Some of the information and terms you encounter during your college career may be confusing until you figure out what it all means. In an effort to dispel some of the mystery, Faulkner State offers the following terms and their definitions as they apply to college life at Faulkner.

Equivalent terms are provided in bold. References to other definitions are provided in italics. Click the letter below to jump directly to that section of the glossary.

[A]   [B]   [C]   [D]   [E]   [F]   [G]   [H]   [IJK]   [L]   [M]
  [N]   [O]   [P]   [Q]   [R]   [S]   [T]   [U]   [V]   [WXYZ]

Still [Confused]?

[A]

Academic advisor

See Advisor.

Academic bankruptcy

A way of removing from one to three semesters from the student's cumulative and graduation grade point average calculations. Courses are not, however, removed from the student's transcript. Bankruptcy must be formally requested by the student, and may only be requested once. For requirements and other information concerning bankruptcy, please see the current Catalog in the Publications section.

Academic division

See Division.

Academic integrity

Standards of honesty, responsibility, respect for others, fairness, and ethical behavior applied to your academic career at Faulkner State.

Academic progress

Standards of academic progress, standards of progress. As you take courses at Faulkner State, you are expected to make progress towards earning your degree. This progress is measured by comparing your GPA against a minimum GPA based on how many credit hours you have attempted at Faulkner.

• If you have attempted 12 to 21 credit hours, you are expected to have a 1.5 cumulative GPA or better.
• If you have attempted 22 to 32 credit hours, you are expected to have a 1.75 cumulative GPA or better.
• If you have attempted 33 or more credit hours, you are expected to have a 2.0 cumulative GPA or better.

Failure to attain satisfactory academic progress will result in your placement on academic probation, one semester academic suspension, or one year academic suspension. College officials may also intervene and impose maximum course loads, require a study skills course, or take other measures in order to help you achieve and maintain satisfactory academic progress. See also Cumulative GPA, GPA, Probation, Suspension.

Academic term

A semester. Fall Semester, Spring Semester, and Summer Semester are the academic terms at Faulkner State.

Academic year

Fall Semester, Spring Semester, and Summer Semester, inclusive. For example, the 2005-2006 academic year is Fall Semester 2005, Spring Semester 2006 and Summer Semester 2006.

Add

The act of updating your current schedule of classes to include an additional class. See also Register, Drop/Add.

Adjunct

Adjunct faculty. Instructors who are not full time employees of the College, but who teach one or more courses per semester on a part-time basis.

Adult Education

Adult Basic Education. A department located on each campus where a member of the public can go and enroll in a special program of study to prepare them to earn a GED. See also GED.

Advisor

Academic advisor. A full time faculty member assigned to guide and assist the student in planning his or her academic career. Advisors are assigned based on the student's selected program of study when the student applies for admission and are automatically updated if the student changes majors.

Application

Application for admission. A form that each new student must complete as the first step in becoming accepted to Faulkner State. Returning students must complete a new application for admission if they have not been enrolled during the previous academic term, with the exception of Summer Semester. There is no cost associated with an application for admission.

Apply

Apply for admission. See Application.

Articulation

The process of comparing the content of courses that are transferred between postsecondary institutions such as colleges or universities. In other words, course articulation is the process by which one institution matches it's courses or requirements to course work completed at another institution.

Assessment testing

An objective test given to new students to help in establishing placement in English, reading and mathematics courses. The test may be paper-and-pencil-based, such as the ASSET test, or it may be computer-based, such as the Compass test.

ASSET

ASSET Placement Test, ASSET Inventory. See Assessment testing.

Associates degree

A two-year degree, often earned in preparation for advanced studies to receive a Bachelor's degree.

Associate of Applied Science

AAS. A technical program of study.

Associate of Arts

AA. A program of study in preparation for advanced studies to receive a Bachelor's degree.

Associate of Science

AS. A program of study in preparation for advanced studies to receive a Bachelor's degree. Pre-professional degrees are generally AS degrees.

Audit

Enrolling in a class but seeking no grade or credit for the course. Audit students are expected to attend every class and complete all assignments; the cost for auditing a class is the same as taking the class for credit. Students who intend to audit a course must submit a Declaration of Intent to Audit form to the Registrar prior to the end of drop/add.

Audit Only student

A student who wishes to audit every course they register for without having to complete a Declaration of Intent to Audit form for every class. This should be indicated to the Admissions Office when the student applies for admission. See also Audit.

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[B]

Backed out

See Deleted for non-payment.

Bankruptcy

See Academic bankruptcy.

Block class

A course that only meets a few times in one semester, but for several hours at a time. For example, a History 121 class may meet a total of six times on two different weekends, but will be in session for four hours on Friday, ten hours on Saturday, and six hours on Sunday each time.

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[C]

Catalog

A publication of the College that contains information about the College, current degree plans for that academic year, course descriptions, the student handbook, employee directory, and campus maps. The latest Faulkner Catalog is always available in the Publications section of this website.

Catalog semester

The catalog containing the degree plan under which the student may meet graduation requirements. Students may select any catalog in effect during their academic studies at Faulkner. New students are automatically assigned their first semester as their catalog semester.

Certificate degree

A short program of study that prepares the student for entry into the workforce.

Class withdrawal

When a student formally completes paperwork in order to discontinue attending class and receive no credit for any coursework attempted. A "W" is issued to the student in place of a grade. The date by which a class withdrawal request must be submitted to the Registrar is published in the Class Schedule for each semester. No refund is given to a student who partially withdraws after the drop/add period. See also College withdrawal, Drop.

Closed class

During registration, a class for which there are no seats available.

Co-ed dorm

On-campus housing that provides rooms for both male and female students in separate areas or wings of the same building.

Co-requisite

A course which must be taken during the same semester as another course. For example, some nursing courses are co-requisites and must be taken together. See also Prerequisite.

College-level

Courses that are numbered 100 or above are considered to be college-level courses. See also Developmental.

College withdrawal

When a student formally completes paperwork in order to discontinue attending all of his or her classes, and receives no credit for any coursework attempted. A "W" is issued for each course in lieu of a grade. When a College withdrawal is processed prior to the fourth week of class, the student may be eligible for a refund of tuition and fees, prorated based upon the date of last attendance. See also Class withdrawal.

Compass

Compass testing. See Assessment testing.

Continuing education

See Non-credit.

Core

Core courses. General academic courses that are required in order to earn almost any degree at an institution. Usually some combination of language arts, humanities, fine arts, natural science, mathematics, history, and social science courses are required.

Credit

Hours taken based on a program of study in order to earn a degree or certificate. See also Non-credit.

Credit hours

A unit of measure based on the number of lecture and/or lab hours for a course. One credit hour equals 15 hours of lecture, 30 hours of lab, or an appropriate combination of lecture and lab hours. For example, a 3 credit hour English class will meet for 45 lecture hours during the semester.

Cumulative GPA

A grade point average calculation that is based on all courses taken at Faulkner State, including repeated courses, developmental courses, bankrupted courses, and forgiven courses. See also Academic bankruptcy, Developmental, Forgiveness, GPA, Graduation GPA, Semester GPA.

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[D]

Dean's List

An academic honor granted to students who have achieved a semester GPA of 3.5 through 3.9 on a minimum course load of 12 semester credit hours of college-level work. While developmental courses are calculated in the semester GPA, they do not count toward the 12 credit hour minimum course load required. See also President's List.

Degree

Awarded when a student successfully completes his or her chosen program of study.

Degree plan

The courses that must be taken in order to earn a specific degree from an institution of higher learning. See also Out-of-degree plan.

Deleted class

A class that has been removed from the class schedule for a semester. Students who registered for the class before it was marked as deleted in the computer must drop the course.

Deleted for non-payment

Backed out. If tuition and fees for the semester are not paid in full by the deadline and the student has no pending financial aid, the Business Office can remove a student's schedule from the computer. This will release the student's seat in the class(es) to possibly be used by another student who subsequently registers or adds the class(es).

Developmental

Developmental course, developmental education, remedial. Courses that are considered to be below college-level work. Any course numbered below 100 is a developmental or remedial course.

Distance learning

Distance education, eLearning, online class, WebCT-assisted course. Any course where the lecture or other information is presented to students in a non-traditional way. For example, a distance education class would be where the instructor lectures in Bay Minette and the lecture is transmitted over videoconferencing equipment to students in Gulf Shores, or an eLearning class where the lecture, tests and other materials are presented to students online.

Division

Academic division, instructional division. Separate academic or administrative departments that are logically grouped as a unit. For example, the Fine Arts division is made up of the Art, Graphic Arts, Music, and Speech departments.

Dorm

On-campus housing that provides rooms for male and female students in separate buildings. See also Co-ed dorm.

Drop

The act of updating your current schedule of classes to eliminate a class you enrolled in. See also Register, Drop/Add.

Drop/Add

The period of time beginning with the first day of class in which you can make adjustments to your course schedule by dropping and adding classes. See also Register, Drop, Add.

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[E]

Early register

Early registration. The period of time approximately two weeks before final exams begin and extending to the first day of registration, when registration for the next semester is opened to students. Also, the act of registering for classes during this time period. See also Pre-register, Register, Late register.

eLearning

Distance education, distance learning, online class, WebCT-assisted course. A course where the instructional materials, lectures, etc., are presented in a web-based format rather than in a traditional classroom setting. The course requirements for an eLearning class are identical to the course requirements for a traditional lecture class.

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[F]

FAFSA

Free Application for Federal Student Aid. To qualify for the maximum amount of federal financial aid each year, including loans, students must complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to the U.S. Department of Education annually. Submitting the FAFSA determines your eligibility for federal financial aid as well as scholarships, grants, and other aid opportunities. For more information, visit the Financial Aid pages.

Fees

Charges placed on a student's account that are separate from tuition. Some fees are credit hour-based fees and are charged at the same time as tuition, such as the technology fee, and other fees are a flat rate charged under special circumstances, such as the photo ID replacement fee.

Financial aid

Monetary assistance with the cost of attending college that is provided to a student in the form of a scholarship, a student loan, or a grant. Many different types of financial aid are available at Faulkner State. Please see the Financial Aid pages for more information.

First-time student

A student who has never attended college prior to coming to Faulkner State, or a student who has never attended Faulkner State.

Forgiveness

Course forgiveness. A policy which allows the grade received during the first attempt at a course to be disregarded when calculating cumulative GPA. Second and subsequent grades for the same course are all used in calculating the student's cumulative GPA. Forgiveness must be formally requested in the Registrar's Office.

Full class

During registration, a class for which no more seats are available.

Full term

A course which lasts from the first day of class for the semester through the last day of class for the semester. See also Term class.

Full time

A student taking 12 credit hours or more during the Fall and Spring semesters. However, students are strongly encouraged to take 16 to 18 credit hours per semester in order to complete their degree in two years. See also Part-time.

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[G]

GED

General Educational Development. A series of five tests that individuals who did not complete high school may take to qualify for a high school equivalency certificate. The tests cover correctness and effectiveness of expression, interpretation of reading materials in the natural sciences and the social sciences, interpretation of literary materials, and general mathematics ability. Faulkner State has an Adult Education office on each campus to assist individuals in earning their GED.

GPA

Grade point average. A numeric representation of a student's scholastic standing calculated by dividing the total number of quality points earned by the total number of semester hours. For example, if a student takes English 101 and makes a "B", Math 112 and makes a "C", Biology 103 and makes an "A", and Speech 107 and makes a "B", his GPA will be calculated as follows:

• English 101 = 3 credit hours; the quality points earned for a "B" = 3.
  3 credit hours * 3 quality points = 9 total quality points for English 101
• Math 112 = 3 credit hours; the quality points earned for a "C" = 2.
  3 credit hours * 2 quality points = 6 total quality points for Math 112
• Biology 103 = 4 credit hours; the quality points earned for an "A" = 4.
  4 credit hours * 4 quality points = 16 total quality points for Biology 103
• Speech 107 = 3 credit hours; the quality points earned for a "B" = 3.
  3 credit hours * 3 quality points = 9 total quality points for Speech 107
• 9 quality points + 6 quality points + 16 quality points + 9 quality points = 40 total quality points for the semester
• 3 credit hours + 3 credit hours + 4 credit hours + 3 credit hours = 13 total credit hours for the semester
• 40 quality points / 13 credit hours = 3.08 GPA for the semester

See also Cumulative GPA, Graduation GPA, Quality points, Semester GPA.

Graduation GPA

A grade point average calculated based on courses taken at Faulkner State, with repeated courses, bankrupted courses, forgiven courses, and developmental courses excluded. See also Academic bankruptcy, Cumulative GPA, Developmental, Forgiveness, GPA, Semester GPA.

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[H]

Hold

A temporary, computerized lock placed on a student's records for financial or administrative reasons, including but not limited to overdue library books, unpaid parking fines, unpaid tuition or fees, or an incomplete student records file. Holds may prevent a student's transcript from being released to employers or other institutions and/or they may prevent the student from registering for subsequent semesters. Holds must be cleared by the administrative office which originally placed the hold on the student's records.

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[IJK]

Independent study

Directed study. A course taken under the direct supervision of an instructor; however, there are no set dates and times for the class to meet and the students work through the course materials on their own.

Instructional division

See Division.

Interact

The Internet-based information system that provides students with a means to register for class, see grades or transcript information, pay tuition and fees, etc., all online.

Internet class

See eLearning.

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[L]

Lab class

A class where some of the instruction takes place in a laboratory setting.

Late register

Late registration. The period of time after classes begin when registration for that semester remains open to students. Also, the act of registering for classes during this time period. See also Early register, Register, Pre-register.

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[M]

Major

Program of study. The main emphasis of most of the coursework the student will be taking while in college. See also Degree plan.

Meal ticket

A sticker given to dorm students to be placed on the back of their photo ID card that allows them to eat three meals a day in the Sun Chief Grill. The cost of the meal ticket is applied to the dorm student's account along with the dorm charges when the student registers for a semester. Also, a paper card sold to students and employees allowing them to prepay for a specified number of meals--typically ten--in the Sun Chief Grill.

Mini-term

A class or classes scheduled to last less than the full number of weeks allotted for the semester; however, course requirements are no different than those for the same course which lasts for the full semester. See also Term class.

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[N]

Non-credit

A course that is offered for personal enrichment rather than for college credit. Continuing education and training for business and industry courses are examples of non-credit courses.

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[O]

Online class

See eLearning.

Open class

During registration, a class for which seats are available.

Out-of-degree plan

A course which is not included in the degree plan for the student's selected program of study. Some types of financial aid will not pay for courses taken outside a student's declared program of study. See also Degree plan.

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[P]

Parking decal

An official sticker placed in the rear window of a student or employee's car to allow on-campus parking in designated areas. Parking decals are free and are available in the Student Services Office in the McGowan Administration Annex Building in Bay Minette or in the Administration Offices in Fairhope or Gulf Shores. Cars without parking decals are subject to being ticketed, booted, and/or towed at the owner's expense.

Part-time

A student enrolled for less than 12 credit hours during a semester. Note that some types of financial aid will be reduced or cancelled altogether if a student is only enrolled part-time. See Full time.

Pell Grant

An income-based federal financial aid given to students who qualify to help them pay for tuition, books, and other expenses of attending college.

Photo ID

A plastic card issued yearly to students containing the student's picture, name, bar-coded student number and an expiration date. A current photo ID card is required to check books out of the Library and attend athletic games and other College events free of charge. A replacement fee if the card is lost or stolen is charged to the student's account. Photo IDs are available in the Technology Services Office located in the Tyson Technology Center in Bay Minette or in the Administration Offices in Fairhope or Gulf Shores.

PIN

Personal Identification Number. A six-digit number that is used to access student records information in Interact. It is strongly recommended that you change your default PIN as soon as possible; do not give your PIN to anyone. Contact the Admissions Office in the McGowan Administration Annex Building if you forget your PIN.

Pre-register

Pre-registration. In the computer, the state of having signed up for classes for a semester but having not yet paid or applied financial aid to the tuition and fees for those classes in order to move to the registered state. Students in the pre-registered state have reserved a seat in all their classes; however, if tuition and fees are not paid by the due date, the Business Office may cancel this reservation for all pre-registered students. See also Early register, Register, Late register.

Prerequisite

A course which must be successfully completed before enrolling in another course. For example, students wanting to take a literature class must first successfully complete English 101 and English 102 as prerequisites. See also Co-requisite.

President's List

An academic honor granted to students who have achieved a semester GPA of 4.0 on a minimum course load of 12 semester credit hours of college-level work. While developmental courses are calculated in the semester GPA, they do not count toward the 12 credit hour minimum course load required. See also Dean's List.

Probation

Academic probation. The first level of warning that a student is not making satisfactory academic progress toward earning a degree. For more information about probation and what it entails, see the current catalog in the Publications section of the website. See also Academic progress.

Program of study

See Major.

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[Q]

QPA

Quality Point Average. The terms "QPA" and "GPA" are generally used interchangeably. They both refer to the total number of quality points earned divided by the total number of semester hours taken. See also GPA.

Quality points

In order to evaluate the scholastic standing of students, each letter grade is assigned a number value. These number values are known as quality points:

• A = 4 quality points per credit hour
• B = 3 quality points per credit hour
• C = 2 quality points per credit hour
• D = 1 quality point per credit hour
• F = 0 quality points per credit hour

For example, a student making a "B" in English 101, a 3 credit hour class, earns a total of 9 quality points for English 101. See also QPA.

Quarter

Quarter system. An academic system where the year is divided into four terms or quarters; generally, Fall Quarter, Winter Quarter, Spring Quarter, and Summer Quarter.

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[R]

Register

Registration. The designated period of time, generally after the semester break but prior to the first day of class, when advisors meet with and assist both new and returning students in selecting courses for the next semester, and deans are available to assist with any difficulties. Also, the act of registering for classes during this time period. See also Early register, Pre-register, Late register.

Registrar

An administrator at the College who is in charge of student records files.

Remedial

Remedial course. See Developmental.

Returning student

A student who has attended college prior to coming to Faulkner State, or a student who has attended Faulkner State some time in the past.

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[S]

Schedule

Class schedule, course schedule, or Student schedule. The dates and times courses are offered for a semester. Or, the dates and times of classes for which a student has registered. The latest semester course schedule is always available in the Publications section of this website. A student's schedule may be seen by logging in to the Interact section of the website.

Semester

Semester system. An academic system where the year is divided into three terms or semesters; generally, Fall Semester, Spring Semester, and Summer Semester.

Semester GPA

A grade point average for one semester calculated based on courses taken during that semester at Faulkner State. Academic bankruptcy and forgiveness may affect the semester GPA. See also Academic bankruptcy, Forgiveness, GPA, Cumulative GPA, Graduation GPA.

Standards of progress

Standards of academic progress. See Academic progress.

STARS

STARS Guide. Statewide Transfer and Articulation Reporting System. It is a web-accessible database system which provides guidance and direction for prospective transfer students in the State of Alabama. It allows public two-year students in Alabama to obtain a Transfer Guide/Agreement for the major of their choice. This guide/agreement, if used correctly, guides the student through their first two years of coursework and prevents loss of credit hours upon transfer to the appropriate public four-year university in Alabama.

Student Development

An office at Faulkner State that is dedicated to assisting students in finding the best program of study for their interests and abilities as well as providing counseling services and job placement services.

Student handbook

A College publication which outlines the rights, duties and responsibilities of a student at Faulkner State. The latest student handbook can be found in the Publications section of this website.

Student number

The unique, nine-digit number which is assigned to an individual student's computerized and paper records. Currently, social security number is being used as the student number.

Student records

Student file. The official paper file that is stored in a vault as well as the computerized application, transcript, financial and grade records for each individual student. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that the current telephone number and mailing address as well as other information in their student records file is kept up-to-date. Parents have no inherent right to inspect student records at Faulkner State; for more information, see the Registrar's page.

Student Success Center

An area in the McGowan Administration Annex Building devoted to the advisement, counseling, tutoring, and academic support of students. Computers, printers, and study areas as well as university transfer materials are all available to students in this area.

Student Support Services

A federally funded program that provides academic services for 150 students at Faulkner State in order to increase retention and graduation rates of participants, increase the transfer rates of students from two-year to four-year institutions, and to foster an institutional climate supportive of the success of undergraduate students who are first generation, low income, and/or have a disability. This purpose is met through various forms of academic assistance, counseling, and advising. See the Student Support Services page for more information about the program and eligibility requirements.

Suspension

Academic suspension, administrative suspension, disciplinary suspension. A student on academic suspension is one who has failed to meet the standards of academic progress after being placed on probation and therefore will not be allowed to take any more courses at Faulkner State for a specified period of time. The student may be placed on a one semester academic suspension or a one year academic suspension. See the current catalog in the Publications section of the website for more information about the standards of academic progress. A student on administrative or disciplinary suspension is one who has violated one or more policies, rules and regulations of the College as outlined in the Student Handbook and is therefore barred from taking any more courses at Faulkner State. For more information on administrative or disciplinary suspension, see the current catalog and/or current student handbook in the Publications section of the website. See also Academic progress, Probation.

Syllabus

The official outline of the course showing what material will be covered as a part of the course, attendance and grading policies, textbook information, instructor contact information, etc.

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[T]

TBA

To Be Announced. Given instead of specific meeting dates and times for a class. You should contact the instructor of the class for more information, including the dates and times of regularly scheduled class meetings.

Term class

Term I, Term II. A class or classes scheduled to last approximately half of the full number of weeks allotted for the semester; however, course requirements are no different than those for the same course which lasts for the full semester. Term I classes generally begin on the same day as regular classes and end around the middle of the semester, while Term II classes begin around the middle of the semester and end on the same day as regular classes. See also Full term.

Training certificate

See Certificate degree.

Training for Business and Industry

See Non-credit.

Transcript

The official record of all coursework attempted by a student at the issuing institution, including terms of attendance, grades, academic honors, academic probation, suspension, and degrees earned.

Transfer

Transfer student. A student who is coming to Faulkner State from another institution in order to complete the coursework for an associate's degree or certificate.

Transient

Transient student. A student who is coming to Faulkner State from another institution to take specific, pre-approved courses during a single semester with the intent to transfer the final grades back to his or her home institution to apply towards the degree being earned from that institution.

Tuition

Tuition fees, tuition and fees. Money that is charged to a student by Faulkner State in exchange for the right to take a course and receive credit on a transcript for that course. Tuition and some fees are calculated based on the number of credit hours in the student's schedule; other fees are charged based on a flat rate. The current Course Schedule in the Publications section of this website always contains the most up-to-date tuition and fee schedule. See also Fees.

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[U]

University parallel

A program of study that allows you to take your first two years at a community or junior college, then transfer to a four-year college or university to complete your degree.

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[V]

Viewbook

A publication with general information about Faulkner State. The latest viewbook can be found in the Publications section of this website.

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[WXYZ]

WebCT

The software package used at Faulkner State to build, store, and present course content for online courses.

WebCT-assisted course

A traditional lecture class where some of the course content such as exams or other material is presented through WebCT. See also WebCT, Distance education, Distance learning, eLearning, Online class.

Web-enhanced

See WebCT-assisted course.

Withdraw

See Class withdrawal, College withdrawal.

WorkKeys

A job skills assessment system measuring real-world skills. The results give students and workers reliable, relevant information about their workplace skill levels. Combined with information about skill levels required for jobs, assessments information can help users make better career and educational decisions.

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[Confused]

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