Academic Information

General Education Philosophy

All associate degree graduates of Bay de Noc Community College will possess those qualities, abilities, skills, and knowledge which give them new insights, challenge them to consider new possibilities, create community, and sensitize them to other perspectives.

Bay College General Education

By graduation, all associate degree students need to meet the General Education outcomes that stem from the categories of Communication, Mathematics, Natural Science, Social & Behavioral Science, and Humanities. For information regarding specific program requirements, students must examine the program requirements as listed in this catalog and consult with their advisor. Students are required to take approved courses from the following General Education Course list. 

Five General Education Categories

1. Communication: Demonstrate proficiency in communicating effectively by writing in standard English. Additional studies may include demonstrating proficiency in communication through written, oral, or non-verbal messages and an understanding of the theoretical principles and practices of communication.
2. Mathematics: Develop problem-solving techniques by using mathematical formulas and critical thinking skills.
3. Natural Science: Demonstrate broad contemporary knowledge about a natural scientific field, the process of science, and the ability to apply scientific reasoning.
4. Social & Behavioral Science: Develop social awareness and responsibility through understanding national and global issues.
5. Humanities: Develop social awareness of how society and culture interplay in artistic expression and enrichment.

Associate in Arts Degree

The Associate in Arts (AA) students will complete the General Education requirements to satisfy MTA provided the student takes a minimum of 30 general education credits completed with a grade of “C” or higher. If the required nine courses shown below do not meet the 30-credit minimum, the additional credits may be earned from any of the five general education categories.

Associate in Science Degree

Associate in Science (AS) students will complete the General Education requirements to satisfy MTA provided the student takes a minimum of 30 general education credits completed with a grade of “C” or higher. If the required nine courses shown below do not meet the 30-credit minimum, the additional credits may be earned from any of the five general education categories.

Associate in Applied Science Degree

Associate in Applied Science (AAS) students will take one Communication course (ENGL 101 required), one Mathematics or Natural Science course, and one Social & Behavioral Science or Humanities course. Two additional courses will be taken. These additional courses may be from any of the five General Education categories.

A minimum of 15 general education credits will be taken. If more than the five courses shown below are taken to achieve the 15-credit minimum, the additional courses may be taken from any of the five general education categories.

Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA)

The Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) is an agreement between all public community colleges in Michigan and the 15 public universities in the state as well as a number of participating tribal and private colleges and universities in Michigan. It is designed to facilitate the transfer of general education requirements from community colleges to four-year colleges and universities. Students who complete the minimum 30 semester hours of college-level courses with a grade of 2.0 or higher in each course within the six specified categories will fulfill all or the majority of the student’s lower-level general education requirements dependent on the requirements of their major. A transfer student must be eligible for admission to a receiving institution in order to benefit from MTA. The MTA is applicable to all students enrolling in a Michigan community college for the first time beginning Fall 2014 and supersedes the MACRAO Transfer Agreement. All Bay College students who complete an Associate in Arts (AA) or Associate in Science (AS) degree must complete the MTA requirements and will therefore receive the MTA notation on their transcript. Students may meet the requirements of the MTA as a stand-alone package.

MTA Coursework

The 30 semester hours of coursework needed to meet the Michigan Transfer Agreement are:

• One course in English Composition
• A second course in English Composition OR one course in Communications
• Two courses in Natural Science from two different disciplines; including one with a laboratory experience
• One course in Mathematics: Quantitative Reasoning, College Algebra or Statistics
• Two courses in Social Behavioral Science from two different disciplines
• Two courses in the Humanities and Fine Arts from two different disciplines; excluding studio and performance courses

A student completing this program will have “Michigan Transfer Agreement Satisfied” on their transcript.

All courses used to satisfy MTA must have a grade of “C” or better.

General Education Courses  

MACRAO Resources for Transfer Students
Resources available from the MACRAO website (www.mitransfer.org) include:

• Links to Michigan college and university homepages
• Links to institutions with online admissions applications
• Links to transfer guides and course equivalencies;
• The Michigan Uniform Undergraduate Guest Student Application
• Dates of Transfer Fairs in Michigan
• A link to the Michigan Transfer Network, a MACRAO-sponsored site where students can search for transfer equivalency information: www.mitransfer.org

Online Learning

Online courses are a great way to work towards a degree, anywhere, anytime. Most students enjoy the convenience of online courses. The online course environment allows you to work on your classes from the comfort of your home, at work, or on the go. Our online courses are taught by experienced instructors, certified to teach online.

More information can be found here:  https://www.baycollege.edu/academics/online-learning/index.php

Mandatory Online Learning Orientation

In order to better prepare you for online learning courses, all new online and hybrid students will be required to complete an orientation course in Blackboard. If you have successfully completed a completely online course at Bay College in the last three years, you are not required to complete this orientation. This course takes approximately 1.5 hours to complete and must be completed in order for you to have access to your online courses. As soon as you register as a new online student you will automatically be enrolled in the Online Learning Orientation course in Blackboard. You can complete this course at any time, after you register, and it should be completed far in advance of the beginning of the semester. After you complete this course, it will take 24 hours to log your completion status and give you access to your online courses.

Bay de Noc Community College is committed to implement the Quality Matters™ standards for the design of online and hybrid courses, and we are systematically building and evaluating our courses based on these rigorous, research-based standards. The Quality Matters™ standards assure that the online components of these courses promote learner engagement and provide students with all the tools and information they need to be successful learners. More information regarding Quality Matters™ may be found at www.qmprogram.org.

The Department of Online Learning can help you with online learning issues and they work directly with students and faculty to troubleshoot technical issues related to Blackboard and MyBay.

Online Learning Student Support Help
email: onlinehelp@baycollege.edu
Phone: (906) 217-4276

Transfer Information

As a Two Year Community College, one of our primary missions is to support students in transfer pathways to transition smoothly to the four year institution of their choice. Key components of this process include:

Timely communication and meetings to ensure the student’s questions are answered and they know who they can contact for assistance.

Development of an academic plan that reflects the requirements of the degree the student will earn at their new institution.

Partnering with the student as they:

• Review potiential college/program choices
• Apply for admission
• Navigate financial aid, housing, and scholorships
• Connect with key faculty and staff at their transfer institution

Bay College maintains a number of partnerships with Michigan and Wisconsin colleges which ensure our students’ coursework transfers seamlessly into their four-year programs. Tools like Transferology and mitransfer.org also assist in assuring that a student knows how their courses will be accepted at the college of their choice. Students and Community members can explore Bay’s Transfer rescources here.

Academic Appeals Procedure

If a student believes that an instructor has awarded an inaccurate final grade, the student should follow this procedure within thirty (30) calendar days after the release of final grades:

1. The student must first contact the instructor and attempt to discuss the problem. If they can resolve the issue, no further action is needed. If the resolution changes the grade, the instructor must submit a Change of Grade Form to the Records Office.

2. If the student and instructor cannot resolve the problem, the student should contact the Dean who supervises the instructor within ten (10) business days of that meeting. The students must provide written documentation (in letter or email format) of their appeal and include any evidence they have supporting their claim to the Dean prior to the meeting.

   • The Dean will have a meeting with the student within ten (10) business days and confer with the instructor.

   • The Dean will confer with the instructor, who will provide any evidence they have to support their position. The Dean will also review the course materials and request other information from relevant sources as needed. The Dean’s evidence may be used during any future meeting.

   • Within ten (10) business days of this meeting, the Dean will decide and inform the student and instructor in writing (in a letter or email format). If the resolution changes the grade, the instructor must submit a Change of Grade Form to the Records Office. If the student or instructor disagrees with this decision, an appeal can be made before the Academic Appeals Committee.

3. The student or instructor can appeal to the Academic Appeals Committee by contacting the Academic Affairs Office.

   • Within ten (10) business days after receiving the decision from the Dean, the student or instructor must submit an appeal in writing to the Academic Affairs Office including all evidence supporting their claim.

   • The Academic Affairs Office will call a hearing to be held before the Academic Appeals Committee within fifteen (15) business days of receipt of the complaint. The committee shall include a Vice President of Academics as a member of administration, two student representatives appointed by the Vice President of Student Services, and two faculty members appointed by the Faculty Association president.

     1. If an appointment made either by the Faculty Association president, or the Student Services leadership represents a possible conflict of interest, the Academic Affairs Office may request an alternate be appointed.

     2. The Vice President of Academics will chair the committee and vote in the case of a tie.

4. The hearing shall be governed by the following rules of procedure:

   • During the appeal hearing, the student and the faculty member may be accompanied by a support person of their own choosing, provided that the support person shall not be a licensed attorney. The support person is not allowed to participate in the process and is present to serve as an advisor to each party. Both parties shall have the right to hear and examine adverse witnesses and the right to testify and present evidence and witnesses on their own behalf.

5. The steps in a formal grade appeal hearing shall be as follows:

   • A presentation of the complaint by the student followed by questioning by the appeals committee.

   • A presentation by the faculty member followed by questioning by the appeals committee.

   • The student and faculty member shall have the opportunity to ask any questions of each other relevant to the appeal, beginning with the student.

   • Any final questions by the appeals committee. 

6. Both parties shall be given an opportunity of settlement before the committee deliberates and renders a decision.

7. If both parties are unable to come to a settlement, all parties will be dismissed.

8. The committee will then deliberate in private and decide within 2 business days of the hearing. 

Within ten (10) business days of the conclusion of the hearing, the Academic Affairs Office shall implement the recommendations of the Academic Appeals Committee and inform both parties in writing. The decision will be final. If the committee decides the reasons for appeal did affect the student’s grade and a change in the grade for the course should be made, the appeals committee shall attempt to reach a solution mutually agreeable to the student and the faculty member who assigned the grade. Should the acceptable solution involve a change of the final grade for the course, the faculty member or the Academic Affairs Office will submit a Change of Grade Form to the Records Office.