The following information may help you better understand frequently used college terminology.

A   B   C   D   E   F   G   H   I   J   K   L   M   N   O   P   Q   R   S   T   U   V   W   X   Y   Z

A

Academic Advisor - A professional, who is skilled in assisting students in making educational and vocational decisions, resolving personal conflicts, and interpreting tests to assist in decision making and self-discovery.

Academic Amnesty - Students who want a second chance for improving their past HCC academic record and meet the specific application requirements can apply for academic amnesty. Students should have no more than 32 earned credits and have since not been enrolled as a student at HCC the past two years. Academic Amnesty Forms can be obtained from an academic advisor.

ACT assessment - An examination administered by ACT, Inc. (formerly the American College Testing Program). The ACT Assessment® is designed to assess high school students’ general educational development and their ability to complete college-level work. The ACT differs from the SAT in that it assesses students’ knowledge in the curricular areas of English, mathematics, reading, and science reasoning.

Admissions Statement - A personal statement that describes your reasons for applying to a college institution, summary of academic strengths and weaknesses, and may address questions asked in a college application for admission.

Advanced Placement - The Advanced Placement (AP) program is an assessment program owned and conducted by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). The program includes a demanding academic course of study in college-level subjects such as physics, biology, calculus, and foreign languages, among others. A student who performs above a specified level on the assessment may be awarded college credit for certain courses upon entry to the institution.

Applicability - The process of college courses taken at a college institution will transfer into a specific degree program offered at the transferring institution for credit.

Articulation Agreement - An articulation agreement is an officially approved agreement that matches coursework between schools. These agreements are designed to help students make a smooth transition when transferring from Hagerstown Community College to a four-year institution.

Associate's Degree - An award issued to a student that signifies completion of a two-year program.—the Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees. The Associate in Applied Science degree is intended to lead to employment and is not designed to transfer.

Audit - Courses taken for audit do not receive a grade or credit. Students may decide to enroll in these courses for self-enrichment. Students pay the regular tuition and fees. No grade or credit is reported.

C

Career Programs - Short-term career training programs are intended to lead to employment upon completion.

Catalog - This is HCC's contract with the student. It contains course descriptions and details every major course of study at the College. It also contains policies, procedures, rules and regulations by which the college community is governed. Copies of this book can be picked up in the Office of Enrollment Services.

Certificates - An award given at the completion of specific career training programs. Having a certificate means that the student is qualified to enter the workforce in a particular career area. A certificate requires fewer credit hours to complete than an associate's degree.

Closed Class - A scheduled course for which the maximum number of students has already enrolled. A student cannot enroll in such a course unless someone “drops” and a seat becomes available.

Community College - A comprehensive institution of higher education offering programs of instruction generally extending not more than two years beyond high school level. The programs normally include, but are not limited to, general education, liberal arts and sciences, continuing adult education, preparatory programs, and special training programs to meet the economic needs of the region in which the college is located, and other services to meet the cultural and educational needs of the region.

Contact Hours - The number of hours you are in class each week.

Co requisite - If a course has a co requisite, you must take the two courses during the same semester.

Course Code - Each course is assigned a six-digit code (three letters and three numbers), along with a three-digit section number to use when you sign up for classes. Example, BUS-101-01. The first three digits describe the subject (BUS for business), followed by the course number (101 for Introduction to Business). Each class also has a two-digit number to designate the specific class time (01).

Course-In-A-Box - This course allows students to receive all of the course materials (handouts, syllabus, and video tapes) at one time to use at their convenience. Students must have internet access. Students will be required to attend a mandatory oreintation to go over other pertinent information regarding the course.

Course Load -The number of credit hours you take during a semester.

Credit Hours -The amount of credit you receive for completing a specific course.

Curriculum - A student’s chosen program of study; also called a “major”.

D

Developmental Studies - Courses in English, Mathematics, and Reading, which do not count toward graduation, but which assist students who have not been exposed to or need review in specific academic content areas.

Drop/Add - The procedure by which you may change your class schedule by dropping or adding a course without penalty after initial enrollment.

E

Electives - Classes you choose to take that are not specifically required for graduation, but will increase your knowledge.

Essence Program - A program designed for ambitious high school students who wish to get an early start at college. The essence program allows high academic achievers who reside in Washington County to earn up to 12 college credits while still in high school, at half the cost of
in-county tuition. Interested students should contact their high school guidance counselors for further information.

F

Faculty Advisor - A teaching faculty member assigned to curricular students for the purposes of academic advising for registration each semester.

Fees - Additional charges required for some instructional programs and courses. These charges may be for laboratory equipment, supplies and malpractice insurance.

Freshman - A student who has less than 30 semester hours of earned credit and is currently carrying at least 12 semester hours of work

Full-time - A student who is currently carrying 12 or more semester hours of work.

G

General Education Requirements - Course requirements that are designed to provide a well-balanced education in college studies. General education courses expose students to a greater knowledge of information, encouraging an appreciation for the realms of arts, humanities, and sciences.

Grade Point Average (GPA) - The total number of points per credit hour earned (A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0), divided by college-level credit hours attempted.

H

Hybrid Course
A hybrid course is a blend of face-to-face instruction with online learning. In a hybrid course, a significant part of the course learning is online and as a result, the amount of classroom seat-time is reduced. Equipment Needed: Students must have basic computer skills including: being able to copy and paste, download and upload files, and send attachments. Students must have access to a computer with an internet connection, and an e-mail address. Each course will also have a list of system and software requirements.

I

Internship - Also called clinical or field experience. Provides an opportunity for you to apply what you've learned in the classroom in a supervised work setting.

Incomplete Grade - Course work which is passing quality, but because of extenuating circumstances beyond the control of the student is not complete, may be graded "I." Students must initiate an "incomplete" grade request by securing appropriate approval of excuses by the instructor, department head, and academic dean. This request enables the student to finish the requirements of the course after the semester is over. Failure to follow the recommended procedure will result in an automatic "F."

L

Late Registration - Registration that begins on the first day of class.

M

Major - A program of study in a degree such as art, business, or science. These courses consist of most of the total hours in a degree area. (Example: Business Technology, General Science, or Liberal Arts)

MP Grade - (Making Progress Grade)-is available only in courses numbered 100 or below. The “MP” grade may be awarded at the discretion to a student who in the instructor’s judgment has, through reasonably diligent effort, made progress but has not attained proficiency. A student having an “MP” grade must register for the same course the subsequent semester of enrollment and continue to work towards proficiency.

P

Part-time - Less than 12 hours of credit in the fall and spring semesters and less than 6 hours of credit in the summer semester.

Placement Test - Students applying to HCC are required to take a skills assessment of Reading, Writing, and Math prior to meeting an academic advisor or registering if planning to pursue a degree, long-term certificate, or enroll in courses requiring math, reading or english prerequisites. There is no charge for the assessment. Exempted students are those who have taken the ACT test for Math and/or English with a score of 21 and higher. On the SAT, students who have earned on Math 550 or higher and/or Verbal 550 or higher. Students who have also previously acquired a college degree or course prerequisites met by transfer of credit for either math or english are also exempted.

Pre-requisite - A course taken before a more advanced course can be studied. A pre-requisite forms the basis upon which subsequent courses are built. Prerequisites are listed in the catalog and in each semester's class schedule.

Probation - This occurs when a student fails to maintain a 1.0 cumulative grade point average after the first semester.

R

Registration - The process of enrolling in classes.

S

Semester - A 15-week instructional period or its equivalent.

Sophomore - A student who has 30 or more semester hours of earned credit and is currently carrying at least 12 semester hours of work.

Support Services - Various services are available to support you in your educational goals, such as tutoring, career planning, counseling, child care, and job placement.

Syllabus - A description of the main content of a course given to students on the first day of class by the instructor. It outlines what will be covered in that class for the semester, such as the assignments, deadlines, tests, quizzes, presentations, and expectations for participation in the class, as well as the attendance policy for the course.

T

Transcript - A permanent record listing the student's courses, credits, and individual grades while attending the college.

Transcript Evaluation - The process of having previous pos-secondary course work evaluated for credit in a LFCC curriculum.

Transferability - The process for which college courses taken at one institution will transfer and be awarded equal course and credit value at the transferring institution.

Transfer Credits - Granting of credit toward courses taken at another institution and accepted as meeting part of the requirements in a college or university.

Transfer Program - Transfer programs meet the basic requirements of the first two years of college programs for students who plan to transfer to an upper-level college or university and complete the last two years of study.

Transient Student- A student who has been approved to take college credit courses at another college institution and apply those credits towards a degree they are pursuing at Hagerstown Community College. Students must acquire and submit signatures from the Dean of Student Services, an Academic advisor, Assistant Director of Enrollment Services and the Department Chair/Program Coordinator on an Authorization for Attendance at Another Institution or Transient Form.

Tuition - A fee paid for instruction for courses taken at the college. A student is considered officially registered for classes once an application for admissions has been accepted and tuition and fees have been paid.

W

Web Advisor - An online resource that allows HCC students to retrieve financial aid account histories, unofficial transcripts, class schedules, the current catalog, and conduct registration changes. Students can go to the campus library to receive their personal code and pin in order to access the system on the college website.

Withdrawal - Officially removing oneself from a course or from the college without penalty. Students should refer to the Academic Calendar in the College Catalog for the final date to withdraw from classes. Instruction may initiate a student withdrawal for students having excessive, unexcused absences.