LAMAR STATE COLLEGE ORANGE SYLLABUS

Pharmaceutical Technology

PHRA, 2360, Clinical Pharmacy Technician, 01S

COURSE INFORMATION

Instructor Name Jennifer Fabriguze
Building/Office Number Allied Health Building (AHB), Room 221
Office Hours Monday-Thursday 7:00 am to 8:00 am

Best to make an appointment to ensure we can meet during these times.
Appointments are also available outside of these times.
Virtual Hours
Monday-Thursday 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Best to make an appointment to ensure we can meet during these times.
Appointments are also available outside of these times.
Office Telephone (409) 882-3035
Email Address Jennifer.Fabriguze@lsco.edu


Course Description

PHRA 2360 - Clinical Credits 3 Lecture Hours 0 Lab Hours 12 A health-related work-based learning experience that enables the student to apply specialized occupational theory, skills, and concepts. Direct supervision is provided by the clinical professional. This course provides students the opportunity to experience detailed education, training, work-based experience and direct patient or client care at a retail, institutional or long-term care clinical site. This course includes the application of objectives from learning modules 1-14, 17-29, 31-33, 35, 38, 39, 40, 43, and 44 from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists’ Module Curriculum for Pharmacy Technician Training (Third Edition). Corequisite: PHRA 1301, PHRA 1305, and PHRA 1313. Course Identifier 51.0805 TEC


Required Textbook & Materials
SCRUB UNIFORM REQUIREMENTS/POLICIES
 
Clinical attire will consist of:  

 


ITEMS		 BRAND COLOR
Lab Coat Cherokee Infinity White
Scrub Pant Cherokee Infinity Hunter Green
Scrub Skirt (if desired) Cherokee Infinity Hunter Green
Scrub Shirt Cherokee Infinity Hunter Green
 
 
 

ADDITIONAL UNIFORM REQUIREMENT
ITEMS INSTRUCTIONS WHERE TO PURCHASE
Scrub Uniform

Stop by store to place your uniform order as soon as possible. Stock is limited and might require ordering, which may take a few weeks.


(Make sure to let the staff know you are in the LSCO Pharmacy program)

  

Frank's Medical Mart
1619 Strickland Drive
Orange, Texas 77630
Phone Number 409.883.7533

 
2 Clinical Patches (Green/White)
 
Make sure to purchase 2 patches. The patch is to be worn on the left sleeve of the jacket and scrub top, three inches below the shoulder seam in the center of the sleeve crease. The patch must be sewn in place. No pins or snaps are permitted.
 		 Frank's Medical Mart
1619 Strickland Drive
Orange, Texas 77630
Phone Number 409.883.7533
 
Plastic lapel badge card holder This will hold your LSCO student ID and TSBP pocket license.
Frank's Medical Mart
Wal-Mart
(school supply aisle)
 

LSCO Campus student ID
 		 Go to the library to obtain your ID Ron Lewis Library Building
Standard triple line pin red with white letters
The pin must have: call to place order
Make sure to let the staff know you are in the LSCO Pharmacy program
Lamar State College - Orange (1st line)
First name and last initial (2nd line)
"Student Technician in Training" (3rd line)
 		 OCARC
905 W. Park Ave
Orange, Texas 77630
Phone Number
409.886.1363
 
 
 
 

CLINICAL/LAB REQUIREMENTS - Results due 1 week before first day of clinical
Health Testing Locations
 A negative tuberculin skin test and/or chest
x- ray
  • Student's primary care physician office
  • Orange County Urgent Care 220 Strickland, Orange, TX 77630
 A negative drug screening for illicit drugs
  • Quest Diagnostics
 
 
Uniform Policy:
  1. All students will wear the official Pharmacy Technology uniform when assigned to clinical experiences. The jacket must be worn at all times during clinical.
  2. The Health, Workforce, and Technical Department patch is worn on the left sleeve of the jacket three inches below the shoulder seam in the center of the sleeve crease. The patch must be sewn in place. No pins or snaps are permitted.
  3. The standard triple line pin is worn on the uniform. It is red with white letters. Lamar State College Orange is on the first line. The student’s first name and last initial is on the second line. The third line should state “Student Technician in Training.” Students must purchase badge (pin) from OCARC on Park & 8th Street in Orange. Name tags must be worn at all times while at clinical site. Along with the name tag students must have a plastic lapel badge card holder that their campus wide photo ID can be put in. Lapel badges can be acquired at the campus bookstore.
  4. All students are to bathe and use deodorant prior to coming to clinical each day. Do not wear scented powders or perfume.
  5. All students are to wear clean newly laundered wrinkle-free uniforms to clinical each day. If a student has only one uniform, it is mandatory that they wash it before each clinical assignment.
  6. Standard and functional all white duty-style shoes or low-cut white tennis shoes are to be worn. No Crocs, Converse and Vans shoes.
  7. Neutral color underclothes, hose, or white socks are to be worn.
  8. Fingernails are without polish and no longer than the fingertip. No artificial nails are allowed. No fingernail jewelry/rhinestones are allowed.
  9. Hair is worn off the collar (for males and females). Items used to keep the hair off the collar should be made of cloth or ribbon. Hair dyes and coloration of hair must be of natural colors. (I.e. Black, blonde, brunette, and auburn. NOT purple, pink, blue, bright red, bright yellow, or green, etc.)
  10. Only a watch, plain ring without stones, and one pair of small pearl, silver or gold colored studs (if ears are pierced) one in each lower lobe of the ear may be worn while in uniform. No other visible earring or body rings are appropriate. (I.e. pierced tongues, lips, eyebrows, nose, and any other appendage that is visible to the general public.)
  11. Cosmetics must be used moderately and attractively applied.
  12. False eyelashes can be worn moderately and attractively. Instructor has the right to determine if such eyelashes are appropriate for clinical.
  13. Sideburns, mustaches, and beards are acceptable on campus, but may be inappropriate in certain clinical facility. Students are to meet the standard of the facility.
  14. Before going to the clinical facility, the student must provide the clinical instructor by the announced deadline with proof of complete uniform purchase, negative Tuberculin Skin Test or Chest X-ray, negative drug screen and final approval from the Texas State Board of Pharmacy. No late information will be accepted.
  15. Tattoos that are visible to the public will require some type of cover.
  16. Student should not smell of smoke while in uniform.
 
Students are to adhere to the uniform policy. Faculty has the right to send a student home that comes to experiential pharmacy experiences without complying with the uniform regulations. This will result in a clinical absence. Excessive clinical absences will result in the student not meeting the required program objectives and possible failure of the clinical course.
 
Clinical Rules and Guidelines:
  1. No cell phones or smart watch are allowed to be on, while at clinical sites.
  2. No children or visitors allowed at clinical sites.To promote the safety and security of faculty, students, and clients LSCO has a zero-tolerance policy regarding visitors on the days of clinicals at our clinical host facilities, before, during, and after the scheduled clinical day.

    No visitors (friends, family, guardians) are allowed before, during, nor after clinical hours on the property of the clinical host facility.

    The clinical instructor will NOT be approached by friends, family, nor guardian of the student on the property of our clinical host facility. In the event that a student's friends, family, or guardian need to speak to the clinical instructor, they may schedule an appointment via email for a date and time away from the property of our clinical host facility. ALL meetings and scheduled appointments will occur at the Lamar State College Orange campus during regular business hours OR, for Dual Credit students, at the High School with the High School Counselor during regular school hours. 

  3. No eating or smoking is allowed in the clinical sites.
  4. No profanity, littering, or talk of personal medications during clinical sites.
  5. Students are responsible for their own transportation to the assigned site. Students must arrive on time and attend clinical on the days scheduled for clinical. Students may not switch or change clinical days. There are no make-up clinical days. The final clinical assignment decision is by the program director.
  6. Absolutely NO backpacks, purses and or lunch bags are allowed in the clinical pharmacy site. Any student who disregards this rule will have a counseling note documented and placed in their permanent file or possible dismissal from program.
 
Clinical Sites
  1. American Society of Health System Pharmacist accreditation standards state; 3.3.d. Students’ experiential activities should be performed in at least two different types of contemporary pharmacy settings, one of which must be a dispensing pharmacy (e.g., hospital, community). - See more at: http://www.ashp.org/menu/Technicians/Technician-Accreditation/Accreditation-Standards-for-Pharmacy-Technician-Education.aspx#sthash.PFe5J1wr.dpuf
  2. No preferences or special considerations will be given as to location of the clinical site. Students may not request a certain city or pharmacy. Instructors will place students according to his/her determination. Students will be responsible for their own transportation to their clinical site. The clinical day is an eight-hour experiential/practical experience twice weekly from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm excluding a 30-minute lunch break.
 
 
 
 
Qualifications for Training Program Applicants:
The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) recommends students in pharmacy technology programs “should have demonstrated abilities as evidenced by successful completion of relevant high school courses or other appropriate educational programs or have acceptable grades on written entrance examination. These abilities and knowledge include general basic chemistry, arithmetic, basic algebra, reading, and writing. Other requirements are: adequate command of the English language: ability to acquire skill in the use of pharmaceutical apparatus, instruments, and equipment: ability to follow oral and written instructions with accuracy, precision, and dependability: and ability to distinguish routine functions from those requiring a pharmacist’s judgment”.
 
Upon registration for classes, LSCO students are automatically charged $14 per semester credit hour for access to all required textbooks, lab manuals, lab codes, and electronic books on the first day of class through the Gator Book Pack. Information about the LSCO Gator Book Pack as well as responses to common FAQs can be found on LSCO's webpage. ALL STUDENTS WILL HAVE UNTIL THE SECOND DAY OF THE SEMESTER TO OPT-OUT OF THE GATOR BOOK PACK.

Every student MUST have access to the required textbooks by the week of class. The student will be responsible for all assignments given. Failure to have a text may result in being dropped from the class. Failure to follow instructions (written or oral) will result in penalties.


Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs)

Upon successful completion of this course, students will acquire the following course learning outcomes:

Core Objectives

Student Learning Outcomes:
Course- and Program-Level		 Course Activities and Associated
Unit-Level Student Learning Outcomes:
As outlined in the learning plan, apply the theory, concepts, and skills involving specialized materials, tools, equipment, procedures, regulations, laws, and interactions within and among political, economic, environmental, social, and legal systems associated with the occupation and the business/industry Rotation at retail pharmacy-student will follow checklist. Evaluation will be completed by preceptor at the end of rotation.
Will demonstrate legal and ethical behavior, safety practices, interpersonal and teamwork skills, and appropriate written and verbal communication skills using the terminology of the occupation and the business/industry. Rotation at retail pharmacy-student will follow checklist. Evaluation will be completed by preceptor at the end of rotation. 




Course Topical Outline

Each student will complete a total of 160 hours of clinical practice in their assigned pharmacy site.

• October 23 to December 5
** THANKSGIVING BREAK - NOVEMBER 22 - NOVEMBER 24 - NO CLINICAL **
• Monday - 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM (30-minute lunch break)
• Tuesday - 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM (30-minute lunch break)
• Wednesday - 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM (30-minute lunch break)
 




Major Assignments Schedule

See Course Calendar on Blackboard


Final Exam Date

December 6, 2023 - 10:00 AM   Through  December 6, 2023 - 11:00 AM


COURSE POLICIES

Academic Honesty

Faculty who suspect violation of academic honesty, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, or abuse of resource materials may assign an academic penalty. Students must be notified of their right to appeal before the academic penalty is imposed.

Students subject to penalty due to academic honesty have the right to appeal the decision. Refer to the current LSCO Catalog for details on the appeal process.



Electronic Communication

LSCO students are required to use either their LSCO Blackboard account or their LSCO email account (Office 365 / Microsoft Outlook) for all electronic communication. In order to ensure the privacy and identity of the student communicating via electronic methods, LSCO faculty will direct students to use their LSCO email accounts rather than personal accounts. If a student has trouble accessing their LSCO email account, they should contact the LSCO Help Desk at (409) 882-3033 or helpdesk@lsco.edu.




Attendance Requirements

Federal regulations require students who receive financial aid to have begun "attending" and participate substantially in each course for which they are enrolled on or before the official census reporting date outlined on the LSCO Academic Calendar. Students documented as "not attending" a course upon the census date are assumed (for financial aid purposes) to have not begun attendance for that course, negatively affecting their financial aid eligibility and disbursement.

Attendance in an ONLINE course is verified by substantial participation in the course on or before the census date published in the LSCO Academic Calendar. Substantial participation in this online course is defined as logging in and completing/participating in at least one requirement of the course. Note: Simply logging in to your online course does not constitute attendance.

Hybrid classes are a mix of face-to-face and online environments. Students will be expected to attend a certain number of classes as required by the instructor. (Include the policy on absences and tardiness.) In addition to classroom attendance, your weekly active participation in the online component (Blackboard and/or homework software) will be considered and expected.

In order to meet the clinical objectives and to maintain the maximum experience from the clinical rotations provided, it is mandatory for students to have consistent and punctual attendance. Clinical experiences may be composed of community, independent, compounding and institutional pharmacy opportunities as well as service learning, simulation, conferences, seminars and presentations.

During all clinical experiences’ students are required to wear the approved LSCO uniform, be prepared, participate in clinical until scheduled dismissal time, and adhere to the following clinical guidelines:


1. Consistent and punctual attendance on all clinical days is mandatory. Absences or tardiness from clinical will not be tolerated. No absences will be allowed.

2. If an absence does occur the student’s status in the program will be reviewed by the Pharmacy Technology Program Standards Committee.

3. If an absence or tardy from clinical is unavoidable, the student must notify the clinical site preceptor and your clinical instructor by phone call prior to the beginning of the clinical day.

4. Failure to notify the faculty will be considered as “no-call/no-show” and will result in immediate review by the Standards Committee.

5. Late arrival to clinical is disruptive. You are expected to be in the pharmacy and be ready to begin your clinical experience upon arrival. Being on the premises and somewhere other than your assigned pharmacy does not constitute as “being on time”. A student who is late by 15 minutes or more will be considered officially tardy. The first offence will result in the student being counseled by the clinical instructor.


• Definition of an absence:

1. Students who arrive 15 minutes beyond assigned clinical time on two occasions will be sent home and an absence will be issued.

2. Students who have not met the clinical requirements and/or who are not in the approved LSC-O Pharmacy Technology uniform cannot attend the clinical pharmacy site. Student will be sent home and will receive a clinical absence.

3. Students who do not attend the entire clinical day will be considered absent. (leaving early)

4. Students on campus but not in clinical are considered absent.

5. Students who acquired two (2) clinical experience absences during a semester will result in possible dismissal from the program. The student will only be allowed to continue in the program with the unanimous approval from the Standards Committee.



American Society of Health System Pharmacist (ASHP) accreditation standards requires documentation regarding minimum class and clinical hours for graduation. Should a student be unable to maintain these expectations or stated program requirements, dismissal from the program may occur.
 


Make-up Work Policy

Daily Assignments, Discussion Questions and Quizzes: All assignments are to be turned in on the assigned day. No late work will be accepted.


Classroom Etiquette


Exam Policy

All exams are to be taken online using Blackboard. Each test is timed; therefore, you must submit the exam prior to the time running out. If you fail to take the exam by the due date, NO make-up test will be scheduled. 


Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Students should use AI technology responsibly and ethically. This includes refraining from using AI to engage in harmful or unethical activities, such as generating false information, spreading misinformation, or engaging in malicious behaviors. The use of AI should align with the principles of academic integrity, honesty, and respect for others. Students are responsible for adhering to LSCO's Academic Honesty policy found in the Student Handbook. LSCO's full AI policy can be found at AI Policy | Lamar State College Orange (lsco.edu)


Expected Time Requirement for this Course

For every hour in class (or unit of credit) taught in a 16-week session, students should expect to spend at least two to three hours per week studying and completing assignments. Example: For a 3-credit hour class taught in a 16-week session, students should prepare to allocate approximately 6 to 9 hours per week outside of class studying and completing assignments. For a 3-credit hour taught in a 10-week summer session, students should prepare to allocate approximately 10 to 15 hours per week outside of class studying and completing assignments. For a 3-credit hour taught in an 8-week session, students should prepare to allocate approximately 12 to 18 hours per week outside of class studying and completing assignments. For a 3-credit hour taught in a 5-week summer session, students should prepare to allocate approximately 20 to 29 hours per week outside of class studying and completing assignments.


Grading and Evaluation Method

1. The clinical evaluation is determined by satisfactory (S) or unsatisfactory (U) performance. If a student is unsatisfactory (U) by the end of the semester, he/she cannot progress to the next level of the pharmacy courses.
2. A formal mid-term and final evaluation will be conducted by the clinical instructor with each assigned student, summarizing the student’s clinical performance and discussing strengths and areas for improvement. If the student receives a Needs Improvement or Pending for the mid-term evaluation, appropriate interventions for remediation will be initiated.


Rating Code:

Midterm Practicum Rating Code:

Adequate – Satisfactory in meeting the duties and skills.
Needs Improvement – Meeting the duties and skills but needs improvement.
Pending – Has not been shown the complete duties or skills

Final Practicum Rating Code:

Satisfactory – Fulfilling the duties and skills
Unsatisfactory – Not fulfilling the duties and skills


1. In addition to clinical performance, you will be required to complete a weekly discussion post, final site evaluation and a skills assessment. A final grade of satisfactory (S) will be awarded for grades above 75. A final grade of unsatisfactory (U) will be awarded for grades below 75.
2. Students must complete all validations before going to their site.
 

Instructor Response Time

The instructor will respond to emails within 24 hours, excluding weekends and holidays. On weekends and holidays, the instructor will respond to emails from students within 24 hours of the first business day following the weekend or holiday.


Participation Requirements

Weekly participation and engagement in the courses are critical for student success. Assignments should be completed by the due date. Students should also refer to the instructor’s attendance policy for additional information. (See LSCO Student Handbook, Class Attendance.)


Review of Test Grades

 If the student has an issue with his/her grade, the instructor must be contacted no later than three (3) days after receiving the grade. 


Student's Responsibility

This syllabus contains information, policies, and procedures for a specific course. By enrolling, the student agrees to read, understand, and abide by the rules, policies, regulations, and ethical standards of Lamar State College Orange as those contained in the current LSCO Catalog and schedule of classes.


Syllabus Content

The instructor reserves the right to make changes to this syllabus if deemed necessary. All changes will be provided to the students orally or in writing before the implementation of the change.


Textbook and Required Materials Access

Every student MUST have access to the required textbooks by the second week of class. The student will be responsible for all assignments given. Failure to have a text may result in being dropped from the class. Failure to follow instructions (written or oral) will result in penalties.


STUDENT SUPPORT RESOURCES

Mental Health Resources

TimelyCare is a virtual health and well-being platform that is available 24/7 for all non-dual credit enrolled LSCO students. There is no cost to eligible students for this service. TimelyCare’s providers offer emotional support, mental health counseling, health coaching, psychiatry, and basic needs support. Non-Dual Credit students enrolled in classes can log in to the TimelyCare website or app available at timelycare.com/LSCO.


Advocacy Information

Any student who faces challenges securing their food or housing and believes this may affect their performance in the course is encouraged to contact the advising office for guidance on how to identify possible resources. Please notify the instructor of your circumstance if you are comfortable doing so.


Affirmative Action

LSCO is an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution which provides educational and employment opportunities on the basis of merit and without discrimination or harassment in full compliance with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 503,504); Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972; the Vietnam Era Veterans Assistance Act of 1974; Article 522lk V.A.C.S.; and Executive Orders 11246 and 11758.


Title IX of the Education Amendments

LSCO prohibits discrimination, including sexual harassment and retaliation, against any student on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability, or any other basis prohibited by law. Any student who believes that he or she has experienced prohibited conduct or believes that another student has experienced prohibited conduct should immediately report the alleged acts to the Title IX Coordinator, Patty Collins, at patty.collins@lsco.edu.


Blackboard Resources

LSCO students will access Blackboard through the MyGator portal. Login credentials will use the following format: username@my.lsco.edu and Password. For help in identifying your Username/Password, visit https://www2.lsco.edu/sspr/.

Blackboard student resource videos and help-sites are available at https://www.lsco.edu/distanceed/blackboard-student.asp.


Career Coach

Lamar State College Orange provides career advising services to all students and alumni through Career Coach, an online career planning tool. Career Coach assists students through all phases of developing, initiating, and implementing career plans.

Information regarding employment opportunities and career options are provided along with access to live local job postings. Full-time and part-time employment opportunities, as well as internships, are available through Career Coach. Visit https://www.lsco.edu/advising/career-planning.asp for more details on how to use LSCO's Career Coach to plan for and learn more about your future career.


Gator Assistance Services

Lamar State College Orange provides currently enrolled technical students support for daycare costs as well as other services.

Visit https://www.lsco.edu/advising/gator-assistance.asp for details on assistance services.


Gator Success Center

Students are encouraged to make an appointment or walk in to receive tutoring, support services, or access to an open computer lab. Face-to-face and online supplemental instruction sessions are available to help students through any LSCO course. Reach out to learning.center@lsco.edu for more information on how students can receive academic support.


Library Services

Students are encouraged to visit library.lsco.edu to find the library's current operating hours, access the catalog to locate print materials, and access GatorSearch to explore the vast electronic collection. The library provides over 77 electronic database collections that include eBooks, newspapers, magazines, academic journals, and streaming video. The physical library contains a specialized collection of research materials specifically chosen to support the degrees and courses offered. Additionally, Students with research questions or questions about library services are encouraged visit the library in person, call 409-882-3352, access the chat on the library webpage, or to email their question to lscolibrary@lsco.edu.


Student with Disabilities

Under the Texas State System, Lamar State College Orange complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, pertaining to the provision of reasonable academic adjustments/auxiliary aids for students with disability. We strive to provide reasonable academic adjustments/auxiliary aids to students who request and require them.

Students who believe they have a disability requiring an academic adjustment/auxiliary aid are encouraged to contact the Special Populations Advisor at (409) 882-3393 or visiting the Advising Office located on the first floor of the Ron Lewis Library Building (RLB) room 113. Students are encouraged to apply before the start of the semester when at all possible. The Accommodation Request Form and details regarding the appropriate documentation needed can be found here: https://www.lsco.edu/advising/disability.asp. Once approved, the signed accommodation form provided by the Special Populations Advisor must be submitted to the instructor at least two business days in advance of need.


Upswing 24/7 FREE Tutoring Services

Lamar State College Orange provides currently enrolled students with access to online tutoring through a partnership with Upswing, an online tutoring platform. Tutors are available 24/7 online in almost every subject.

Visit https://www.lsco.edu/tutoring/online-tutoring.asp for details on how to log-in to the FREE services.


INSTITUTIONAL POLICIES

Campus Closure

In the event of an emergency campus closure in excess of three class days, Lamar State College Orange's classes will continue via the use of Blackboard. In such an instance, the college website, www.lsco.edu, will have information concerning the event and anticipated re-opening plans.


Civility

Please be considerate of other classmates' feelings, ethnic background, cultural differences, situations, and level of maturity. Students will be asked to leave the course if disruptive or inappropriate behavior is exhibited in any of the course requirements. If your instructor feels that you have not contributed appropriately to course requirements, your final course grade may be reduced accordingly.

The instructor reserves the right to manage a positive learning environment and will not tolerate inappropriate conduct in the course. Rude correspondence (discourteous or impolite, especially in a deliberate way) in e-mails, telephone calls, in person, or comments made to other class members, the instructor, or the office staff.


Contingency Plans

Students should develop a backup plan should their computer system or their Internet provider fail. Computer or internet connectivity issues are not valid excuses for missing a deadline. The College provides many opportunities for using computer equipment, as do many public libraries. Refer to the LSCO website for operational hours of the Library and Success Center.


COVID Notification Policy

Students who have been diagnosed with COVID 19 are required to report their condition to their instructor and to the College via the COVID Notification Form. Guidance on how to proceed will be delivered to the student's email after completing the required notification form.


Credit Transfer

Students should check in advance with the institution to which they plan to transfer credit to confirm transferability.


Criminal Background Policy

LSCO awards some certificates and degrees in which a criminal history MAY disqualify candidates from becoming licensed, certified, and/or employed upon degree/certificate completion. Students with a criminal background enrolling in courses leading to a degree/certificate in Criminal Justice, Cosmetology, Emergency Medical Technology, Massage Therapy, Medical Assisting, Vocational Nursing (VN), Registered Nursing (RN), Pharmacy Technician, Real Estate, or Teacher Preparation program are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to discuss the certification and/or licensing regulations of the program with the program director listed in order to learn more about the current guidelines related to criminal history as well as the right of individuals to request a criminal history evaluation letter.


Drops and Withdrawals

Never attending or ceasing to attend classes DOES NOT constitute a drop or withdrawal. You remain registered until you request a drop from the instructor. Failure to act in a timely manner will result in an "F" grade for the course. It is the student's responsibility to follow up with the LSCO advising office to ensure that all drops/withdrawals are processed as desired.


Grade of "Incomplete"

The grade of "I" may be given when any requirement of the course, including the final examination, is not completed. Students seeking an incomplete should have completed 75% of the course requirements and be passing the course at the time of the request. Arrangements to complete deficiencies in a course should be made in advance of the end of the semester with the instructor. The instructor will process the Incomplete form online, and a confirmation will be sent to the student's LSCO email.

Incomplete work must be finished during the next long semester. If not, the Office of Admission and Records must change the "I" grade to the grade of "F." The course must then be repeated if credit is desired. An "I" grade also automatically becomes an "F" if the student registers for the course prior to removing the deficiencies and receiving a grade change. The instructor may record the grade of "F" for a student who is absent from the final examination and is not passing the course.


Grade Appeals and the Academic Grievance Process

Grade determination and awarding of grades in a course are the responsibility of the instructor and should be calculated according to college policy, procedures, and written details provided in the course syllabus. NOTE: Final grades are available to students within 48 hours of the instructor posting the grade in Banner. Students may view final grades by logging into MyGator and then accessing Gator Self-Service.

An academic appeal process is afforded to students who desire to dispute a grade or any decision that affects the student's ability to complete and earn a grade for the course provided it is not related to a violation outlined in the LSCO Student Code of Conduct. If an informal conference with the faculty member regarding an academic complaint fails to reach the outcome requested by the student, the student may initiate the formal process outlined below. Even after initiating the formal complaint process, students are encouraged to seek informal resolution of their concerns. A student whose concerns are resolved may withdraw a formal complaint at any time.

Refer to the current catalog or for details on the formal grade appeal process.


Institutional Educational Goals

Lamar State College Orange has identified seven educational goals to specify the knowledge and skills that students should gain from completing academic and technical programs with the College. These goals are:

  1. Critical thinking (General Education, Technical) - Students will be able to demonstrate creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, analysis, evaluation, and synthesis of information.
  2. Communication (General Education, Technical) - Students will be able to effectively develop, interpret and express of ideas through written, oral and visual communication.
  3. Empirical and quantitative skills (General Education, Technical) - Students will be able to manipulate and analyze numerical data or observable facts and create informed conclusions.
  4. Teamwork (General Education, Technical) - Students will be able to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal.
  5. Social responsibility (General Education, Technical) - Students will be able to recognize and acquire a sense of intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national and global communities.
  6. Personal responsibility (General Education, Technical) - Students will be able to connect choices, actions, and consequences to ethical decision-making.
  7. Professional competency (Technical) - Students will be able to recognize or demonstrate skills and that depict professional values and employability. If the career has licensure or certification requirements, students may prepare for the licensure and certification in a capstone course and sit for the licensure or certificate at the end of the program.

MyGator and Log-In Credentials

Current students will access many LSCO applications through the MyGator portal. Login credentials will use the following format: username@my.lsco.edu/Password. For help in identifying your username/Password, visit https://www2.lsco.edu/sspr/.

It is a violation of College policy, state laws, and federal laws for anyone to gain or help others gain unauthorized access to MyGator or any LSCO application or service. All accounts shall be for use by a single individual - the person for whom the account was approved or assigned. This includes Blackboard accounts as well as any application within MyGator. Sharing or loaning accounts is strictly prohibited, can be construed as a form of cheating, and violates College policy, state laws, and federal laws.


Policies and Procedures

LSCO adheres to the policies and procedures established in the Texas Education Code, Texas State University System Rules and Regulations, LSCO Faculty Handbook, LSCO Student Handbook, and LSCO Catalog.


Prohibited Items in the Classroom

No food or tobacco products are allowed in the classroom. Only students enrolled in the course are allowed in the classroom, except by special instructor permission. It is inappropriate for minor children to be on campus due to the potential liability to the College, the risk of harm to the children, and decreased employee productivity due to distractions and disruptions.


Student Privacy

The privacy of all students, including Distance Education students, is protected through strict adherence to the rules of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act. LSCO's statement regarding the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act can be found in LSCO's Student Handbook, page 70. Additional information regarding privacy for Distance Education students can be found in the Distance Education Handbook, appendix D.