Words and phrases you may hear during your college career at SC4.

A.A.: Associate in Arts degree. Students must earn a minimum of 62 credits with a 2.0 GPA or higher and satisfy all competency requirements. In addition, the A.A. degree requires a minimum of 8 credits in each of the following distribution groups - Social Science, Humanities and Science. This degree is designed to transfer to a four-year college/university.

A.A.S.: Associate in Applied Arts & Science degree. Students must earn a minimum of 62 credits with a 2.0 GPA or higher and satisfy all competency requirements. Degrees are available in a wide variety of occupational areas designed to meet the needs of students wishing to complete their formal education at SC4. The A.A.S. degrees are not designed to transfer to four-year colleges/universities, however, depending upon the major area of study and the transfer institution of choice, many of the courses may transfer.

A.B.: Associate in Business degree. Students must earn a minimum of 62 credits with a 2.0 GPA or higher and satisfy all competency requirements. The A.B. degree is designed to prepare students planning to transfer to a four-year college/university in the field of Business.

A.E.: Associate in Engineering degree. Students must earn a minimum of 62 credits with a 2.0 GPA or higher and satisfy all competency requirements. The A.E. degree is designed to prepare students planning to transfer to a four-year college/university in the field of Engineering.

A.G.E.: Associate in General Education degree. Students must earn a minimum of 62 credits with a 2.0 GPA or higher and satisfy all competency requirements. In addition, the A.G.E. degree requires a minimum of 3 credits in each of the following distribution groups - Social Science, Humanities and Science. This degree is not designed to transfer to a four-year college/university.

A.S.: Associate in Science degree. Students must earn a minimum of 62 credits with a 2.0 GPA or higher and satisfy all competency requirements. In addition, the A.S. degree requires a minimum of 8 credits in Social Science and Humanities and 18 credits in the area of Science. This degree is designed to transfer to a four-year college/university.

Ability to Benefit Student: Students who did not graduate from high school or successfully complete the General Education Development (G.E.D.) test may be admitted to SC4 as an Ability to Benefit students. Ability to Benefit students may be eligible for Financial Aid. They will have to take one of the government approved tests and place at a certain level. Contact Financial Aid for additional information.

Academic Level: Indicates the type of courses a student is taking. Students may have an academic level of college credit (CC), training and professional development (NC) or both (BO).

Academic Program: The area of study or “major” a student chooses to follow to earn an associate degree or certificate.

Add/Drop: The process used when a student needs to alter their class schedule after having been registered.

All Day Course: A course that runs all day (ex: 9:00am – 4:00pm).

Afternoon Course: A course that begins between noon and 3:55pm on Monday through Friday.

Apprenticeship: A prescribed learning experience during which an individual who is an “apprentice” learns a trade through several years of on the job training and Related Trade Instruction (RTI). Apprenticeships usually last about four (4) years, in which the apprentice is a full-time employee.

Apprentice Course: A course offered to provide a student the Related Trade Instruction (RTI) required to complete an apprenticeship. In order to enroll in an apprentice course students must have the approval of the apprenticeship coordinator.

Assessment Tests: Tests given to determine the appropriate skill level at which to "place" a student in particular courses. Students are required to take Skills Surveys in reading, writing and mathematics. Appropriate scores on the SAT or ACT examination, or completion of college level English or mathematics courses, may exempt a student from taking an assessment test.

Associate Degree: An academic title conferred by SC4 as an indication of the completion of a prescribed course of study. Students must earn a minimum of 62 credits with an overall GPA of 2.0 or above to receive an Associate degree.

Audit: Registration for and participation in all functions of a college credit course except tests and other graded assignments. Students wishing to audit must designate at the time of registration or by the end of the Drop/Add period. Neither a grade nor credit will be earned for the course.

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Browser: An interface to the World Wide Web. Browsers interpret hypertext links to let you view sites and navigate from one Internet node to another. Popular browsers include Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator.

Building Codes: The building code used to identify the physical location of each course can be interpreted as follows.

Port Huron Campus  (maps and directions)

Off-Campus Building Codes  (maps and directions)

Business Office: The office responsible for maintaining your account balance and in which payments are made.

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CAP: An abbreviation for capacity. Capacity is the number of students that can register for a given course section.

Certificate: Academic Programs available at SC4 in a wide variety of occupational areas which allow students to graduate in approximately one year. Students completing a certificate program are half way to earning an associate degree.

CEU: See Continuing Education Unit.

Class Level: Indicates the status of a student at SC4. For example, students with 1-26 credit hours complete have a class level of Freshman. Students with 27 or more credit hours complete have a class level of Sophomore.

College Credit Course: A course taken for credit towards a certificate and/or associate degree at SC4.

College Graduate Student: A person who possesses an associate, bachelor's or higher degree from a college/university other than SC4.

College Guest Student: A person who is enrolled as a student at another college/university.

Competencies: Students seeking an associate degree are required to successfully complete (final grade of C or higher) courses in seven different categories – Computer Literacy, Critical Thinking, Global Awareness, Government and the Political Process, Mathematics, Oral Communication, and Writing.

Contact Hours: The number of hours a student is in class with the instructor each week. Students are billed for the number of contact hours.

Continuing Education Unit (CEU): One CEU is ten contact hours of participation in an organized continuing education experience under responsible sponsorship, capable direction, and qualified instruction (as defined by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training).

Cookies: Small data files written to your hard drive by some Web sites when you view them in your browser. These data files contain information the site can use to track such things as passwords, lists of pages you've visited, and the date when you last looked at a certain page.

Co-op Course: A course that incorporates actual work experience into the planned college curriculum. Students are placed into an approved training environment and are able to earn college credits in addition to wages for hours worked.

Core Courses: Also known as general education courses. Courses selected provide a broad educational experience so that students may achieve a breadth of learning. Courses are selected from the areas of writing, literature, fine arts, humanities, mathematics, science, history, social sciences and interdisciplinary and emerging issues areas.

Co-requisites: One or more courses which must be taken with a selected course during the same semester because the work in one, supplements or reinforces what is taught in the other.

Course Number: A three digit number that identifies a specific course within a subject area (i.e. ENG 101 – English Composition I).

Credit Hours: Also known as semester hours. The number of hours a student earns toward a certificate and/or degree at SC4.

Credits: Numerical unit(s) earned towards graduation for completion of a specific course.

Cross-listed Courses: Courses which are listed under two different subjects (i.e. PE 131 and THA 131 – Beginning Lyrical Jazz Dance). A cross-listed course may be taken through either subject area, but credit may be earned in only one course.

Current Student: A person who was registered at SC4 anytime following high school graduation and has been registered within the last eight semesters (approx. 2 calendar years).

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Degree: An academic title conferred by SC4 as an indication of the completion of a prescribed course of study.

Demographic Data: Name and Address information.

Drop/Add: The process used when a student needs to alter their class schedule after having been registered.

Drop With "W" Grade: (see Withdrawing)

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Elective Courses: Courses that a student may choose to complete as part of his/her learning program which count towards graduation requirements.

Enrollment Services: The office at which you may submit applications, register for classes, drop / add classes, and obtain transcripts.

Evening Course: A course that begins on or after 4:00pm on Monday through Thursday.

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Final Grade: The overall course grade a student has earned which is recorded to the permanent student transcript.

Financial Aid: Scholarships, grants, loans and work assignments which are awarded to a student to help defray, in part or in whole, college-related expenses.

Former Student: A person who previously attended SC4 following high school graduation but has not enrolled in SC4 college credit courses over the past eight consecutive semesters (approx. 2 calendar years).

Freshman: Students with 1-26 credit hours complete have a class level of Freshman.

Fresh Start: The Fresh Start process allows students who have switched programs the opportunity to have their cumulative grade point average reflect their present academic success at SC4. Students must contact the Career and Counseling Services Office for further details.

Full-Term Course: A course which meets the entire length of the semester.

Full-time Student: A student enrolled in 12 or more credit hours each semester. Typically, to complete an A.A. or A.A.S. degree in two years, students must complete approximately 15 credit hours per semester.

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General Education Courses: Also known as core courses. Courses selected provide a broad educational experience so that students may achieve a breadth of learning. Courses are selected from the areas of writing, literature, fine arts, humanities, mathematics, science, history, social sciences and interdisciplinary and emerging issues areas.

(GPA): see Grade Point Average.

Grade Point Average (GPA): The ratio of grade points earned to the number of credit hours attempted. Repeated courses as well as grades of W, I, X, and Z are not part of the GPA calculation. The GPA is calculated by dividing total grade points earned by the number of credit hours attempted.

Grade Points: The numerical value of a grade, which is multiplied by the number of credit hours for a course. (A=4.0, A-=3.7, B+=3.3, B=3.0, B-=2.7, C+=2.3, C=2.0, C-=1.7, D+=1.3, D=1.0, D-=0.7, E=0.0). For example, a person earning a final grade of A (4.0) in a 3 credit hour course will earn 12 grade points.

Gifted / Talented Course: A course offering designed for Gifted / Talented Students.

Gifted / Talented Student: A person who is entering grades 6-12 for the upcoming academic year and is attending a one-to-two week course offered through the Gifted and Talented K-12 summer program.

Government Approved Tests: If a student does not have a high school diploma or a GED, he/she can still qualify for Financial Aid by passing a U.S. Department of Education approved tests, called an ability-to-benefit (ATB) test. SC4 offers a choice of taking the ASSET, or COMPASS examinations. All parts of the test must be taken in one sitting for the test to be valid.

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High School Guest Student: A person attending high school while enrolling at SC4 prior to high school graduation.

Honors Course: The same requirements of a regular course are covered but the subject matter is reviewed in greater depth, focusing less on lecture and more on active student involvement in the course, and encouraging greater student-teacher and student-student interaction.

Honors Degree: Students must complete a minimum of four honors courses (with at least a “B” grade in each) to qualify for the Honors Degree.

Honors Program: A program designed to satisfy the needs of students who are hardworking, self-motivated, and curious. These students appreciate exploring a topic in-depth and enjoy strong interaction with instructors and fellow students.

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Independent Study Course: A course in which the student works on his/her own to complete the coursework without attending class. The student must initiate acceptance and approval by instructor and complete the appropriate paperwork by contacting the department chair.

Interactive Course (ITV): Courses provided via telecommunications technology, which allow students the option to take courses at sites that are more convenient to where they live or work. The instructor teaches from one site and uses state-of-the-art equipment to connect to classrooms throughout the Michigan Thumb region. Students and the instructor are able to interact with one another just as if they were in a traditional classroom.

International Student: Persons living outside of the United States that are not U.S. citizens.

Internship: A structured work experience for college credit that is developed by the department or faculty member, the employer and the student.

Internship Course: A course in which the student completes a structured work experience, set up by the faculty member and the department, to earn college credit.

Intranet: A restricted-access network that works like the Web, but isn't on it. An intranet enables an organization to share its resources without making them available to everyone with Internet access.

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Mid-Term Grade: Grade collected at the halfway point of the semester showing the progress of a student.

Morning Course: A course that begins between 7am and 11:55am on Monday through Friday.

MCCVLC: The Michigan Community College Virtual Learning Collaborative is a partnership amongst the community colleges in Michigan which allows students to take online courses from around the state. For more information visit the MCCVLC website at www.mccvlc.org.

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New Student: A person who is enrolling at SC4 for the first time following high school graduation.

Non-Credit Course: A course taken at SC4 which does not earn credit(s) towards a certificate and/or associate degree.

Non-Credit Student: A student taking courses at SC4 which are not applicable to a certificate and/or associate degree program.

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On-line Course: A course offered predominately via the World Wide Web. Students do not meet in a classroom environment on a regular basis; however some courses do require limited on campus meetings (i.e. labs, tests, etc.).

Official Transcript: An official printed record of a student’s academic history, issued by the Enrollment Services Office. The transcript is printed on “official” paper, signed by the Registrar and enclosed in a sealed envelope.

OE / OE (Open Entry / Open Exit) Course: Courses are taught on a self-paced, individualized open-lab basis. There are no specific start and end dates to open entry / open exit courses. OE/OE courses may not be registered for via SC4 WAVE.

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Part-time Student: A student completing 11 or less credit hours each semester.

Pending Financial Aid: Financial aid which has been awarded to a student based on full-time enrollment at SC4, and that has not yet been applied to the student’s tuition account. This dollar amount is tentative and subject to change based on the student’s enrollment status and funding levels.

Petition: A form that a student requests from a faculty member that allows them to register for a specific course section.

Placement Test: (see Assessment Tests)

Practicum Course: A course which combines classroom instruction with on-the-job experience.

Pre-requisites: Specified conditions or courses which must be completed prior to enrolling in a particular course.

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Readmit Graduate Student: A former SC4 student that possesses an associate, bachelor's or higher degree.

Readmit Student: A person who previously attended SC4 following high school graduation but has not enrolled in SC4 college credit courses over the past eight consecutive semesters (approx. 2 calendar years). (Same as Former Student)

Readmit Transfer Student: A former SC4 student that has attended another college/university but did not complete a degree.

Registration Fee: A non-refundable $30.00 per semester fee for any course registration.

Required Courses: Courses that are needed to complete a student's academic program.

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"S" Grade: The grade typically used in the training and professional development area and for nursing labs to indicate satisfactory completion of the course work.

Semester: The academic calendar used by SC4. Courses are offered on a semester hour basis.

Short-Term Course: Courses which are concentrated into shorter terms and start at different times throughout a given semester.

Sophomore: Students with 27 or more credit hours completed have a class level of Sophomore

Student Petition: (see Petition)

Student Sponsorship: Written authorization from a third party to pay for all or portions of your college expenses.

Student Type: (see one of the following: Current Student, Former Student, Ability to Benefit Student, Non-Credit Student, College Graduate Student, College Guest Student, Readmit Student, Readmit Graduate Student, Readmit Transfer Student, Transfer Student, Gifted / Talented Student, High School Guest Student, International Student, New Student)

Subject Code: The three or four letter abbreviation used to identify a particular subject, such as, BIO for biology. It appears before the course number.

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Traditional Course: A course which begins between Monday and Thursday from 7:00am to 10:00pm and/or on Friday between 7:00am and 4:00pm.

Transfer Student: A student who has previously attended another college/university or plans to continue his/her education at another college/university following SC4.

Transfer Credit: Credit completed by the student at another accredited college/university. An official transcript must be mailed directly to the Enrollment Services Office. The Registrar will evaluate and post accepted credit(s) to the SC4 transcript.

TBA: This indicates that something on the section is "to be announced" such as room location, time of section meeting, or instructor

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"U" Grade: The grade typically used in the training and professional development area and for nursing labs to indicate unsatisfactory completion of the course work.

Unofficial Transcript: An unofficial printed record of the student's academic history, issued by the Enrollment Services Office. The transcript is printed on "unofficial" paper and is not marked official or placed in a sealed envelope.

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VLC: The Michigan Community College Virtual Learning Collaborative (MCCVLC) is a partnership amongst the community colleges in Michigan which allows students to take online courses from around the state. For more information visit the MCCVLC website at www.mccvlc.org.

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"W" Grade: The grade assigned to students that drop a course after the 100% refund period and before the final grade to receive a withdrawal.

Waitlist: an option available for students seeking enrollment in a closed course section. The waitlist is maintained until two weeks prior to the start of the semester. As openings occur students are registered and notified by the Enrollment Services Office. Payment is required 5 business days from the time registration is processed.

WAVE: An interactive on-line system which allows students, faculty, and staff to view data contained within the SC4 database and alter personal information.

Web-based course: A course offered completely at-a-distance, via World Wide Web (Internet).

Web-enhanced course: A course that meets completely on-campus; however, instruction is supplemented via World Wide Web (Internet).

Weekend Course: A course that begins after 4:00pm on Friday, or on Saturday or Sunday.

Withdrawing: Dropping a course from your schedule and receiving a "W" grade. Refunds are not given when withdrawing from a course.

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"X" Grade: The grade assigned to students who elect to Audit a college credit course, therefore receiving neither grades nor credit for the course.

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"Z" Grade: The grade assigned for students electing to use the Fresh Start process, which allows students who have switched academic programs the opportunity to have their cumulative grade point average reflect their present academic success at SC4.

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