Glossary of College Terminology

Academic Advisor – A member of the college staff who helps students set educational goals and selects courses to meet those goals.

Academic Probation – A warning for a student whose academic work or behavior is unsatisfactory. Students on academic probation may be suspended if their academic performance does not improve.

Academic Suspension – A student is first placed on scholastic probation if, having accumulated 9 credit hours, the GPA falls below 2.0. If the student does not raise the GPA in one semester, the student is placed on academic suspension and not allowed to register.

Academic Year – Usually includes consecutive fall, spring, and summer semesters. For example, Fall 2001, Spring 2002, Summer 2002.

Add – During any single semester, to enroll in additional course(s) after registration.

Administrator – Contracted employees involved in District management functions. Such employment requires 37½ hours per week.

Admission – A person wishing to enroll must complete an application, be accepted and receive acknowledgement of acceptance from the Admissions Office before registering.

Annual Indicator Report – A report that contains the indicators of success in achieving El Centro College goals.

Appointment – The act of placing an employee into a position.

Anticipated Reimbursement Report – A semester report of contact hour generation multiplied by each discipline /programs respective state reimbursement rate.

Audit – Enrollment in a credit course without receiving academic credit.
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Base Pay – The rate of pay approved for employees in their positions exclusive of any additional pay, such as longevity payments, temporary salary adjustments, or shift differential payments.

Board of Trustees – The official title of the governing body of the District, elected from single member districts. Seven members serve terms of six years.
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Catalog – The book containing course descriptions, certificate and associate degree requirements, and general information.

Class Schedule - A booklet that is published prior to each semester listing classes, sections, dates, times, instructors’ names and meeting places. This booklet is used by students to prepare personal class schedules each semester.

College Planning Council (CPC) – Meets monthly. Members include the President’s Cabinet, faculty representatives, Title III Director, Human Resource Director, and the PSSA representative.

College Executive Vice President’s Council (CEVPC) – Meets monthly. Members include the college Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs and Student Development, Assistant to the College Vice President, Faculty Association President, Dean of Students, all Academic Deans, Director of Resource Development, Associate Dean of Institutional Effectiveness & Research, and the SACS Director.

Colleague – The Datatel integrated data system used by the District for administrative and student records management.

Commission on Colleges – The Commission on Colleges is one of four commissions in The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

Common Course Number – The official number of the course. This Common Course Number is being used for the same course by a number of colleges throughout Texas to help students identify how a course will transfer. However, the lack of a Common Course Number does not necessarily mean a course will not transfer.

Concurrent Enrollment – (a) Enrollment by the same student in El Centro College and another DCCCD college at the same time; (b) Enrollment by a high school student in El Centro College while still enrolled in high school; (c) Enrollment by a student in two courses in the same semester; (d) Enrollment in both El Centro College and another college at the same time; (e) Enrollment in both credit and Continuing Education courses at the same time.

Contact Hour – A unit of measure that represents an hour of scheduled instruction given to students. It is also referred to as a clock hour.

Contractual Services – Services that are provided on a contractual or fee for service basis by an agency or by a person or private company for another agency.

Coordinating Board Report - A required report compiled at the end of each semester, which provides data, courses, student, and faculty demographics for credit and funded non-credit.

Core – The 48 prescribed hours of a 61-hour degree plan which a student must successfully complete in order to receive an Associate in Arts/ Associate in Sciences degree.

Core Curriculum Evaluation – The model for evaluating the core developed by a committee of faculty and administrators from throughout the District.

Course Load – The number of hours or courses in which a student is enrolled in any given semester.

Credit/non-credit – Credit classes are those which award academic credit and may apply toward a degree. Non-credit classes do not apply toward a degree and are usually offered through Continuing Education.

Credit Hour – The unit of credit earned for course work. Each college course is worth a certain number of credit or semester hours. The type of class and the number of hours per week it meets determine this number.

Criteria – Shortened from the Criteria for Accreditation, it is a compiled list of must statements describing criteria with which an institution must document compliance in order to meet the regulations of the association for purposes of accreditation.

Curriculum Development Plan – A process tied to reporting timelines for curriculum development and revision.
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Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD) – DCCCD comprises Brookhaven, Cedar Valley, Eastfield, El Centro, Mountain View, North Lake, and Richland Colleges, plus the Bill J. Priest Institute for Economic Development and the LeCroy Center.

Developmental Studies Courses – Courses which develop prerequisite skills in reading, writing and mathematics. Because of the nature of these courses, the credit earned will not count toward graduation requirements and may not be transferred to colleges outside the DCCCD.

Distance Learning – Classes that are delivered to students through television, the Internet, or other types of technology.

District Aligned Plan – A five-year plan developed by the Chancellor containing a mission, purpose, goals and indicators and approved by the Board to guide District colleges when developing their own plans.

Drop – The act of officially withdrawing from a particular course without penalty before a specified date. See the calendar at the first part of the catalog for “Last Day to Withdraw.” It is the student’s responsibility to drop a course by the date published.

Dual Credit – Credit earned for both high school and college by concurrently enrolled high school students.
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eCampus – A comprehensive, flexible e-Learning software platform that gives the DCCCD faculty the opportunity to provide an online component to their courses or allows them to teach entire courses online. eCampus utilizes BlackBoard based software and the technical services of the LeCroy Center for Telecommunications to provide each instructor in the District the opportunity to integrate technology into both credit and non-credit course offerings.

eConnect - A software platform that allows District students to register and pay for classes on line.

El Centro College Operational Plans – Department/division level annual plans and evaluations.

El Centro College Strategic Plan – The five year plan approved by the College Planning Council and distributed to every full-time employee in the college and selected District personnel.

Enrollment Management Plan (called Uniform Recruitment and Retention Strategy by THECB) – Currently being written by the Enrolment Management Committee and chaired by the Dean of Students, the plan will incorporate data management, a student tracking system, and initiatives and actions to improve campus diversity.

External Hours - Any course hours that are earned in a Technical degree or award through instruction in a work setting. These may include apprenticeship, co-op., internship, practicum, etc.

Electives – Courses that do not count toward a major but are required for most college degrees. Electives are selected for personal interest, skill development, or to increase one’s knowledge or understanding. Students are advised to consult with an advisor before deciding upon electives.
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Fact Book – An institutional effectiveness document designed to provide college administrators, staff, and faculty with information about El Centro’s student, faculty, and financial characteristics.

Faculty – Contracted employees including instructors, counselors, and librarians, are generally employed consistent with the academic year. Such employment requires a minimum of 30 hours work per week for classroom faculty, 35 hours per week for counselors, and 37½ hours per week for librarians.

Fee – A charge, in addition to tuition charges, which the college requires for services.

Fiscal Year – The twelve-month period from September 1 through August 31.

Flexible-entry Course – A course beginning and ending on dates which are different from the regular semester

Former Student – One who has not attended a DCCCD college in the past year.

Full-time Student – A student who is enrolled for at least 12 credit hours during a semester or for 6 credit hours during a summer session. The student may be enrolled in one or more DCCCD colleges as long as the total number of hours meets the full-time requirement.
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Grade Point Average (GPA) – Two different ways of computing a GPA are utilized. For further explanation, see catalog section entitled “Scholastic Standards.”

Grade Points – See catalog section entitled “Scholastic Standards.”

Grades – See catalog section entitled “Scholastic Standards.”
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Head Count Enrollment (student) – The actual number of individual students enrolled at a specified time, regardless of whether the students are attending full-time or part time.

Honors Program – A program that allows a talented student to earn honors credit in almost any course that is not developmental. By doing extra, in-depth study in a subject of interest, the student has close, frequent contact with the instructor and fellow students who have like interests. When a student is awarded “Honors credit” in a class, that class is annotated on the student’s permanent academic transcript. The student also receives an honors certificate signed by the College President and the instructor.
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Institutional Effectiveness – The systematic comparison of institutional performance to college goals.
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Lab Hours – The number of hours a student spends each week in a laboratory or other learning environment.

Lecture Hours – The number of hours a student spends each week in a classroom other than a laboratory.

Long Range Facilities Plan – A rolling five-year maintenance schedule.

Long Range Master Facilities Plan – A rolling ten-year plan for new facilities and major remodeling of existing facilities.
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Major – The subject or field of study in which the student plans to specialize. For example, one “majors” in Business.

Must Statements – Must statements are required compliance statements found in the Criteria.
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Operating Budget – An expenditure plan developed for each fiscal year. This plan must conform to the annual appropriation/allocation and must list estimated expenditures by budget category for the year.
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Part-time Student – A student enrolled for less than 12 credit hours during a semester or less than 6 credit hours in a summer session. The student may be enrolled in one or more DCCCD colleges as long as the total number of hours meets the part-time requirement.

Performance Grade – A grade of A, B, C, D, or F. This does not include the grades if W, I, E, or WX. See catalog section on “Academic Information” for more on grades and grade point averages.

Prerequisite – A requirement which must be met before enrolling for a specified course. A prerequisite may be another course (high school or college), an appropriate assessment score, or permission of the instructor.

Professional Support Staff – These non-contractual employees serve at will and fall into either the general or technical/professional category. Such employment generally requires a workweek of 37½ hours per week.

PDR Committee– Program Discipline Review Committee was the committee charged with reviewing the programs of the college for efficiency and effectiveness using both quantitative and qualitative data. The committee was charged with viewing the college as a whole and refiguring the overall planning and budgeting process. Members were the College Vice President, Instructional Deans, the Assistant to the College Vice President, faculty members, and others who expressed an interest in serving. This committee will be replaced by the Sub-Committee on Instructional Renewal and Resources (SIRR), a subcommittee of the College Planning Council.

Proposals – Proposals originate from attention to college issues not necessarily from the Criteria. They are made only by the Steering Committee. Like suggestions, proposals do not require compliance.
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Recommendations – Recommendations are statements made by either the Steering Committee or the Visiting Committee which are directly focused toward bringing the College into compliance with a must statement appearing in the Criteria. If a recommendation is made, the college must develop a plan for bringing the college into compliance.

Registration – The official process for enrolling in courses. This involves selecting classes with the help of an advisor, completing all registration forms and paying fees. Check the class schedules for registration dates.

Rising Star – A DCCCD program that guarantees a FREE college education to graduating seniors from Dallas County Public High Schools who are in the top 40% of their class or who have at least a “B” average and who qualify for financial assistance. It provides a full two-year college education at El Centro or any of the DCCCD colleges.
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Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) - One of six regional educational accrediting bodies in the United States. It is a private, nonprofit, voluntary organization whose members are schools and colleges.

Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) –This acronym is used to refer to both the committee and the workplace skills identified in 1989, when the U.S. Departments of Labor and Education surveyed employers nationally regarding what skills and competencies are needed for effective job performance today. The five competencies identified include Resources, Interpersonal, Information, Systems, and Technology. The three-part Foundation Skills include Basic Skills, Thinking Skills, and Personal Qualities.
All El Centro College courses provide learning outcomes that indicate the mastery of SCANS skills. Although each course will not include every SCANS skill, each course syllabus will identify the specific SCANS skills and competencies taught in that course. Throughout a formal program of study (Certificate, Degree, or Transfer Program) a student will have the opportunity to master all SCANS skills and competencies.

Semester – A term denoting the length of time a student is enrolled in a specific course. For example, there are two long semesters (Fall and Spring) which last approximately 16 weeks. There are two summer sessions or “semesters” (Summer I and Summer II) which last approximately six weeks each.

Skills for Living – Skills needed for living well with oneself, with others and with changing environments. Skills for Living are discussed and learned throughout the curriculum.

Student Programs and Resources (SPAR) – The SPAR Office offers services and programs for students, faculty, staff and the community for El Centro College. It is committed to programming that allows the student opportunities to feel a sense of ownership in and belonging to the campus community; to develop socially, culturally, and intellectually; and to engage in decision-making opportunities.

Suggestions – Suggestions derive from statements in the Criteria other than must statements and do not require compliance.
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Tech-Prep – An educational process where the DCCCD and the public high school districts cooperatively develop and implement a planned sequence of coursework to prepare students for technologically advanced careers. Tech Prep programs are endorsed and approved by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). Through the Tech-Prep process students earn college credit while in high school and advance to college programs after graduation.

Telecourses - Courses providing flexibility and convenience for students seeking college credit with minimum campus visits. Students watch the course television programs at home on regular broadcasts or cablecasts, complete the study guide and reading assignments, take tests on campus and attend optional discussion meetings. Instructors are available during regular office hours or via telephone when assistance is needed.

Temporary Employee – A full-time or part-time employee who does not occupy an FTE position, whose employment is not to exceed one year and who is not a covered employee.

Terms – Fall, Winter Term, Spring, May Term, Summer I, Summer II

Texas Academic Skills Program (TASP) – As a result of State law, all students entering any Texas public college Fall 1998 or thereafter, must have either TASP, QuickTASP, or state approved assessment test scores prior to enrolling for college-level courses to assure that they have the necessary skills to be successful in college courses.

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board – Created by the Texas Legislature in 1965 to “provide leadership and coordination for the Texas higher education system to achieve excellence for the college education of Texas students,” the Coordinating Board seeks to implement the state Priority Goal for Higher Education which is “to provide an affordable, accessible, and quality system of higher education that prepares individuals for a changing economy and workforce, and that furthers the development and application of knowledge through instruction and research.”

Title III – A five-year strengthening institutions grant from the Department of Education to automate assessment and increase retention and success of students in academic transfer courses.

Transfer Student – A student entering the institution for the first time but known to have previously attended a post-secondary institution at the same level. The student may transfer with or without credit.

TRIO – A five-year student support services grant from the Department of Education to increase retention and success of at-risk students, particularly first generation college students.
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Visiting Scholar – A temporary faculty appointment, recommended for up to two full academic years by the location president for the purpose of increasing the diversity of the college faculty. The person serving in this role must meet normal minimums for assignment to the position and will be expected to perform all normal functions assigned to other employees assigned to the job including office hours, graduation, attendance. In order to continue in employment with the District beyond two years, the person must be competitively hired.
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Workforce Education Course Manual (WECM) - A statewide inventory of workforce education courses offered for semester credit hours and CEU’s. Instead of each institution creating courses from scratch, the WECM offers a means for colleges to continually design and update high-quality workforce courses by collaborating with business and industry and community college faculty. All courses are fully transferable between two-year institutions. All programs in Texas have been converted to WECM.
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