Mar 18, 2024  
2018-2019 Catalog & Student Handbook 
    
2018-2019 Catalog & Student Handbook [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Definitions


symbol - A complete matrix of courses that satisfy the minimum degree requirements at all TBR institutions. An explanation of the common course rubric and numbering system are available on the TBR web page (https://www.tbr.edu/).

ACT Test - The ACT test is designed to assess high school students’ general educational development and their ability to complete college level work. The tests cover four skill areas: English, mathematics, reading and science reasoning.

Academic Calendar - Important dates, such as official registration, early registration, drop deadlines, holidays and exams that are located in the front of the catalog.

Admission - The acceptance of an applicant for enrollment.

Advisor - A faculty member or counselor who meets with designated students each semester to help make curriculum choices and discuss progress toward achieving educational goals.

Advisory Committees - Groups of business and community representatives who make curriculum recommendations for career/technical programs.

Articulation Agreement - A curriculum agreement between CSCC and a four-year college or university to satisfy degree requirements at CSCC and at the receiving four-year institution.

Associate of Applied Science Degree - The degree awarded upon completion of a two-year career/technical program. This degree is designed for students who seek immediate employment after graduation and is generally not designed for transfer to a four-year university.

Associate of Arts Degree - The degree awarded upon completion of the core curriculum for the associate of arts degree. It differs from an associate of science degree because it requires six hours of an intermediate foreign language sequence. This degree is generally designed for students who intend to transfer to a four-year institution to complete requirements for a bachelor of arts degree.

Associate of Fine Arts Degree - The degree awarded upon completion of the core curriculum for the associate of fine arts degree. This degree is generally designed for students who intend to transfer to a four-year institution to complete requirements for a bachelor of fine arts degree.

Associate of Science Degree - The degree awarded upon completion of the core curriculum for the associate of science degree. This degree is generally designed for students who intend to transfer to a four-year institution to complete requirements for a bachelor of science degree.

Audit (AU) - Indicates that the student elected to enroll in the course for no grade or credit. Audits do not replace grades previously issued. Students may register to audit courses beginning with the first day of classes.

Bad Check Handling Fee - This fee is the amount assessed students who write checks which are later returned to the college from a bank because the bank refuses payment.

Campus Access Fee - A nonrefundable fee charged to all students, faculty and staff for access to the campus and its facilities.

Cancelled/Cut Classes - Classes that are cancelled by the college due to low enrollment. Students are not financially responsible for cancelled classes.

Classification - A student’s status (i.e., freshman, sophomore, special, transient) in respect to progress toward the completion of a curriculum based upon the number of course credit hours attained.

COMPASS e-Write - The English diagnostic test to determine where to begin in learning support English. The test involves writing an essay timed for 30 minutes.

COMPASS Test - Academic assessment required of degree-seeking students 21 years of age or older to assess reading, writing and math skills.

Concentration - At a community college, the student’s primary field of interest.

Continuing Education - Non-credit courses offered for business, professional or personal development.

Continuing Student - A student who has not been separated from the college more than three semesters and continues enrollment. To continue enrollment after being separated from the college three or more semesters, readmission is required.

Corequisite - A course that must be taken at the same time as another course.

Course - A subject or class in which instruction is offered within a given period of time for a semester and for which credit toward a degree is given.

Course Load - The course load is the total number of semester or credit hours in which a student is enrolled for a semester.

Credit Hours or Semester Hours - One credit hour or one semester hour is usually assigned for each 55 minutes of class per week for a semester. For example, Composition I is a three-credit hour or three-semester hour course. Since it is a three-hour course, a student taking Composition I would attend class three hours each week for 15 weeks and receive three hours of credit (or three credits) for the course.

Curriculum - The complete inventory of courses offered for study.

Deferred Payment - Payment plan which allows payment for fees in three payments.

Degree - The official recognition for completion of a curriculum.

Diagnostic Testing - Testing to determine the beginning level of learning support when ACT scores or COMPASS scores are not at the required minimum college level.

Distance Learning - Courses that are delivered in an alternative format that include two-way audio/video, telecourses, videotape and Web-based options. It is designed for students who need flexibility in scheduling and instructional methods.

Dual Credit - Courses taught at high schools by the high school teacher with an articulation agreement between the high school and Cleveland State.

Dual/Joint Enrollment - Courses taught by instructors who have been approved by Cleveland State to teach college courses on our campus, at a high school or via other delivery for college credit.

Early Registration - The earliest opportunity to register for classes via the Web. Check the academic calendar located in the catalog or schedule of classes for dates.

Elective - A subject or course from which a student may choose that is required for a specific degree program.

Fees - The amount of money owed for courses taken. Fee payment deadlines must be met to prevent schedules being dropped.

Freshman - Classification of degree-seeking students having accumulated less than 30 college level credit hours.

Full-time Student - A student enrolled in 12 or more semester hours of coursework in a given semester.

Grade Point Average (GPA) - An average obtained by dividing the total number of grade points (A-4; B-3; C-2; D-1) earned by the total number of hours of coursework attempted. The college-level GPA does not include grades earned for Learning Support courses.

Grant - Financial assistance that does not have to be repaid.

High School Course Requirements - Applicants for admission to associate of arts (A.A.) or associate of science (A.S.) degree programs who graduated from high school or earned a HSE in 1989 or thereafter must have completed a group of high school units.

Holds - A block that prevents students from registering, receiving transcripts and/or receiving financial aid awards. Holds can be placed on student accounts for various reasons, including returned checks, failure to complete a financial aid exit interview, failure to meet requirements, parking tickets or library fines.

High School Equivalency (HSE) diploma - An alternative credential that can be earned when a student does not have a regular diploma from an accredited high school. Testing includes 5 subjects and all are timed. The state of Tennessee approves the GED test and the HiSET test as approved high school credentials that are earned in Tennessee. Colleges may accept other state approved high school credentials.

Identification Card Replacement - There is no charge for the initial student identification card required of all students. Replacement cards are made at a cost of $5.00 each.

Incomplete (I) - Indicates that the student has not completed all the work of the course for a reason acceptable to the instructor. A student must resolve the incomplete within eight weeks from the beginning of the succeeding semester, excluding summer. Unresolved incomplete grades will become an “F” on the student transcript.

Institutional Academic - Scholarships awarded to high school seniors who have demonstrated meritorious performance.

Job Placement - Placement can help career/technical graduates find jobs after graduation. This office may also be able to help students find jobs while enrolled.

Late Registration Fee (Non-refundable) - This is the amount which must be paid if a student fails to complete registration during the day or days specified for this purpose.

Learning Support Program - A program of studies in various areas designed to give the student background prerequisite to college level studies to include English/writing, mathematics, reading and study skills.

Loan - Financial assistance that must be paid back, usually within a specified time.

Major - The student’s program of study. Students whose primary goal is to transfer to a four-year college or university enroll in the college transfer/university parallel program. Students whose primary goal is to seek immediate employment after graduation enroll in a career/technical program.

Matriculated - To admit or be admitted into a college.

Maximum Credit Load - A student may register for up to 20 credit hours per semester. Any schedule with more than 20 hours must have signed approval of one of the academic deans.

My Readiness Test - The reading diagnostic test to determine where to begin in learning support reading. The test includes 6 subtests that are not timed.

No Pass (NP) - Indicates a student did not earn credit. This grade is not computed in the grade-point average. Students may not change from the P/NP option to another grading option once the option has been exercised.

Non-credit Course - Any course that does not offer college credit upon completion.

Off-campus Sites - In addition to the main campus, courses and services are provided at the Athens Center at 2580 Ingleside Avenue and at Sequoyah High School, 3128 Highway 411.  The Monroe County Center Office is located at 205 Oak Grove Road.

Out-of-state Tuition - An additional fee charged to students classified as non-state residents of Tennessee who are enrolled in courses for credit or audit. This fee is in addition to the maintenance fee.

Part-time Student - A student enrolled in less than 12 credit hours of coursework in a given semester.

Pass (P) - Indicates that the student has successfully completed a course. Credit indicated by “P” counts toward meeting graduation requirements but has no effect on the QPA.

Prerequisite - A course requirement that must be met before enrolling in a particular course.

Principal Scholarship - Scholarships awarded to high school seniors who have demonstrated meritorious performance and are nominated by the high school principal of the school the student attended.

Proficiency (PR) - Indicates that the student earned credit by taking a proficiency examination. Effective with the 2001-2002 catalogs, a grade of “A” or “B” will be assigned and will be computed in the QPA.

Quality Point Average - The scholastic standing and progress of a student is expressed in terms of a Quality Point Average (QPA), which is calculated for the semester and cumulatively. The semester QPA is calculated by dividing the total number of quality points by the total number of quality hours (excluding withdrawals) attempted during the semester. The cumulative QPA is calculated by dividing the total number of quality points earned by the total number of quality hours (excluding transfer hours and withdrawals) during the student’s entire academic career.

Readmission - A student returning to the college after an absence of three or more consecutive semesters. A new application is required.

Registration - Announced opportunities for students to register for classes.

Repeated Course (RE) - Indicates that the student is repeating a course. When computing the QPA of a student who has repeated one or more courses, the college will count only the last grade received in the repeated course(s) and count hours attempted only once provided that the number of repeats in any single course does not exceed two (three attempts totaled). If a student repeats a course more than twice, the grade in the third and subsequent attempts shall be used in determining the QPA.

Residency - Upon admission to Cleveland State Community College, students are classified as resident or non-resident for fee payment purposes by the Office of Admissions in the Enrollment Services Center. For additional information, contact the Enrollment Services Center.

Schedule Adjustment Period - A designated time for students to add or drop courses without permission of instructor or dean. This is prior to the date at which a dropped course is assigned the grade of “W”.

Scholarship - Financial assistance that does not have to be repaid. Most scholarships have specific application criteria.

Semester - The 15-week period in fall and spring during which courses meet and final exams occur. There are also summer terms during which a student may complete a semester of coursework.

Special Student - Any non-degree seeking student.

Sophomore - A degree-seeking student who has completed 30 or more college-level credit hours.

Student Activity Fee - A nonrefundable fee charged to all students enrolled in credit courses at any site. This fee is used to support a variety of student activities.

Syllabus - The outline of course objectives, contents and requirements.

Technology Fee - Fee established for the purpose of providing technology improvements.

Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) - The governing board for 45 Tennessee institutions of higher education, including six universities, 13 two-year colleges and 26 Tennessee technology centers.

TBR Common Course Numbering (u symbol) - A complete matrix of courses that satisfy the minimum degree requirements at all TBR institutions. An explanation of the common course rubric and numbering system is available on the TBR Web page (www.tbr.state.tn.us).

TNeCampus (Formerly Regents Online Program - RODP) - An accredited program delivered completely online by the Tennessee Board of Regents community colleges.

Traffic Fines - Students and employees parked illegally or speeding will receive a citation for each violation.

Transcript - An official record of academic history, provided by high school or other colleges previously attended.

Transient - Any student who is regularly attending another college or university while taking courses at Cleveland State Community College for application to a degree at the home institution.

University Parallel Program - A curriculum designed for transfer to a four-year college or university after graduating with an associate of arts or science degree.

Video Courses - Alternative form of instructional delivery through the use of videotaped instruction.

Web Courses - Alternative form of instructional delivery through the use of the World Wide Web.

Withdrawn (W) - Indicates that a student has officially withdrawn from a course or courses during the official withdrawal period as published in the academic calendar. Courses dropped during this period will receive the grade of “W”.