Graduation

Graduation Information

A formal commencement ceremony is held annually at the end of the spring semester at Clarendon College. The exercise is for those students who are completing requirements during that spring semester or who have completed requirements during the preceding summer of fall semesters.

Degrees and certificates are not awarded automatically. To be considered as a candidate for a degree or certificate, the student should submit an application for graduation to the Registrar no later than March 1.

All candidates for degrees and certificates must be present at the graduation ceremony unless specifically excused by the Dean of Students.

Types of Degrees and Certificates

Clarendon College grants the following:

1. Associate in Arts Degree

2. Associate in Science Degree

3. Associate in Applied Science Degree

4. Certificate of Technology

5. Certificate of Completion

The curriculum for the Associate in Arts and the Associate in Science Degrees are designed for the student planning to transfer to a senior college or university.

The Associate in Applied Science Degree is awarded for successful completion of a two-year work force education program with prescribed occupational competencies.

The Certificate of Technology and the Certificate of Completion are awarded for successful completion of competencies and curriculum in a work force education program of less than two years in length.

Core Curriculum

Included in the degree requirements for the Associate in Arts and the Associate in Science degrees at Clarendon College is a basic core of general education courses or a core curriculum. The purpose of the Clarendon College core curriculum is to provide the skills, knowledge, and perspectives that help define the educated person. The core emphasizes the basic intellectual competencies of reading, writing, speaking, and critical thinking as well as broad intellectual perspectives including historical consciousness; multi-cultural awareness; numerical comprehension and analysis; and, concern about ethics, aesthetics, and values. These competencies are designed not only to help students understand and appreciate their heritage, but also to enable them to prepare for responsible citizenship and successful living in a rapidly changing and highly technological world. Competency in each of the core components is established by successful completion of the core courses which are required for the Associate in Arts or the Associate in Science Degree.

In accordance with the laws of the State of Texas and the guidelines and procedures established by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), all Texas public colleges and universities are required to establish a core curriculum. The law and the established guidelines indicate that if a student completes the core curriculum at one public college or university within the State of Texas, that block of courses may be transferred to any other public college or university with-in the State of Texas and must be substituted for the receiving institution's core curriculum. Further, in accordance with the law and the guidelines, a student shall receive academic credit for each of the courses transferred and may not be required to take additional core curriculum courses at the receiving institution, unless the THECB has approved a larger core curriculum for that institution.

The Clarendon College Core Curriculum consists of six areas - Communications, Humanities and Visual and Performing Arts, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Social and Behavioral Sciences, and Computer Science. The Clarendon College Core Curriculum requirements are described below. These requirements must be met by every student pursuing an Associate in Arts or an Associate in Science degree at Clarendon College.

Core Curriculum / General Education Requirements


 Sem Hrs
COMMUNICATION
ENGL 1301 and ENGL 1302, or 2311
6
SPCH 1315, 1318, or 1321
3
HUMANITIES
ENGL 2331, 2332 or 2333, PHIL 1316 or 1317
3
VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS
ARTS1303, ARTS1304, DRAM1310, DRAM2366,
HUMA1315, MUSI1306, or MUSI1308
3
MATHEMATICS
MATH1314, MATH1324, or 2413
3
NATURAL SCIENCES
BIOL1406, BIOL1407, BIOL1411, BIOL1413, BIOL2401
BIOL2402, BIOL2421, CHEM1311 (with CHEM1111),
CHEM1312 (with CHEM1112), CHEM2323 (with CHEM2223),
CHEM2325 (with CHEM2225), PHYS1401, PHYS1402,
PHYS1411, PHYS1412, or AGRI1415
8
SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
History
HIST1301, HIST1302, or HIST2301
6
Government
GOVT2305 and GOVT2306
GOVT2301 and GOVT2302
6
Social or Behavioral Science
PSYC2301, or 2314, SOCI1301, 1306, or 2301
ECON2301 or 2302, OR AGRI2317
3
COMPUTER SCIENCE
COSC1401, or BCIS1405
4
TOTAL REQUIRED CORE CURRICULUM HOURS
45

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

The Associate in Arts Degree

The Associate in Arts Degree from Clarendon College will be granted to the student who makes formal application for graduation and completes the following requirements:

  1. The student must complete a minimum of 62 semester hours of college-level credit.*
  2. The student must complete all core curriculum / general education requirements for graduation or all courses in a THECB approved Field of Study curriculum.
  3. The student must earn at least 25 percent of the credit hours required for the degree at Clarendon College.
  4. The student must have a 2.0 cumulative grade point average on all work from Clarendon College.
  5. The student who first entered college in the Fall of 1989 or later must satisfy the TASP requirements, a basic skills test requiring competencies in reading, writing, and mathematics, unless exempt.
  6. The student must successfully complete a minimum of two physical education activity courses, unless a substitution for this requirement is petitioned for and approved by the Dean of Instruction.
  7. The student must have satisfactorily settled all college financial obligations.

*Developmental courses may not be counted or used as hours toward the Associate in Arts Degree.

The Associate in Science Degree

The Associate in Science Degree from Clarendon College will be granted to the student who makes formal application for graduation and completes the following requirements:

  1. The student must complete a minimum of 62 semester hours of college-level credit.*
  2. The student must complete all core curriculum / general education requirements for graduation or all courses in a THECB approved Field of Study curriculum.
  3. The student must earn at least 25 percent of the credit hours required for the degree at Clarendon College.
  4. The student must have a 2.0 cumulative grade point average on all work from Clarendon College.
  5. The student who first entered college in the Fall of 1989 or later must satisfy the TASP requirements, a basic skills test requiring competencies in reading, writing, and mathematics, unless exempt.
  6. The student must successfully complete a minimum of two physical education activity courses, unless a substitution for this requirement is petitioned and approved by the Dean of Instruction.
  7. The student must have satisfactorily settled all college financial obligations.

*Developmental courses may not be counted or used as hours toward the Associate in Science Degree.

The Associate in Applied Science Degree

The Associate in Applied Science Degree from Clarendon College will be granted to the student who makes formal application for graduation and completes the following requirements:

  1. The student must complete a minimum of 62 semester hours of college-level credit.*
  2. As part of the minimum 62-semester hour degree requirement, the student must complete a minimum of 15 semester hours of general education courses. The core of general education courses must include at least one course from each of the following areas: Humanities and Fine Arts, Social and Behavioral Sciences, and natural sciences and mathematics.
  3. The student must complete the prescribed competencies and curriculum for a two-year occupational or work force education program as outlined in the degree plan (Clarendon College Catalog).
  4. The student must earn at least 25 percent of the total credit hours required for the degree and at least 50 percent of the technical/workforce education courses required for the degree at Clarendon College.
  5. The student who first entered college in the Fall of 1989 or later must satisfy the TASP requirements, a basic skills test requiring competencies in reading, writing, and mathematics, unless exempt.
  6. The student must have satisfactorily settled all college financial obligations.

*Developmental courses may not be counted or used as hours otwards the Associate of Applied Science Degree.

The Certificate of Technology

The Certificate of Technology from Clarendon College will be granted to the student who makes formal application for graduation and completes the following requirements:

  1. The student must complete a minimum of 43 semester hours.
  2. The student must complete the prescribed technical competencies and curriculum for the work force education or occupational program as outlined in the Clarendon College Catalog.*
  3. The student must earn at least 25 percent of the total credit hours required for the degree and at least 50 percent of the technical/workforce education courses required for the degree at Clarendon College.
  4. The student must have a 2.0 grade point average on all work from Clarendon College.
  5. The student who first entered college in the Fall of 1989 or later must satisfy the TASP requirements, a basic skills test requiring competencies in reading, writing, and mathematics, unless exempt.
  6. The student must have satisfactorily settled all college financial obligations.

*Developmental courses may not be counted or used as hours toward the Certificate of Technology.

The Certificate of Completion

The Certificate of Completion from Clarendon College will be granted to the student who has made formal application for graduation and who completes the following requirements:

  1. The student must complete the prescribed technical competencies and curriculum for the work force education or occupational program as outlined in the Clarendon College Catalog.*
  2. The student must earn at least 25 percent of the total credit hours required for the degree and at least 50 percent of the technical/workforce education courses required for the degree at Clarendon College.
  3. The student must have a 2.0 grade point average on all work from Clarendon College.
  4. The student must have satisfactorily settled all college financial obligations.

*Developmental courses may not be counted or used as hours towards the Certificate of Completion.

Students completing a Certificate of Completion in Vocational Nursing must earn a ?C? or better in each nursing course and each related course (including all pre-requisite courses)

Graduation with Honors

Students who are graduating with an Associate Degree, who have at least 24semester hours in residence, who have completed at least two semesters at Clarendon College, and who have a grade point average of at least 3.5 (on a 4.0scale) on all work attempted will graduate cum laud e(with honors). Students who are graduating with an Associate Degree, who have at least 24 semester hours in residence, who have completed at least two semesters at Clarendon College, and who have a grade point average of at least 3.75 (on a 4.0 scale) on all work attempt-ed will graduate magna cum laude (with high honors). Students who are graduating with an Associate Degree, who have at least 24 semester hours in residence, who have completed at least two semesters at Clarendon College, and who have a grade point average of at least 3.9 (on a 4.0 scale) on all work attempted will graduate summa cum laude (with highest honors)

Top Honor Graduate

In April of each year, the Clarendon College full-time faculty will select the Top Honor Graduate. This graduate has the honor of presenting the student address at the Spring Commencement ceremony. This honor is based on two criteria: (a) the student?s grade point average (GPA); and, (b) to what extent the student meets the following standards:

  1. The student must have earned a minimum of 24 semester hours at Clarendon College.
  2. The student must have completed or have currently in progress all courses required for an associate degree.
  3. The student must have all courses attempted (including all transfer hours)included for evaluation in his/her grade point average.
  4. The student must be in compliance with all student conduct rules and regulations as outlined in the Student Handbook and the College Catalog.
  5. Grades from the final semester will not be included in the evaluation for this honor

CLARENDON COLLEGE GRADUATE GUARANTEE

Guarantee for Transfer Credit

The Clarendon College guarantees to its Associate of Arts and Associate of Science graduates and other students who have met the requirements of a 62-credit-hour transfer plan the transferability of course credits to those Texas colleges or universities which cooperate in the development of Clarendon College Course Selection Guides. If such courses are rejected by the college or the university, the student may take tuition-free alternate courses at Clarendon College which are acceptable to the college or university. Special conditions which apply to the guarantee for transfer credit are as follows:

  1. Transferability means the acceptance of credits toward a specific major and degree. Courses must be identified by the receiving university as transferable and applicable in course Selection Guides dates 2000-2001 or later;
  2. Limitations of total number of credits accepted in transfer, grades required, relevant grade point average, and duration of transferability apply as stated in the catalog of the receiving institution; and,
  3. The guarantee applies to courses included in a written transfer (degree) plan?which includes the institution to which the student will transfer, the baccalaureate major and degree sought, and the date such a decision was made?which must be filed with Clarendon College.
  4. Only college-level courses with Community College Course Guide Manual approved numbers and a common course number are included in this guarantee.
  5. If all conditions are met and course or courses are not accepted by a receiving institution in transfer, the student must notify Clarendon College within 10 days of notice of transfer credit denial so the ?Transfer Dispute Resolution? process can be initiated.
  6. If it is determined that the course or courses are not transferable, Clarendon College will allow the student to take up to six (6) semester credit hours of com-parable courses, which are acceptable to the receiving institution.
  7. The guarantee does not imply that the graduate will pass any licensing or qualifying examination for a particular career.
  8. The students? sole remedy against this College and its employees for academic deficiencies shall be limited to six (6) credit hours of tuition-free education under conditions described above.

Guarantee for Job Competency

If a recipient of an Associate of Applied Science degree or Certificate of Completion is judged by his/her employer to be lacking in technical job skills identified as exit competencies for his/her specific degree program, the graduate will be provided up to six (6) tuition-free credit hours of additional skill training by the college under the conditions of the guarantee policy. Special conditions which apply to the guarantee include the following:

  1. The graduate must have earned the Associate of Applied Science Degree or a Certificate of Completion beginning May, 2000, or thereafter in a workforce education/ technical program identified in the college catalog.
  2. The graduate must have completed the requirements for the Associate in Applied Science Degree or the Certificate of Completion at Clarendon College, with a minimum 75 percent of credits earned at Clarendon College, and must have completed the degree within a four-year time span.
  3. Graduates must be employed full-time in an area directly related to the area of program concentration as certified by the Dean of Instruction.
  4. Employment must commence within 12 months of graduation.
  5. The employer must certify in writing that the employee is lacking entry-level skills identified by Clarendon College as the employee?s program competencies and must specify the areas of deficiency within 90 days of the graduate?s initial employment.
  6. The employer, division director, counselor, and appropriate faculty member will develop a written educational plan for retraining.
  7. Retraining will be limited to six credit hours related to the identified skill deficiency and to those classes regularly scheduled during the period covered by the retraining plan.
  8. All retraining must be completed within a calendar year from the time the educational plan is agreed upon.
  9. The graduate and/or employer is responsible for the cost of books, insurance, uniforms, fees, and other course-related expenses.
  10. The guarantee does not imply the graduate will pass any licensing or qualifying examination for a particular career.
  11. The student?s sole remedy against the College and its employees for skill deficiencies shall be limited to six credit hours of tuition-free education under conditions described above.
  12. The program can be initiated through written contact with the office of the college president.