About Montgomery College

Our Mission

We empower our students to change their lives, and we enrich the life of our community.

We are accountable for our results.

Our Vision

With a sense of urgency for the future, Montgomery College will be a national model of educational excellence, opportunity, and student success. Our organization will be characterized by agility and relevance as it meets the dynamic challenges facing our students and community.

Our Values

Excellence / Integrity / Innovation / Diversity / Stewardship / Sustainability

Adopted by the Montgomery College Board of Trustees, June 20, 2011
 

Montgomery College has been changing lives in Montgomery County for more than 60 years. Founded in 1946, Montgomery College began as an evening college at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, serving an initial student body of just 186 students.

By 1950, the College acquired the buildings and land previously occupied by the Bliss Electrical School. This Takoma Park  location became the College’s first campus. The Rockville Campus  opened in 1965, and the Germantown Campus  opened in 1978.

Today, the College is a multi-campus institution that serves nearly 60,000 students annually, through a combination of credit and noncredit continuing education programs.

Chartered by the state of Maryland and governed by a ten-member Board of Trustees, Montgomery College is widely recognized for the quality and scope of its academic programs in liberal arts, humanities, sciences, business, and technologies.

Campuses are located in Germantown Campus , Rockville Campus , and Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus , complemented by Workforce Development & Continuing Education  centers and other off-campus sites throughout Montgomery County.

More than 100 degree and certificate programs prepare students to earn an associate’s degree, transfer to a four-year college or university, enter the job market, upgrade career skills, complete an apprenticeship, or enhance life through enrichment experiences.

A highly accomplished and innovative faculty provides individualized instruction and a supportive learning environment. Affordable tuition and various extracurricular activities-such as athletic programs, performing arts, student clubs and multicultural organizations, and student government- create a complete college experience for the county’s culturally diverse student population.

Courses and student services are provided year-round for day, evening, and weekend students.

Student Success Model

Student success is accomplished through a collaborative effort to achieve learning that actively engages students, faculty, and staff. Student success can be measured by identifying and clarifying student goals and expectations upon entry, assessing student progress and experiences through their courses, and evaluating student outcomes at the time of exit. Montgomery College fulfills its implicit contract with the larger community when student success is achieved.

Student Success Credo

We believe student success is accomplished when students

• read, write, and speak at the college level;
• use mathematics tools and concepts at the college level;
• use information resources, including developing technology, to support continued learning;
• are positive, motivated learners who accept responsibility for their success;
• are self-confident, independent, and active learners with critical thinking skills enabling lifelong learning;
• are tolerant and flexible, and aware of the interdependence of modern society.

We believe student success is facilitated through

• assessing student academic skills and placing students in appropriate courses;
• counseling and advising students to establish focused and realistic educational, career, and personal goals;
• assessing ongoing development, clarification, and refinement of student goals throughout the educational process;
• teaching students with challenging, but nurturing and encouraging, instructional methods;
• providing effective and appropriate learning support programs and services.

We believe student success is enabled when faculty and staff are committed to

• providing a positive, welcoming climate that reflects an ethical, caring college community;
• taking a personal interest by encouraging, assisting, and respecting the individual potential in each student;
• setting personal performance expectations that reflect their commitment to student success.

We believe student success is further ensured when the College

• is responsive to the community’s needs and sets goals to meet them;
• clearly and effectively communicates information internally and externally;
• provides a physical environment conducive to learning and the development of a sense of community among students, faculty, and staff;
• offers students a comprehensive co-curricular program;
• is responsive to the needs of faculty and staff directly involved in the learning process;
• develops plans, allocates resources, and assigns administrative time to activities contributing to student success;
• provides professional development opportunities for faculty and staff that enhance the learning environment;
• maintains a reward system that recognizes faculty and staff contributions to students and their learning;
• regularly evaluates (with student input) all aspects of the College instruction, as well as support and administrative offices, and uses the data to improve such aspects.

College Philosophy

The College is an open-access, public education institution dedicated to academic excellence and committed to student success. The College offers a wide range of postsecondary academic programs, career training, and lifelong learning opportunities at moderate cost to residents, businesses, and other organizations within Montgomery County.

The College provides an enriching and comprehensive learning experience for students, faculty, staff, and community members who enhance the College with a diversity of ethnicities, cultures, ages, and experiences. This diversity offers opportunities for students to appreciate individual differences and to communicate ideas. As an educational resource center, the College acknowledges its responsibility and participates actively with public and private agencies to search for solutions to community problems.

College Program Commitments

The vision of academics at Montgomery College is a natural expansion of our student- centered mission of caring, commitment to quality, and service to community that holds us accountable for key results centered on learning. This vision incorporates clear priorities and the challenges of the future: continued access, retention, achievement, and collaborative learning. These priorities are achieved within a framework of service to the community and continued learning and professional development.

In keeping with its philosophy, policies, and purposes, the College offers the following high-quality educational opportunities:

• transfer curricula for students wishing to transfer to upper-division degree studies at four-year colleges and universities;
• technical curricula for students wishing to prepare for immediate employment;
• a broad-based general education curriculum upon which students with undecided objectives can build;
• credit and noncredit courses that may be used for employment, re-employment, and retraining and     for exploring interests in professional and technical fields;
• a continuing education program that extends the resources of the College into the community;
• forums, lectures, short courses, concerts, dramatic productions, art exhibits, athletics, and other activities meant to add balance to the total instructional program of the College;
• academically, vocationally, and personally oriented counseling services;
• a program designed to identify and help remedy students’ academic deficiencies;
• an early placement program for qualified high school seniors wishing to supplement their secondary school courses and/or accelerate their college studies;
• an honors program for students of outstanding ability; and
• an extensive summer program for current students, for undergraduates from other institutions, and for high school graduates who wish to begin their college studies.

Degrees, Certificates, and Letters of Recognition

The Maryland Higher Education Commission has authorized the College to confer the associate of arts, associate of science, associate of applied science, associate of arts in teaching, and associate of fine arts degrees upon its graduates. The College awards diplomas, certificates, and letters of recognition. Specific requirements are listed in the Curricula Information section.

Academic Recognition and Memberships

As a public institution, the College is legally accountable to the state of Maryland and Montgomery County. At the state level, the College reports to the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC). MHEC establishes minimum requirements for associate degree-granting institutions and establishes general policies for the operation of community colleges.

Middle States Association Accreditation

The College was first accredited on April 28, 1950, after an evaluation by a committee representing the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association (an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation). It has remained on the accredited list ever since.
For more information on accreditation, contact:

Middle States Commission on Higher Education
3624 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
267-284-5000
www.msche.org

Other Accreditation

The College holds accreditation from the state of Maryland and numerous academic and professional organizations. Examples of accrediting organizations for specific curricula are as follows:

Diagnostic Medical Sonography
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs

Early Childhood Education
National Association for the Education of Young Children

Health Information Management
Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education

Interior Design
National Kitchen and Bath Association

Music
National Association of Schools of Music

Nursing
Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing

Personal Fitness Trainer
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs

Physical Therapist Assistant
Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education

Polysomnography Technology
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs

Radiologic Technology
Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology

Surgical Technology
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs

Alumni

The Montgomery College Alumni Association is a free membership organization of former students, graduates, and College retirees committed to enriching lives and producing meaningful opportunities for alumni, students, and the College community. A volunteer board of governors, operating as part of the Montgomery College Foundation, directs the Association’s activities.

The Association has also embraced alumni of MC’s legacy institutions: The Maryland College of Art and Design, the Bliss Electrical School, and Carver Junior College. Any group of at least 10 persons is eligible to form a student/alumni academic or special interest chapter; call the Alumni Association at 240-567-5378 for more information.

The Alumni Association awards several scholarships each year, including two for the son, daughter, mother, or father of a College alumnus/alumna; the Socrates and Anne Koutsoutis Statue of Liberty Scholarship for a first-year student; partial or full scholarships for Summer Dinner Theatre students; and the Louis D. Bliss Memorial Scholarship for electrical engineering or computer science majors. Other Association scholarships may be available from year to year.

The Alumni Association regularly honors outstanding and high-achieving alumni. The Milton F. Clogg Outstanding Alumni Achievement Awards are presented at the Alumni Awards Ceremony, where former athletes are inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame. Nominations are accepted from current and former students, faculty, and staff. For scholarship applications, award nominations, and information on Alumni Association membership benefits, please call 240-567-5378, visit their webpage (www.montgomerycollege.edu/alumni), or join them on social media at www.facebook.com/mcalumniassociation.

College Policies

All official College policies and procedures are posted on our website at www.montgomery college.edu/pnp. Policies detailed in this official document include Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention, Hate/Violence Activity, Equal Employment Opportunity and Nondiscrimination, and Sexual Misconduct.

Closing, Delayed Opening, or Emergency

Montgomery College will always operate on its regular schedule unless otherwise announced. Depending on the nature of the incident, notifications of emergencies and changes to the College’s operational status will be communicated through one or more of the following means:

• College emergency responders: Security Officers, Campus Response and/or Support Teams
• Montgomery College ALERT. Registered users receive text and e-mail messages. Registration information at www.montgomerycollege.edu/emergency
• Montgomery College Emergency Desktop Notification. Scrolling messages are broadcast on College computers
• Montgomery College website at www.montgomerycollege.edu
• MyMC website at mymc.montgomerycollege.edu
• Montgomery College student e-mail system 
• Montgomery College employee voice mail. From off-site, dial 240-567-1701
• Montgomery College employee e-mail. From off-site, http://mail.montgomerycollege.edu
• Montgomery College main phone number at 240-567-5000
• Montgomery College cable channel 10 in Montgomery County
• Commercial radio and TV stations including:

If the College opens late or closes early for any reason, the following rule will be used to determine if a class will meet. If a class can meet for at least half of its scheduled time or if the class can meet for 50 minutes or more, then the class will meet.

Information regarding emergency preparedness is available on the Services for Students  page, under Public Safety Services (http://catalog.montgomerycollege.edu/content.php?catoid=8&navoid=1327#publicsafety).

All inquiries from the news media regarding an emergency event should be directed to the College’s Office of Communications.

Student Code of Conduct

The College believes that students are adults who are responsible for their own actions and should be free to pursue their educational objectives in an environment that promotes learning, protects the integrity of the academic process, and protects the College community.

The Student Code of Conduct outlines the policies, regulations, and procedures of the College regarding academic honesty and student behavior, including penalties and appeals. The code can be viewed on the web at www.montgomerycollege.edu/pnp.

Smoking

Smoking and tobacco use, including e-cigarettes, are prohibited in all indoor and outdoor College-owned property and are not permitted within leased College office and classroom space. Tobacco and smoking products will not be sold in College facilities. Details of the smoking and tobacco use policy, as well as enforcement protocol, can be viewed at www.montgomerycollege.edu/pnp.

College Schedule

The College operates on a semester/term basis, fall and spring. Within each credit class term are nine different parts. Each part of term has an associated date range. Credit classes are offered within each of the nine parts of term, ranging from five weeks to 15 weeks long. In addition, the College offers two summer sessions and a winter session. All three campuses offer classes and services days, evenings, and weekends, although hours vary. Noncredit courses run year-round, and classes begin weekly. Detailed schedules of the College’s credit classes can be reviewed during registration at mcssb .montgomerycollege.edu/prod/bwckschd.p _disp_dyn_sched. Students must be logged in to MyMC to register for classes.

College Calendar Academic Year 2017-2018

Notice

In keeping with the College’s educational mission, the educational policies and procedures are continually being reviewed and changed. The statements and provisions in this catalog are subject to change at the discretion of the College and without notice. This catalog should not be construed as constituting a contract, express or implied, between the College and any person. The College may issue supplements and make revisions at its sole discretion. The official version of the catalog may be found on the Official Policies and Documents page of the College’s website: www.montgomerycollege.edu/verified.

Readers should use this catalog solely as a reference document, recognizing that it is not always the most authoritative or complete source of information. Students are responsible for keeping informed of official policies and meeting all relevant requirements and should confirm the current status of statements and provisions before registering. Where there is a conflict between any official documents and any summary of such documents that may appear in this catalog, the provisions of the official document shall apply.

The College reserves the right in its sole discretion to change any of the policies and procedures of the College at any time, including but not limited to, those related to admission, instruction, and graduation. This also includes without limitation the right of the College to make changes of any nature in the College’s academic program, courses, curricula, schedule, calendar, tuition, fees, academic policies, and other policies and procedures affecting students, whenever the College in its sole discretion deems it desirable to do so. The College also reserves the right to shift programs, departments, or courses from one to another of its campuses. The foregoing changes may include, without limitation, the elimination of programs, departments, or courses; the modification of the content of any of the foregoing; the rescheduling of classes, with or without extending the announced academic term; and the cancellation of scheduled classes or other academic activities. If such changes are deemed desirable by the College, the College may in its sole discretion require or afford such alternatives for scheduled classes or other notification that the College deems reasonably practical under the circumstances. All such changes are effective at such times as the College determines and, unless otherwise stated in writing, will apply not only to prospective students but also to those who already are enrolled in the College. Enrollment of all students is subject to these conditions.

Payment of tuition in whole or part or attendance at a class shall constitute a student’s acceptance of the College’s rights as set forth above.

Montgomery College Is Open to All

With students enrolled from every continent and from more than 160 different countries around the globe, Montgomery College is a community of diverse students, faculty, staff, and alumni that are citizens of the world. As a community open to all, the College embraces its extraordinary diversity and it is committed to creating learning environments and opportunities that prepare our students to contribute to and participate in a global society and marketplace.

At Montgomery College, we demonstrate our commitment to diversity in several ways, which includes ensuring an environment where all persons are provided opportunities for employment and/ or participation in academic programs and other College activities. The Montgomery College Board of Trustees has established policies to assure that College maintains educational and employment environments free from ethnic, cultural, and racial hostility, violence, or harassment. It is the policy and practice of the College to prohibit discrimination against an individual with a disability or on the basis of age, citizenship status, color, covered veteran status, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex and sexual orientation. This policy is consistent with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act of 1972; Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act, as amended; the Americans with Disabilities Act; and other applicable laws and regulations. Inquiries regarding compliance with these laws may be directed to the Director of Employee and Labor Relations, Heather Pratt, 9221 Corporate Boulevard, CT/E101, Rockville, MD 20850, 240-567- 5276; Christopher Moy, Director of ADA and Title IX Compliance, 900 Hungerford Drive, Rockville, MD 20850, 240-567-5412; or to the Office for Civil Rights, Department of Education, Washington, DC 20201. Under provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, this material is available in alternative formats by contacting the Disability Support Services Office at 240-567-5058 for the deaf and hard of hearing.

Student Liability Statement

At the time of enrollment, each student agrees to assume the personal risks and liabilities entailed in any course requirement. The student releases and holds harmless Montgomery College, its trustees, and employees from any injury sustained through his/her actions or the actions of other students enrolled in the course.

College Directory

Some frequently used addresses and phone numbers for the College are listed below. You can also find contact information for College departments and programs at www.montgomerycollege.edu.