Revocation and/or Withholding an Award

Purpose:

To provide guidance on when and how the college may revoke and/or withhold an academic award.

Definitions:

Award: any degree or certificate issued by the college.

Policy:

As an academic institution, J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College (Reynolds) holds high its academic standards and the issuance of an award signifying the academic achievement of any individual. As such, the college reserves the right to revoke and/or withhold an award when there is reason to believe that the award was not rightfully earned.

1. 1. Basis for revoking and/or withholding an award

      1. Administrative error - instances where a student (who has not satisfied all program requirements) has received an award due to an error that includes, but is not limited to, keying errors, issuance to a student with a similar name, etc.

      2. Misconduct by faculty, staff, or student - when academic dishonesty, fraud, falsification, or unauthorized altering of a student's record occurs.

      3. Other violations - when a violation of college policy is of such a nature that if discovered prior to issuing the award, the incident would have resulted in suspension or expulsion of the student from the college.

      4. Outstanding obligations - any fee, fine, misconduct case, or other outstanding issue the student must resolve.

   2. Authority

The authority to revoke a degree rests with the president, who may delegate this authority to the vice president of academic affairs and the vice president of enrollment management and student success.

Procedures:

Revocation of an award

1. In the event that information is presented that places into question the validity of an award, this information will be referred to the Office of the Registrar.

2. The registrar will investigate the matter and present the issue with all facts to the vice president of academic affairs and the vice president of enrollment management and student success for review and determination of whether or not the award should be revoked.

3. If it is determined that the award should be revoked, a recommendation will be made to the president by the vice presidents.

4. If the president, or designee, agrees with the recommendation to revoke an award, the registrar will be notified to issue written notice to them of the intent to revoke the award. A hold will be placed on the student's account reflecting the revocation of the award.

5. The student may challenge this action by submitting an appeal in writing, in accordance with Reynolds Policy 1-12, Student Appeal of Academic and/or Administrative Decisions.

Withholding an award

1. The Office of the Registrar will honor any obligation in the Student Information System. In the event that a student questions the hold, the Office of the Registrar will research the hold and communicate with the student the appropriate process for challenging or resolving the matter.

Other Information:

Reynolds Policy 1-12, Student Appeal of Academic and/or Administrative Decisions