It is the policy of the Board of Trustees of Kaskaskia College that graduating students with an Associate of Applied Science Degree or Certificate in a Career and Technical program be guaranteed competency in the technical skills represented in the degree or certificate. Should the graduate not possess the reasonably expected skills necessary for their employment position, as identified by their current employer, the student will be offered up to 15 (fifteen) credit hours of retraining for a degree or 9 (nine) credit hours of retraining for a certificate, tuition free, subject to the following conditions.
- All course work for the degree or certificate must have been completed at Kaskaskia College.
- The student must have met with an academic advisor from Kaskaskia College in his/her first semester of enrollment at the College to verify which courses are required to complete the degree.
- The student must have graduated within three years of his/her initial enrollment in the degree or certificate program at issue.
- The student must have been employed in a job directly related to the program of study within six months after graduation from the degree or certificate program. The determination of whether the job is directly related to the program of study is at the sole discretion of the College.
- The student’s employer must verify in writing to Kaskaskia College within 90 (ninety) days of the graduate’s initial employment that the graduate lacks the competency in specific technical skills, as represented by the occupational program requirements.
- A written retraining plan must be developed by the graduate, the Dean of Career and Technical Education and the appropriate Program Coordinator/faculty member. Such plan must incorporate the written communication from the employer detailing the graduate’s deficiencies and specifying the course(s) needed for training and the competencies to be mastered.
- Prerequisites and other admission requirements for retraining courses must be met and are not included in the courses covered by this guarantee.
- Fees and other course costs are not included in the guarantee. Any course identified in the retraining plan that the student audits, withdraws or fails will not be covered under the guarantee.
- This guarantee does not apply to the graduate passing any licensing or qualifying examinations for a particular career or occupation.
- Refunds granted pursuant to this policy shall be based upon tuition paid at the time the course(s) was completed.
- The student must cooperate with Kaskaskia College personnel in resolving the competency issues by notifying the College and submitting any necessary consent or releases for student employment records and/or correspondence.
- Students’ rights under this program may not be assigned or transferred to any other student, voluntarily or involuntarily. Further, no refund will be made if the student received any form of institutional financial assistance to pay the tuition of the course(s) in question.
- Claims pursuant to the Guarantee of Career Competency for Occupational Programs must be filed with the Vice President of Instructional Services within the prescribed time limits as set forth above.
- Kaskaskia College will first attempt to resolve the issue with the graduate’s employer. If favorable resolution is not achieved within 120 days and if, at the sole determination of the Vice President of Instructional Services, all other conditions pursuant to this policy have been met, the reimbursement will be authorized.
- The sole recourse available to students enrolled pursuant to this guarantee program shall be expressly limited to retraining courses, as determined in the retraining plan. This policy expressly excludes any other recourse, including damages, court costs, or any other associated costs of any kind.
- If a student wishes to appeal the decision of the Vice President of Instructional services, the sole right of appeal is to the College President. Such appeal shall be filed, in writing, to the President of the College within 10 calendar days of the student receiving a notice of denial from the Vice President of Instructional Services. The written appeal shall state the student’s basis for appealing the decision. The decision of the College President is final.
Replaces Guarantee of Competency for Occupational Programs Policy 3.51
Approved October 15, 1992; July 22, 2013