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Return to: General Information
Community College Terms
Advisor:
A faculty member or other individual designated to assist students in the educational process through planning their program of study.
Advisory Committee:
A representative group of individuals from a given career field who assist and advise regarding programs representing their career area. Committees are required for all career and technical programs.
Assessment:
The process of collecting student information through standardized tests, academic transcripts, surveys, and interviews for the purpose of assisting students with the development of educational plans.
Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.):
The degree designation for programs designed to lead to employment.
Associate of Arts, (A.A.):
General degree granted by Colorado Commission on Higher Education.
Associate of General Studies (A.G.S):
A degree consisting of general education and electives. The student may choose from a variety of Liberal Arts and Career/Technical courses depending on particular educational needs.
Associate of Science, (A.S.):
General degree granted by Colorado Commission on Higher Education.
Bachelor’s Degree:
Degree granted by four-year colleges. Usually the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or the Bachelor of Sciences (B.S.).
Career and Technical Education:
A federal designation of state approved programs designed to lead to employment.
Certificate:
A state-approved block of courses designed to lead to employment. The length may range from two courses up to one year.
Class Schedule:
The listing of courses including hours, instructor, and room assignments to be offered each term.
Clock hour:
The amount of actual time spent in the classroom, lab, or shop.
Developmental Education Courses:
Courses designed to help students to overcome a deficiency in a skill area and prepare for study at the post secondary (college) level.
Credit Course:
Courses for which credit units are granted.
Credit:
A generally accepted currency of education designed to communicate participation and completion of higher education coursework by representing education by this unit.
Electives:
Courses elected by the student that do not fulfill specific degree requirements but provide credit units toward a degree.
Full-time Student:
A student is considered full-time when he or she takes at least 12 credits per term. However, to complete an associate degree in 2 years, students should take 15 or more credits per term, excluding summers, of approved course work.
General Education:
Certain groups of courses required of all degree candidates, and designed to be transferrable to 4-year institutions.
Grade Point Average (G.P.A.):
The average of a student’s grades.
Independent Study:
Courses offered in a format that provides an opportunity for the student to study intensively a specialized, specific topic under the direction of a faculty member.
Learning Communities:
Designed to help students form connections for academic and social support by taking classes together as a group. Faculty teaching the courses in the community work together to link class topics and assignments.
Liberal Arts Education:
Courses and degrees generally accepted as equivalent and transferable to the universities. See “Associate of Arts (A.A.) and Associate of Science (A.S.).”
Lower Division:
The first two years of college work, i.e., freshman- and sophomore-level courses. Only lower division work can be offered by community colleges.
Major:
A specific program of study a student plans to pursue at a college or university.
Open-entry:
Programs that can be started by students at a later point in the semester of a semester after the start.
Open Door, or Open Admissions:
A policy that permits very broad access to enter the college and enroll in course work. Entrance into specific courses or programs, however, may be limited to those who have demonstrated the ability to handle the work.
Option:
Subset of a Career and Technical Education (A.A.S.) degree, designating the career area of study.
Placement:
The process of advising a student to enroll into a particular course based on prerequisites, valid standardized test, and other multiple measures.
Prerequisite:
A requirement which must be completed prior to enrollment in a course. Prerequisites are listed in the course description.
Program:
A formally approved or informal designation for a specific area of study.
Semester Term:
A 15 week academic term for Fall and Spring, 10 weeks for Summer.
Semester Credits:
Credit earned from a semester system. One (1) quarter credit hour equals .66 semester credit hour. Courses in this catalog are indicated in semester terms.
Remedial Courses:
See “College Prep Courses ”
State Guaranteed Transfer Courses General Education:
Courses designated by the State of Colorado through the Colorado Commission on Higher Education to transfer from one public college/university to other public colleges/universities. These courses are designated with a GT (guaranteed transfer) number in this catalog.
Transcript:
A copy of a student’s college record prepared by the Student Enrollment and Records Department.
Upper Division:
The last two years of college work, i.e., junior- and senior-level courses. Upper division work is not offered by or generally accepted in transfer at Aims Community College.
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