Glossary

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 learning center with an attached computer lab.

ACT

American College Testing Program. A national test used for counseling and sometimes as admission criteria for specific programs. SCC is a national test center.

Add

A way of putting another course on your schedule after initial registration has been completed.

Assessment Test

SCC’s way of measuring a student’s ability in English, math & reading. The assessment is required for all first-time students taking more than five hours.

Associate’s Degree

A two-year degree offered by colleges throughout the country. SCC offers three associate’s degrees: the Associate of Arts (A.A.), Associate of Science (A.S.), and the Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.).

Associate of Arts

Transfer program. The purpose of the Associate of Arts degree program is to provide the first two years of study for those students who plan to pursue a bachelor’s degree.

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 is science related. May offer skills to be used in employment after completion, but may also be used only 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

Similar to a minor but may be earned with a degree or independently of it.

Class Schedule

An outline of courses for a given semester developed by a student with or without the assistance of an academic counselor.

CLEP

College Level Examination Program. A college credit by examination program. For more information about accepted credits, visit the Admissions Office.

Commuter Campus

Students at SCC commute daily to classes. SCC does not offer student housing.

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 individual 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

SCC offers many courses to help prepare students for successful completion of college level coursework. Any course below the 100 level is considered to be developmental.

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 small number of courses/programs have additional fees. Refer to course schedule or SCC catalog for more information.

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 (Pell Grant, Perkins Loan, Stafford Loan, Work-Study). Obtain a FAFSA application from a high school or college for the appropriate year. FAFSA is processed free of charge, and it is used by most state agencies and colleges. Note: Grants do not have to be paid back; loans do!

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 (GPA)

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 course work taken in an individual semester.

Grant

Awarded through the Financial Aid office, grants give qualifying students money for school that doesn’t have to be paid back. (See FAFSA above for more information.)

Major

The subject of study in which a student chooses to specialize; a series of related courses, taken primarily at the transfer institution.

Midterms

Key college examinations usually offered midway through a given semester or term.

Minor

A smaller subject of specialization, also usually completed at the transfer institution. (Approximately 20 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

A certain 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 designated college term consisting of 16 weeks of class sessions in the fall or spring. The summer semester is 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.

TBA

To be arranged. Usually refers to a future determination of class meeting place, time or instructor selection.

Transcripts

Official record of all coursework. May be obtained from the Registrar’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.

Withdrawal

A way to “quit” 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.