Active Pursuit Standard

The following recommendations regarding an Active Pursuit Standard are to be implemented in individual courses and the Illinois Valley Community College catalog for the 2024-2025 Academic Year:

  • Instructors or departments should develop an Active Pursuit Standard for each course.
  • Instructors are encouraged to determine what qualifies as active pursuit in their individual courses. It is recommended that the standard is based on the personal pedagogy of the instructor and the nature and guidelines of the specific course (see examples in the FAQ Below).
  • Instructors should establish their standard at the beginning of the semester. The Standard should be included in the course syllabus and we recommend it be discussed orally when possible.
  • As required, the Active Pursuit Standard and what students should expect are published in the college catalog and student handbook.
  • Students should be educated that if they are marked as not attending at 10th day, they will be dropped from the course(s) and refunded.
  • Students should be educated that if they are not actively pursuing, as defined in the syllabus, the course(s) at Midterm, they will be withdrawn from the course(s). This could have serious financial aid, scholarship, & athletic or international student eligibility implications.

Dates and Procedures for Faculty

10th Day and Midterm Certification Dates 2024-2025

IVCC Self Service 10th Day, Midterm, and Final Grading Procedures for Faculty

REMINDER ON TITLE IV FEDERAL REGULATIONS

Federal regulations require colleges that receive Title IV funding have a procedure in place to know whether a student has begun attendance in all classes (10th Day Verification). For federal purposes, a student is considered to have begun class if they have attended at least one day of class prior to disbursal of Title IV aid. To meet this requirement, Illinois Valley Community College has the following process in place that will be done each semester for every class:

  • Prior to the 12.5% completion point for each class (the refund deadline), faculty will receive email reminders as to when the 10th Day Verification process is to begin. This email will also include deadlines for completing 10th Day Verification. Deans will be notified of any roster(s) that are not verified by the deadline.
  • For an online or blended/hybrid class without a face-to-face meeting before the 12.5% point, it is recommended to have one assignment (homework, discussion board posting, quiz, etc.) collected before the 12.5% point of the course.

Further, federal regulations require colleges that receive Title IV funding to have a procedure in place to comply with the Return of Title IV funds for students who don’t complete at least 60% of their course work during a semester in which they are subject to the calculation.

  • For students who receive a final grade of an “F” or “W”, the date of last attendance will be input as part of the final grade submission procedure. If marked not actively pursuing at Midterm, the “W” will be already entered and verified.

Midterm Certification

  • Certification by instructors of students actively pursuing at midterm of a course is the basis for determining the credit hour portion of the base operating grant funds distributed to the colleges of the Community College System. Accurate grade certification is critical to ensuring IVCC has the means for receiving grant allocations for all eligible enrollments through accurate reporting.
  • Prior to the midterm completion point for each class, faculty will receive email reminders as to when the Midterm Certification process is to begin. This email will also include deadlines for completing Midterm Certification. Deans will be notified of any roster(s) that are not certified by the deadline.

Faculty will report students as A=Attending or W= Not Attending in Self Service under the Grading tab.  Students reported as W= Not Attending will be withdrawn from the course by the Records Office.

BENEFITS

The implementation of a uniform Active Pursuit Standard will provide several benefits to countless parties in the Illinois Valley Community College community namely students, faculty and staff, and the institution.

Students

  • Uniformity
  • Consistency in Academic Advising/Counseling

Faculty

  • Diversity and instructional freedom
  • Student Retention
  • Clearer communication between faculty, students and administration

Institutional

  • Enrollment
  • State Compliance
  • Federal Compliance

FREQUENLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. Why do I have to complete Midterm Certification?

Midterm Certification is a process mandated by the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB). ICCB requires all Community Colleges verify that a student is actively pursuing a course in order to be eligible for state funding. Therefore, Midterm Certification provides ICCB with an accurate and honest set of enrollment data. Because of these compliance issues, students whose last date of attendance predates Midterm Certification should not be included on end-of-term rosters.  

2. How do we define actively pursuing a course?

Currently, the college does not have a clear standard, which leads to several concerns such as student confusion, lack of standard practice, and most grimly, the possibility of sanctions placed on Illinois Valley Community College by ICCB or by the Department of Education. The severity of sanctions can range from a letter to the President of the College, to fines, to suspension of participating in Federal Title IV Financial Aid.

The following samples suggest methods instructors may employ when determining a suitable active pursuit standard for their courses.

The delivery method of the course may inform which method is most appropriate for that course. 

Based on Course Attendance

“Active pursuit” is defined in this course as the attendance of a minimum of 80% of the class meetings over first half of the semester. If you do not attend the minimum amount of meetings by the date of the midterm, the instructor will administratively withdraw you from the course.

Based on Coursework Completed

“Active pursuit” is defined in this course as the completion of a minimum of five assignments during the first half of the semester. If you do not complete the minimum amount of assignments by the date of the midterm, the instructor will administratively withdraw you from the course.

Based on Completion of Key Assignments

“Active pursuit” is defined in this course as the completion of the Midterm Examination in the class period designated in the course syllabus. If you do not complete the Midterm on the date that it is assigned, the instructor will administratively withdraw you from the course.

Based on External Requirements (such as IAI)

Due to IAI requirements, “active pursuit” is defined in this SPH1001 course as the completion and delivery of the Informative Presentation Assignment in the class periods designated in our syllabus. If you do not complete this assignment on the date that is set aside for you, the instructor will administratively withdraw you from SPH1001 at the midterm.

3. I am teaching a course that is online, how could I count attendance?

​We suggest that instructors use one of the following to count attendance: visiting you in person, emailing you from their student account, completing an assignment, or possibly opening a specific document in your course. Note: there is a “last accessed” date in Brightspace/D2L at the course level under Progress Summary.

​4. How does Active Pursuit work in concert with Final Grading?

​If the student receives a final grade of an F, the date of last attendance is a required to be input. The date of last attendance is the last date that the student was in class, work was submitted, contact was made with the instructor, or an email was recieved. If this date is before midterm, please contact your dean for advisement. 

​​5. What if a student contacts me explaining they are still interested in completing the course?

This depends on each instructor’s standard.

​If you do decide to keep them in your course, but the student does not attend class after the Midterm Certification date, you may indicate the first class period after Midterm Certification as the student’s last date of attendance.

​​6. What if I accidentally drop/withdraw a student?

​Simple solution. If you accidentally drop/withdraw a student from your class during the 10th day or Midterm Certification Process, email your Dean and the Office of Admissions and Records (admissionsrecords@ivcc.edu) . They will promptly re-enroll the student and, as of time of writing, request to restore their records in D2L.

7. When will this Standard be implemented?

This standard will be implemented in the 2024-2025 Illinois Valley Community College catalog and will take effect in the fall semester of 2024.

8. Should I drop someone because they are failing?

No. Just having an ‘F’ is an insufficient reason to drop someone, even if there is no chance to pass the class at the Midterm Certification point.

​9. What if I believe in students earning an 'F' for failure to complete coursework and/or attend class meetings?

​You have the ability to let the students earn an ‘F’, but only after midterm (week 8 in most classes) because of how ICCB determines the payments made to us by the state for students. On the other side, be aware that dropping/withdrawing a student could have implications to their financial aid because they may drop below the full-time status.

10. How strictly should I follow my active pursuit standard?

​You should follow your standard consistently, but you always reserve the right to make exceptions based on extraordinary circumstances.