Glossary
- There are so many new terms and concepts to get used to when starting college. Where can I get a list of these?
- Academic Counselor
- A professional staff member available to help with the planning and scheduling of appropriate classes.
- ACE Center
- The Academic and Career Enhancement (ACE) Center is a tutoring center with an attached computer lab.
- ACT
- A national test used for counseling and sometimes as admission criteria for specific programs. SCC is a national test center.
- Assessment Test
- SCC’s way of measuring a student’s ability in English, math and reading. The assessment is required for all first-time students taking more than 5 credit hours.
- Associate of Arts Degree
- A two-year degree designed to transfer, fulfill general education requirements and meet the first half of bachelor's degree requirements.
- Associate of Applied Science
- Career program. The primary purpose of curriculum leading to an A.A.S. is immediate employment. The requirements for this degree include appropriate coursework to prepare students to enter the job market upon completion.
- Associate of Science
- A degree offered for specific majors that are science related. May offer skills to be used in employment after completion, but may also be used for the purpose of transferring to earn a bachelor’s degree.
- Catalog
- The primary resource in guiding you through the programs, services, and policies of St. Charles Community College. The online catalog will be updated near the start of each academic term.
- Certificate
- A short term program of study. It can be earned by itself or the credits can generally be applied to a degree if the student takes additional courses.
- CLEP
- College Level Examination Program. A college credit by examination program.
- Co-requisite
- A requirement you must be meeting while you are taking a specific course.
- Course Description
- A short description of course content, including course prerequisites and co-requisites. Each course description includes the departmental abbreviation, a corresponding three digit number (example, Introduction to Psychology is PSY 101) and the number of credit hours assigned to the course.
- Course Load
- Number of credit hours in which a student is enrolled in an academic term.
- Credit Hour
- One unit of course work equivalent to 15 contact hours of classroom instruction. A typical college course is equivalent to 3 credit hours.
- Curriculum
- A required group of courses that comprise a specific program of study.
- Department
- A subdivision of a school or college that deals with a specified area(s) of study (i.e. music).
- Developmental Courses
- Courses that help prepare students for successful completion of college-level coursework – any course below the 100 level.
- Drop
- The process of withdrawing from one or more classes after initial registration.
- Elective
- Any course in the curriculum you wish to take AND for which you have met the prerequisite(s). An academic counselor will assist you in determining if this course counts towards your degree.
- Fees
- A few courses/programs have additional fees.
- Finals
- Key examinations offered during the final week of a given semester or term. Finals usually weigh heavily in course grade determination.
- Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
- The application required for students to be considered for federal student financial aid.
- Freshman
- Any SCC student who has completed fewer than 28 credit hours.
- General Education
- A component of the degree program that gives students an opportunity to explore areas outside of their majors.
- Grade Point Average
- A cumulative GPA is a calculation on all non-developmental course work taken at SCC recorded on the student record and based on a 4.0 average (GPA) scale (i.e. A=4.0, B=3.0, C=2.0, etc.). The semester GPA is a calculation of all non-developmental coursework taken in a semester.
- Grants
- Awarded through the Enrollment Services Department, grants give qualifying students money for school that doesn’t have to be paid back.
- Major
- The subject of study in which a student chooses to specialize; a series of related courses, taken primarily at the transfer institution.
- Midterms
- Progress reports issued to students who are receiving either a 'D' or 'F' at the midpoint of the semester. Grades are mailed or can be accessed via SCC Connection.
- Minor
- A smaller subject of specialization, completed at the transfer institution. (Approximately 20 credit hours).
- Open Admissions
- The admissions policy of SCC! We admit virtually all high school graduates, regardless of academic qualifications such as high school grades and placement test scores.
- Prerequisite
- A requirement which must be met before enrollment in a related course.
- Probation (Academic)
- A student is placed on academic probation the second time his/her grade point average falls below satisfactory academic progress.
- Registrar
- Keeper of official student records.
- Registration
- A process by which students formally enroll in classes for the next term.
- Residency Requirements
- The number of credits that must be completed at SCC for graduation (15 hours are required).
- Scholarships
- Awards to students based on merit or merit plus need, which do not need to be repaid.
- Semester
- A college term consisting of 16 weeks of class sessions in the fall or spring. The summer semesters are usually an eight-week session.
- Sophomore
- Any SCC student who has completed 28 credit hours or more.
- Student Aid Report (SAR)
- Information received after your FAFSA has been processed. It reports the information you provided on the application and is the criteria used to determine eligibility for financial aid.
- Suspension (Academic)
- A student is placed on academic suspension when his/her cumulative grade point average falls below satisfactory academic progress for the third time. The student will not be allowed to register for classes for the semester after being placed on suspension.
- Syllabus
- A detailed course outline often including instructor expectations for student attendance, assignments, and grading.
- Transcripts
- Official record of all coursework. May be obtained from the Enrollment Service's Office.
- Tuition
- An amount of money charged to a student for each course credit hour.
- Warning (Academic)
- A student is placed on academic warning when his/her cumulative grade point average falls below satisfactory academic progress for the first time.
- Withdraw
- A way to “drop” a course after the semester starts. Class must be dropped by a specific deadline. A grade of “W” is recorded for that class and there is no effect on grade point average.
Office Hours
Monday-Thursday
8 a.m.-7 p.m.
Friday
9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Office Location
Enrollment Services
Administration Building, Room 1204
Office Phone Number
636-922-8241 or 636-922-8246
Make an appointment with an advisor.
- Academics
- Academic Calendar
- Academic Departments
- Course Descriptions
- Class Schedules
- Credit Programs
- College Catalog
- Degrees and Certificates
- Non-Credit Courses
- Online / Distance Learning
- Student Resources
- Workforce Training
