Final Grade Options
- Letter grade (A, B, C, D, F) - Awarded if the student completes all work, including the final exams.
- Extension (in lieu of Incomplete grade) - Students may request an extension because of illness or other extenuating circumstances, if they have been doing acceptable work. The instructor will define the requirements and timelines to complete the course.
Please Note: Instructors are not obligated to give extensions.
- Withdrawal - Students may submit a withdrawal request on or prior to the “Deadline for Student to Withdraw with Guaranteed Grade of W” indicated in the college catalog.
Students should not contact their instructor to request a withdrawal. A student wishing to withdraw from a class within the stated timeline must do so by visiting maricopa.edu/students or by calling Student Enrollment Services at 480.517.8540 (1.800.729.1197 toll-free). In extreme circumstances, students do have the option of requesting a complete withdrawal from the college by providing Student Enrollment Services with appropriate documentation.
- Credit/No Credit Option (P/Z) - This course may be taken on a credit/no credit basis.
To receive Credit "P" grade, students must complete all course work, including exams, and attend all required meetings. A "P" grade is judged to be equivalent to a grade of "C" or higher. A No-Credit "Z" grade will be awarded for course work judged to be below the grade of "C."
It is the student's responsibility to request advisement at (480) 517-8580 concerning the transferability of a grade of "P" or "Z."
You have a set number of days from your start date to request to change your grade option. See the table below to determine deadline based upon the length of your course
For example in a fourteen week course you will have until the 11th calendar day to request to change you grade option.
| Class Length |
Deadline to Request |
| Two Weeks |
1st Day of Class |
| Three Weeks |
2nd Calendar Day |
| Four Weeks |
3rd Calendar Day |
| Five Weeks |
4th Calendar Day |
| Six Weeks |
5th Calendar Day |
| Seven Weeks |
5th Calendar Day |
| Eight Weeks |
6th Calendar Day |
| Nine Weeks |
7th Calendar Day |
| Ten Weeks |
8th Calendar Day |
| Eleven Weeks |
9th Calendar Day |
| Twelve Weeks |
10th Calendar Day |
| Thirteen Weeks |
10th Calendar Day |
| Fourteen Weeks |
11th Calendar Day |
| Fifteen Weeks |
12th Calendar Day |
| Sixteen Weeks |
Within 14 days including the first class period |
You may request to change your grade option yourself by calling Course Support at (480) 517-8243 by the deadline as outlined above.
Planning for Success
To successfully complete the course requirements, you must effectively plan and manage your time. You may have many demands on your time from different areas of life, including family, work, and school. Balancing your responsibilities can be challenging. To assist you in meeting this challenge, review the following hints for successful completion of the course:
Read your entire course syllabus before beginning the course and complete the Syllabus Acknowledgement.
Plan to spend approximately 8 to 10 hours of study and assignment time on each lesson for the full course session. Be prepared to double your class and study time if you accelerate the course.
Divide the time into several short study sessions instead of one long period. Studying during eight 30-minute blocks of time with a short break between is more effective than studying for four hours straight.
Time Management Tips
Create a calendar.
- List the requirements for the lesson.
- Identify and mark the specific times you will study.
- Keep the calendar somewhere highly visible.
- Get into the habit of looking at the calendar daily so that you keep on track with what you need to accomplish.
- Be sure to block out enough studying and writing time in your schedule.
Develop a study schedule.
- Determine the time of day that will be most effective for your studying.
- Is early morning or late evening best for you?
- Can you study on your lunch hour or breaks?
- Block out your study time on the time management calendar.
- Stick to the schedule.
Identify your study space.
- Determine what learning environment is best for you.
- Decide if you need complete quiet, or some sound, such as music.
- Find a designated space for studying.
- Have a desk or flat surface and a chair.
- Make your study space a place you don't have to set up every time, where you can leave your book open.
- Keep your space clean, neat, and orderly.
Obtain all materials that you need to complete the course.
- Paper, pens, pencils, and erasers
- Your textbook
- A folder or notebook to hold copies of your assignments and notes taken while reading
Project a date to complete assignments that will allow you time to review your answers.
It is very important that you stick to your study schedule!
How to Do Well on Written Assignments
All written assignments in this course are designed to help you deepen your understanding of the material in the course, develop your written communication skills, and develop your abilities to organize, think, and connect the course material to your own experiences, beliefs, and values.
For each written assignment, apply the following steps:
- Complete the required reading before you write.
- Identify the question you are answering. Make sure you clearly understand the question and work toward answering all the specified parts of the question.
- Make a list of what you already know about the answer.
- Review the segments in the textbook and lesson readings that apply to the question.
- Add to your list from Step 3.
- Organize your notes: What do you want to say in your answer?
- Outline your answer: What are the key topics?
- Write a rough draft of your answer.
- Review the draft, making sure you answer the question(s).
- Write your final draft and read it over one last time before submitting it to your instructor. Read your work aloud and use spell check to identify errors in grammar and spelling and to ensure clarity.
- Save a copy of your work so that if you experience technical difficulties your careful effort is not lost.
Guidelines for Participating in Philosophical Discussions
- Be curious, inquiring, open minded, respectful, encouraging, and patient.
- Complete postings on time so discussions can proceed according to schedule.
- Be aware that people have had different life experiences and hold differing attitudes and beliefs about life.
- Avoid using all capital letters (which can be interpreted as shouting) or posting material that might be perceived as offensive or discriminatory.
Copyright Acknowledgements
Some images used in courses are from collections licensed by Rio Salado College.
Submitting Assignments
All assignments are listed under the "Assessing Your Learning" heading in each lesson.
Note to students: Keep a copy of everything that you submit. If your work is lost you can submit your copy for grading. If you
don’t receive your graded assignment or quiz results within two or three weeks after submitting it, please contact your instructor.
The due date listed in your course calendar is the last date on which an assignment can be delivered to the Course Support Office, or
postmarked.
Distance Learning Drop Box
Distance Learning students can now drop off class assignments (in an appropriately addressed envelope) and return library books, videotapes, and/or
cassettes at the Distance Learning Drop Box.
The Drop Box is conveniently located along the curb in front of the Rio Salado building at 2323 W. 14th Street in Tempe.
Mailed Assignments
All mailed assignments must be properly addressed and mailed with adequate postage. Please remember all correspondence to Rio
Salado College must have a return address, an addressee, and the correct postage. The U.S. Postal Service may refuse delivery if
any of these three are missing. All items placed in the Rio drop box must have a return address and an addressee. Please keep a
copy of all work turned in to your instructor. Assignments will not be accepted if postage is due. If you are unsure of the postage required, take
the item to the post office and have it weighed.
Include the course section number and assignment identifier on the envelope below your name and return address. Envelopes that are labeled
incorrectly can cause a delay in processing your work. Address your envelope as shown in this example:
From:
Your Name: Jane Q. Doe
Your Address:
1234 Anywhere Street, Anytown, AZ
Course and Section Numbers:
GPH111, Section 12345
Assignment Identifier:
Essay 1
To:
The Course Support Office Rio Salado College
P. O. Box 63310
Phoenix, AZ 85082-3310
Attn:
(Write your instructor’s name here)
Your section number can be found in your "Welcome Letter".
The Course Support staff cannot answer questions about the receipt of specific mail-in assignments. Only your instructor can do so.
Note to students: Please submit only one assignment in each envelope. The special envelopes provided to you by Rio Salado are only
for computer answer sheets (Scantrons). Please mail all other assignments in separate envelopes.
Note to students: The U.S. Post Office no longer offers Sunday or holiday mail posting, and pick-up does not automatically mean
that your envelope will be posted the same day. To be safe, allow extra time: mail early.
Faxed Assignments
Assignments may be faxed to (480) 377-4728 for print and mixed media courses. Your name, your instructor's name, and the course
name and section numbers must appear at the top of every page. When the Course Support Office receives assignments, they are sent to your
instructor for evaluation. Once your instructor has graded your assignment, they will return it to you.
Protect your hard work. Again, clearly label every page of your assignment with your name, the course and section numbers, your instructors name,
and the name of the assignment as it appears in the syllabus.
Course Completion Policy
A student who registers for a Print or Multimedia course is assigned a start date and an end date. It is the
student's responsibility to note due dates for assignments and to keep up with the course work.
Students may request an extension because of illness or other extenuating circumstances, if they have been doing acceptable work. The instructor
will define the requirements and timelines to complete the course.
Please Note: It is the prerogative of the instructor to decide whether or not to grant the request.
Library Services
The Rio Salado Library is committed to student success and provides a variety of materials and services to enhance student learning. Utilizing Rio’s
online library for your research is the best way to ensure that your sources are validated, authoritative, and appropriate for college-level
coursework. Librarians are available to help you at all times via our Ask a Librarian live chat service. You can access all library services at
https://learnatrio.com/31qeRec.
Academic Misconduct
Academic Misconduct includes cheating, conspiring to cheat, soliciting to cheat, attempting to cheat, plagiarism, fabrication on an assignment, or
other forms of dishonest presentation.
Posting assessments on an unauthorized web site, soliciting assessment answers and the unauthorized acquisition of assessments, assessment answers,
or other academic material is cheating. Unless approved by the instructor, turning in content created by essay generators or other types of artificial intelligence platforms is also academic misconduct.
Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, the use of paraphrase or direct quotation of the published or unpublished work of another person without
full and clear acknowledgment. It also includes the unacknowledged use of materials prepared by another person or agency engaged in the selling or
sharing of term papers or other academic materials. Information gathered from the Internet and not properly identified is also considered
plagiarism.
We expect every student to produce their own original, independent work. Any student whose work indicates a violation of the
MCCCD Academic Misconduct Policy, including cheating and plagiarism, can expect sanctions as specified in the college catalog. This
policy is located at https://district.maricopa.edu/regulations/admin-regs/section-2/2-3#11.
Rio Salado College uses software that uncovers plagiarism from student to student and other data sources on the Internet. If a student is found to
have plagiarized content, grade consequences will be applied in accordance with departmental policies.
Civility Policy
The faculty of Rio Salado place a high value on the importance of general ethical standards of academic behavior and expect that communication
between students and instructors or among students shall maintain the level of formality and mutual respect appropriate to any college
teaching/learning situation.
Language or behavior that is rude, abusive, profane, disruptive, or threatening will not be tolerated. Activity of this type is defined as Academic
Misconduct in the MCCCD Academic Misconduct Policy (AR 2.3.11). Students engaging in such behavior will be removed from the course
with a failing grade. Additional sanctions may be applied pursuant to AR 2.3.11. This policy is located at
https://district.maricopa.edu/regulations/admin-regs/section-2/2-3#11.
Requirement for Active Class Participation
Please note that students may be withdrawn from class for non-participation.
If you receive financial aid of any kind, it is your responsibility to protect your eligibility to receive financial aid by meeting the active
participation requirements of this class.
Change of Address
Please notify Admissions, Records and Registration at (480) 517-8540 of any changes in contact information or log into your Student Center to update your address.
Classroom Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) and its associated colleges are
committed to providing equitable access to learning opportunities to students with documented disabilities (e.g. mental health, attentional,
learning, chronic health, sensory, or physical). Each class/term/semester that a student is in need of academic adjustments/accommodations, the
qualified student is required to work with the Disability Resources & Services Office (DRS) at their individual college(s). Contact with the DRS
should be made as soon as possible to ensure academic needs are met in a reasonable time. New and returning students must request accommodations
each semester through DRS Connect online services. To learn more about this easy process, please contact your local DRS office.
If you have not yet established services through DRS, but have a temporary health condition or permanent disability that requires accommodations,
you are welcome to contact DRS by using the information listed on the following webpage:
https://district.maricopa.edu/consumer-information/disability-resources/contacts. The DRS offers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations
for students with disabilities and/or temporary health conditions qualifying for accommodations/academic adjustments. Reasonable accommodations are
established through an interactive process between you, your faculty, and DRS; and only those academic adjustments/reasonable accommodations granted
by the DRS are recognized by the college and District. It is the policy and practice of the MCCCD to create inclusive and accessible learning
environments consistent with federal and state law.
Retrieved from https://district.maricopa.edu/mandatory-drs-title-ix-syllabus-statements on 09/27/2019.
Rio Salado College Disability Resources & Services
Religious Accommodations
Rio Salado College will reasonably accommodate the religious needs, observances, and practices of their students, when requested and the requests are made in accordance with the procedures set forth in ND-4. Any student may request a religious accommodation by making a written request for an accommodation to the appropriate faculty member using the Religious Accommodation Request form. To the extent possible, requests must be made at least two (2) weeks before the requested absence from class due to religious holiday or day of observance.
Title IX Statement
Addressing Incidents of Sexual Harassment/Assault, Dating/Domestic Violence, and Stalking
In accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, MCCCD prohibits unlawful sex discrimination against any participant in its
education programs or activities. The District also prohibits sexual harassment—including sexual violence—committed by or against students, District
employees, and visitors to campus. As outlined in District policy, sexual harassment, dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and
stalking are considered forms of "Sexual Misconduct" prohibited by District policy.
District policy requires all college and District employees in a teaching, managerial, or supervisory role to report all incidents of Sexual
Misconduct that come to their attention in any way, including but not limited to face-to-face conversations, a written class assignment or paper,
class discussion, email, text, or social media post. Incidents of Sexual Misconduct should be reported to the college Title IX Coordinator. MCCCD
will provide on its Title IX Coordinators web page at https://district.maricopa.edu/consumer-information/title-ix/title-ix-coordinators, a link to
all the Title IX Coordinators in the district. Reports may also be reported at https://district.maricopa.edu/consumer-information/reporting.
Retrieved from https://district.maricopa.edu/mandatory-drs-title-ix-syllabus-statements on 09/27/2019.
Rio Salado College Title IX Coordinator
Disclaimer
Course content may vary from this outline to meet the needs of this particular group.
Student Solution Center
Rio Salado College is dedicated to a quality learning experience and has provided the Student Solution Center webpage,
https://learnatrio.com/3DGKHTz, as a resource for students to raise issues to our attention. We look forward to the
opportunity to provide an equitable solution to all involved parties.
For grading or instructional issues, students should first contact their faculty member(s) in accordance with the Instructional Grievance Process at
https://district.maricopa.edu/regulations/admin-regs/appendices/students/s-6, as published in the college catalog.
The Office of Institutional Integrity & Compliance responds to all non-instructional challenges and concerns a student may encounter while
attending Rio Salado College. Call (480) 517-8505 or email studentcomplaints@riosalado.edu.
The Conduct and Community Standards Office is available to assist students in understanding their rights and responsibilities and administers the
Student Code of Conduct policies and procedures. The Conduct and Community Standards Office also works with Academic Affairs to administer the
Academic Code of Conduct. Call (480) 517-8196 or email communitystandards@riosalado.edu.
Students may also contact their state regulatory agency (see https://learnatrio.com/RL-state_authorization), the Arizona
SARA Council at https://azsara.arizona.edu/content/complaint-process or the Higher Learning Commission at
http://www.hlcommission.org/Student-Resources/complaints.html to escalate their concerns.
Contact Rio Salado College
Rio Salado College
Headquarters/Tempe Campus
2323 West 14th Street, Tempe, AZ 85281
In-State (AZ) 480-517-8000
Out-of-State 1-833-RIO-WAVE
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Please give us feedback on your customer service experience.
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