Registration & Student Records

The Records & Registration Office is available to help students navigate their own path to degree completion. 

Degrees & Majors

A student may change their major or add an additional major. Changes are made by submitting a Change of Major form in myBay or completing a form in the Student Services office. Each student is required to declare a major. Available majors or programs are listed in this catalog and include all requirements that must be fulfilled in order to receive that particular degree or certificate.

Catalog of Record

When students enroll for academic credit at Bay College, their graduation requirements are governed by the catalog in effect at the time of their enrollment. This is known as the Catalog of Record. The Catalog of Record changes when:

1. A student is not enrolled for one calendar year and re-enrolls.
2. Requirements for the degree or certificate as listed in the catalog are revised and a student wishes to follow the newer catalog. A newer catalog may be requested to the Records & Registration Office, but may not request a previous catalog.
3. A student changes their major. The catalog in effect when the change is made becomes the student’s Catalog of Record.

Archived catalogs are available online at the college website and myBay or by request from the Records & Registration Office.

Students may track their progress toward degree completion by checking myBay > Current Students > Academic Advising - Degree Audit Portlet. This will show the student their unofficial degree audit details. Students should work with their Advisors to plan how they will complete their degree or certificate requirements. An audit can also be requested from the Records & Registration Office at registration@baycollege.edu.

Course Information

Registration

Students should work with their Advisors, using their Catalog of Record, as they plan their registration for each term. To register for courses, students must log-in to myBay > Current Students > Registration > Register for Classes to enter their chosen courses. Any issues with self-registration should be noted to registration@baycollege.edu.

During the first 10% of a course length, a student may add a course through myBay. Requests to add after that date are only allowed under special circumstances and with permission of instructor. Students seeking to be added into a course should speak with the faculty of that course for permission. Please refer to Academic Calendar for specific dates.

Semester

Bay College operates on a semester hour basis. Each semester is 16 weeks in length. The Summer session is 12 weeks long. Each Fall and Winter semester have two 7-week sessions and each Summer session has two 6-week sessions that offer an opportunity to take an accelerated course. An accelerated course is the opportunity to complete certain courses in a shorter time-frame. 

Instructional Delivery

Bay College has 4 instructional delivery methods that are currently being used to deliver education to students. Courses are scheduled in various delivery methods for a variety of reasons.

• On-Campus: A traditional face-to-face course is taught in-person with on-campus attendance. Days, times and location of on-campus courses are provided within the college course schedule. On-campus courses may also utilize online materials or online assignment submission.
• Online: An online course is delivered entirely online. An online course requires students to complete regular online assignments with specified deadlines.
• On-Campus Hybrid: An on-campus hybrid course is a blended course that combines on-campus attendance with content delivered online. An on-campus hybrid course may also utilize virtual meetings in place of on-campus meetings. Days, times and location of potential on-campus sessions or virtual meetings are provided within the college course schedule which also indicates an online course component.
• Online Hybrid: An online hybrid course is a blended course that combines scheduled virtual meetings with content delivered online. Days and times of virtual meetings are provided within the college course schedule which also indicates an online course component.

Testing Notice for Proctored Exams: You may be required to use Respondus Monitor (web-recorded) for proctored exams or go to the testing center at the Main campus or West campus or an alternate proctored location. Please contact your instructor and the testing services manager if you need assistance locating an approved location. There may be a cost associated with the proctoring, which is the student’s responsibility.

Occasionally a course will require a faculty to teach remotely to different locations using Independent Television (ITV) or other video conferencing software to deliver a course to multiple locations at the same time. A course may be delivered this way to satisfy an on-campus component of course delivery.

Attendance Requirements

Students are expected to attend all sessions of each class in which they are enrolled. Failure to do so may result in academic penalty. Absence in no way relieves the student of the responsibility for completing all work in the class to the satisfaction of the instructor. Students should carefully review attendance policies in their syllabi.

Attendance is considered when determining and disbursing financial aid. Students must attend during the first 10% of the term. If a student does not attend, the student may be dropped from the course for non-attendance. It is encouraged for students to notify their faculty of any attendance extenuating circumstances.

Traditional and Hybrid Classes: In order to be considered in attendance, a student must submit an academic graded assignment, take a graded exam, or attend a lecture within the first 10% of the course. If they do not, the student will be administratively dropped from the class. This may affect their eligibility for financial aid.

Online Classes: In order to be considered in attendance during the first 10% of the course, students must do one of the following: 1) submit an academic graded assignment, 2) take a graded exam or interactive tutorial, 3) attend an assigned online gathering, 4) participate in an academic and graded discussion forum, or 5) initiate contact with the instructor to ask questions about the academic subject matter of the course. If they do not, the student will be administratively dropped from the class. This may affect eligibility for financial aid.

Non-registered attendance: Students who attend classes without being properly registered for the class will not receive credit for the course and will be asked to get properly registered or no longer attend the course.

Dropping & Withdrawing from Classes

If a student cannot complete a course, they must drop or withdraw. A student may drop a course during the first 10% of the course. A student may withdraw from a course from 11% to 65% of the course. Common course timelines of 7 weeks and 16 weeks are denoted in the Academic Calendar found within myBay, the College Catalog and the Bay College website.

Drop: Courses that are dropped will be removed from the student’s transcript and the student will receive a refund of course charges. This can only happen during the designated times to drop a course. Please refer to the college Academic Calendar for specific dates. Students can drop through myBay until those dates. If the student feels that there are extenuating circumstances for a course drop to be considered and it is within the withdrawal timeline, the student should complete a written appeal to the Bay College Appeals Committee by contacting the Registrar.

Withdrawal: If a student requests to withdraw, the student will receive a ‘W’ status for the course in place of a grade on their transcript. Students who do not properly withdraw will receive an ‘F’ (or earned grade) for the course. Students who stop attending courses and do not request to withdraw will receive an ‘F’ (or earned grade) for the course. A withdrawn course does not factor into GPA.

Repeated withdrawals may impact eligibility for financial aid. Prior to withdrawing from a course, it is recommended that students speak with the Financial Aid office regarding how the withdraw may affect current or future financial aid.

Procedure: Students are responsible for initiating their withdrawal from a course; this does not happen automatically. Only students are able to request a withdrawal from a course. Students who choose to register late are still held to the same dates, deadlines, and procedures listed in the withdrawal policy.

In order to properly withdraw from a course, students must e-mail the course instructor (using their Bay College e-mail) with their name, Bay College ID number, course name, course number and a request to “withdraw” from the course. The instructor will forward the e-mail request and the student’s last date of attendance to registration@baycollege.edu. Failure to follow this procedure may result in the student receiving an ‘F’ for the class. 

Withdrawal Appeal: Students seeking to withdraw after the official withdrawal period are required to request a written appeal to the Bay College Appeals Committee by contacting the Registrar. An appeal does not guarantee a withdrawal.

Military Deployment: There is no penalty due to withdrawal for military personnel who are deployed. Transcripts will be marked “Military Deployment.” Student Services will work with military students and veterans to assist them with completion of courses and degrees or certificates.

Withdrawal from College: If a student wishes to withdraw from college entirely, a student must request the withdraw from each of their registered courses. It is also important for the student to e-mail registration@baycollege.edu to notify the Student Records and Registration office. If the student is receiving federal financial aid, the student is highly encouraged to speak with financial aid prior to the withdrawal.

Auditing a Course

Auditing a class allows a student to attend a course without working towards a grade. Students may register to audit a class during the regular registration period through the Records & Registration Office. Students choosing to audit a course must pay full tuition and Financial Aid may not be used. Students choosing to audit a course will not receive credit for the course.

A credit class can be changed to an audit, but an audited class cannot be changed to a credit class. Changes can be made during the first 20% of a course.

Repeating a Course

A student may repeat any course, however the student must register for and pay tuition for the course again. The original grade will remain on the transcript and a notation will be made that the course has been repeated. While the credit hours for the course will count both times for attempted hours, the credit hours earned for a repeated course count only once. The most recent grade will be recorded on the transcript and will replace the original grade in the calculation of the GPA. Statuses of “W”, “WP”, “WF”, “NP”, “I”, or “AU” will not replace the previous grade. Students receiving financial aid should contact the Financial Aid Office to determine how repeating a course may affect their aid.

Enrollment Status & Verification

Enrollment status is determined by the total credits for which the student has registered:

Classification is determined by the total credits earned toward a degree or certificate:

Credit Hour Limit

The maximum number of credits students may take at one time is limited in order to assist their academic success. If a student wants to exceed the maximum number of credits, this can be approved on an individual basis per Registrar’s approval. The limits are:

Credit Hour

According to federal definition, “a credit hour represents the student work required to demonstrate achievement of clearly-defined learning outcomes to be accomplished in one hour of direct faculty instruction in the classroom, or online, and two hours of out-of-class student work each week for the equivalent of 15 weeks a semester. Labs, co-ops, clinicals, and other academic activities require a minimum of two hours of student work each week for the equivalent of 15 weeks a semester for each credit hour.” At Bay College, degree and certificate requirements are calculated in credit hours completed. 

Contact Hour

Bay College calculates tuition and fees in contact hours, the number of hours the student meets with an instructor and/or attends instructional sessions.

Verifications

Students who must obtain enrollment verification for insurance purposes, housing, student discounts, etc. can print a verification through the National Student Clearinghouse online at myBay > Current Students > Registrar > Verification > Clearinghouse. Select “Obtain an Enrollment Certificate” and print the document.

Students may also print In-School Deferment Forms through the Clearinghouse at myBay > Current Students > Registrar > Verification > Clearinghouse. This provides a direct link to the student’s lender for a form.

The National Student Clearinghouse is our authorized agent for providing degree verifications. If you need a verification, please sign-in to myBay, click on ‘Current Students’. Go to Registrar > Verification > Clearinghouse - then click to continue.

Transfer of Credits

Transcripts are an official record of the student’s academic course work at Bay College, or work transferred to Bay College from another college or university. Once a course is recorded on a transcript, courses cannot be removed.

Transferring Credit from Bay College to Other Institutions

Transcripts are official documents that indicate all courses for which the student has completed and all grades earned. Occasionally other information is also posted, such as degrees awarded, honors earned, etc. A student who has been enrolled in at least one course within the last year may print an unofficial copy of their transcript through myBay.

A student who wants an official transcript sent to a designated recipient must order through www.baycollege.edu/student-life/transcripts.php. Bay College has authorized Parchment to manage the ordering, processing and secure delivery of your official transcripts. There will be a nominal fee associated with this service. No educational institution is obligated to accept Bay College credits. Students must follow transfer guidelines as established by other institutions.

Transcripts will not be issued to students who have not met all financial obligations to Bay College.

Transferring Credit from Other Institutions to Bay College

A student may request that credits earned at another institution be sent to Bay College. The student must submit an official transcript to Bay College, which will be evaluated to determine which credits will transfer and which course requirements are fulfilled by those credits. Only courses with a grade of “C” or higher will be considered for transfer. Only credits earned at accredited institutions of higher learning (i.e., recognized by CHEA and the U.S. Department of Education) will be considered for transfer.

No credits will be transferred unless the student is officially accepted to Bay College. Only courses that will benefit the student in their current degree program will be added to the transcript. If a transfer student changes majors, it is recommended that the student ask the Registrar for a transfer credit re-evaluation. Evaluated credits will be applied to the student’s Bay College transcript, but no Bay College transcript will be sent to another college unless the student completes credits at Bay College. Credits transfer, grades do not. Therefore, no transfer grades are recorded or calculated into the GPA. If a course has no equivalent at Bay, it may be used as an elective.

Transferring Credit from International Institutions to Bay College

Students who attend colleges outside of the United States must have their transcripts evaluated course-by-course by one of the following sources and request a copy of the evaluation be sent to the Admissions Office as part of their application process. The student is responsible to pay any fee incurred.

AACRAO International Education Services - http://www.aacrao.org/credential/index.htm
World Education Services (WES) - http://www.wes.org/
ECE International - http://www.eceinternational.com/education-evaluation.html

International students who have not attended an institution of higher learning must have their high school diploma/certificate verified by one of the agencies listed above. Direct any questions about the transcript evaluation to the Registrar’s Office.

Course Equivalencies

For course-by-course equivalencies within Michigan colleges or universities, the Michigan Transfer Network website at www.mitransfer.org which provides quick and easy data on how your Bay course(s) will transfer between Michigan institutions. For students transferring out of state, please contact your transfer institution to ensure that your Bay course(s) will transfer.

Military Training Credit

All veterans having a certified DD Form 214 on file in the Admissions Office will automatically be given credit for two semester hours of physical education. Veterans who feel that other training received in the military is applicable to their program of study may request that such training be evaluated for credit. The veteran must produce proper documentation that will be evaluated based on the American Council on Education (ACE) credit recommendations. Veterans planning to transfer from Bay College to another institution should be aware that the institution may not accept the credit for military training given by Bay College, but will usually wish to re-evaluate the training documentation.

Credit for Prior Learning

Credit for Prior Learning may be available for a select number of courses for currently admitted students who have achieved prior certifications, credentials, or on-the-job training experiences. Any prior learning credits that are awarded are noted as Advanced Standing (AS) credit and will not transfer to any other institution of higher education. Student must contact the Registrar for details on how to begin the assessment process for obtaining prior learning credits and any potential fees associated.

Advanced Placement Program (AP)& College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

Advanced Placement (AP) Program

College course credit will be granted to students who participate in the Advanced Placement (AP) Program at their area high school and pass the Advanced Placement examinations with an appropriate score. Only those AP courses approved by Bay College faculty will transfer in as Bay College credit. Advanced Placement exam scores must be sent directly to the Registrar to be evaluated for transfer credit.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

The College Level Examination Program (CLEP) is administered by the College Board. CLEP enables those who have reached the college level of education to assess their level of academic achievement and to use the test results for college credit. Students must have official CLEP transcripts sent directly to Bay College for consideration of transfer. Bay College’s CLEP ID# is 1049.

Students planning to transfer to a university should consult that institution’s CLEP policies before taking CLEP tests. Some institutions, such as medical schools, do not accept CLEP credits for some subjects, such as biology and chemistry.

Students may not earn credit for CLEP subject examinations if the student has already earned credit in the course, was previously or currently enrolled in the course, or has credit in a higher-level course in that subject. CLEP credit will not count toward the minimum 17 credits required to be taken at Bay College for degrees and certificates. CLEP credits receive no grades and are not calculated in the student’s GPA. Only the courses listed below will be considered for transfer and only if the final score is 50 or higher.

Warnings and Holds

Students who have outstanding registration holds and/or financial obligations will not be permitted to register for classes until the hold has been lifted. A warning message does not prevent registration but indicates a student must resolve a concern related to their record. A hold indicates that records cannot be released or registration cannot be processed until the reason for the hold is resolved. Types of “holds” include:

1. Academic Warning/Hold: a warning message or hold may be placed to block registration for failure to maintain the standards outlined in the standards of academic progress.
2. Financial Hold: a hold may be placed to block registration when the student has failed to resolve a financial obligation to the college.
3. Library Hold: a hold may be placed to block registration of a student who has failed to return a library resource or who has failed to pay fines or charges owed to the library.
4. Registration Hold: students must contact the Records & Registration Office to resolve the cause for the hold.
5. Declare Major Warning: a warning message is placed on records for students who have graduated and are continuing to take classes but have not declared a new major. Students may register for classes, but they cannot be assigned an academic advisor and their financial aid may be affected. Students may request a change of major in myBay or contact the Registrar for assistance.

Grades

At the end of each term, students receive a status or grade that is recorded on their transcript. The grade indicates whether they completed the course and how well they met the requirements of the course. Bay College does not send Grade Reports. Students can review their unofficial transcript on myBay.

• W, WP, WF: Student withdrew from the course and did not complete requirements. No credit is earned.
• A through D-, P: Student completed requirements satisfactorily. Credit is earned.
• F, NP: Student did not complete requirements satisfactorily. No credit is earned.
• AU: Student attended the class, but chose not to receive a degree. No credit is earned.
• I: Student requested an “Incomplete” which allows the student additional time to complete all course requirements. This is only granted when there are extenuating circumstances.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

For each grade a student receives, a certain number of honor points are earned. The higher the grade, the more honor points are earned. Honor points are used to calculate the grade point average (GPA).

A student can compute their grade point average (GPA) by using the following example:

The grade of “F” is included in calculating the GPA. Grade of “I” through “TR” on the chart are recorded on the transcript but are not used for the calculation of the GPA. A student must earn a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher to receive a degree or a certificate. Cumulative GPA’s are based on all grades earned throughout the student’s academic career. Credits and grades for Transitional Studies courses are calculated into the term GPA but not the cumulative GPA nor applied toward completion of a degree or certificate. However, those courses may be required to fulfill prerequisites for required courses.

All courses, except those taken as an audit, count towards attempted credits. Only classes with grades of “D-” or above count toward completed credits. If a student repeats a course that was originally passed in order to improve a grade, the credits count toward attempted credits again but not toward completed credits. The ratio of completed to attempted credits is part of the determination of Satisfactory Academic Progress.

Grades are generally posted by Wednesday after the semester ends. Students may review their grades on their unofficial transcript in myBay. Bay College does not issue printed grade reports.

Pass/Fail Grades

The Pass/Fail grade is occasionally used in some Bay College courses. “P” grades are not used to calculate the student’s GPA; however, “F” grades are used to calculate the GPA.

Incomplete Grades

If a student is not able to complete course requirements within the established timeframe, the student may request an ‘Incomplete grade’ from the instructor. An “I” may be given only if:

1. The student has completed at least 80% of the required class work, but is unable to complete the remaining class work and/or take the final examination because of extenuating circumstances such as major health issues, family crisis, etc.
2. The student has done satisfactory work in the class. (Students who are failing cannot request an “I” in order to redo completed class work.)
3. The instructor determines that the student can complete the required work without repeating the course.

If these conditions are met, the instructor must:

1. Submit an Incomplete Grade Form. This form indicates actions the student will undertake to finish the required class work and the deadline for completing the work.
2. Keep one copy, give one copy to the student, and submit a copy to the Records Office.
3. Monitor student progress toward completion of class work.
4. Submit a Change of Grade Form to the Records Office upon completion of work and recalculation of the course grade.

Students should not re-register for the course while finishing requirements for an “I” grade.

Instructors and students must set a reasonable time frame for completing class work and submitting a new grade. A Change of Grade is due to the Records Office according to these deadlines. If no change of grade is submitted, the “I” grade becomes an “F.” The instructor may request an extension of the deadline from the Registrar.

Change of Grade

If it is determined that there was an error in calculating a grade or an incorrect grade was assigned, a student may initiate the Change of Grade process by contacting the instructor. If verified, the instructor will submit a Change of Grade form to the Records Office. All requests for a change of grade must be made within three months of the posting of the final grade on the transcript.

The change of grade will be made on the transcript and GPA will be recalculated.

However, if the student believes that there was inaccuracy in evaluating the quality of work, and, therefore, an unacceptable grade was assigned, the student should follow the Academic Appeals Procedure.

Academic Forgiveness

Occasionally a student has failing grades that adversely affect their GPA, but those grades are in courses they do not need to complete a degree or certificate. If a student has failing grades in courses not needed for their degree or certificate, they may request that up to 12 credit hours of failing coursework be removed from the calculation of their GPA. The original grade remains on the transcript but a notation is made that the “F” has been removed from the calculation of the term and cumulative GPAs. The following regulations apply:

1. The student must be currently enrolled.
2. The student must submit a request for Academic Forgiveness to the Registrar. Only Bay College courses may be adjusted. The form is available in Student Services through the Records & Registration office or by e-mailing a request to registration@baycollege.edu.
3. The request will not be processed unless the student has successfully completed at least 12 credits beyond the last semester for which the student is seeking academic forgiveness.
4. The Registrar will respond, indicating whether academic forgiveness was granted.
5. Upon granting of the academic forgiveness, the student’s transcript will be adjusted.
6. All actions taken to remove credits and grades from the calculation of the GPA are final.

Students should consider that other colleges and universities may not honor this procedure.

Academic Honors

Bay College seeks to award students for their academic achievements with the following honors awards:

Dean’s List: Honors are awarded at the end of the Fall and Winter semesters to students who earn at least 6credit hours (including Transitional Studies courses, “P” grades, or “I” grades) and achieve a 3.5 or better GPA. Students who earn honors will receive a notification letter, their names will be part of the Dean’s List which is printed in local newspapers, and a notation will be added to the appropriate term on their transcript.

Graduate with Honors: Students who graduate with a 3.5 cumulative GPA will graduate with honors. A notation is made in the commencement program, on the transcript, and their names will be printed in the local newspaper. It will also be indicated on their diploma or certificate.

Phi Theta Kappa: Students who are members in good standing of Phi Theta Kappa at the time of graduation will receive a notation on their diploma or certificate and on their transcript.

Academic Probation Procedures

All Bay College, students’ academic progress will be reviewed at the end of each Fall and Winter semester. In addition, students receiving Financial Aid awards from Bay College will be subject to the federally regulated Satisfactory Academic Progress guidelines monitored by the Financial Aid Office.

Student progress which fails to meet the Standards of Academic Progress will be subject to the following action:

Academic Warning:

• The first time a student’s cumulative GPA falls below 2.0, they will receive notification that it is necessary to take intervention to improve their grades.
• A notation will be placed on their transcript and a warning will appear in myBay when the student registers for classes.
• Students are encouraged to work with their advisor to plan for improved performance.

Academic Probation:

• A student will be placed on academic probation if they fail to meet satisfactory academic progress for a third consecutive semester. They will receive notification of their status, a notation will be placed on their transcript, and a warning will appear in myBay when the student registers for classes. Students are encouraged to work with their advisor to plan for improved performance.
• A student is removed from academic probation once the cumulative GPA rises above 2.0.
• A student will continue on probation if their cumulative GPA remains below 2.0. A student placed on probation status has two semesters to raise the cumulative GPA to 2.0 or higher. If the minimum cumulative GPA is not met at the end of two semesters on probation, the student is subject to academic dismissal.

Academic Dismissal:

• A student on academic probation for two semesters who fails to raise the cumulative GPA to at least 2.0 will be subject to dismissal. The student will be notified of their options.
  1. COUNSELING - The student will meet with an advisor or Registrar to establish an academic support plan. Plans may include but are not limited to: restrictions in the number of credit hours allowed, required tutoring, and/or meetings with the advisor throughout the semester, repeating courses, or career exploration.
  2. DISMISSAL - The student is not allowed to enroll for classes at Bay College for one semester.
• Students selecting COUNSELING must follow the Academic Support Plan as written. If the student fails to satisfy the agreement, academic dismissal will result and the student must meet with the Registrar before re-entry will be considered.
• Students selecting DISMISSAL may be allowed to re-enroll at Bay College after a minimum of one semester of non-enrollment. The student must contact the Registrar for reinstatement.

Students who have been placed on academic probation or dismissal have the right to appeal their status if there are extenuating circumstances for not meeting the standards for academic progress. The appeal must be submitted in writing to the Registrar within 15 days of receipt of notification of probation/suspension status. The Registrar will conduct a meeting of the Academic Suspension Appeals Committee to review the appeal. The committee will be comprised of the Vice President of Student Services, two faculty members, one student, the Registrar, and the Retention Program Manager. The student will be informed of the committee’s decision, which is final.

Graduation & Commencement

Graduation

Graduation refers to the completion of requirements for the student’s chosen degree. The students should work with advisors to select courses that will fulfill those requirements. Students should request for a degree audit to receive completion information, verifying that requirements are being met. This request should come to registration@baycollege.edu no earlier than one calendar year prior to degree completion.

Commencement

Bay College hosts a Commencement ceremony to celebrate the graduation of all those who have completed their degree requirements during the Fall semester, Winter semester and Summer session of that academic year. Any student wishing to walk at Commencement must have a degree audit through the Registrar’s office one calendar year prior to the Commencement Ceremony. Invitations for Commencement will be sent out in the Winter semester prior to Commencement to all students who have an active graduation audit, or have completed their degree in the previous Fall semester.

Degree Completion

Students must meet the following requirements in order to be considered for graduation:

1. Complete all degree or certificate requirements as presented in their Catalog of Record. 
2. Attain a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher.
3. Complete the residency requirement of a minimum of 17 credit hours at Bay College for any degree or 16 credits for a certificate.
4. Students who wish to complete a second degree must complete 15 additional credit hours beyond the first degree requirements as well as the degree requirements for the second degree.
5. Students who have completed a degree and wish to complete a certificate need only complete the remaining course requirements for the certificate.

Students who wish to complete more than one major may declare an additional major.

Application for Graduation

One calendar year before students anticipate degree completion, students should request an official degree audit. Students will be informed in writing if all requirements have been met for graduation or if there are additional courses that must be completed. If the student changes their registration after the audit is completed, Bay College cannot guarantee degree completion. Students can e-mail registration@baycollege.edu to request a degree audit at any time. 

The Registrar may automatically provide completion information for students who are close to receiving their intended degree, but have not yet requested an official degree audit. If those students do not wish to graduate with that particular degree, those students must contact the Registrar to opt-out of graduation. The written communication provided gives specific information regarding the opt-out process. 

Requests must be submitted by March 1 to be eligible for invitation to the Commencement Ceremony. There is no guarantee that applications received after March 1 will be processed in time for the student to be included in Commencement. Degrees are conferred at the end of Fall, Winter and Summer. Applications submitted after the end of a term will be considered for the next conferral date.

Course Substitution

Occasionally the student will have difficulty completing all required courses due to circumstances beyond their control. If the student’s faculty advisor deems it necessary to substitute a course, the faculty advisor must complete the Course Substitution form and submit it to the Dean for approval. The signed authorization is then submitted to the Registrar for approval and application to the final degree audit. If a student receives a substitution and has not yet requested an official degree audit, the student will enter the graduation process automatically.

Reverse Transfer of Credit for Degree Completion

Students leaving Bay College prior to earning a degree or certificate may transfer credit back to Bay College from another college or university to fulfill degree or certificate requirements. Courses/credits which will apply for reverse transfer credit should be identified by the Registrar prior to a student leaving Bay College through an official degree audit.

Students who elect to reverse transfer credits must complete the following:

1. Before leaving Bay College, request an official degree audit and indicate completion via Reverse Transfer within the request. When the audit is completed, the student will receive a list of requirements they must meet to complete the indicated degree.
2. After successfully completing the determined course(s) with a grade of C or higher, the student must request an official transcript from their transferring institution be sent to Bay College. At this time, if the student has not informed Bay College of their wish to complete via Reverse Transfer, it is necessary to e-mail registration@baycollege.edu to expedite the completion process. 
3. Once transcripts have been evaluated and requirements applied for completion of the degree, Bay College will notify the student when degree requirements have been met. The degree will be conferred and diploma will be sent to the student.

Commencement and Diplomas

The Commencement ceremony is held once each year, on the Saturday following final exams for Winter semester in May. Participation in the Commencement Ceremony is strongly encouraged but not required. Student Services will issue information and instructions regarding commencement activities. Diplomas and certificates are prepared and mailed to graduates after the completion of all degree or certificate requirements are verified. Diplomas and certificates will be mailed to the address on file. Please note that diplomas take 6-8 weeks after graduation date to be received by student.

Retention and Graduation Rates

In compliance with the Student Right to Know Act, Bay College tracks retention and graduation rates. This information is available on the Bay College website at www.baycollege.edu.

Student Records

Every effort is taken to maintain the accuracy and confidentiality of student records. The Registrar has oversight of every student’s permanent academic record.

FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act)

Bay College complies with the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) which provides that institutions maintain the confidentiality of students’ educational records. Students have the right to examine and review information contained in their educational records and to challenge the content through the formal and informal guidelines established. Bay College has adopted a policy which explains in detail the procedures followed for compliance with provisions of the Act. Students may request to see their educational records being held by the College and petition the Registrar to have records corrected if they believe the record to be inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of their privacy rights.

To maintain the privacy of student educational records, Bay College releases to school officials only that information that is needed for College personnel to perform their duties. Bay College also uses student educational records to file required reports with government agencies. Occasionally this requires using student social security numbers and wage record information for the WIA (Workforce Investment Act) and the Carl D. Perkins & Technical Education Act. Great care is taken to preserve the integrity of these records and to use only the minimum required information. Students have the right to refuse to permit the inclusion of their SSN in these specific reports. More details are available from the Registrar’s Office.

Directory Information

FERPA allows disclosure of directory information to appropriate persons. Such information is disclosed with caution and in a manner that protects our students. Directory information is information that is not generally considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed. The following information is considered directory information and may be disclosed upon request and without prior consent of the student in question:

Directory information does not include student identification numbers, social security numbers, or any other personally identifiable information.

Students may prohibit disclosure of directory information by filling out the Non-Disclosure Form which is available in the Registrar’s Office. Questions concerning general disclosure of information should be addressed to the Registrar. Students may designate individuals who they want to have access to the information in their educational records by completing the appropriate form in the Records Office. The U.S. federal government reserves the right to disclose student’s personally identifiable information (PII) to third parties who are contracted to evaluate a federal- or state-supported education program, or who are doing research.

If a student believes their educational record is in error or that their rights have been violated, they may petition the Registrar to correct the records. Students may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education by writing to:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20202-5901