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The following is an alphabetized list of terms, either specific to Midland College, or used generally at colleges and universities.
Academic advisor-a Midland College staff member who is trained to assist students with course planning, degree selection, transfer information and career opportunities.
Academic calendar- the calendar of class days, holidays, and early dismissals during all sessions of an academic year which runs from fall through summer.
Academic probation-occurs if a student’s grade point average (GPA) falls below a 2.0 or if a student fails to complete at least ½ of the courses attempted during the semester; a student on academic probation can enroll only through an academic advisor for 12 hours.
Academic restriction-occurs when a student fails to raise GPA to a 2.0 after being on academic probation for a semester; a student on academic restriction may enroll only through an academic advisor and for two classes per semester.
Adjunct faculty-instructors who are employed part-time.
ATC-Advanced Technology Center, a Midland College facility at 3200 W. Cuthbert in Midland, which provides numerous technology classes, primarily for the concurrent student and workforce development programs.
CLC-Cogdell Learning Center, a Midland College facility located at 201 W. Florida, Midland, Texas supporting the Business Economic Development Center and ESL classes and student advising for college preparation.
CTB-Cogdell Technical Building, a Midland College facility located at 111 E. Florida in Midland, which provides diesel technology courses for both High School and College students.
Canvas-the program used at Midland College when taking online (web) courses. Some Midland College instructors also use this program for courses taught in the classroom.
Capstone course-a course designed to help students synthesize and consolidate the knowledge gained in a course of study; usually the last course in a degree.
Catalog-provides Midland College information such as faculty, administrators, degree plans, courses, financial aid, types of credit by exam, admission requirements, due process, expectations for student behavior, and additional information.
Census date-the official enrollment reporting date as defined by the state of Texas. In a fall or spring semester it is the 12th class day; in a summer semester it is the 4th class day; in a mini-semester it is the 2nd class day.
Certificate-a College document issued to a student who has completed a concentrated course of study in one area; certificates are awarded in career-technical programs.
College readiness-the status attained by a student in reading, writing, and mathematics either by passing one of the state-approved exams or by success in meeting Midland College’s standards through developmental coursework and testing.
Commencement-a public ceremony for the purpose of conferring degrees, awarding honors, and recognizing student achievements.
Cooperative education course-a course in which students receive lecture instruction and practical experience at a worksite; may be referred to as an internship.
Core requirements (core curriculum, “the basics”)-courses in the liberal arts, humanities, sciences, and political, social, and cultural history, that students must complete as part of coursework for a degree. Associate of Applied Science degrees require 15 semester credit hours of core curriculum; Associate of Arts or Science and baccalaureate degrees require 42 semester credit hours of core curriculum. Some core requirements are specified; others are electives that may be selected from a list of available courses.
Co-requisite-a course that must be taken before or at the same time as another course, for example, a spreadsheet course that accompanies a computerized accounting course.
Course Number-a combination of a prefix that designates the subject area and a number that designates a particular course. The course number has four digits. The first number represents level: 1=freshman, 2=sophomore, 3=junior, 4=senior, 0=developmental. The second number is the number of semester credit hours awarded for completion of the course. The last two numbers are used to identify specific courses. Example: ENGL 1301 = English course, freshman level, three semester credit hours, first course in the English sequence.
Credit by exam-college course credit earned by taking a test rather than attending class. The CLEP test is a common method of granting credit by exam.
Cross-listed courses-courses which are offered by more than one department; though the department differs, cross-listed courses typically have the same course number.
Degrees-Associate of Arts (A.A.) and Associate of Science (A.S.) degrees are the first two years of a baccalaureate degree. Coursework includes the core curriculum and a field of study. Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degrees are credentials leading to a career after two years of college. Coursework includes some core curriculum courses and career-technical courses. General Studies (A.A.G.S. and A.S.G.S.) degrees are awarded to students who have completed 60 hours of coursework, including the core curriculum, but who have not selected a major. Baccalaureate degrees include a Bachelor of Applied Technology (B.A.T.), Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences (B.A.A.S.). The B.A.T. and B.A.A.S. degrees combine technical-career coursework with core curriculum. Midland College awards a B.A.T. degree and a B.A.A.S. degree.
Degree audit-a report of the student’s progress on his chosen degree plan.
Degree plan-the courses required to complete a particular degree. These are listed in the catalog under each program of study. A student must have an official degree plan on file with the appropriate dean’s office and the Registrar’s Office in order to be eligible to graduate.
Departmental exam (challenge exam)-a form of credit by exam test given by a department at Midland College which might earn a student credit for a course. A departmental exam is used when a national standardized exam is not available.
Developmental courses-non-credit, non-transferable courses designed to help students attain college readiness in reading, writing, and mathematics or to help students improve language use, study or general college skills.
Distance Learning-a course delivery format in which the majority of the instruction occurs when students and instructors are not in the same place.
Division Dean-the administrator of an academic division (a group of academic departments); at Midland College, there are six deans, one for each of the following divisions: Adult & Developmental Education, Applied Technology, Fine Arts & Communications, Health Sciences, Mathematics & Science and Social/Behavioral Sciences & Business.
Drop-the deletion of a class(es) from a student’s course load prior to census date. There is no record of a dropped class on a student’s transcript.
Dual Credit-courses taken for both high school and college credit.
Elective-a course chosen by the student to finish a degree; sometimes the elective must be chosen from an approved list of courses.
Emergency notification–email and/or phone text notification of campus and/or weather-related emergencies.
Faculty advisor-a member of the full-time faculty who acts as a student’s academic advisor; often, the faculty member is an instructor in the student’s field of study.
Field of study-a group of freshman and sophomore classes that are the basis of a major in a baccalaureate degree.
Full-time student-a student who is taking 12 or more semester credit hours in any fall or spring semester.
GED®-GED® and GED Testing Service® are registered trademarks of the American Council on Education (ACE). Successful completion of the GED test will provide a Texas Certificate of High School Equivalency that may be used for college admission.
GPA-grade point average, which is calculated by multiplying the number of semester credit hours in a course by points awarded for the grade in the course. (4 points for an A, 3 for a B, 2 for a C, and 1 for a D.) The points for all courses are added together and divided by the total number of semester credit hours. A GPA is computed by semester; cumulative GPA encompasses the student’s entire body of work at one institution.
Hold-a flag placed on the student’s college records due to an obligation not met. A hold may prevent the student from registering and/or receiving official college transcripts. For example, holds may be placed for parking fines, borrowed equipment, or failure to provide transcripts.
Intent to graduate-A form that must be on file in the Registrar’s Office in order to graduate. This form is available online at www.midland.edu/graduate
LRC-Fasken Learning Resource Center houses library services, various student labs, interactive classrooms, and staff offices.
MCNet course-a class taught by videoconferencing (distance learning) which connects local Midland College students and students located on other campuses.
My MC Portal -the Midland College online registration program. In addition to adding and dropping classes, My MC Portal is the place where a student can access final semester grades, unofficial transcript, unofficial degree plan, semester schedule, and account status.
Non-Course Based Remediation Options (NCBO)–a developmental program to provide alternative instructional methods for students. NCBR may include computer-aided instruction, individualized tutoring or additional background development for a specific discipline area. Midland College offers NCBO as TSI Prep.
Prerequisite-a course which must be completed successfully (with a passing grade) before a student can take the next course in the sequence (ex: ENGL 1301 is the prerequisite for ENGL 1302).
Reinstatement-when a student is reenrolled into his/her original class schedule after being dropped. In order to be reinstated, the student must provide written faculty approval and must pay all tuition & fees including a reinstatement/late fee.
Schedule-the publication which lists courses and sections available, times and locations and instructors, and the semester calendar. A schedule is available online (www.midland.edu/schedules) for each long semester and the mini/summer semesters.
Section-identifies a class at a particular date and time. In Midland College’s course numbering system, the section number (3 digits) follows the course number. A course number may have many sections being taught at different times.
Semester hour-unit that measures the amount of credit awarded for a class and is a combination of time spent in lecture and time spent in a lab; for example, 3 semester hour normally means 3 hours of lecture in class per week, for the duration of the semester.
Syllabus-a written course guide which contains information about grading policies, texts needed, contact information, and course due dates.
Technical-career courses-courses having an emphasis on industry-related skills and careers. Vocational-technical courses have limited transferability to a baccalaureate degree.
Transcript-the record of courses attempted, grades earned, transfer credit awarded, TSI status and GPA. A transcript is official only if dated, signed by the Registrar and embossed with the Midland College seal.
Transcript evaluation-the determination of transferability credit earned from another college/university or military training can be applied to a Midland College program of study. Transfer credit for courses taken elsewhere is awarded after a transcript evaluation.
Transfer courses (academic courses)-courses that emphasize general education or a field of study; these courses can usually be transferred to another educational institution but may not be accepted within a particular degree plan. The receiving institution determines whether a course will transfer.
Withdrawal-a reduction in a student’s course load after census date. A withdrawal appears on the transcript as a grade of “W” but is not computed into the GPA. Students may not withdraw after 75% of the class has been completed, (exceptions may be made for a complete withdrawal).
Work Study-federally funded financial aid program in which qualifying students work a maximum of 15 hours per week on campus.
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