Length of Programs
The academic year consists of two 15-week semesters (fall and spring) and 3 five-week sessions during winter (intersession) and summer (summer I and II). Programs of degree-based education generally start in the fall semester and run 24 months in length (four semesters totaling 60 weeks) except those which may require summer internships or practicums. Total credit hours and schedule of program may vary by department, including summer session or spring semester starts.
The Building and Property Maintenance Technology, the Diesel Preventative Maintenance Technology, the Industrial Technology, and the Welding Technology certificate programs are 9 months in length.
Student Academic Course Load
A student is considered full-time when registered for a minimum of 12 credits per semester. A student is considered part-time when registered for fewer than 12 credits. A student typically carries 12 to 20 credits in both the fall and spring semesters. An academic overload occurs when a student attempts to register for more than 20 credits in a semester. Students who wish to register for more than 20 credits must have the permission of a Senior Director within the Office of Academics. Students who are granted permission for an academic overload are subject to additional tuition charges.
Credit Hours
The U.S. Department of Education, in 34 CFR Section 600.2, defines “credit hour” as: “…an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally established equivalency that reasonably approximates not less than:
(1) one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester or trimester hour of credit, or ten to twelve weeks for one quarter hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or,
(2) at least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other academic activities as established by the institution, including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.”
The Pennsylvania regulation states, in part, “A semester credit hour represents a unit of curricular material that normally can be taught in a minimum of 14 hours of classroom instruction, plus appropriate outside preparation or the equivalent as determined by the faculty. A quarter credit hour represents a unit of curricular material that normally can be taught in a minimum of 10 hours of classroom instruction, plus appropriate outside preparation or the equivalent as determined by the faculty.” 22 Pa. Code Section 31.21(b).
Each course has a credit-hour value based upon the required number of hours per week in the classroom, laboratory, or program area as well as the appropriate number of additional outside work clock hours that support the didactic component of the class.
clock hour = 50 minute period
15 hours of lecture + 30 clock hours of additional outside work = 1 credit
30 hours of lab +15 clock hours of additional outside work = 1 credit
45 hours of internship = 1 credit
Clinical hours = See programmatic handbook
Grading System
Course achievement level, grade point average (GPA), and cumulative grade point average (CGPA) are provided on semester transcripts using the following system:
Letter Grade | Numerical Relationship | Quality Points |
A | 96-100 | 4.0 |
A- | 92-95 | 3.67 |
B+ | 88-91 | 3.33 |
B | 84-87 | 3.0 |
B- | 80-83 | 2.67 |
C+ | 76-79 | 2.33 |
C | 72-75 | 2.0 |
C- | 68-71 | 1.67 |
D+ | 64-67 | 1.33 |
D | 60-63 | 1.0 |
F | 0-59 | 0.0 |
I* Incomplete P Pass
W Withdrawal F Fail
SA** Stopped Attending R Repeat
NA Never Attended SR Stop Attend Repeat
* A grade of “Incomplete” will be awarded only in exceptional circumstances. A grade of “Incomplete” must be resolved within 10 academic days of the following fall/spring term. If the grade is still “Incomplete” beyond this period, the grade will be listed as an “F”.
**A grade of “Stopped Attending” will be assigned when a student does not attend a course for 2 consecutive academic calendar weeks. An SA is calculated into the GPA and CGPA in the same manner as an “F”.
Cumulative Grade Point Average is calculated using the following formula:
Cumulative GPA = | total quality points earned per semester(s) total credit hours attempted per semester(s) |
Repeated Courses
Students who earn an SA, F, or withdraw (W) from a course must successfully repeat the respective course if it is a requirement for graduation. The original grade will be replaced with an “R” or “SR” and only the new grade will be used in calculating the student’s GPA and CGPA. A course may be repeated no more than two times for a total of 3 attempts.
Students who earn a grade of SA, F, or withdraw (W) from a course may elect to take the course at another institution and transfer the credit to Johnson College. In this event, the original grade will be replaced with an “R” or “SR” and will be used only in calculating the total number of credits required for graduation.
Transfer credit is not used in the calculation of a student’s CGPA. Students must receive prior approval from the respective program director for all coursework taken at other institutions. Please refer to the Approval for Off-Campus Study transfer information in the Office of the Registrar section of this catalog for more information.
Students who earn a grade of SA, F, or withdraw (W) from either the lecture or lab component of a concurrent course offering may be required to audit the course component (lecture or lab) they completed successfully.
Criminal Background Check / Drug and Alcohol Screening
All academic programs of study, clinical practicums and internships, as well as potential employers, may require students to complete a criminal background check, child abuse clearance, fingerprinting, and/or drug screening. Johnson College is not responsible for the decisions or actions of other institutions or organizations that may result from a student’s failure of a drug screening or background check. Students who fail to report the results of these incidents to the College may be subject to disciplinary action.
The results of a criminal background check will not necessarily preclude admission to Johnson College; however, students may not be able to complete their chosen academic program.
Attendance Policy
(In-person and online)
While each college develops its own methods for tracking class attendance and defining conditions for excused absences, Johnson College adheres to federal regulations that require verification of class attendance for all students receiving federal financial aid and veteran beneficiaries. These regulations dictate that a student MUST attend the classes for which the student is awarded financial aid. Financial aid may be reduced or canceled based on student attendance information.
Federal regulations require institutions to report attendance information for students who have stopped attending class or those who never attended class. A student who is reported to have never attended class within the posted add/drop period will be administratively removed from the course and the course will be deleted from their transcript. The registrar will be notified by the course instructor through the submission of a Stop Attend form for any student who has stopped attending class after the posted add/drop period. Students will be notified via their Johnson College email account when they have been reported as having stopped attending class. A student who is confirmed to have stopped attending class will be assigned a grade of (SA) for each course they stopped attending.
Students are responsible for understanding and adhering to the following attendance policy:
- Students are required to be present for scheduled instruction whether in a face-to-face or online environment.
- An online student will be considered in attendance if the student submitted at least one graded activity per week (quiz, discussion, dropbox assignment, etc.).
- Students are required to participate in in-person and online classes.
Students with extenuating circumstances should contact their instructors immediately to discuss their individual situations. Possible excused absences include, but may not be limited to:
- military service
- bereavement
- extended illness
- participation in school functions
- jury duty
Any student missing the equivalent of two consecutive weeks of class may be administratively withdrawn from the course by the Registrar’s Office. The course instructor will initiate the SA process through the Student Portal. Students who are in danger of being assigned an SA grade will be notified by their academic advisor. Students can return to the course, but will be automatically assigned an SA for a second occurrence of two consecutively absent weeks.
class meets | 3 times/ week | 2 times/ week | once/ week | online |
consecutive absences allowed | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 weeks |
Students who are administratively withdrawn (assigned an SA) from a class must repeat the class in a subsequent semester to meet degree requirements.
Class Cancellation
Except in unusual circumstances, instructors are expected to conduct all classes on the days and times assigned and to teach for the fully allotted time. If the instructor does not arrive within the first 15 minutes of class time, then the class is canceled.
Weather / Emergency Notifications
When in-person classes are delayed or canceled because of inclement weather or other emergencies, information can be obtained from the Johnson College website (https://www.johnson.edu) or by calling the main office line at 570-342-6404 and following the prompts. It is also prudent to watch the local television channels. You also can elect to be notified by text message to your cell phone. For this service, please go to https://www.johnson.edu/campus-alerts or by texting “essential” to 79516. (Scranton Campus Alerts)
Faculty may require regularly scheduled in-person class meetings and coursework to be completed online when in-person classes are canceled. Students should communicate with faculty in order to ensure course requirements are completed.
In the event there are multiple cancellations of in-person classes during a semester, the academic calendar may need to be adjusted to add instructional days. Online classes will not be canceled due to inclement weather. All online coursework will retain their deadlines regardless of weather conditions.
If a technological emergency results in the Desire2Learn server being down, students will be notified through an announcement on the College’s website (https://www.johnson.edu). Students may sign up for text and/or email notifications at https://www.johnson.edu/campus-alerts/. Please note, Desire2Learn is not housed on the Johnson College campus; emergencies on campus will have little to no effect on distance education courses.
Make-up Work
When students are absent or are unable to complete coursework on schedule, they may be permitted to make up lost time and/or missed work in their academic and/or major courses. It is the responsibility of the student to request consideration for make-up work from the instructor.
Late Assignment Policy
Without prior arrangement, late assignments will be accepted with the following conditions:
a. The final grade of the assignment will be reduced by 10% (e.g.- 10 points out of 100) for each calendar day the assignment is submitted late.
b. Late work will not be accepted more than 4 days after the due date and will receive a score of 0.
On Time | 1 Day Late | 2 Days Late | 3 Days Late | 4 Days Late | ≥ 5 Days Late | |
Maximum Score | 100% | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 0% |
ACADEMIC STANDING
Good Academic Standing
When a student’s CGPA and most recent semester GPA are 2.0 or better, that student is in good academic standing. If either the cumulative or current G.P.A. falls below 2.0, the student will be placed on academic probation.
At the end of each semester, the Office of Academics and the Office of the Registrar will review students’ term Grade Point Average (GPA) and cumulative GPA (CGPA) to determine students’ academic standing within the College. Students who earn a term GPA or CGPA <2.0 will be placed on academic probation for the following semester.
Students on academic probation must complete an assessment and develop an academic improvement plan. The student will work with their academic advisor to discuss and initiate the Academic Improvement Plan prior to the start of the next semester. If needed, a meeting with the student’s Program Director will be held to further discuss the student’s academic probation. Failure to meet the academic probation requirements as stated here may result in the student not being able to attend class.
At the conclusion of the probation semester, the Chief Academic Officer will review the student’s progress and determine how to proceed based on:
- academic performance
- adherence to the Academic Improvement Plan
An inability to meet the minimum GPA and CGPA requirements specified above may result in academic dismissal.
*Health Science (PTA, RAD, & VET) probation policies can be found in programmatic handbooks.
Students who are in danger of not meeting the CGPA requirement are advised to meet first with their academic advisor, then with Financial Aid, and then with the Office of the Registrar to discuss options. Students on financial aid who fail to meet the completion rate (67% of registered courses) and GPA requirements and/or fail to complete their degree within 150% of the program timeframe may jeopardize their financial aid packages. Please refer to Unsatisfactory Academic Progress statuses in the Financial Aid section of this catalog for more information.
Academic Integrity
The faculty and administration of Johnson College have high regard for the integrity of the educational process; therefore, the College wishes to recognize students not only for their academic skills and dedication but also according to a code of ethical academic behavior.
Ethical academic behavior includes, but is not limited to:
- Acting at all times with honesty, integrity, and being trustworthy
- Accepting responsibility for one’s work
- Identifying contributing members of a group, where group work is authorized
- Citing references, where reference use is required
- Submitting work that is the sole creation of the student
- Never contributing to the academic dishonesty of others
Academic dishonesty refers to the commission of, or contribution to, dishonest acts by those engaged in teaching, learning, research, or related academic activities. Academic dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to:
- Cheating – When a student attempts to gain an advantage or get academic credit in a way that is dishonest, disrespectful, irresponsible, untrustworthy, or unfair. Includes copying from another student’s work, unapproved collaboration or group work to complete coursework, taking an exam for another student or asking another student to take an exam for you, or using an answer key to complete coursework.
- Plagiarism – This occurs when you use another person’s words, ideas, assertions, data, or figures without acknowledgment of their work. Includes copying and pasting directly from sources (webpages, Wikipedia, blog posts, journal articles or textbooks, Chat GPT, or other artificial intelligence tools), quoting a source without appropriate citation, or not paraphrasing and/or citing a source properly.
- Submitting work that does not cite contributing members of the group when working in courses where group work is required
- Sharing of digital work (flash drives, Google Docs, etc.)
- Facilitating acts of academic dishonesty by others
- Tampering with the academic work of others
Acts of academic dishonesty will result in any or all of the following penalties:
- First Offense: An “F” for the assignment
- Second Offense: Automatic failure of the course
- Third Offense: Referral to judicial authorities. Penalties imposed by the Office of Academics may include dismissal from the college.
Final Grade Appeals
If a student wishes to question or appeal a final course grade, the student must do so before the start of the following fall or spring semester. Communication during the grade appeals process will be made using the Johnson College email system. Students wishing to appeal a grade must complete the following procedure:
- Contact the instructor for an explanation of the grade determination within 1 week of the final grade being posted. The instructor of the course will review how the grade was determined. If a grade change is warranted, the instructor will complete and submit a grade change form.
- If not satisfied with the grade and explanation, the student will then appeal to the program director within 1 week after being notified of the instructor’s decision. The program director will review the grade determination with the course instructor, and then meet with the student to explain the outcome of the appeal.
- A student who remains unsatisfied with the results of the appeal must, within 1 week after being notified of the Program Director’s decision, submit a letter of appeal to the Chief Academic Officer. The letter must include a summary of the meetings with the instructor and the appeal results, as well as a rationale for the appeal. After discussing the appeal with all parties, the Chief Academic Officer will meet with the student to explain the final decision.
Academic Dismissal
Johnson College makes every effort to assist students in achieving their academic goals; however, the College reserves the right to dismiss students due to poor academic performance or violation of the academic code of conduct. An inability to meet the minimum CGPA requirement for two consecutive semesters may result in dismissal from the College.
In such cases, the Office of Academics will notify students of their dismissal via:
- Letter of dismissal from the Chief Academic Officer sent to the address on file with the College
- Email sent to the student’s Johnson College email address
Dismissed students will still be held responsible for all financial obligations.
Academic Dismissal from a Program of Study
The Physical Therapist Assistant, Radiologic Technology, and Veterinary Nursing programs have specific grade point average (GPA) requirements for their major courses. Specific dismissal policies for Physical Therapist Assistant, Radiologic Technology, and Veterinary Nursing students can be found in their respective Programmatic Handbooks.
Student Grievance Policy
Johnson College makes every effort to resolve student complaints internally. It is expected that students will fully utilize all administrative procedures to address concerns and/or complaints in as timely a manner as possible. The College defines a grievance as an issue related to a perceived academic or non-academic injustice, whereby a student believes they have been dealt with indiscriminately, unfairly, or in a way that violates established laws, rules, or policies, by an employee of the College.
- Informal complaint: Academic and non-academic issue with faculty, staff, administrator, department, program or any other reason.
• Attempt should be made to resolve issue with parties involved
• If resolution could not be made informally, a formal grievance may be submitted - Non-Academic Grievance: Official grievance form submitted because the student believes they were treated indiscriminately, unfairly, or in a way that violates rules, policies or procedures, and or any laws.
- Academic Grievance: Official grievance form submitted because the student feels they have been harmed by being treated indiscriminately or unfairly within the context of the course.
- Informal complaint: Academic and non-academic issue with faculty, staff, administrator, department, program or any other reason.
Informal complaint process
Non-Academic: Initial efforts to resolve the issue with whomever the issue arose must take place first, if possible (this does not apply to alleged sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, or discrimination). If an informal discussion with the persons involved cannot resolve the complaint, a student may submit a formal grievance (online form) no later than thirty (30) business days after the alleged incident. A designated staff/faculty member, as appropriate for the complaint incident, will make every effort to resolve the matter and report the decision, in writing, to the complainant(s) and respond via their Johnson College email address within fourteen (14) business days after receiving the complaint. Academic: All academic related complaints must be submitted to the instructor/faculty member involved. If an informal resolution cannot be made, the student may submit a formal grievance within thirty (30) days of when the alleged incident occurred. The designated faculty or administrative staff member will make every effort to resolve the matter and report the decision, in writing, to the complainant(s) Johnson College email address within fourteen (14) business days after receiving the complaint.
Formal Grievance
In the event that a complaint cannot be resolved informally, the student may continue the process and submit a formal grievance by completing the Formal Grievance Form, located on the Johnson College website.
Prior to submitting a formal grievance, the complainant(s) must attempt to obtain a resolution through the informal process. A formal grievance must be submitted no later than thirty (30) business days after the decision of informal resolution has been made.
Staff or faculty who have been assigned the Formal Grievance has fourteen (14) business days after receiving the grievance form to report the decision in writing to the complainant(s) email address.
Appeal
A student may appeal the formal grievance decision within ten (10) business days by submitting a formal appeal in writing, along with the written decision to the Johnson College Grievance Committee at grievance@johnson.edu
The following information must be included in the student’s email to the Grievance Committee:
- Name and contact information of complainant(s)
- Detailed description of the appeal
- A copy of any documents relating to the complaint, including previous decisions and supporting documents
- Specific reason for the appeal
- Desired outcome
- Date grievance submitted
The committee will have fourteen (14) business days to review the information and notify the complainant(s) of the Committee’s decision, in writing, to their Johnson College student email address.
All decisions made by the Johnson College Grievance Committee are final. There is no further appeal within the Student Grievance Procedure Policy.
The college is committed to addressing student complaints timely and effectively, in accordance with student complaint/grievance procedures. If a student believes their concerns have not been sufficiently addressed, they may also file external complaints with the agencies identified below.
Student Complaints to the Pennsylvania Department of Education
Students may file a complaint with the Pennsylvania Department of Education:
Pennsylvania Department of Education – Postsecondary and Adult Education
333 Market Street, 12th Floor
Harrisburg, PA
17126-0333
Phone: 717.783.6788
Student Complaints to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Students may file a complaint with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education accrediting agency.
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Telephone: 267-284-5000
Fax: 215-662-5501 www.msche.org
Programmatic Complaint Process
Complaint form for Physical Therapist Assistant
Process for Reporting Allegations against a JCERT Program
Process for Reporting Complaints for the Veterinary Technology Program
Submit a formal grievance here.
Graduation Requirements
Students must meet the following requirements to be eligible to graduate from Associate Degree programs:
- Successful completion of First-Year Experience (SSS 101)
- Successful completion of course curriculum as stated in entry to the program
- Successful completion of a minimum of 60 credits
- Achievement of a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 2.00
- Successful completion of a minimum of 30 credits at Johnson College
- Successful completion of clinical/internship for students in Biomedical Equipment Technology, Physical Therapist Assistant, Radiologic Technology and Veterinary Nursing programs
o Refer to the retention section in the respective program areas for Physical Therapist Assistant, Radiologic Technology and Veterinary Nursing - Full payment or satisfactory arrangement to fulfill all financial obligations
- Be in good disciplinary standing (no active conduct investigation or proceedings)
- Submission of a completed Graduation Application form by the stated deadline
Students must meet the following requirements to be eligible to graduate from a certificate program:
- Successful completion of First-Year Experience (SSS 101)
- Successful completion of course curriculum as stated in entry to the program, minimum of 30 credits
- Completion of a minimum of 15 credits at Johnson College
- Achievement of a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 2.00
- Full payment or satisfactory arrangement to fulfill all financial obligations
- Be in good disciplinary standing (no active conduct investigation or proceedings)
- Submission of a completed Graduation Application form by the stated deadline
Students within six (6) credits of completion of their degree may have the opportunity to participate (walk) in commencement ceremony activities. For this exception to be made, students must register or prove they have registered for the remaining courses necessary to complete their program.
Academic Honors and Recognition
President’s List
The President’s List is published at the end of each semester citing students who achieved a minimum 3.70 GPA, while carrying a minimum of 12 Johnson College credits and matriculating toward a degree. Students who receive a grade of “W”, “F”, “SA”, or “I” on their transcript for the semester do not qualify for the President’s List.
Honors upon Graduation
Graduating students are eligible for recognition based on scholastic merit. Valedictorian and salutatorian honors are granted to the top 2 CGPA earners each spring.
Citations conferred by the College for exceptional academic achievement and completion of a challenging curriculum are:
- Summa Cum Laude ≥ 3.9 cumulative GPA with a minimum of 45 credits
- Magna Cum Laude ≥ 3.8 cumulative GPA with a minimum of 45 credits
- Cum Laude ≥ 3.7 cumulative GPA with a minimum of 45 credits
All graduation honors are calculated based on grades achieved at the end of the fall semester preceding the May graduation date.
National Honor Societies
Alpha Beta Kappa
Alpha Beta Kappa is a national honor society open to students who attain a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher by the beginning of their last semester at Johnson College and who have participated in a student group/organization for at least one semester during their time on campus. Eligible groups/organizations include Student Government Association, and/or serving as a peer tutor, or Ambassador. Peer tutors must tutor a minimum of once a week for at least one semester. Students are inducted into the Omega of Pennsylvania chapter during a ceremony at Awards Night.
National Technical Honor Society
The National Technical Honor Society believes in advocating for all skilled career paths and empowering students in seeking skills, building their careers, and the global workforce. To be considered for membership, students must demonstrate how they went above and beyond to contribute to the Johnson College community outside the classroom. Students are required to have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 at the end of the semester prior to graduation. Candidates must also demonstrate integrity and leadership by participating in activities around campus and volunteering in campus wide events.
Military Students
Johnson College is a Gold rated Military Friendly school. A Military Friendly rating is given to a school or organization that has a commitment, effort and success in creating a beneficial environment for the military community. As part of this rating, Johnson College offers priority registration, a private study room, and resources, among other benefits, for Military students. Military students are recognized at Awards Night with an honor stole in representation of their Military Service.
Second Degree
Students who wish to obtain a second degree may do so if they fulfill the requirements shown below. Students are recommended to complete all the requirements of their first degree before starting their second degree program requirements.
- Students must apply for and be admitted into the major program in which the second degree is desired by the Enrollment Department.
- Students must meet all of the curriculum requirements of the first and second degree for both major and required courses.
- Students must meet with their advisor and/or the appropriate faculty member(s) of the second degree program to determine the minimum number of credits that need to be completed for the second degree in addition to the credits taken in the first degree program.
Transfer of Credit to Baccalaureate Institutions
Johnson College has program-specific articulation agreements with the following baccalaureate awarding institutions:
Articulation Agreement | Johnson College Program | Articulated Program | Website |
Bloomsburg University | A.A.S Electronic Engineering Technology | B.S. Electrical Engineering | https://www.bloomu.edu/ |
Keystone College | A.A.S Logistics and Supply Chain Management | B.S. Business Administration | https://www.keystone.edu/ |
Keystone College | A.S. Computer Information Technology | B.S. Computer Science | https://www.keystone.edu/ |
Kutztown University | A.S. Computer Information Technology | B.S. Information Technology | https://www.kutztown.edu/ |
Lackawanna College | A.A.S Logistics and Supply Chain Management | B.S. Business Administration | https://www.lackawanna.edu/ |
Marywood University | A.S. Computer Information Technology | B.S. Computer Science | http://www.marywood.edu/ |
Marywood University | A.S. Computer Information Technology | B.S. Information Security | http://www.marywood.edu/ |
Marywood University | A.S. Veterinary Nursing | B.S. Biology | http://www.marywood.edu/ |
Mount Aloysius College | A.S. Radiologic Technology | B.S. Leadership in Healthcare or Medical Imaging | https://www.mtaloy.edu/ |
Mount Aloysius College | A.S. Physical Therapist Assistant | B.S. Leadership in Healthcare | https://www.mtaloy.edu/ |
Pennsylvania College of Technology | A.S. Computer Information Technology | Information Assurance and Cybersecurity | https://www.pct.edu/ |
Pennsylvania College of Technology | A.S. Radiologic Technology and A.S Physical Therapist Assistant | Applied Health Studies | https://www.pct.edu/ |
Pennsylvania College of Technology | A.A.S. Electrical Construction and Maintenance Technology | Building Automation Technology | https://www.pct.edu/ |
Pennsylvania College of Technology | A.A.S. Carpentry and Cabinetmaking Technology | Residential Construction Technology and Management | https://www.pct.edu/ |
Pennsylvania College of Technology | A.A.S. Carpentry and Cabinetmaking Technology | Building Science and Sustainable Design | https://www.pct.edu/ |
Pennsylvania College of Technology | A.A.S. Architectural Drafting and Design Technology | Building Science and Sustainable Design | https://www.pct.edu/ |
St. Matthew’s University | A.S. Veterinary Nursing | Doctor of Veterinary Medicine | https://www.stmatthews.edu/ |
University of Missouri | A.S. Veterinary Nursing | B.S. Veterinary Technology | https://missouri.edu/ |