College Terms You Should Know

Academic Standing: The status of a student’s academic progress, usually determined by the student’s Grade Point Average and other considerations.

Accepted: The Admissions Oﬃce has reviewed your application and status and has determined you are accepted to the College.

Admission: Approval for a student to attend SCTC. The admissions process begins when a student submits an application and required documentation.

Advised: You have met or talked with your program of study advisor or a member of the Career and Academic Planning Center and have discussed which classes you will take for the upcoming semester.

Advisor: An instructor in your program area or a member of the Career and Academic Planning Center.

Applied: Submitted your application for admission to the college. The admissions application can be completed online or by paper.

Attendance Policy: The policy set by SCTC, department or division, or individual instructor that states the maximum number of absences that a student may have in a class. SCTC’s attendance policy is stated in the student catalog and is also included on the syllabus for each class taken at SCTC.

BannerWeb: The College’s computer system for students to access their record. On BannerWeb you can register for your classes and view your schedule, financial aid information, tuition and fee charges, academic history, grades, etc.

Campus: The land and buildings that SCTC uses for instruction or student services. SCTC has campuses in Griﬃn and Thomaston, and centers in Butts, Henry, and Jasper.

Catalog: A complete guide to college policies and rules, graduation requirements, course descriptions, transfer requirements, and other essential information.

Certificate: An oﬃcial document granted by SCTC indicating that a student has successfully completed specified courses and requirements for a program of study. Compare with diploma and degree, which usually require more time and coursework.

Class Schedule: The schedule of classes, course information, and section information (days, times, room numbers, etc.) available online. Class Schedule may also refer to the specific courses that a student is taking or plans to take for a specific semester.

Complete: Register for classes, attend the semester, and finish the semester.

Course Load: The total credit value of the courses that a student is currently enrolled in.

Credit: The unit of measurement for college course work. One credit hour represents one hour of classroom attendance each week, plus the homework, study time, etc. that go along with each course.

CRN (Course Reference Number): A five digit number used to identify each course section oﬀered each semester.

Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA): grade point average calculated on all attempts at all credit courses taken at Southern Crescent Technical. It is recalculated after each semester to include the current semester’s grade(s). The cumulative grade point average does not include credits earned at other colleges, credits associated with learning support classes, credits earned through the credit-by-examination process, credits for which the college does not assign quality points, and courses otherwise excluded by college policy.

Degree: An official document granted by SCTC indicating that a student has successfully completed specified courses and requirements for a program of study. Compare with diploma and certificate, which usually require less time and coursework.

Diploma: An oﬃcial document granted by SCTC indicating that a student has successfully completed specified courses and requirements for a program of study. Compare with degree, which usually requires more time and coursework, and certificate, which usually requires less time and coursework.

Distance Education: Classes offered in a non-traditional setting (see Hybrid Class; see Web Enhanced Class).

Drop: After registering for a class, if you decide you do not want to take the class, you have until the third day of the semester to drop (remove) the class from your schedule/record. You must drop a class through BannerWeb.

Early Alert System: College retention program (known as TEAMS at SCTC) in which instructors refer students who are experiencing difficulties that may hinder their performance at SCTC. Upon receiving the referral, a member of TEAMS will provide the appropriate assistance needed by the student

eCampus: The eCampus platform allows students from across Georgia to enroll in online courses offered by other Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) colleges, providing students access to program courses that may not be available during the current term at their home college. Upon completion of an eCampus course, the student will earn credit at their home college. The courses available via the eCampus platform are chosen to prepare students for in-demand career opportunities.

Email (Electronic Mail): A system for sending messages from an individual or business to another via telecommunications links between computers or terminals. Email can refer to the process of sending an email (i.e. “SCTC will email you information each semester.”) or the actual message itself (i.e. “You will receive an email from SCTC.”) Email is the oﬃcial form of communication for SCTC. Each student is issued an email address and is encouraged to check email messages frequently throughout each semester.

Enroll: Register for classes

FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid): The application used to apply for financial aid benefits such as the Pell Grant and HOPE.

FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act): The legislation that ensures that each student’s educational and personal information is protected by educational institutions. Also referred to the Buckley Amendment.

Final: An exam/test given at the end of the semester. A final can cover all of the material covered in the class during the entire semester (cumulative) or can cover only the material covered after midterm (partial).

Financial Aid: Money available from various sources to help students pay for college expenses. Financial aid funds can come from grants or scholarships from the state or federal government or other organizations.

FSEOG (Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant): Provides aid to students with exceptional financial need and gives priority to students who receive Federal Pell Grants.

Full-Time Student: Normally, a student taking twelve or more credit hours in a semester.

FWS (Federal Work Study): The Federal Work-Study program provides part-time jobs for students with financial need who receive Federal Pell Grants, allowing them to earn money to help pay educational expenses.

GALILEO: Stands for GeorgiA LIbrary LEarning Online, an initiative of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. A World Wide Web-based virtual library, GALILEO provides access to multiple information resources, including secured access to licensed products.

GCIS (Georgia Career Information System): Provides current and accurate occupational and educational information to schools and agencies throughout Georgia in order to help young people and adults make informed career choices.

GOAL (Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership): Nominated by their instructor, this program recognizes and rewards excellence among students enrolled in post- secondary technical colleges.

Grade: A formal indicator of a student’s overall performance in a specific course. Each grade is recorded on the student’s oﬃcial transcript. SCTC’s grading system is A (90-100), B (80-89), C (70-79), D (60-69), and F (0-59).

Grade-Point Average (GPA): The GPA is calculated by multiplying the number value of the grade that a student earns in each course (A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0) by the number of credits for each course, then dividing the result by the total number of credits taken.

Graduation Grade Point Average (GGPA): grade point average is calculated only for those courses required for graduation. When a course is taken more than once, the final or highest grade will be used in calculating the grade point average for graduation. The GGPA does not include credits earned at other colleges, credits associated with learning support classes, credits earned through the credit-by-examination process, credits for which the college does not assign quality points, and courses otherwise excluded by college policy. A 2.0-grade point average is needed to graduate from Southern Crescent Technical College.

HOPE (Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally): Georgia’s unique scholarship program that rewards eligible students’ hard work with financial assistance in degree, diploma, and certificate programs at any eligible Georgia public or private college, university, or public technical college.

Hybrid Class: A class in which face-to-face interaction in the classroom is replaced in part with web-based technologies and web-assisted learning tools.

Incomplete: Incomplete: A temporary grade of “I” given to a student whose performance in a course is satisfactory but is forced to miss a major exam or assignment at the end of the term due to illness or other emergency. The instructor and student arrange how and when the student will complete the missed assignment(s) and have the grade of “I” changed to a final lesser grade. The “I” completion deadline is marked on the SCTC college calendar and is usually within the first month of the next semester. Students must complete all work in time for the instructor to submit a grade change by the “I” deadline. If the student does not meet the deadline, the “I” grade will convert to an “F” on the student’s transcript.

Major: A specialization in one academic program or field of study.

Midterm: The middle of the semester. Midterm can also refer to an examination given in the middle of the semester.

Nontraditional Career: A career in which one gender makes up less than 25% of the total number of workers. Examples are males in nursing or childcare professions and women in automotive or distribution management professions.

No Show: Any student who does not attend a face-to-face class or who does not log into an online or hybrid class will be marked as a No Show. The deadline for instructors to report No Shows is usually at the beginning of the second week of the term. Students will not be charged for a class that marks them as a No Show. Students are not allowed back into a course once they have been No Showed.

Orientation: Need-to-know information about the College, student policies, and services. Sessions are scheduled on specific registration days. New students are required to attend.

Practicum: A course that includes job-related activities and stresses the practical application of theory in a specific field of study.

Prerequisite: A course that must be completed (usually with a minimum grade of “C”) or a skill that must be demonstrated before a student can enroll in a more advanced course. A prerequisite can also be a minimum score on an entrance exam.

Refund: Tuition and fees that are paid back to a student who has withdrawn from a course. The amount of the refund depends on how many credits the student is enrolled in for the semester and exactly when the student withdrew from the course

Registered: Using BannerWeb to sign up for the classes that you want to take. You register for classes after you have been advised.

Registration: The time when you meet with an advisor and register for your classes.

Resident: Someone who has lived in Georgia for a specified length of time as shown by specified types of evidence. A student’s residence status can be used to calculate the amount of tuition and fees.

SAP (Satisfactory Academic Progress): All students receiving federal and/or state financial aid must maintain satisfactory academic progress in accordance with federal and state regulations. Students are responsible for maintaining an acceptable level of progress regarding quality and quantity of work. To maintain eligibility for financial aid at Southern Crescent Technical College, students must successfully complete 67% of all courses attempted and make satisfactory progress towards graduation and maintain a cumulative 2.0 GPA.

Semester Grade Point Average: The semester GPA is the average based on all credit courses taken during the academic term. The semester grade point average does not include credits earned at other colleges, credits associated with learning support classes, credits earned through the credit-by-examination process, credits for which the college does not assign quality points, and courses otherwise excluded by college policy. Grades earned for learning support classes affect satisfactory academic progress for financial aid purposes.

Student Email: When you are accepted to the college, you are automatically given a student email account. The College uses the student email to notify students of many things; therefore, students are expected to check their email regularly.

Student ID: When you apply to the college, you are assigned a Student ID number. The Student ID is used to access BannerWeb, purchase books in the bookstore, and more. The number will also be used to look up your student record.

Syllabus: An outline for a specific class that includes textbook requirements, class meeting dates, grading standards, etc.

Transcript: An oﬃcial record of all courses a student has taken at SCTC and the grade for each course; degrees, diplomas, and certificates earned; and any awards or honors received by the student. The term “oﬃcial transcript” indicates that the transcript was issued directly to someone other than the student (i.e. another college if a student transfers from SCTC to a four-year college or university).

Web-Enhanced Class: A class in which online course activity complements face-to-face class sessions without reducing the number of required class meetings.

WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act): A federally funded program that expands education and training options for qualified candidates.

Withdraw: If you decide that you do not want to take a class, you have three (3) days from the beginning of the semester to withdraw. If you withdraw after the third day, you are still responsible for tuition and fees. You must withdraw by dropping the course online through BannerWeb or with the Academic Aﬀairs Oﬃce.