Dec 02, 2024  
2023-2024 Arapahoe Community College Catalog 
    
2023-2024 Arapahoe Community College Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Student Resources and Services



Accommodations - Disabilities

In accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, ACC provides students with documented disabilities academic accommodations based on an individual needs assessment. Support services may include:

  • Test accommodations
  • Readers
  • Scribes
  • Interpreters and/or amplification devices
  • Ergonomic furniture and equipment
  • Materials in alternative formats
  • Note takers
  • Assistive computer equipment
  • Class assistants

To request accommodations, contact Disability Access Services in Room M2710 of the Main Building at the Littleton Campus, or call 303.797.5937. Students with disabilities are responsible for providing documentation of disability from a qualified professional.

Address Changes

You are expected to keep your address and other contact information updated and current with ACC. You can update your address and other contact information at www.arapahoe.edu by accessing myACC.

Advising

Academic advising is a crucial first step if you are beginning a college program. Advisors will help you explore academic goals and select courses based on basic skill assessment tests and programs of study. New and continuing students are encouraged to meet with an Advisor every semester to help clarify goals and stay updated on program changes. The Advising office also offers assistance in:

  • Registration
  • Selecting courses based on placement test results
  • Choosing a program of study or major
  • Course sequencing and prerequisite selection
  • Add/drop and withdrawal process
  • Selecting courses for transfer to a four-year college or university
  • Referral information and contacts with agencies prepared to meet specific student needs

Connect with Academic Advising: 303.797.5664. Academic Advisors are available to meet with students at the Littleton Campus and Sturm Collaboration Campus at Castle Rock.

Assessment

Basic Skills

Any student who is a first-time college student, is planning to enroll in college-level English or math, or is a recent high school graduate, must complete assessment in English and math. The purpose of assessment is to provide the student with information useful in selecting courses and planning for success in college.

There are many options for students to be assessed, including a review of recent high school coursework, ACT / SAT scores, or a placement test.

Students are strongly encouraged to schedule an appointment to take the college placement test at the Littleton campus; the Testing Center is located in the Main Building Room M2210. Call the Testing Center at 303.797.5993 for days and hours. Testing is also available at the Sturm Collaboration Campus at Castle Rock (303.660.3160) please call to make an appointment.  Placement test accommodations are provided to qualified students with disabilities. To request accommodations, contact Student Access Services in Room M2710 in the Main Building of the Littleton Campus, or call 303.797.5937; v/tty users should call Relay Colorado at 711.

Some ACC programs require specific minimum assessment scores for admission; please refer to the admission requirements for the specific degree / certificate in this Catalog or on the Degrees and Certificates webpage.

A charge is assessed to take the assessment college placement test; the charge is payable to the ACC Cashier’s Office. When the placement test is taken, a student must wait a minimum of 24 hours before they are able to take the placement test a second time.

A charge is assessed for each portion of the college placement test you retake. If you test below college level in two or more of the assessment test subjects, you will be required to meet with an Advisor before registering and you may be required to enroll in certain courses. The College provides materials if you want to review skills before taking the college placement test. The materials are available at on the Testing Center webpage. Students who have applied to ACC for the current semester may use Math Support and Writing Lab for additional support for placement testing.

Developmental Studies Courses

Rapid skill development is the goal of developmental studies. If you need to boost your basic skills to succeed in college, sign up for these courses. First-time students are encouraged to take AAA 1009  to ensure success in college-level studies.

Research has shown that students who take recommended developmental courses perform better in college. Your academic Advisor can help you determine which course(s) you need based on your placement test scores. If you are required to take developmental courses, you must complete them within your first 30 credit hours at ACC.

Developmental Studies courses include:

Students functioning below the secondary level on educational achievement or placement tests, or who need longer-term remedial education, should contact the Developmental Studies Department at 303.797.5825, or the Advising Center at 303.797.5664. Most Developmental Studies courses may not be used to satisfy program graduation requirements.

Bookstore

The Bookstore, on the first floor of the Littleton Campus Main building, is the official source for new and used books. You can order books, review our refund and buy-back policies, and access other store information at http://www.efollett.com/. The campus bookstore sells school supplies, bargain books, laptops, software, ACC gifts and apparel, study guides, greeting cards, technology supplies and more.

Campus Police

The Campus Police Department is a full service department that consists of professional police officers and staff dedicated to working in partnership with the campus community. Services include: taking incident reports, investigating alleged crimes, providing motorist assistance, safety escorts, managing lost and found, first response to emergency situations and victim assistance referrals.

Parking Services

Parking Fee - Any motor vehicle parked in a parking lot at any ACC campus must display a valid parking permit or pass.

  • Parking Fee - $25.00 per semester or $40.00 per year
    • Allows parking in ACC lots.
    • Fee is $25.00 FALL Semester - May 15 - December 31
    • Fee is $25.00 SPRING Semester - January 1 – August 15
    • OR Fee is $40.00 Annual Parking Pass - July 1 - August 15 of the following year

To purchase your parking pass

  • Pay online through Cashnet - Paying here allows you to select from two options: pick up your pass or have pass mailed to you. Passes purchased here will not reflect on your student ledger. Print/Save your payment confirmation.
    OR
  • Login to myACC and: 
    • Go to the “Student Finance” page
    • Go to Payment Options and Refunds section (in the left column) and click on “Pay with Credit Card – Optional Purchases”
    • Select the parking pass option you would like and select “Add to Payment” and then pay. Paying here does not allow a mailing option to be selected. Passes purchased here will show on your student account.
    • Print/Save your payment confirmation

To get your physical parking pass, stop by an ACC Campus and with your printed receipt and go to:

  1. Littleton Campus – Campus Police
    Monday – Friday: 10am – 1pm across from the Welcome Center (2nd Floor, Main Building)
    Tuesdays: 4:30-7:30pm in the Campus Police Office (M2630)
    After hours and weekends – call from the campus police phone at M2630 (limited availability)
  2. Sturm Collaboration Campus – Welcome Desk
    Monday – Wednesday: 8am – 8:30pm
    Thursday – Friday: 7:30am – 5pm
  3. Have your parking pass mailed to you by selecting the mailing option in your cart when you purchase your parking pass online through Cashnet.

Security Phones

Littleton campus classrooms have in-house security phones. The Campus Police Department can be reached by calling ext. 5911. If no immediate answer, call 9-911.

Classrooms at the Parker campus and the Sturm Collaboration Campus in Castle Rock have in-house security phones. These phones are in-house and 911 only. For 911 these must be dialed as 9-911

Code Blue emergency phones are located in each parking lot at ACC’s Littleton campus, Parker campus, and the Art and Design Center.

Cancelled Classes

If a class is canceled, staff will make every effort to notify you before you arrive at class. In addition, notices will be posted near the classroom and messaged in Desire2Learn (D2L). If there is no posted notice and your Instructor does not appear, check with the school office (Littleton Campus, Annex, A2000).

Insufficient Enrollment

The Vice President for Instruction may cancel any course with insufficient enrollment. Every effort is made by staff to contact students affected by these cancelations.

Career & Transfer Services

Career and Transfer Services is here to help students develop their career and academic plan and transition from ACC to continuing education or the workplace. Services include career exploration and decision-making, job search and employment services, and transfer information. Contact the Career & Transfer Services office today at 303.797.5805 or email careers@arapahoe.edu.

Career Exploration and Planning

Undecided about a major or career? Career exploration can help students make one of the more important decisions in their life. Career assessments are available, both free and for a nominal fee. Career and Transfer Services provides up-to-date information on career decision making and occupational information. Students can develop a career plan to fit their needs and focus their future, based on realistic self-knowledge.

Employment Services Available

  • Full-and part-time, temporary and seasonal employment postings
  • Resume critique and job search counseling
  • On-campus employer recruiting
  • Job fairs, job search, resume writing and interview technique seminars

Career and Transfer Services will work with students to answer specific questions about their job search and can provide practice interviews.

Transfer Information

Resources and information are available to assist students with making decisions about their next steps beyond ACC and to pursue transferring to a four-year college or university. Transfer Services facilitates visits with transfer advisors from several universities and hosts an annual College Transfer Fair.

College Closure

Download the ACC ALERT app. It’s the official safety app of Arapahoe Community College. The app will send you campus emergency, weather and traffic alerts.  It also features emergency contacts, location services, tip reporting and much more. Share the app with your family and friends.

All students, faculty and staff are automatically registered to receive ACC Alert emergency alerts by phone, text, and email.

Weather alerts will be made as soon as possible and will be announced on the ACC Alert app, text message, email, ACC website, TV media and ACC social media (Facebook, X, Instagram @ArapahoeCC)

Emergency Messages

There is no paging system at ACC, but emergency message delivery will be provided through the Campus Police Department (303.797.5800). We cannot tell callers where a student can be found, but we will make every effort to locate a student with a message about a REAL emergency (family / medical).

Grade Reports

Grades are not mailed. Students may access their grades at www.arapahoe.edu by accessing myACC.

Grievance & Appeal Procedures

Stidents taking any Arapahoe Community College courses who have a complaint about their experiences with Arapahoe Community College, have two options:

  1. Follow Arapahoe Community College’s process for student complaints, or contact the Higher Learning Commission, which is Arapahoe Community College’s accrediting agency.
  2. If you are residing outside of Colorado while attending Arapahoe Community College, in many cases you can file a complaint in the state where you are residing. This list can also provide you with state agencies that manage the student complaint process.

Before exercising either of the above options, students should be aware that most, if not all, external complaint processes require the student exhaust all of the institution’s internal complaint procedures prior to considering the review of a grievance.

Learning Options

In addition to traditional classroom-based courses that are a full semester in length, ACC offers a variety of courses in other formats to help meet the needs of students. Courses may be accelerated, running in fewer than 15 weeks. Common examples are 10-week and 7-week options. Courses may also be offered online or in a hybrid format (partially online and partially classroom-based),

Accelerated Courses

Accelerated courses are shorter than the traditional 15-week full-semester length courses.  Accelerated courses accomplish the same course objectives, cover the same content, and meet all of the same contact hours as traditional courses.

Arrangement Courses

Arrangement courses require students to complete projects and class activities with faculty direction.

Hybrid Courses

Hybrid courses have less classroom time than traditional classes and provide additional online activities and online class content. Students may use computers at the Open Computer Lab at ACC’s Littleton campus to meet the online requirements of the hybrid class.

Independent Study

Independent study is to meet your individual needs and to foster strong faculty and student connections. This course format allows you to learn and study at your own pace under the guidance an Instructor.  If you are interested in an Independent Study course, talk to an Academic Advisor or an Instructor. You must complete a contract when you register that includes the course title, credits, learning objectives and strategies. For more information, contact the Admissions and Records Office at 303.797.5621.

Online Courses

Online courses are regular college-credit courses that are taught online as opposed to in the classroom. Though online courses require due dates and interaction with other students in the class, they offer flexibility to the busy, highly motivated, self-directed student. If you wish to take an online course you must have access to a computer with up-to-date hardware and software, and stable / reliable Internet connectivity. Students may use computers at the Open Computer Lab at ACC’s Littleton campus.

Webcast Courses

Webcast courses provide the access convenience of online courses, with the in-person faculty and student interaction of traditional classroom-based courses. Students attend Webcast courses on scheduled days and times, but they attend via the web utilizing software that allows the students and faculty to see and interact with each other.

Library and Learning Commons

303.797.5090

librarians@arapahoe.edu

The ACC Library & Learning Commons is a hub of in-person and virtual academic support located on the 2nd floor of the main building on the Littleton Campus. The Library supports students at all three campuses as well as concurrent enrollment students at local high schools. Within the Library & Learning Commons, students have access to desktop computers, laptops, printers, iPads, a 3D printer, an Oculus virtual reality headset, a scanner, an instruction lab, large and small group study rooms, and a dedicated Law Library. Desktop computers are located on both floors and laptops can be checked out for use within the Library. All computers print to black/white and color printers. Every student begins the semester with $25.00 in free printing. The Reserve Collection includes some required textbooks and objects such as anatomical models, microscopes, and slides. Professional tutoring services are also available in the areas of writing, math, and biology.

During open hours, our librarians are eager to help in-person or online with research needs, assist with proper citations of sources, or just recommend a good book. When the Library is closed, students can access our 24/7 reference chat service through our website.

Name Changes

If your name changes for any reason, contact Records & Enrollment Services immediately at 303.797.5621 or records@arapahoe.edu. Documentation will be required to officially change your legal name at ACC; examples of acceptable documentation are: marriage certificate, valid Colorado Driver’s License, valid Colorado Identification Card (issued by the Colorado Department of Motor Vehicles), United States Military Card, United States Military Dependent Identification Card, United States Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Card, Native American Tribal Document, United States Passports (except for “limited” passports), or Birth Certificate from any state, the District of Columbia and all United States territories (valid photo ID must accompany birth certificate).

Open Computer Lab

The Open Computer Lab is on the first floor of the Main building at the Littleton campus and is available for use by current ACC students. For information about the technology available, and how to access the Open Computer Lab, please visit the Technology at ACC webpage.

School Email Address

All ACC students are assigned a school email address upon enrollment in their first course at the College. You will be notified of the school email address via email (to your personal email address) following your course enrollment. You will be able to access your email address via myACC at www.arapahoe.edu/myacc

Once the school email address has been assigned, ACC communicates with students via email only through the school-issued email address and all official college communications and notifications will be to the school-issued email address

Smoking Policy

Smoking, including vapor cigarettes, is prohibited in all College buildings as directed by the Governor’s Executive Order D0036 90. Smoking is also prohibited on all ACC properties.

Student Class Definition

Your academic year classification is made according to the number of credit hours you have completed. We use the following definitions to determine your classification:

Freshman: A student who has successfully completed fewer than 30 semester credit hours.

Sophomore:  A student who has successfully completed 30 - 59 semester credit hours.

Junior:  A student who has successfully completed 60 - 89 semester credit hours.

Senior:  A student who has successfully completed 90 or more semester credit hours.
 

Student Handbook

The Student Handbook is an essential resource for students at ACC. The Handbook includes detailed information about renting a locker, posting items on the bulletin boards, opportunities in and around campus, Student Rights and Responsibilities, the Code of Conduct and much more. The Student Handbook is available online. Please direct any questions about the Student Handbook to Dean of Students Office, Littleton Campus, Main Building, Room M2720.

Math Support 

Math Support provides free tutoring by faculty and students for all math classes. Tutors provide assistance with math concepts, homework, online resources and graphing calculators. For more information, visit Tutoring & Learning Resources in M2570 or call 303.797.5669.

Tutoring is offered by a variety of ACC Math Tutors online, virtually through Zoom and some in-person sessions. Sign up for your tutoring sessions through Navigate by clicking on “Appointments” and then clicking “Schedule an Appointment.” Select your math class and then the time that works in your schedule. Sessions are 30 minutes each and are limited to 3 students per tutor. View our step-by-step instructions about how to schedule your appointment through Navigate or watch the video on the ACC Math Support webpage.

Student Photo ID

ACC issues an Electronic ACC ID Card to all students at the time of admittance to ACC.  The Electronic ACC ID Card is embedded in the acceptance letter.  Students may print it or take a screen shot of it and retain the screen shot on their phone. Students who are having difficulty locating their acceptance letter and Electronic ACC ID Card may contact the Records & Enrollment Services office at 303.797.5621 or records@arapahoe.edu.

Student Rights, Freedoms & Responsibilities

Through its procedures, Arapahoe Community College (ACC) ensures the rights of all its students to pursue their educational objectives. The ACC community includes students who are enrolled in ACC courses for credit or non-credit courses, including Community Education courses. The ACC community also includes faculty, staff, administrators and guests.

A student is subject to two sources of authority:

College authority and civil-criminal authority. ACC also expects students who are enrolled in specialized programs to follow the standards specified in their respective program handbooks (e.g., Nursing, Law Enforcement Academy and Emergency Medical Technician).

Judicial processes, including code of conduct, academic honesty statement and grievance procedures are stated in the ACC Student Handbook.

The Handbook is available in the Dean of Students office, Littleton Campus, Main Building, room M2720 or online. For answers to specific questions, contact the Director of Students office at 303.797.5730 or acc.dos@arapahoe.edu.

Tutoring & Learning Resources

Tutoring & Learning Resources is a free, drop-in / appointment based / virtual tutorial service staffed by advanced students who have excelled in their classes. Students can work individually with tutors in person as well as online and also attend small group sessions that focus on specific courses. From time management to test taking, tutors offer valuable tips on what it takes to be successful. For more information, visit Tutoring & Learning Resources, located in the Library at the Littleton Campus, Main Building, M2570, call 303.797.5669, or email tutoring@arapahoe.edu.

Writing Lab

The Writing Lab is an appointment based tutoring service that offers one-on-one tutoring sessions (in-person and online). The Writing Lab works with student writers of any skill level and can provide support and guidance for all college writing assignments. We can assist with resumes, cover letters and scholarship essays. While not a proofreading or editing service, we are happy to help with proofreading, revision and documentation. Please visit the Writing Lab webpage or schedule an appointment or call 303.797.5893.

Wireless Internet

ACC provides open wireless Internet access at all three campuses; Littleton, Parker, and Sturm Collaboration Campus at Castle Rock.  Wireless access is provided via the “ACC” wifi network on campus.  This is an open network; no password or username is required to use the “ACC” WiFi network. 

ACC has improved the WiFi signals around the ACC Littleton Campus. View the MAP. The stars indicate where WiFi access points are located (Lot A, Lot B, Lot C, Lot D, Lot E, Lot G, Lot H, Lot I, the North Building, the Main Building, the Annex Building, The South Building, and the South Lawn).