Glossary | COS 133 College Orientation and Success Strategies

A.A. Degree: An Associate’s of Arts degree. Typically this degree is for art-related fields, and students either enter the workforce or transfer to another institution of higher learning. Programs offering this degree have published sequences wherein students complete approximately 65 credit hours of required 100- and 200-level coursework.
A.A.S. Degree: An Associate’s of Applied Science degree. Typically, students who earn this degree proceed directly into the workforce. Programs offering this degree have published sequences wherein students complete approximately 65 credit hours of required 100- and 200-level coursework.
A.S. Degree: An Associate’s of Science degree. Typically, students who earn this degree intend to transfer to a college or university and pursue a Bachelor’s degree. Programs offering this degree have published sequences wherein students complete approximately 65 credit hours of required 100- and 200-level coursework.
Academic Calendar: A schedule of important dates that students need to know each semester. Dates such as the last day to drop a class, the withdrawal deadlines, and final exam week are published on the academic calendar on the College’s website.
Adjunct Faculty: A highly qualified teaching faculty member who is employed by the College on a part-time basis. Many adjunct faculty are currently or formerly employed experts in the fields in which they teach.
Aid to Part-time Students: A form of financial aid for students who enroll in less than 12 hours of coursework.
Alumni: Students who have graduated from Monroe Community College.
Audit: Taking a course without credit and without a grade. Students do not have to take the examinations. Any student may audit a course with permission of the instructor, if seats are available the first day of classes, by filling out the appropriate audit form and returning it to the Registration and Records Office by the end of the drop/add period. Full tuition is required, and the course will appear on transcripts with a grade of Au.
Assessments: Tests and other measures given to students to assess their proficiency and/or competency with course learning outcomes or to identify levels and/or course placement for English, math, reading, and writing.
Bachelor’s Degree: The next level of education after graduating from MCC. Often referred to as a four-year degree, it is very similar to the Associate’s degrees in that students may pursue a Bachelor of Art or Science. Courses taken for this degree are generally 200-, 300-, and 400-level courses. MCC does not offer Bachelor’s Degrees.
Certificate: A qualification students earn after completing a series of MCC courses geared toward employment in a specific field. Although it is not a degree, students typically earn 15 to 24 credit hours and a credential in that particular discipline.
Certificate of Residence: MCC students must file a “Certificate of Residence” once each academic year (September-August) to certify legal residence in New York State for the past year and county residency for the past six months. The Certificate of Residence should be completed and submitted to Records and Registration prior to registration.
Co-requisite: A course which must be taken with another course. Learning communities are examples of two or more courses in which students must co-enroll so they are taken together with the same group of students. Other co-requisite courses might include a reading class with a composition class or a support course with a credit course, such as MTH 099 and MTH 104.
College Catalog and Handbook: A reference that focuses on college policies and procedures, as well as on campus resources, educational programs and requirements, and course descriptions. The catalog used to be a book published once a year. It is now only available as a pdf on the MCC website and for purchase with COS course materials while the College transitions to an electronic, interactive catalog.
Course Information Sheet (CIS): A contract between the instructors and students that lists course learning outcomes and important policies. Students should receive a CIS within the first week of class in all classes.
Credit by Examination: Students may earn up to 36 semester hours of credit toward a degree through several types of examinations.
Credit Hour: The number of hours a class is scheduled to meet each week determines the value of a course or the number of credit hours students will receive for that course. For example, ENG 101 (College Composition) involves three class hours each week and is worth three credit hours while TRS 094 (Pre-Algebra) meets five hours a week and is worth five imputed credit hours.
Curriculum: A program of courses approved for a specific degree or certificate. To earn a degree or certificate in a specific program, students must complete the curriculum for that program. The term can also refer to the content of a specific course and how the professor intends to help the students achieve the course learning outcomes.
Dean: The head of the School or division in which a student’s program is housed. The deans decide grievance cases and supervise the department chairs.
Dean’s List: To make the Dean’s List, students must be matriculated in a program and have completed 12 or more credit hours with a grade-point average of 3.5 or better with no grades of “I” or “F”. Full-time students must complete the 12 credit hours during a semester while part-time students have one full year (Fall, Spring, Summer).
Deferments: Alternative methods of time-lines for payment of tuition. Contact the Student Accounts Office to see about making tuition payments.
Degreeworks: Degreeworks is MCC’s computerized degree audit/advising system designed to help students achieve their academic goals efficiently. Degreeworks tracks course and requirement completion so efficiently that students and advisors can spend less time on record keeping and more time on program planning to achieve academic and career objectives.
Department Chair: The person who supervises the adjunct and full-time faculty in a particular department. The department chair would hear legitimate complaints about a class after students have expressed their concerns to their professor.
Descheduled: Students who do not pay their tuition and fees by a specific date, or set up a payment plan, may have their schedule of classes cancelled or descheduled. Students who have been descheduled, will need to re-register if they plan to attend the semester’s classes and may not be able to register for the same courses if their original selections are filled.
Drop-Add: Times students may change their original class choices by dropping a course and/or adding a new one. Dropped courses will not appear on an academic transcript. This is generally the first week of classes, and exact dates can be found on the academic calendar.
Electives: Courses of a student’s choice, which may be taken for credit toward a degree or certificate. They may be chosen from a wide variety of courses. Electives are categorized by the types of courses, such as Social Science, General Science, Humanities, General, et cetera. Some programs require specific course electives, so students need to make sure they are aware of the requirements of their major or program.
Email (Electronic Mail): MCC’s official means of communication. MCC will use the system to conduct and notify students of college-related business and important general information. All students receive an email address to access from a home computer or the on-campus computer labs. Faculty can send students electronic messages and they can send messages to classmates, faculty, and staff, as well as to any external email address. To set up the email account, visit MCC’s web site (www.monroecc.edu). Email is the primary method of communication with the College, so it is important students read their email regularly.
FAFSA: The online financial aid application. The FAFSA must be filled out every year, as soon as possible after students or their parents have filed their tax return. Be sure to regularly check email as they often ask for additional documentation. Once approved, financial aid applies to the fall and spring of the upcoming academic year. Financial Aid used in the summer will be deducted from the following spring semester’s award. Workshops to help fill out the FAFSA are offered regularly.
Financial Aid Office: An office to help students obtain funds for their college education. There are various scholarships and financial aid awards for which students may be eligible.
Full-Time Student: A student enrolled for twelve (12) or more credit hours in a semester.
General Education: Enables students to acquire knowledge and skills that are useful and important for all educated persons, regardless of their jobs or professions.
Goals: Benchmarks or targets we set for ourselves to help us achieve what we want to achieve in school and in life. Educational goals are academic objectives a student plans to achieve at MCC and at additional academic institutions, if applicable. Personal goals are important as well and help us lead healthier and happier lives.
Grade: Student-earned value based on the MCC four point scale: A= 4 grade points, B = 3 grade points, C = 2 grade points, D = 1 grade point, and F = 0. MCC includes + and – grades in its GPA calculations. A grade of B+ is higher than a grade of B-, and a C+ is higher than a grade of C or C-, et cetera. There are no A+, F+, or F- grades.
Grade-Point Average (G.P.A.): The overall average from the grades and grade points received and the credits earned in all the courses a student has taken. Grade points range from 4.00 for an A to 0.00 for an F. Students must have at least a 2.00 (a C average) to graduate.
Graduation: Occurs when the college determines students have successfully completed all the requirements for their degree. Commencement is a ceremony acknowledging students’ accomplishments of graduation from MCC.
Graduation with Distinction: “Distinction” is defined as excellence. Graduation with distinction is achieved by earning a cumulative average of 3.5 or higher. It is a high academic honor and something worthy of pursuing.
Grievance: A process for students who strongly disagree with a grade they received and can provide compelling evidence that the grade is in error. The first step in the grievance process is to contact the professor and engage in a respectful conversation about the situation. If there is no satisfactory resolution, the next step is to contact the department chair, and if that conversation doesn’t result in an acceptable outcome, the student may contact Academic Services who will assign a grievance counselor. Filing a grievance is a very time-sensitive undertaking with several strict deadlines that must be met for the process to continue.
Incomplete: A contract between a professor and a student if there are extenuating circumstances preventing the student from completing the course on time. This is a rare occurrence, requiring a signature from the instructor, the student, and the department chair, along with a document clearly outlining the work remaining in the course and the time left to complete it. The contract also includes an alternate grade the student will earn if the work is not completed as agreed upon.
Intent to Graduate: Candidate for a degree or certificate, must complete and submit an Intent to Graduate application during their final semester of study. Forms and deadline dates may be obtained from either the Office of Student Services or Advising and Graduation Services.
Learning Centers: Places where students receive additional supports with their course work. Some learning centers, such as Accounting or Psychology, are discipline-specific, whereas others, such as the Writing Center, are available to all students in all courses. MCC has many learning centers available to help students and they are free of charge. Be sure to bring an MCC id card to swipe in.
Learning Objective: An outcome statement that captures specifically what knowledge, skills, and/or attitudes learners should be able to exhibit following instruction.
Long-term Goals: Goals that are reached over a longer period of time by achieving short-term and mid-term goals along the way. Examples of long-term educational goals include graduating from MCC or transferring to another institution.
Major Change: Switching to a different area of study. Students who wish to change their major (curriculum), must request a change of major online. The change is not official until the process has been completed.
Master Class Schedule: The list of courses being taught during the semester. The master schedule is displayed in various campus locations and posted on MCC’s web site (www.monroecc.edu).
Matriculated Student: A student who has applied for and been formally accepted as a candidate for a degree in a specific curriculum. Students must be matriculated in a degree program before becoming eligible for a degree or certificate from the College.
Mid-term Goals: Goals that come in between long-term and short-term, usually lasting about a semester in length. Examples of mid-term educational goals include passing all classes and making the dean’s list.
Mnemonics: Tricks for memorizing lists and data. They create strong links to information, making study and recall easier.
Multiculturalism: Accepting and respecting the ideas, feelings, behaviors, and experiences of people different from oneself.
Netiquette: Using common courtesy in online communication.
Non-Matriculated Student: A student who is taking courses to satisfy personal needs and interests without applying for candidacy for a degree. Non-matriculated students are not eligible to receive financial aid. The college reserves the right to require placement testing and/or a personal interview for anyone wishing to register for classes. Non-matriculated students required to take placement testing must score at a satisfactory level according to Monroe Community College in order to register.
Office Hours: Times that faculty members are available for students to come see them. Usually, no appointment is necessary. Full-time faculty members hold five office hours per week and post those times on their office doors and course information sheets. Although not required to do so, many adjunct faculty hold office hours and/or make appointments to meet with students outside of class. Students are encouraged and welcomed to take advantage of their professors’ office hours.
Orientation: The process of making the transition to college life. New Student Orientation describes the requirements and opportunities specific to MCC and includes the photo ID process, tours, and a classroom expectation presentation, along with an academic orientation that may include school- or program-specific information and requirements. College Orientation (COS 101) or College Orientation and Success Strategies (COS 133) are courses designed to help students successfully transition into the college environment.
Part-Time Student: A student taking fewer than twelve (12) credit hours in a semester.
Pell Grant: A federal form of financial aid for eligible students. Students must apply by filling out a FAFSA to determine if they are eligible.
Plagiarism: Submitting material that in part or whole is not entirely one’s own work without attributing those same portions to their correct sources.
Pre-requisite: Courses that provide important foundational knowledge and must be completed before students are able to enroll in certain other courses.
Priority Registration: The earliest registration dates, reserved for currently enrolled students according to the number of credit hours they have accumulated. The students with the most credit hours toward graduation register first, followed by all other students in descending order.
Program Change: Switching to a different major or program of study. Students enrolled in the TS01 Program must make a program change before they have completed 30 hours of coursework.
Readmitted Student: A student who has stopped out, reapplied and been reaccepted to the College.
Registration: Registration is the process of selecting and “signing up” for courses.
Schools: MCC assembles related programs of study into six academic homes called Schools to provide students with clear and supported pathways towards achieving their academic and personal goals. MCC’s Schools are: Arts & Humanities; Business, Hospitality & Entrepreneurism; Community Engagement & Development; Health Sciences & Physical Wellness; Science Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM); and Social Sciences & Global Studies
Short-term Goals: Small manageable goals that often serve as steps towards achieving mid- and long-term goals. Short-term goals are achievable in the very near future (that day, week, or month). Examples include reading a textbook chapter, filing the FAFSA, or working out.
S.M.A.R.T.: An acronym for setting specific (S), measurable (M), attainable (A), relevant (R), and time-bound (T) goals.
Semester: Fall and spring semesters at MCC are traditionally 15 weeks long. Summer sessions typically span 4 to 6 weeks while intersession lasts 3 weeks. Courses with compressed timeframes meet for the same amount of hours regardless of the number of weeks. For example, a three-credit course always meets for a total of 45 hours, whether that equals three hours a week or fifteen.
Starfish: MCC’s early alert system may be used by instructors and support staff to send kudos or concerns, suggest action items, or make appointments at learning centers. Starfish is one more reason to check MCC email regularly.
Student Number: A student’s permanent, official college identification number. The College uses assigned M Numbers for registration and record-keeping purposes.
Syllabus: An instructor’s description and outline of a class, assignments, due dates, and required text(s).
TAP: A New York State form of financial aid for eligible students. Fill out a FAFSA application or by speak with a financial aid officer to determine if eligibility.
Transcript: An official record of the courses taken and the grades received. Students wish to transfer to another institution will be required to obtain an official transcript and have it sent to the transfer institution so they can accept the courses and the credits earned at MCC.
Transitional Studies Department: Helps students prepare for Monroe Community College Career or Transfer Programs. Students admitted to the College through Transitional Studies (TS01) will register for a combination of courses on the basis of a registration/advisement session with a member of the Transitional Studies faculty. Student success is the department’s highest priority.
Two Plus Two (2+2): 2 + 2 Dual Admission Programs enable students to obtain an Associate’s degree at Monroe Community College with a guarantee of admission at a participating four-year college with full transfer credit and full junior status. See a transfer counselor for more information about 2+2.
Undecided: A student who has chosen a School but has not decided upon a program within that School.
Undeclared: A student who has not chosen a School.
Withdrawal from Courses: After the third week of classes and throughout the semester until the published withdrawal deadline (usually about week 12), students can withdraw from individual courses by completing a “withdrawal” form online or in person. NO REFUND is given, and a grade of W will appear on the academic transcript. After this date, students cannot withdraw from individual courses. They may, however, withdraw completely from the College prior to final exams. http://www.monroecc.edu/depts/advisement/colldef.htm. A withdrawal may affect financial aid, so always consult a financial aid advisor before deciding.
Work Study: A financial aid award program which enables students to be employed on our campuses. For more information, check with the Financial Aid Office and/or indicate interest on the FAFSA.