MCC Glossary

Academic Dismissal: When a student?s grades are too low to allow him/her to return for the next semester. See College catalog for specific regulations.

Add & Drop: A phrase used to identify the process for making changes in your course schedule for the current or upcoming semester. This process is handled through the Registrar?s Office through the first week of classes. Check for specifics in the Registrar?s Office.

Articulation Agreements: Used to refer to joint agreements between two or more institutions of higher education regarding admissions and application of credit in transfer.

Audit: In academic terms, registering for a credit course, but requesting no grade and no credit. Students have no requirements in the course. Courses listed on a transcript as ?audit? cannot be used for any degree or program requirement. Financial Aid does NOT pay for audited courses.

Banner Web: An online system to provide easy access to your personal and academic information via the internet. Students can apply and register online.

Certificate Program: A planned group of courses, with fewer requirements than a college degree program, that represents a selected body of knowledge.

CLEP: College Level Examination Program. A nationally recognized program through which students can take comprehensive tests to earn college credit. See College catalog for specifics.

Continuing Education: A division of the College that offers both credit and credit-free courses on a self-supporting basis. Credit courses include the Weekend College, Winter Intersession and Summer Session.

Credit: Units of course work earned by a passing grade that apply towards a college degree.

Credit by Exam: College credit earned by passing a comprehensive examination in place of attending a course.

Credit Evaluation: The determination of how courses from other colleges and special exams are credited and used to satisfy the requirements of an academic program.

Credit-free Courses: Courses for personal growth, interest, or job needs that do not offer college credit.

Cross-Registration: A student who has paid the maximum full-time tuition at one state college is exempt from further charges at another state college.

Cumulative Quality Point Average: (QPA) The grade point average for all the course work completed at Manchester.

Developmental Courses: Non-credit courses designed to enhance students? skills to the level needed for success in subsequent college work.

Electives: Any courses completed for credit may be used to fulfill unspecified requirements for graduation.

ESL: English as a Second Language - students are placed into courses according to their placement test scores.

FAFSA: This stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. MCC students who want to be considered for financial aid must fill out this form.

FERPA: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (34CFR Part 99) (Revised as of July 1, 2004).

General Education Requirements: These comprise about one-third of any academic curriculum and include humanities, science, math, and social science courses.

Grade Point Average: (GPA) The total quality points earned, divided by the total credits attempted.

Matriculation: The process requires a student to pay an application fee, and to submit a high school transcript and/or diploma or equivalent, the appropriate immunization record, declare a major, and complete placement tests.

Part-time: This denotes enrollment in 1 to 11 semester hours in any given semester.

Pell Grant: This is a federal grant and a part of the financial aid award; students need to apply for this via the federal financial aid form.

Perkins Loan: One of the many loan programs that are available to students. Eligibility is determined by need that is based on the federal financial aid form.

Placement Testing: This is a required computerized test that is taken before registration. It assesses a student?s ability in English and math; based upon these scores students are placed in the appropriate English and math courses. Students who do not initially seek a degree or certificate but who register for a course that would result in the accumulation of 12 or more credits must take the placement test.

Prerequisite: The subject/skills needed prior to enrolling in a specific course; e.g., English 101, is required before taking English 200.

Registration: The process of signing up for classes after appropriate academic advising and payment of tuition and fees.

SAR: An acronym for Student Aid Report in financial aid.

Satisfactory Academic Progress: For financial aid purposes, this means successfully completing 2/3 of all credits attempted.

Semester: The division of the academic year into fifteen-week units (Fall and Spring).

Semester Hours: The number of instructional hours spent in class per week; i.e., 3 semester hours = 3 hours of class time spent in class per week for the whole semester.

SIGI - PLUS: The computerized interactive career guidance system; it covers areas such as self-assessment, career search, skills inventory, goal-setting and decision making.