Academic Year - July 1 to June 30. Summer semester is the first semester of the academic year.
Accreditation - A voluntary process of validating the quality (high standards of excellence) of an educational institution. East Central is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, a.k.a. the North Central Association.
Adjunct Instructor - An instructor employed by the College part-time.
Advisor - An academic advisor helps plan student course work based on the requirements of the program and the student’s educational needs. Each student is assigned an advisor according to their program of study.
Articulation Agreement - An agreement between two schools regarding the transfer of credits.
Assessment Test - An exam designed to measure a student’s skills in English, math and reading and to determine course placement.
Associate Degree - A program of study including a minimum of 64 credit hours and requiring least two years to complete. Associate degrees are available in transfer and career/technical programs.
Auditing a Course - A registration status which allows the student to attend a course for no college credit. The student pays full tuition and may be required to complete all regular coursework.
Bachelor’s Degree - A program of study which includes a minimum of 120 hours and takes at least four years to complete.
Career-Technical Curriculum - A course of study designed to prepare a student for employment in a particular career field. While many career curricula require two years of full- time study, some require one year or less.
Certificate - A document certifying completion of a specific career and technical program.
College Level Examination Program (CLEP) - A method for receiving credit by exam for a college level course.
Commencement - An annual ceremony held in May which recognizes the academic achievements of fall, spring and summer candidates for graduation.
Corequisite - A course which must be taken during the same term as another course. Co- requisites are noted in the course description.
Counselor - A professional trained in aiding a student with personal issues, educational planning, and career goal selection.
Course Description - A summary of course content. Each course description includes the department abbreviation and a corresponding four-digit number, e.g. PY 1103 General Psychology, as well as course prerequisites and co-requisites, and the number of credit hours assigned.
Course Load - The number of credit hours a student takes each semester. Students at East Central College are classified as full-time when enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours during the fall and spring semesters, or 6 credit hours during the summer. East Central College requires that students who seek enrollment in more than 18 credit hours (nine hours in the summer) receive approval from the Chief Academic Officer or the Chief Student Affairs Officer.
Course Number - East Central College uses four-digit course numbers. Courses numbered below 1000 indicate developmental/remedial instruction or community education. While these courses do not apply to a degree or certificate, they may be required for skill development.
Courses in the 1000 series are designed for first-year students; courses in the 2000 series are designed for second-year or advanced students.
Credit Hour - One unit of course work equivalent to 15 contact hours of classroom instruction. A typical college course is equivalent to 3 credit hours. ECC credit programs are based on semester credit hours.
Curriculum - The group of courses required for a particular degree or certificate.
Developmental Courses - Courses designed to help students prepare for successful completion of college-level coursework. Course numbers are below 1000 and do not apply to a degree or certificate.
Disciplinary Probation - A warning to a student who has violated the student conduct policy. Special restrictions may apply.
Disciplinary Suspension - A college disciplinary action which prevents a student from attending classes and coming to school activities. Other restrictions may apply.
Dual Credit Course/Student - A course taken by a student still enrolled in high school for both college and high school credit. Students enroll separately at the college, pay tuition and have access to college resources. A college transcript is created.
Dual Enrollment Course/Student - A course taken by a student still enrolled in high school for college credit. A student may take a dual enrollment course in the high school building or at the college. Students enroll separately at the college, pay tuition and have access to college resources. A college transcript is created.
Elective Course - An optional course not specifically required in a student’s program of study.
Fees - A supplemental charge to cover the cost of a particular course, activity or service. General fees are charged to all students; special fees are attached to individual courses.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) - The application required for students to be considered for any type of student aid or scholarship. Available online at www.FAFSA.gov Note: Some ECC scholarships require an additional application.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) - A federal law ensuring all students the right to review their official college records, to request amendment to these records, to restrict their name from certain reports, to file with the US Department of Education appropriate FERPA complaints, and to obtain East Central College’s FERPA policy statement. Students who wish to release private information to individuals, e.g. parents, will be required to sign a FERPA release.
Financial Aid - Financial assistance students receive to attend college, such as grants, scholarships, loans, or work study jobs.
Full-Time Student - Students enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours in the fall or spring semesters, or six credit hours in the summer.
General Studies - A non-specific Associate of Arts degree program which fulfills lower division general education requirements.
Graduation - The point at which the student has completed all degree requirements and has applied for and earned a degree or certificate. The graduation date is the date on which the degree is awarded.
Graduation Application - A form to notify the Registrar of a student’s intention to graduate. Deadlines for submission: fall semester - September 15; spring semester - February 15; summer semester - June 15. Students who wish to walk in the spring commencement ceremony must apply by February 15.
Grade Point Average (GPA) - A statistical representation of a student’s academic record. For each credit hour earned, grade points are awarded as follows: A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0. The GPA is determined by adding all grade points and dividing by the number of credit hours attempted. Semester GPA is the average from one semester. Cumulative GPA is the average of all grades.
Grant - Financial assistance awarded to students to cover tuition, fees and other educational expenses. Students who successfully complete their coursework typically do not have to repay their grants.
Major - A student’s program of study.
Midterm - A test given at the halfway point in the semester to track a student’s progress. Students who have earned a D or below will be notified in writing.
Part-Time Student - A student taking fewer than 12 credit hours in the fall or spring semesters, or fewer than six credit hours in the summer.
Plagiarism - Careless or deliberate use of the work or the ideas of another; representation of another’s work, words, ideas, or data as your own without permission or appropriate acknowledgement
Prerequisite - A course that must be completed with a C or higher before taking a more advanced course. Prerequisites are noted in the course description.
President’s List - East Central College recognizes students who have demonstrated exemplary academic achievement. Upon completion of at least 12 semester credit hours with a semester grade point average of 3.85 or greater, students will be acknowledged by placement on the President’s List.
Probation (Academic) - Students who do not meet the “minimum standards for academic progress” will be placed on academic probation for a period of one semester. Students have a full semester to remedy the academic probation.
Probation (Financial Aid) - See Warning (Financial Aid)
Program Evaluation (Degree Audit) - A review of a student’s academic record compared to program requirements.
Registrar - The registrar’s office is in charge of registering students for classes and for maintaining a student’s academic record.
Registration - The process of enrolling for classes each semester.
Residency Requirements - A student must complete 15 of their last 30 semester hours credit in residence at East Central College in order to earn a degree or certificate.
Scholarship - A monetary gift for college expenses given to students who meet certain academic and/or personal qualifications.
Semester - An academic period of instruction denoted as fall, spring and summer. The fall and spring semesters are 16 weeks long. The summer semester is accelerated, e.g. six to eight weeks.
Student Services - College departments which support student records and enrollment, e.g. Admissions, Advising, Financial Aid and Registration.
Suspension (Academic) - If at the end of an academic probation semester the probation status is not remedied, the student is automatically suspended for one semester. Students have the right to appeal any academic suspension.
Suspension (Financial Aid) - Failure to meet the policy standards after the financial aid warning semester will result in financial aid suspension and loss of financial aid. In certain situations, students may appeal their suspension by writing a letter of appeal to the Director of Financial Aid. Documentation of extenuating circumstances may be required.
Syllabus - A detailed course outline including instructor expectations for student attendance, assignments and grading.
Transcript - A permanent record of the courses attempted by a student and the grades earned. Official transcripts can be requested online. Students may obtain unofficial transcripts through their eCentral online account.
Tuition -The charge per credit hour for academic instruction.
Undergraduate - A student who has not yet received a bachelor’s degree is considered an undergraduate.
Vice President’s List - East Central College recognizes students who have demonstrated superior academic achievement. Upon completion of at least 12 semester credit hours with a semester grade point between 3.50 and 3.84, students will be acknowledged by placement on the Vice President’s List.
Warning (Financial Aid) - Students who do not meet the “minimum standards for academic progress” will be placed on financial aid warning for one semester. During the warning period, students may continue to receive aid.
Withdrawal (Complete Withdrawal) - A process to drop an entire class schedule. For more information, refer to Student Handbook.
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