Career Academy Student and Family Handbook

Student & Family Handbook

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Purpose

The purpose of this handbook is to provide background information and address the specific rules, policies, and procedures that are pertinent to high school students enrolled in a DMACC Career Academy through the Career Advantage program.

What is a Career Advantage?

Career Advantage is a partnership between DMACC and area high schools that enables students to complete college-level courses while still enrolled in high school.

• Career Advantage courses supplement high school courses.
• DMACC course competencies, course materials, and textbooks are used in the classroom.
• Courses include the same content and quality as those taught on the college campus.  
• All instructors meet DMACC instructor qualifications.

What is a Career Academy?

Career Academies are specific programs that introduce high school students to career/vocational opportunities. College credits earned can lead toward a specific program completion certificate or license, college diploma, or two-year Associate’s Degree.  Students typically earn between 7-18 credits.

For more information, visit the Career Academy website at careeradvantage.dmacc.edu and then click “Classes at DMACC.”

DMACC Career Advantage Offers Four Options for High School Students:

Career Academies - DMACC Career Academies are located on DMACC Campuses and Centers. They offer career and technical programs to high school students who wish to explore various career options and get a head start on college.

Classes at your high school - DMACC offers a variety of courses within area high schools for concurrent enrollment. These courses are taught by high school instructors who have been approved and certified by DMACC.  DMACC course offerings vary at each high school. 

Classes online - The DMACC Online Course Access (OLCA) provides high school students the opportunity to take a college class at DMACC through an online environment.  DMACC provides a variety of course options.

Classes at DMACC - The DMACC On Campus Course Options (OCCO) provides high school students the opportunity to take an individual college class at a DMACC campus or center.  DMACC provides a variety of course options.

Student Eligibility Requirements for Concurrent Enrollment Courses

To be eligible to register for a concurrent enrollment course, students must demonstrate proficiency in the content areas of reading, math, and science on the statewide assessment (ISASP). If a student is not proficient in one or more of these areas, students may qualify to access concurrent enrollment coursework through measures of college readiness jointly agreed upon by the school board and the eligible postsecondary institution. Please note that students enrolling in a career and technical concurrent enrollment course are not required to meet established proficiency requirements. 

Why Consider Career Advantage?

• High school students earn college credit and college experience at no cost to the student.
• Programs and courses lead directly to degrees, diplomas, certificates and apprenticeships.
• Students gain hands-on training in an area of personal interest.
• Career and technical programs give students excellent opportunities to explore career options before they leave high school, and without requiring an investment in postsecondary programs they may ultimately not pursue.
• The college credits earned apply toward a two-year degree at DMACC.
• Career and technical programs are equipped with state-of-the-art technology.
• Students enter the workforce with marketable skills.
• Students save time and money with an early start on college.

Additional Information

Tuition: Tuition for students enrolled in Career Advantage programs is paid by the local school district. On average, a student enrolled in a Career Academy program completes 12 credits in a school year, resulting in a savings of more than $2,300 in tuition costs. 

Course Textbooks and Materials: All textbooks, classroom materials and tools required for the respective programs/courses are provided to the student on loan from DMACC.

College Credit: Students may use their college credit toward a degree at DMACC, or may transfer that credit to another postsecondary institution. It is the responsibility of the student to communicate with the receiving college to decide if and how credit will be accepted. The receiving institution makes all decisions regarding transferability of course credits.

Visit DMACC’s transfer resources at transfer.dmacc.edu

Cancellation of Career Advantage Courses: DMACC reserves the right to decline or cancel any contractual agreements with secondary school systems regarding Career Advantage courses for reasons that include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Limitations on available and qualified staff
• Limitations on equipment
• Financial reasons
• Course found to not meet Iowa Department of Education requirements
• Course does not meet DMACC content, time requirements or rigor
• Any other reason as determined by DMACC to not be in the best interest of the College

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Career Academy Policies and Procedures

Student Responsibilities

Students enrolled in Career Academy programs are expected to:

• Assume responsibility for their learning and achievement.
• Demonstrate respect for fellow classmates, instructors and school property and equipment.
• Make a commitment to attend classes and give their best effort each day.
• Communicate with their instructors if they will be late to or absent from class.
• Assume responsibility for completing any makeup work required as a result of an absence  from class.

DMACC Student Conduct  

All students are expected and required to obey college policies, rules, and regulations and not violate municipal, county, state, or federal law. In addition, all students are expected to conduct themselves in such a manner as to show respect for properly constituted authority, exhibit and maintain integrity and honor in all matters related to the College, and not interfere with or disrupt the orderly educational processes of the College. Students are expected to comply with all Board and Administrative Policies. Not following student conduct may be grounds for discipline or suspension in accordance with these procedures.

Attendance/Tardy Policy

Student attendance is an expectation. Missing class time can impact a student’s performance and progress. Students who will be absent from class or late to class are expected to contact the instructor directly (instructors will share contact information) to provide notification of the impending absence or lateness. It is the student’s responsibility to meet with the instructor to review classroom assignments and content information that was missed. Office hours are established by instructors for missed class time. Attendance records are maintained daily, and the partner high school will be contacted with attendance concerns. Students with excessive absences or tardies will be encouraged to withdraw from the course.

Academic Calendar Dates

The Career Academy programs follow the DMACC academic calendar, which can be found online at studentresources.dmacc.edu. Dual-enrolled students are responsible for attending both their high school classes and their DMACC Career Academy classes according to each institution’s academic calendar.

Please note the following important guidelines:

1. There will be days when students high school is not in session, but DMACC classes are still meeting.
   • Students are expected to attend their DMACC Career Academy classes on those days.
2. There will also be days when DMACC is not in session, but students high school classes are meeting.
   • Students are expected to attend their high school classes on those days.

It is students responsibility to know both calendars and attend all scheduled classes accordingly. Career Academy attendance is reported to their high school daily.

DMACC will work with local high school administrators when special schedules occur that may require students to miss part of the school day at either DMACC or at the local high school.

Add/Drop Policy

Students may change their schedule by contacting their high school counselor or Career Advantage Academic Advisor. Students may drop or withdraw from courses up until the official Drop Deadline date (set by the DMACC Registrar’s Office). In order to drop a class, students must complete an official add/drop form.

NOTE: High school students should be aware that if they are taking a college course for concurrent credit and decide to drop the class, they must also drop the high school credit. This could have an impact on the number of credits a student will need for high school graduation. Prior to being approved for dropping a program or course, students must communicate with both their local high school counselor and the DMACC academic advisor. Students must also consult with their high school counselor to review high school graduation requirements and verify their high school credit status.

Grades

Grading scales and criteria for coursework are specified in the course syllabus and are reviewed with students by the individual program instructors. Some programs have specific performance standards that must be attained for students to demonstrate proficiency.

Grade Reporting

Progress grade reports are distributed to the high school counselors. At least one of the progress reports is provided prior to the deadline for dropping classes. This report notifies students who have quit attending or are not progressing satisfactorily (receiving grades of C- or lower) of services available to help them improve their academic performance.

Official final grade reports are issued from the DMACC Office of Academic Records in mid-February and late June. Upon completion of Career Advantage courses, students earn permanent grades that appear on an official college transcript. Students may view final grades and their DMACC transcript using their myDMACC portal.

Impact Of Low Grades/Drops/Withdrawals on Future Financial Aid

A student’s college transcript becomes a part of their permanent academic record.  It is important that students always give their best effort and keep the doors of opportunity open and available. Low grades, drops, and withdrawal from programs can impact eligibility for future financial aid.  Students must maintain a college GPA of 2.0 or above and complete at least 67% of credits they enroll in to maintain eligibility. 

Academic Integrity

Academic Integrity (doing one’s own work in course assignments and on tests) is one of the most important values in higher education. Receiving credit for plagiarizing or cheating diminishes the value of all degrees awarded. It is unacceptable for students to submit another person’s work as their own. If students quote, summarize, paraphrase, or use an author’s idea, they must acknowledge the source; otherwise they are plagiarizing. Allowing others to accept credit for work not their own is also cheating. Students who plagiarize or cheat will be held accountable by their instructor and are subject to the sanctions outlined in the Academic Misconduct Procedure (AA 3023).

Academic Advisor Services

An Academic Advisor is available on-site to assist students in planning their educational programs, monitoring their academic progress, developing their academic skills, using resources of the College to meet their educational needs, and meeting graduation requirements. The Advisor will also visit local high schools to provide support and information regarding DMACC programs, credit and transfer procedures, and any other student educational needs.

Disability Services

DMACC will provide reasonable accommodations to support students with disabilities. Modifications that alter the curriculum or the academic expectations for students are not permitted. In the  Career Academy setting, DMACC and the home high school will collaborate to ensure that proper services are provided. The following list represents common or frequent accommodations used by students with disabilities in DMACC programs. It is not intended to be a comprehensive list of possible options. For more information, please visit the DMACC Disability Services website.

Types of Accommodations:

• Scanned Textbooks
• Testing Accommodations
• Readers and Scribes
• Software
• Sign Language Interpreters, as arranged by the district
• Alternate Formats (Braille, Large Print, Closed Captioning)
• Note-takers
• Digital Recorders and Assistive Listening Devices

If a student enrolled in Career Academy programs requires specific one-on-one instructional support, the local school district assumes responsibility for providing this support.

FERPA/Procedures for Parents Seeking Information

DMACC will comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) mandated by the U.S. Congress as it pertains to student records. DMACC does not release personally identifiable education information and/or records without the written permission of the student.

FERPA covers a wide range of student educational records. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Academic performance information (grades)
• Progress information (assignments/exams, attendance)
• Transcripts
• Disciplinary files
• Class schedules
• Financial records
• Disability records/documentation
• Personal information (ex. social security number & student ID)

Students can talk with their DMACC Academic Advisor to complete a waiver that allows DMACC staff to share the information listed above with those individuals identified in the waiver. Please visit the FERPA Frequently Asked Questions website for more information about FERPA at DMACC.

Confidentiality Requirements

Due to their placement in a work environment with potential access to a wide variety of information, students enrolled in the Certified Nurse Aide and Emergency Medical Technician programs are required to complete confidentiality agreements for their respective clinical experiences. These agreements will be provided to the student and must be completed before placement in a clinical experience can begin.

Transfer of Credits

To determine how DMACC credit will transfer to the college students select, it is best to contact the receiving institution (the college they plan to attend after DMACC) to have them review the DMACC classes that have been taken. Transfer policies vary depending upon the college and program in which students are interested. Additional transfer information and resources can be found on the DMACC Transfer Options website. If students have questions, their Academic Advisor can assist them.

Transcript Requests

Transcripts are an official record of all credit granted while enrolled at Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC). DMACC will issue a transcript when students complete a Transcript Request Form. This form can be accessed on the DMACC Transcript Request website.

Transcript requests should include the student’s name, Social Security Number or DMACC ID number, telephone number, dates of attendance, and the address to where the transcript should be mailed. Career Academy transcripts are sent at the end of February and the end of July. There is no fee for transcripts unless special services are requested. Copies of transcripts issued to students are stamped with the words “Issued to Student.”

myDMACC Tech Support

Upon becoming a new DMACC students will receive Step 1 and Step 2 mailers and emails with their DMACC ID number and password.

DMACC Email and Password: For a missing or misplaced DMACC username or password, students can contact DMACC Tech Support at 515-965-7300.

DMACC Authenticator App: it is required that students download the Microsoft Authenticator App before logging into their DMACC network account. 

Transportation

Students enrolled in a DMACC Career Academy are responsible for their own transportation to and from the DMACC Campus/Center. Many students from the same district carpool together.  Students enrolled in specific academy programs are responsible for their own transportation to and from their job site or clinical experiences. Parking is free at any DMACC campus for academy students.

Safety and Security at DMACC

DMACC Campus Security can be reached at 515-964-6500.

DMACC Bear Alert is an emergency notification system that can quickly alert DMACC credit students, faculty, and staff of potentially dangerous situations and weather-related closings.  In the event of an emergency, enrolled students will receive text notifications, phone calls, and app alerts. Sign up to receive DMACC Bear Alerts.

Weather-Related Postponements/Cancellations

Poor weather conditions may require postponement or cancellation of classes.  Depending on the nature of the weather conditions, classes may be postponed for the morning session only or may be cancelled for the entire day. 

If DMACC is in session, but the local high school Is not in session due to weather conditions, the parent and student will decide about attendance on that day.  On occasions when weather conditions deteriorate during the school day, school principals can make the decision to not have their students attend DMACC if they feel it is unsafe for them to travel.  The local schools will contact DMACC if their students will not be attending. 

Tobacco-Free Campus

All DMACC campuses/centers are tobacco-free. Tobacco is defined to include all lit or unlit cigarettes, cigars, pipes, bidis, clove cigarettes, and all other smoking products; smokeless or spit tobaccos, also known as dip, chew, snuff, or snus, vapes, and, e-cigarettes in any form. 

No consumption of tobacco is allowed on any college property or in any college facility; this includes all buildings, grounds, sidewalks and streets within the campus proper (this includes inside a personal vehicle parked on DMACC property). 

Sanctions for violations of this policy may include a letter of reprimand, disciplinary conference with administration, and a monetary fine. 

Drug-Free Schools And Campuses Act

DMACC strives to provide an educational environment that promotes the health and safety of students, faculty and staff. Accordingly, DMACC complies with the Drug-Free Schools and Campuses Act. The following behaviors are prohibited:

• Using, possessing, misusing, or being under the influence of any alcoholic beverage or other intoxicating beverage on College property or at College-sponsored functions, except as authorized by College regulations or College authority.
• Manufacturing, processing, selling, delivering, providing, using, purchasing, or misusing or
• possessing any narcotic drug, marijuana or other addictive, dangerous, or controlled substance on College property or at College-sponsored functions. Drug paraphernalia is also prohibited.
• The use of tobacco products, which include smokeless or smoking tobacco, is prohibited on all campuses and all attendance facilities in compliance with state law.

The unlawful possession, use, distribution, or misuse of illicit drugs or alcohol by students may result in sanctions including suspension from DMACC. More information about the DMACC Student Conduct Code and possible sanctions can be found on the DMACC Consumer Information website.

Nondiscrimination Statement

Des Moines Area Community College shall not engage in nor allow discrimination covered by law against any person, group or organization. This includes in its programs, activities, employment practices, or hiring practices, and harassment or discrimination based on race, color, national origin, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, genetic information (in employment) and actual or potential parental, family or marital status. Veteran status in educational programs, activities, employment practices, or admission procedures is also included to the extent covered by law.

Individuals who believe they have been discriminated against may file a complaint through the College Discrimination Complaint Procedure. Complaint forms may be obtained from the Campus Provost's office, the Academic Deans' office, the Judicial Officer, or the EEO/AA Officer, Human Resources. ADA questions and concerns may be directed to the Section 504/ADA Coordinator at 2006 S. Ankeny Blvd, Bldg 6, Ankeny, IA 50023, phone 515/964-6857, dso@dmacc.edu. Title IX questions and concerns may be directed to the Title IX Coordinator at 2006 S. Ankeny Blvd, Bldg 1, Ankeny, IA 50023, phone 515/964-6216, Title9@dmacc.edu. Questions or complaints about this policy may be directed to the Director of the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, John C. Kluczynski Federal Building, 230 S. Dearborn Street, 37th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604-7204, phone 312/730-1560, fax 312/730-1576, TDD 800-877-8339, email OCR.Chicago@ed.gov.

DMACC offers career and technical programs in the following areas of study:

• Agriculture, Natural and Environmental Science
• Architecture, Engineering, and Construction
• Arts, Design, and Visual Communication
• Business, Management, and Marketing
• Education, Public, and Human Services
• Health Science
• Hospitality and Culinary
• Information Technology
• Manufacturing
• Transportation & Logistics

View entrance requirements for specific programs.

Contact Information for DMACC Career Academies

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