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College Terminology
Academic Advisement
Consulting with a college counselor/advisor to develop a plan for fulfilling the requirements to reach an educational objective. Participating in the advisement process will minimize the loss of credits for students planning to transfer.
Academic Dismissal
After being placed on Academic Suspension for a semester and failing to make academic progress, the student will be placed on academic dismissal. Students on this status must wait at least 12 months before re-enrolling.
Academic Honors List
An honor bestowed upon students who demonstrate exemplary performance. To be eligible, a student must complete 12 or more credits in that semester with a grade point average of 3.5 or higher.
Academic Probation
A student who completes 30 plus credits with a GPA below 2.0 for all work attempted at Yavapai College will be placed on academic probation. The student may then be limited to taking fewer credits each semester, and other remedies may be prescribed to help ensure success, such as tutoring or developmental courses.
Academic Renewal
Academic Renewal allows a student who experienced academic difficulties during earlier attendance at Yavapai College to have grades for a particular period of time excluded from the calculation of the grade point average. All courses and grades remain on the student’s permanent academic record.
Academic Suspension
Status designated when a student, after having been placed on academic probation, does not fulfill the requirements to be considered in good standing.
Academic Warning
A student who completes between 12 and 29 credits with less that a 2.0 GPA will be placed on academic warning. The student may then be limited to taking fewer credits each semester, and other remedies may be prescribed to help ensure success, such as tutoring or developmental courses.
ADD/DROP
A student may change class registration by adding new classes or deleting classes. Official ADD/DROP forms must be used. Refer to the current class schedule for ADD/DROP deadlines. If a student stops attending class, he/she should not assume that the instructor will process the drop form. A drop form must be submitted to the Admissions and Registration Office for all courses a student does not wish to complete.
Administrative Drop
An instructor may drop a student from a course for failure to attend class.
AGEC–Arizona General Education Curriculum
A common structure of general education agreed upon by all the public colleges and universities in Arizona. The AGEC will meet lower division general education requirements for students transferring to Arizona public universities. Courses taken for “S” credit can not be applied to AGEC requirements.
Articulation
The acceptance or transfer of coursework through special agreements. Yavapai College articulates transfer of courses to Arizona’s public universities (Arizona State University [ASU], ASU-East, ASU-West, Northern Arizona University [NAU], and the University of Arizona [U of A]), through the Arizona Course Equivalency Guide, transfer guides and the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC).
Associate Degree
A degree awarded by a community college upon satisfactory completion of an organized program of study. Requires the completion of a minimum number of credits with a certain combination of courses, including general education and major requirements. For more detailed information, see an advisor, or refer to the “Degrees and Certificates” section of this catalog.
Bachelors Degree
A degree awarded by a four-year college or university after satisfactory completion of an organized program of studies, usually requiring at least four years of full-time study.
Catalog Year
The year in which a student begins a program of study, and subsequently maintains continuous enrollment every fall and spring semester. The requirements for the degree or certificate will be those which were in effect the catalog year the student began the program.
CEG-Course Equivalency Guide
The Arizona Higher Education Course Equivalency Guide indicates how each of the public universities in Arizona accepts 100 and 200-level courses in transfer from each community college. The course evaluation is designated for the year the course is completed and specifies only how the course will be accepted in transfer, not how it will be applied toward fulfillment of degree requirements.
Class Standing
Freshman: First year class standing. Students who have between 0 and 29 cumulative credits are considered freshmen. Sophomore: Second year standing. Students who have between 30 and 59 credits are considered sophomores.
CLEP Test—College Level Examination Program
Credit for prior or extra-institutional learning may be earned through successful scoring on general or subject area CLEP testing. Some disciplines have additional requirements to demonstrate accomplishment of learning outcomes (e.g. writing samples, laboratory).
Corequisite
Courses which are to be taken concurrently.
Credit Hours (sometimes called units)
Credit hours indicate how much time will be involved in instruction and class-related activities. A certain number of credit hours must be completed to earn a certificate or degree.
Directed Study
Directed Study is the individualized delivery of a Yavapai College course. Directed Study is only available when a course is required for completion of a Yavapai College degree or certificate program and the student is in the final stage of certificate completion or graduation. An educational plan must document progress toward certificate/degree completion. Laboratory or highly-specialized courses are generally not available for Directed Study. A student may not repeat a Directed Study.
Drop
When a student is removed from registration for a class. Dropped classes do not appear on the official transcript. There is a specific time period during which a class may be dropped (refer to the class schedule for the current semester).
Educational Plan
A written outline of all courses required to complete a specific educational program.
General Education
A pattern of course work generally covering the areas of natural sciences, social sciences, mathematics, communication skills, humanities, and critical thinking required to complete a degree.
Good Standing
To stay in good standing with the institution, a student must maintain a GPA of 2.0 or better and earn credit in at least one-half the credits for which registered.
GPA–Grade Point Average
A summary of grades from all classes completed. A 4.0 GPA is a perfect “A” average. The GPA is computed by adding total grade points and dividing the sum by the total credits completed.
Grade Points
The product of multiplying the value of a letter grade (A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0) by the credit value of a class. These points are used in computing a student’s GPA.
Grad Check/Graduation Evaluation
A student expecting to receive an Associate Degree or a Certificate of Achievement must complete a record review with their advisor to verify that all requirements have been met.
Graduate degree
An advanced degree (Master’s or Doctorate) which is undertaken after completion of the Bachelor’s degree.
Incomplete Grade
A grade of “I” (incomplete) may be assigned by an instructor when a student has been unable to complete academic work for a course by the end of the term due to unforeseeable emergency, and justifiable reasons. To qualify, students must have completed a significant majority of the work required for the course while maintaining a "C" average for work submitted and is capable of completeing the remainder of the required work for this course.
Independent Study
Independent Study allows opportunities for academic learning beyond what the College provides in the normal curriculum. This may involve creating a course in a field where Yavapai has no courses at all, or it may involve creating courses more advanced or specialized than existing courses. Through this program, students can seek knowledge or skills not otherwise available in the College. Independent Study is an opportunity to award College credit for new academic learning rather than prior learning, cooperative job placement, work study or internships. Independent Study is not for non-college credit activities or for developmental studies.
Internship
Internships involve structured field experiences within specific academic disciplines or technical areas. These experiences enable students to explore potential careers and apply knowledge gained in the classroom while refining the technical skills and gaining relevant experience in the workplace.
Lower Division
Course work normally taken in the first two years of college, at the freshman and sophomore levels. Courses numbered 100-299 at Yavapai College are lower division.
Matriculation
The completion of steps necessary for reaching an educational objective, including application, assessment, enrollment in classes, academic progress, and graduation or transfer.
Prerequisite
Previous course work, level of learning or assessment score required prior to enrollment in a specific class.
Presession
A limited period before a regular session begins, when students may register for intensive coursework, typically offered in August and January.
Quarter
A length of time that a school term lasts (usually 10 weeks). Yavapai College does not use the quarter system.
Semester
A length of time that a school term lasts. Yavapai College has a 16-week semester.
Transcripts
The permanent record of all classes taken while enrolled at a college or university.
Transfer
The process of moving from one college to another prior to completion of educational objective.
Units
Also referred to as credit hours.
Upper division
Course work normally taken in the third and fourth years of college, at the junior and senior levels. Courses numbered 300-499 are upper division. Yavapai College does not offer upper division courses.
Withdrawal
A student’s removal from registration for a class within a specified time period. Refer to the current class schedule for dates.
Financial Aid Terminology
Ability-to-Benefit
Term used to describe a student’s chances of being successful in a college-level course of study. Financial aid recipients who have not graduated from high school and who do not hold a GED certificate must take an exam designed to determine their “Ability-to-Benefit” from a college program.
Family Contribution
The sum of the parent and student contributions toward educational costs as determined by the need analysis.
Federal Family Educational Loans (FFEL)
Federal Loans for parents and students which are both need based and non-need based. Loans must be repaid with interest. Interest rate varies.
Federal Work Study (FWS)
Program in which students work part-time to earn a portion of their financial aid award.
Financial Aid Package/Award
An offer of financial aid which combines various forms of aid, typically from one or more sources.
Financial Need
The basis for most financial aid awards. Determined by subtracting the family contribution from an institution’s cost of attendance.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
Form used to apply for federal financial aid; must be completed every year. April 1 is the priority deadline for additional funds at Yavapai College.
Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership Grant (LEAP)
A type of grant available to students who are residents of Arizona. Awards are given on a first come-first-serve basis.
Need Analysis
The process of determining a student’s eligibility for financial aid. It involves establishing student expense budgets, determining the family contribution, and subtracting the family contribution from these expenses.
Pell Grant
The primary federal grant program. These awards do not have to be repaid as long as the student makes satisfactory academic progress.
Perkins Loan
A federally subsidized loan program designed to assist students with the cost of their education. Perkins Loans have a fixed interest rate of 5%. Loan awards are given on a first-come-first-served basis.
Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)
One of the federal campus-based financial aid programs available at Yavapai College.
Verification
Federal regulation requires an aid administrator to verify financial aid applications by comparing reported data with income tax returns and other documentation.
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