| 2+2 Program |
A program offering an associate’s
degree that will transfer directly toward a bachelor degree
in the same field of study. These programs may be within the
same college or between two colleges. |
| Academic
Dismissal/ Suspension |
A student who is dismissed is no
longer matriculated and, in addition, may not register for any
credit courses at the college for one full semester. |
| Academic Probation |
A student will be placed on academic
probation at the end of a semester in which the student’s degree
grade point average falls below that which is required. |
| Academic Renewal |
You may repeat any course one time
in which you receive a ‘D’ or ‘F’ grade and have the higher
grade used to compute your grade point average. You file an
Academic Renewal petition. |
| Academic Standards |
College standards that students
must maintain, such as a certain grade point average, in order
to remain in good standing with the school. |
| Academic Year |
The school year. See calendar. |
| Accredited |
Colleges and schools must meet
specific requirements in academic programs, facilities, etc.
to be certified by accrediting agencies. Usually, colleges
must be accredited for their students to receive financial aid. |
| ACE |
American Council on Education |
| ACE CCRS |
American Council on Education College
Credit Recommendation Service |
| Add/Drop Period |
A period of time before classes
begin when schedule changes are made. A penalty may be charged
for changes made after the start of classes. |
| Admission |
Acceptance into a college after
the student has filed a completed Student Information Form with
the Admissions and Records Office and has been admitted according
to admissions criteria. Students who have been admitted are
eligible to register for courses. |
| Advanced Credit |
Some colleges offer tests for advanced
college credit. Students who receive a high score can earn
credit in specific subject areas. |
| Advanced Placement |
Tests given at the end of an Advanced
Placement course taken in high school. Students with high scores
on these tests can be placed in upper-level college courses
and may receive credit for beginning level courses. |
| Advanced Registration |
A period of time set by most colleges
during with students can register early for classes. See
Registration. |
| Adviser |
A counselor or designated individual
who has been formally trained to assist students with academic
information that will enable them to enroll in the classes related
to their academic goals. |
| Alumni |
People who have graduated from
a school. |
| American College Testing (ACT)
Program |
A company that produces standardized
admissions tests. See Standardized Admissions Tests. |
| AP |
Advanced Placement |
| Application Fee |
A charge to process a student’s
application. |
| Apprenticeship |
A training program, like carpentry
or welding, which results in certified skills for a trade. |
| Articulation Agreement |
An agreement between two schools
that allows course credit to be accepted or transferred and
be applied toward a degree or certificate. This includes
formal agreement between a 2-year institution and a baccalaureate
degree granting institution. These agreements are established
for specific academic programs and assure transfer with junior
standing upon completion of appropriate coursework and achievement
of a minimum grade average. |
| Arts & Sciences |
A grouping of academic studies
that may include fine arts, languages, social sciences, natural
sciences, and humanities. The grouping may be called a division,
college, or school, for example, the School of Arts and Sciences. |
| Assessment |
Assessment is a way of evaluating
students’ present skills in English, reading and math so students
may choose courses that match their skills. Assessment is based
on scores of placement tests. Scores are used as a guide for
proper course placement, which leads to greater success. |
| Associate Degree |
Degree awarded after
a student completes a specified number of course requirements
and credit hours. Types of associate degrees designed for
transfer:
- Associate in Arts Degrees are 60 to 64 semester
credits in length and may be awarded for successful completion
of a liberal arts and sciences curriculum designed to constitute
the first two years of a baccalaureate degree. An AA degree
must include the entire Minnesota Transfer Curriculum
(40 semester credits) which, pursuant to Minnesota Statute
must transfer to any MnSCU university. Students must,
however, be provided proper advising, as they may need to
enroll in specific courses to meet general education and
program major requirements of a four-year institution.
- Associate in Science Degrees are 60 to 64 semester
credits in length and may be awarded for successful completion
of a program designed for transfer to a baccalaureate major
in a related scientific or technical field, or may be designed
for employment. An AS degree must have at least one articulation
agreement between the college awarding the AS degree and
a four-year institution awarding a related baccalaureate
degree. The AS degree must include a minimum of 30 semester
credits in general education. General education must be
selected from at least six of the ten goal areas of the
Minnesota Transfer Curriculum. The AS degree must transfer
pursuant to the terms and conditions of the articulation
agreement, and the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum courses
within the AS degree must transfer to any MnSCU college
or university.
Types of associate degree NOT designed for transfer:
- Associate in Applied Science Degrees are 60 to
72 semester credits in length and may be awarded for successful
completion of a program primarily intended for employment.
Associate in Applied Science Degrees are typically not
designed for transfer and need to be identified as such
in college information. Specific exceptions must be noted
in college information where formal written transfer agreements,
if any, exist. The AAS degree must include a minimum of
25 percent general education credits. General education
classes must be included in the degree from at least three
of the ten goal areas of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum.
The Minnesota Transfer Curriculum courses within the
AAS degree must transfer to any MnSCU college or university.
Several AAS degree programs are articulated with Bachelor
of Applied Science (B.A.S.) degrees. In these cases, the
AAS degree must transfer pursuant to the terms and conditions
of the articulation agreement, and the Minnesota Transfer
Curriculum courses within the A.A.S. Degree must transfer
to any MnSCU college or university.
|
| Audit |
An option for class registration
in which the student pays to attend class but does not want
to receive credit. Students sometimes choose to audit courses
in which they do not wish to complete required assignments. |
| Baccalaureate
or Bachelor’s Degree |
The degree granted by a college
after students have satisfactorily completed a four or five
year, full-time program of required courses, or its part-time
equivalent. |
| Calendar |
How a school divides the academic
year for classes and grading. School years are usually divided
into quarters, semesters, or trimesters. |
| Campus |
The grounds, class buildings, and
residence halls of a school. |
| Career Plan |
A set of steps to be followed over
a period of time to get a desired job. |
| Career/Occupational Programs |
Programs designed to lead directly
to employment or career advancement. |
| Catalog |
A book containing course descriptions
of all courses, major and general education requirements, college
policies, procedures and standards and student rights and responsibilities. |
| CBE |
Competency-Based Education |
| CEEB |
College Entrance Examination Board |
| Certificate |
Certificates are 9 to 30
semester credits in length and may be awarded for successful
completion of a specialized program of study. Certificates
are typically not designed for transfer and need to be identified
as such in college information. Specific exceptions must be
noted in college publications where formal written transfer
agreements, if any, exist. Any Minnesota Transfer Curriculum
courses within a Certificate must transfer to any MnSCU
college or university. |
| Chancellor |
Chief administrator of a college
campus. |
| Class Schedule |
A listing of all of the classes
offered during the semester, along with other useful information
such as how to register, support services, career planning sessions,
etc. |
| Class Section |
A group of students meeting to
study a particular course at a definite time. Sections are
identified by specific section numbers. |
| CLEP |
College Level Examination Board |
| Closed Class |
A limit is placed on the size of
each class section. When this is reached, it is closed to further
enrollment unless a student drops. Check with Registration. |
| Coeducational |
Both men and women being included
in a facility, for instance being able to attend the college
or living in the dormitory. |
| College |
A school offering studies that
lead to an academic degree. A college can be independent or
part of a larger university system. |
| College Orientation |
A session during which new students
are introduced to academic programs, facilities, and services
provided by a college. |
| College Scholarship Service |
This service processes a supplemental
financial aid application called The Profile. Some colleges
and universities require The Profile in addition to other financial
aid forms. |
| College Work-Study Program |
A form of financial aid in which
students earn money by working part time at their college.
Students apply for work-study by filling out the FAFSA. See
Free Application for Federal Student Aid. |
| Commencement |
Graduation ceremony to recognize
students who have completed degree requirements. |
| Community College |
Colleges that offer programs (usually
two years or less) that prepare students for immediate employment,
or for transfer to a four-year college. |
| Commuter Student |
A student who lives at home or
somewhere off campus. |
| Competitive Admission Policy |
An admission policy where a school
only admits students who meet certain requirements. |
| Conditional Admission |
A college may admit students who
have not met all the admission requirements. To remain, these
students must fulfill specified requirements before or during
their enrollment. |
| Consortium |
Arrangement between schools that
enables students who attend one school to go to class and use
resources at another school. |
| Contact Hours |
The total hours of class and lab
required per week in a course. |
| Continuing Education |
The Continuing Education Division
is designed to offer students a viable and flexible alternative
to the traditional full-time college degree. Additionally,
high school refresher classes and a wide variety of special
non-degree vocational, leisure, remedial, and professional courses
are offered through this division of the College. |
| Continuous Enrollment |
The process of registering for
and completing courses during consecutive semesters, which may
include summer sessions. Determines catalog year for graduation. |
| Cooperative Education (Co-op
Education) |
A program in which a student combines
employment and study in a career field. |
| Core Classes |
Classes that all students in a
major program are required to take. |
| Corequisite |
Course which must be taken during
the same semester as the course that specifies the corequisite. |
| Correspondence Course |
A class where students receive
lessons in the mail and send completed assignments to instructors.
Correspondence is an example of independent study. See Independent
Study. |
| Counselor |
A professionally trained staff
member who helps students with educational, career, or personal
concerns. |
| Course |
A specific subject studied within
a limited period of time, such as a semester, and taught by
a faculty member. Also called course offering or class. |
| Course Description |
A course description tells the
student what is taught in the course, what the objectives are,
and what one should be able to do upon completion. It also
describes the required classroom hours, lab hours, clinic or
co-op hours, credit hours, and indicates if a prerequisite/corequisite
is needed. |
| Course Evaluation |
A survey usually given at the end
of a semester. Students give their opinions about the instructor
and the course. |
| Course Fee |
A charge for services, supplies,
and/or materials for a course, in addition to tuition and registration
fees for the course. |
| Course Load Status |
Regardless of matriculation status,
a student who carries 12 or more credits during the Fall or
Spring semester is considered a full-time student. An anything
less than 12 credits is part-time. |
| Course Number |
Numbers assigned to courses to
show their level of difficulty or depth/breadth of study. For
example, 1000 level courses are less difficult or broader in
scope than 2000 level courses. |
| Course Prefix |
A three or four-letter code that
identifies the subject area of a course (e.g., ENG in ENG 1011
indicating a course in English). |
| Course Title |
A phrase descriptive of course
content. For example, the course Psychology 1020 has a course
title of General Psychology. |
| Course Withdrawal |
If a student is unable to complete
a course, for whatever reason, the student must withdraw from
the course or risk receiving a grade of “F” for the course. |
| CPE |
College Proficiency Exam |
| Credentials |
A certificate, diploma, or other
type of evidence that a person has completed specific requirements
determined by a provider. |
| Credit |
The numerical unit earned for the
completion of a specific course. For example, three credits
may be earned for successful completion of Psyc 2310. Registered
Credit- The total number of credits for which a student
is officially enrolled at the end of the registration drop period
each term.Earned Credits- Successfully completed credits,
includes only A, B, C, D, P (used by Financial Aid to calculate
percent of completion).Completed Credit- A, B, C, D,
P, F (eligible for retroactive payment of financial). |
| Credit Transfer |
The acknowledgement by a college
or university of student credit earned at a different institution.
|
| CTC |
Abbreviation for Community and
Technical College. |
| Curriculum |
A planned sequence of courses aimed
at an academic or occupational goal; also referred to as a program
of study. |
| DANTES |
Defense Activity for Non-Traditional
Education Support |
| Dean |
The highest officer of a division,
college, or school, such as Dean of Education. |
| Declare a Major |
Officially tell a college your
major, or area of study. See Major. |
| Deferred Admission |
A college may accept a student
but then allow the student to delay coming to the school for
one year. |
| Degree |
After finishing a program of study
at a college, students receive an academic title, for example,
an Associate of Arts (AA) or a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree.
|
| Department |
A specific area of study in a larger
college of school. For example, French is a department in the
School of Arts and Sciences. |
| Diploma |
Diplomas are 30 to 72 semester
credits in length and may be awarded for successful completion
of a program intended to provide students with employment skills.
Diplomas are typically not designed for transfer and
need to be identified as such in college information. Specific
exceptions must be noted in college publications where formal
written transfer agreements, if any, exist. Any Minnesota
Transfer Curriculum courses within a Diploma must transfer
to any MnSCU college or university. |
| Discipline |
A field of study. See Major. |
| Discussion Section |
Some classes have two types of
meetings. One is when the professor lectures. The other, the
discussion section, is when a small group of students meets
to discuss the lecture. |
| Dismissal |
Students can be dismissed for expelled
for consistently poor grades or breaking rules. |
| Distance Education |
Classes taught over satellite or
local television, through the Internet, by video tape or CD
ROM, and by correspondence. Some may be regularly scheduled;
others may be taken when most convenient for the students schedule.
Describes instruction and learning that occur when the instructor
and learner do not physically meet in the same place or at the
same time. Instructor and learner convey information via technology,
which may include mail, telephone, audiotape, videotape, satellite,
and the Internet-singly or in any combination. |
| Distributive Requirements |
See General Education Requirements. |
| Division |
A group of faculty who teach classes
in related subjects, such as Communication, English, Natural
Science, Mathematics, and Social Science in the General Education
Division. |
| Doctorate |
The highest university degree,
also called a doctorate or doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.). Physicians
receive a Medical Doctorate (M.D.), while lawyers receive a
Juris Doctorate (J.D.). |
| Dorm |
Dormitory. See Residence Hall. |
| Double Major |
Meet requirements for two majors.
See Major. |
| Drop |
Discontinuing a class within the
drop/add period. A drop is not recorded in the student’s transcript. |
| Dual of Concurrent Enrollment |
Some colleges enroll high achieving
high school students in college courses which may fulfill both
high school and college graduation requirements. Students need
the permission from the high school principal or guidance counselor
and admission to a college. |
| Early
Admission |
Students can take the necessary
standardized tests and apply early in their senior year for
admission to some colleges/universities. |
| Elective |
An optional class, instead of required. |
| Emeritus Faculty |
Honored faculty members, usually
retired from teaching. |
| Enroll |
To officially select classes. |
| Equivalency |
A course from one college may be
equivalent or equal to a similar course at another college.
The Transfer Specialist on your campus will be able to evaluate
your credits and give you a course equivalency report. |
| Exemption |
A course requirement which is fulfilled
by passing an exam in the subject. |
| Extracurricular Activities |
Also known as cocurricular. Activities,
clubs, or organizations students may participate in above and
beyond their academic courses. |
