Mar 19, 2024  
2019-2020 Catalog 
    
2019-2020 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Glossary


Colleges use many words in special ways. This alphabetical list explains those special meanings used in this catalog and by the Lee College staff.

Academic probation - describes the situation that occurs when a student’s grade average falls below a C- (2.0 grade point average). The student must raise that average in the next semester or withdraw from the college.

Academic Suspension - failure to maintain or achieve the minimum cumulative GPA required. A student placed on suspension will be dismissed from the college for a specific period of time, usually one semester.

Accredited - having the official approval for college programs and/or degrees by various groups. This approval gives Lee College students many benefits, including the ability to transfer credits to other colleges and universities.

Accuplacer - Lee College’s state-approved test to determine college readiness for TSIA standards.

Add - enrollment in a course after registration. An official form must be completed in the Admissions Office.

Admission - steps that students follow before attending classes at a college.

Alien - a student who is not a citizen of the United States.

Alumni - graduates of a college or university.

American College Test (ACT) - one of the several tests used as a part of college entrance requirements. Lee College does not require the ACT.

Applied Science (Technical) - the Applied Science Division includes a wide variety of highly technical credit courses and degree and certificate programs designed to meet the needs of students who seek employment. Some applied science courses are transferable to university-level study.

Articulation - an agreement between two institutions whereby students receive credit for prior education.

Assessment - the process of discovering the strengths and weaknesses in students’ school backgrounds in order to place students in courses in which they can succeed.

Associate Degree - general name for any one of the degrees offered by a community college. Lee College offers Associate of Arts (AA), Associate of Applied Sciences (AAS), and Associate of Science (AS) Degrees.

Associate Degree (ADN) - an Associate of Applied Science Degree (AAS) that permits students to take the National Test for Registered Nurses (RN).

Associate of Applied Science - the Associate of Applied Science Degree (AAS) provides the student a degree in a chosen technical major and is intended for students who plan to enter the workforce upon program completion.

Associate of Arts - the Associate of Arts Degree (AA) provides the student the opportunity to obtain the first two years of college credits toward a four-year Baccalaureate degree.

Associate of Arts in Teaching - the Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT) degree provides students the opportunity to obtain the first two years of college credits toward a four- year Baccalaureate degree in Education.

Associate of Science - the Associate of Science degree (AS) provides the student the opportunity to obtain the first two years of college credits toward a four-year Baccalaureate degree.

Audit - enrollment in a credit class for no credit.

Bachelor Degree - formal name for a four-year college degree; examples include the Bachelor of Arts (BA) and the Bachelor of Science (BS). An Associate degree (two-year degree) is the highest degree offered at Lee College.

Calendar - the schedule of dates for official college activities.

Capstone Course - a comprehensive course taken during a student’s last semester that demonstrates program mastery.

Catalog - official annual college publication containing information about its regulations, requirements, policies, and procedures. The catalog includes general information, admissions information, general academic regulations, general non-academic information, financial aid and scholarship information, and educational programs of study.

Certificate of Completion and Certificates - programs of study up to 59 credits designed for entry-level employment or knowledge upgrade.

College-level Courses - all credit courses offered by Lee College. Note that developmental courses have a three digit course number.

Commencement - a graduation ceremony in which colleges and universities award certificates and degrees to students.

Community College (Junior College) - a two-year college is also known as a community college. Most often, community colleges offer associate degrees, certificates, and courses for transfer to universities.

Complete Withdrawal - this is the process of withdrawing from all classes after registration. See drop.

Concurrent or Dual Enrollment - system whereby a student takes a course at one institution and receives credit at more than one institution.

Community Education - courses offered for non-credit; may or may not offer Community Education Unit (CEUs).

Core Courses - those general education courses that degree plans require; for example, English 1302, History 1301, etc. Also referred to as core curriculum.

Course - work accomplished in a class during a semester or term. Each course successfully completed adds a certain number of semester hours of credit to a student’s transcript.

Course Load - total number of semester hours that a student takes during a semester.

Course number - the course number identifies each course with a prefix that designates the subject area and a number that designates that particular course; for example, HUMA
1301. Developmental courses have three digit numbers.

Course Waiver - official permission to omit one course in a degree plan.

Credit - see Semester Credit Hour.

Credit Courses - courses taken for credit that accumulate toward a college degree or certificate.

Credit hour - see Semester Credit Hour.

Curriculum (plural form curricula) - courses of study offered by a college or the particular course of study of a department or a class.

Dean - an administrator of the college who has responsibility for a particular area.

Degree plan - series of courses laid out for an individual student’s degree.

Degree program - courses required to complete a particular degree. These are listed under each particular program of study.

Developmental Courses - courses designed to help prepare students for college-level coursework. These courses cannot be applied to certificates or degrees at Lee College or transferred to other institutions.

Drop - withdrawal from a particular course. See the Student Services chapter for an explanation of the Lee College drop policy.

Early Registration - the period in which students can register for next semester classes prior to the end of the current semester (see the calendar for dates).

Electives - a course selected by the student that is optional to the degree or certificate plan.

Extension Courses - classes taught at another location other than the main campus.

Extracurricular Activities - activities outside the classroom that contribute to a well-rounded education. They can include activities such as intramural sports, clubs, organizations, student government, and recreational and social events.

Faculty - the faculty is composed of all people who instruct classes on a college campus.

Fees - charges other than tuition costs, such as student activity fees and specific course fees.

Field of Study - courses that will satisfy lower-division requirements for a baccalaureate degree in a specific academic area.

Financial Aid - the money available to help students attend college.

Full-time Student - a student who is taking 12 or more semester hours in any fall or spring semester.

Fully Online Learning Course - a course which may have mandatory face-to-face sessions totaling no more than 15 percent of the instructional time. Examples of face-to-face sessions include orientation, laboratory, exam review, or an in-person test.

Grade point Average (GPA) - overall average of student’s grades. Divide the number of semester hours attempted into the grade points accumulated.

Gulf Coast Intercollegiate Conference (GCIC) - competition among Gulf Coast colleges in music and intramurals.

Hazelwood Act - money available from the state of Texas for the education of Texas veterans.

Honors program - a program designed to provide students with an enriched intellectual experience. Students interested in honors classes should contact the honors coordinator.

Hybrid/Blended Course - a course in which a majority (more than 50 percent but less than 85 percent) of the planned instruction occurs when the student(s) and instructor(s) are not in the same place.

In-District - the area around a community college that is part of the taxing district for that college. Tuition is lower for in-district residents (see tuition schedule).

Incomplete (I) - the grade given when illness or some other serious cause prevents a student from completing the requirements of a course during that semester.

Individualized Class (Self-paced Instruction) - classes in which students complete the requirements on their own time, under the direction of an instructor and outside the classroom setting.

Intramural - activities that provide competition within the college rather than between two colleges.

Long Term - semesters consisting of 16 or more weeks, i.e., Fall and Spring semesters.

Lyceum - a series of Lee College cultural programs offered to students and the community.

Major/Minor - student’s chosen field of study; it usually requires the successful completion of a specified number of credit hours. A minor is a secondary field of study requiring fewer hours.

Mentor - faculty or staff member who serves as a contact for college students who are enrolled for the first time.

Needs Analysis - process to determine a student’s eligibility for financial aid.

Non-Credit Status (NC) - the designation given to students who do not wish to receive credit for a course. The student receives a grade of NC.

Non-Traditional Student - an adult student for whom several or many years have passed between his or her previous education and the start or continuation of a college program. “Non-traditional” may also refer to any student who is not the traditional 18-year-old high school graduate (e.g., a single parent, a GED graduate, or a part-time student who works full-time).

Online Learning - a course in which a majority (more than 50 percent) of the instruction occurs when the student(s) and instructor(s) are not in the same place. Two categories of online learning courses are defined as: Fully Online Learning and Hybrid/Blended.

Out-of-District - the area outside of the taxing district for a community college. Tuition is higher for out-of-district students.

Overload - additional courses over the usual 18 hours permitted.

Pell Grant - money given by the federal government for tuition and books for students who demonstrate financial need.

Placement - the process of discovering students’ strengths and weaknesses and placing them in courses that fit their abilities and backgrounds.

Plagiarism - use of the words or thoughts of an author without giving that author credit. While most students’ plagiarism is unintentional, it is a serious offense. Students should consult their instructors regarding this issue.

Prerequisite - courses or skills required as background for college-level courses.

Program - plan of study which, when completed, results in a degree or certificate.

Registration - process of signing up for particular classes and paying fees. Registration is necessary every semester before attending classes.

Remediation - process of assisting the student develop the basic skills required for college work. See Developmental Courses.

Resident - a student who has lived in Texas for at least one year prior to the date of registration.

Resignation - the process of withdrawing from all classes during a semester.

Schedule of Classes - a list of courses with sections, semester credit hours, room numbers, times, days, and instructors for the semester, published prior to registration for each semester.

Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) - one of several tests whose scores are used as part of a college’s entrance requirements. Lee College does not require the SAT.

Section - a particular class. On the class schedule the number that follows the decimal point is the section number. It separates that class from all others with the same course number.

Semester Credit Hour (SCH) - the customary unit of measure for counting college credit. Classes which meet three hours per week in long semesters usually have three credits. For courses offered by Lee College, the second digit of the course number is the number of credits associated with the course. Three digit numbers do not award college credit, i.e., READ 300.

Semester (Term) - the period of time during which classes are offered is called a semester. For example, the semester system consists of a Fall (August - December) semester, a Spring (January - May) semester, and a Summer (June - August) semester. At Lee College, and at some other colleges and universities, there are often intersession terms or semesters (during the Christmas holidays, for example). See the current class schedule for exact dates.

Senior College - a college or university that offers a bachelor degree or above.

Short Term - semesters consisting of less than 16 weeks, i.e., summer semesters.

Sophomore - student who has earned at least 30 credit hours toward a degree or certificate.

Student Assistant - part-time (no more than 19.5 hours per week) work on campus. The pay rate is minimum wage.

Student Service Fee - the money that all students pay to support student publications, organizations, and activities.

Syllabus - a description of a college course including its title, course number, required text(s), stated objectives, and requirements.

Transfer Student - a student who applies credit earned from one college or university to a program at another. For example, many Lee College students transfer to a four-year college or university.

Transcript - record of courses attempted and grades earned. Individuals may obtain a copy of their transcript from the Admissions and Records Office.

Tuition - the basic charge per semester hour for college courses.

Withdrawal - see Drop.

Work Study - college work study is a program that allows students with documented financial need to apply for part- time (no more than 19.5 hours per week) employment on campus. The pay is minimum wage.