalent of such certificate; or have achieved a passing score on a federally approved examination which demonstrates that the student can benefit from the education offered by the College.

Financial Aid

Orange County Community College is committed to complying with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of
1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Amendment Act of 2008 in providing equal access to education for
persons with disabilities. The Department of Education has defined a person with disabilities as “any person who has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities, has a record of such impairment or is regarded as having such impairment” (Federal Register, Part IV 4 May 1977). Federal law prohibits the College from making pre-admission inquiries about disabilities and any information received regarding disabilities will not adversely affect an otherwise qualified student’s admission to a program or course.

It is the responsibility of the student seeking accommodation to self-identify and provide appropriate
documentation of their disability to the Office of Accessibility Services. The process for applying for assistance is located on the College’s Office of Accessibility Services website. The Associate Vice President for Human Resources shall serve as the College’s ADA/Section 504 coordinator.

All records kept by the Office of Accessibility Services will remain confidential. Except in those instances
supported by FERPA, information will not be disclosed to a third party without written permission of the student or of the parent or guardian if the student is under the age of 18.

The Board of Trustees directs the President to develop such procedures as to fairly implement this policy.

Amended: May 11, 2022

Services for Persons with Disabilities

Admission to Orange County Community College is open to all applicants who are high school, or General Equivalency Diploma (GED) or HSE (High School Equivalency) graduates. Non-high school graduates may begin their studies in the HSE program. Applicants are admitted without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, creed, age, disability, sex, gender identification, sexual orientation, familial status, pregnancy, predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, veteran status, domestic violence victim status, criminal conviction or any other category protected by law. Students failing to attain the designated scores on the college course placement assessment will be required to successfully complete appropriate developmental coursework. Verification of high school graduation or equivalency shall be in the form of an official high school transcript or documentation of GED/HSE scores.

The Board of Trustees directs the President to develop such procedures as to fairly implement this policy.

Amended: May 11, 2022
Amended: Nov. 16, 2022

Admission Policy

The Orange County Community College Academic Calendar is available for viewing on the College website.
Each semester, the Registrar’s Office develops and publishes course registration procedures on the College
website. Deadlines for registering for classes are set forth in the College’s Academic Policy manual.

Amended: May 11, 2022

Course Registration

All students are encouraged to regularly attend scheduled classes and labs. Individual instructor attendance policies are included in the course syllabus.

Student Attendance

Orange County Community College will establish categories of academic standing based upon students’ academic performance. These categories and standards will be defined in the College’s Academic Policy Manual. Each of these categories will have defined criteria related to academic progress that will provide guidance to students and College staff regarding a student’s academic privileges.

The Board of Trustees directs the President to develop such procedures as to fairly implement this policy.

Amended: May 11, 2022

Academic Standing

Students applying for federal or state financial aid are required to meet satisfactory academic progress standards for Title IV federal student aid programs and state aid. The College will abide by these standards.

Amended: May 11, 2022

Satisfactory Progress

As a prerequisite to operating on campus, all clubs must be chartered by the College and must agree to abide by regulations of the Board of Trustees and club rules issued by the College administration. Clubs shall be established in accordance with the Student Government Association Constitution. Each club must have a faculty member or staff member currently employed by the College as its club advisor. No club will be established or allowed to operate which discriminates against students or employees in any manner, or violates state or federal law, or College policies.

The Board of Trustees directs the President to develop such procedures as to fairly implement this policy.

Amended: May 11, 2022

Student Organizations

Appropriate academic courses may be substituted for other courses when it is determined that the substituted course is in the best interest of the student’s declared educational objective and for the student to fully complete academic degree or certificate requirements. The substituted course form is available from the Registrar’s Office and must be approved by the department chair and the program Academic Associate Vice President.

The Board of Trustees directs the President to develop such procedures as to fairly implement this policy.

Amended: May 11, 2022

Course Substitution

In accordance with existing state and federal laws, the College, shall provide students with the right to access their official educational records and to challenge the accuracy of such information. The College limits the release of personally identifiable information, other than directory information, without explicit student consent. These rights are extended to parents/guardians of students who are under the age of 18.

The Board of Trustees directs the President to develop such procedures as to fairly implement this policy.

Amended: May 11, 2022

Student Records

In accordance with Education Law § 356(3) (g) and its implementing regulations 8 NYCRR § 500, the College will maintain and enforce a Student Code of Conduct. The College Code of Conduct is produced by the Office of Student Services and maintained for viewing on the College website. It is introduced to students as part of their orientation program at the College.

The Board of Trustees directs the President to develop such procedures as to fairly implement this policy.

Amended: May 11, 2022

Student Code of Conduct Policy

Orange County Community College is authorized under federal law to enroll international students provided that all federal laws, regulations, and guidelines, are followed.

The Board of Trustees directs the President to develop such procedures as to fairly implement this policy.

Amended: May 11, 2022

International Student Admission

The Trustees of Orange County Community College shall consider the posthumous award of a degree for a
student who has met the following established criteria at the time of death:

1. the student passed away during the semester in which he or she would have graduated;
2. the student is deemed to be in good academic standing at the time of death;
3. either the chair of the department from which the degree will be awarded or the Vice President for
   Academic Affairs recommends the degree; and
4. the student would have otherwise met all other requirements for graduation.

The Board of Trustees directs the President to develop such procedures as to fairly implement this policy.

Amended: May 11, 2022

Posthumous Award of Degree or Certificate

The health and safety of every student at the State University of New York and its State-operated and community colleges is of utmost importance.  The College recognizes that students who have been drinking and/or using drugs (whether such use is voluntary or involuntary) at the time that violence, including but not limited to domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, sexual assault, bullying, hazing, assault or harassment occurs may be hesitant to report such incidents due to fear of potential consequences for their own conduct. 

However, the College strongly encourages students to report those incidents of domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, sexual assault, bullying, hazing, assault or harassment to Safety and Security or Student Services.. A bystander acting in good faith or a reporting individual acting in good faith that discloses any incident of violence domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, sexual assault, bullying, hazing, assault or harassment to College officials or law enforcement will not be subject to the provisions of the College’s Student Code of Conduct regarding violations of alcohol and/or drug use occurring at or near the time of the commission of the domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, sexual assault or bullying, hazing, assault or harassment.

The Board of Trustees directs the President to develop such procedures as to fairly implement this policy.

Amended: May 11, 2022

Alcohol and/or Drug Use Amnesty in Sexual Violence Cases