Glossary of College Terms

Academic Probation (AP) Restriction: An academic probation restriction occurs when a student's academic standing drops below a 2.0 Cumulative GPA. At Dallas College, this restriction prevents a student from registering online. To enroll, you must first contact your advisor.

Advisor: In high school, this person is called a counselor. The college advisor is a staff or faculty member at the college who helps students set educational goals and select courses to meet those goals.

Add: Adding an additional course to a class schedule.

Admission: The process of being admitted to college. A person wishing to enroll must complete an application, be accepted and receive acknowledgement of acceptance from the campus Admissions Office before registering for classes.

Adult Basic Education (ABE): Remedial education for adult learners which includes courses in basic reading, writing, speaking and math.

Application: Submitting a request to be accepted to enroll in a college.

Audit: The opportunity to enroll in a college course without receiving academic credit. Audit students are required to meet all the course requirements expected of the other students taking the course.

Career Pathway (formerly called Tech-Prep): An educational process where colleges and public high school districts cooperatively develop and implement a planned sequence of courses to prepare students for technologically advanced careers. Career Pathway students earn college credit while in high school and advance to college programs after graduation.

Career and Technical Courses: Courses that lead to a certificate or Associate in Applied Sciences Degree in a technical or occupational program. These courses are designed to aid the student in developing entry-level skills to be used in the job market. Consult an advisor regarding transferability if you plan to attend a four-year institution.

Catalog: The official listing of a college’s practices and the policies and procedures enforced by the college. It includes a list of courses students can take, programs students can select from and degrees students can earn. Catalogs also may include general information about the college, such as important dates and enrollment requirements.

Class schedule: A listing of all the courses offered during a semester, which includes dates, times, the section numbers, room numbers and instructor's names.

College-Based Distance Learning Class: A course offering that includes both instructional contact hours delivered at a distance and college-based instructional requirements.

College-Level Math: Requires a student to have successfully completed two years of high school algebra and have an appropriate assessment test score – a standard which is higher than the state's TSI standard – or successfully complete Developmental Mathematics 0099 or Developmental Mathematics 0093 with a grade of "C" or better.

Common Course Numbers: Since Fall 1995, the Common Course Number is 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 at two different campuses of Dallas College at the same time; (b) Enrollment by a high school student at one of the campuses of Dallas College while still enrolled in high school; (c) Enrollment in both Dallas College and another college or university at the same time; (d) Enrollment in both credit and continuing education courses at the same time.

Core of Fall 2010: The 42 prescribed hours of a degree plan that a student must successfully complete in order to receive an Associate in Arts or Associate in Sciences degree.

Corequisite or Concurrent: A course requirement that must be met simultaneously with another course.

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

Credit: The numerical value assigned to a course (see "credit hours/semester hours below").

Credit hours or semester hours: The number of credits awarded for successfully completing a course(s). This number is determined by the type of class and the number of hours it meets per week. Check the Catalog or the current Class Schedule at www.dcccd.edu/Sch/Pages/default.aspx for the value of any course you wish to take.

Dallas College: Dallas College is a body of seven campuses – Brookhaven (BHC), Cedar Valley (CVC), Eastfield (EFC), El Centro (ECC), Mountain View (MVC), North Lake (NLC), and Richland (RLC).

Developmental Studies Courses: Courses that 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/universities outside of Dallas College.

Distance learning: Courses that provide instruction through a variety of technology-based formats.

Dropping a course: Students are generally permitted to drop courses from their class schedules. However, colleges allow different lengths of time for students to drop classes. The college catalog or class schedule should note the correct procedures and dates. It is the student's responsibility to drop a course by the date published. Since the Fall 2004 semester, students may have to pay a higher rate tuition for the third or subsequent time they attempt a course. Students should take care in dropping a course as any future retake of that course may result in a higher tuition.

Dual credit: Credit earned for both high school and college when concurrently enrolled high school students take courses at Dallas College.

eCampus: A website that functions as the Online Classroom feature of courses taught at Dallas College. Courses offered online are sometimes referred to as "eCampus" courses. Students in classroom-based courses may also use eCampus to submit assignments, complete homework/tests and check their grades.

eConnect: eConnect is a Dallas College web application that allows you to plan your schedule, search for classes, register/drop and pay for your credit classes, buy books, order transcripts, view your grades and access your personal/financial information online. You must meet certain eligibility criteria to register online. All students are eligible to search or pay for credit classes and access their personal/financial information using eConnect.

Electives: Courses that do not count toward a major but are required for most college degrees. Consult with an advisor before deciding upon electives.

Embedded course: A course which is shorter in length than the regular semester during which the course is scheduled. The starting and ending dates of the course fall within the starting and ending dates of the semester.

Flexible-entry course: A course with beginning and ending dates that are different from the regular semester. This is also referred to as "flex-entry" or "short semester." Consult the online Class Schedule for further information.

Former student: A person who has not attended Dallas College in the past academic year.

Full-time student: A student who is enrolled in at least 12 credit hours during a fall/spring semester or for 6 credit hours during a summer session. The student may be enrolled at one or more Dallas College campus, as long as the total number of hours meets the full-time requirement.

Good student: A GPA of 2.0 or higher.

GPA: Grade Point Average.

Indefinite Academic Dismissal (IDIS): Term used when a student is dismissed from Dallas College for at least one year due to low GPA.

Lab hours: The number of hours a student spends each week in a laboratory learning experience outside the classroom.

Lecture hours: The number of hours a student spends each week in a classroom learning experience.

Major: The subject or field of study in which the student plans to specialize. For example, one "majors" in Accounting, Automotive Technology, Business, etc.

Mathematics Pathway Models: Basic academic skills and developmental coursework/interventions that prepare students for academic/workforce training programs and careers.

NCBO (Non-Course Based Option): Non-semester-length developmental education interventions.

Non-Degree Credit Course: A course which may not be counted toward a degree or certificate. The term includes developmental education, pre-collegiate and general continuing education courses.

Online: All course content is delivered through computers and multimedia. These courses use eCampus and may include CD's and audio/streaming video. No on-campus testing or activities are required (previously called INET).

Online / Campus: Class content includes 51% or higher on-campus activities. These courses use components of computer instruction, multimedia activities and classroom time. On-campus classroom time is required.

Online / Classroom: Class content is delivered through an even distribution of 50% online activities and 50% classroom activities. These courses use components of computer instruction, multimedia activities and classroom time. On-campus classroom time is required.

Online partial: Most of the class content is delivered through computers and multimedia. These courses use eCampus and may include CD's and audio/streaming video. On-campus testing, orientation and/or other activities may be required (previously called Classroom partial, Blended, and/or Hybrid classes).

Online / video-based: Class content delivered through a combination of interactive online computer activities using eCampus and video programs. On-Campus testing and/or activities may be required (previously called TVP or Streamed).

Part-time student: A student who is enrolled in fewer than 12 credit hours during a semester or fewer than 6 credit hours in a summer session. The student may be enrolled at one or Dallas College as long as the total number of hours meets the part-time requirement.

Performance grade: A grade of "A," "B," "C," "D" or "F."

Prerequisite: See "Prerequisite (Recommended)."

Prerequisite (Recommended): Courses that provide students with further instructions or additional information essential to student success. Students are not prevented from registering for courses that have a recommended prerequisite.

Prerequisite (Required): A requirement that must be met before registering for a specified course.

Probation: A warning to a student whose academic work or individual behavior is unsatisfactory. Students on probation may be suspended if their scholastic performance does not improve in future semesters.

Program of Study: A list of the classes a student needs to take to earn a specific certification or degree.

Registration: The official process of adding courses for a specific semester. Check the campus Class Schedule for registration dates.

Registration Number: A randomly assigned number associated with a specific registration.

Semester: The term designating the time divisions of a school year (FA=Fall semester, SP=Spring semester) and Summer semesters (S1=Summer I and S2=Summer II).

Single-Course Delivery: A course offered in response to local industry need but is not included in the specific degree/certificate plan as listed in the official college catalog.

Syllabus (Syllabi): A guide identifying the specific requirements for a particular course. Students usually receive a syllabus for a course from the instructor at the beginning of each semester or Summer term.

Technical or Occupational courses: Courses that are designed to aid the student in developing skills to be used in the job market. Consult an advisor regarding transferability if you plan to attend a four-year institution.

Transfer courses: Courses that are designated to transfer to other colleges and universities. Students need to consult with their advisor or check on the transfer college’s web site about the transferability of specific courses. Because a course will transfer does not mean it will apply toward a specific major or degree at a four-year college or university.

Transcript: An official listing of a student's academic record which includes courses completed and grades earned. It can be obtained through the Admissions/Registrar's Office.

TSI: Texas Success Initiative. An assessment that determines college readiness in reading, writing and mathematics.

Withdrawal: The act of ending enrollment in all classes for a specific semester. A student withdrawing must go through a formal procedure. See the campus Academic Calendar or class schedule for the "Last Day to Withdraw." Effective Fall 2004, students may have to pay a higher rate of tuition for the third or more times they attempt a course. It is the student's responsibility to officially withdraw by the appropriate date. Any future retake of that course may result in a higher tuition rate.