Admissions and Records Glossary of Terms

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F

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W - Z

Academic Renewal
  A process through which students can petition to exclude low grades from their MiraCosta College grade point average. The grades must be from classes completed at least four years prior; a maximum of 15 units may be excluded. Petition forms are available at the Admissions and Records Office.
Advisory
  Recommended preparation that a student is advised, but not required, to meet before or in conjunction with enrollment in a course or educational program. Students have the right to take a course without meeting the advisory, and are encouraged to do so if they feel that their education, work experience or other circumstances have prepared them.
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Application for Admission
  A form that must be completed before a new student is allowed to register for classes. The Application for Admission is included in the credit class schedule.
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Articulation Agreements
  A list of courses offered at MiraCosta College which are acceptable at transfer universities as equivalent in content (or as acceptable substitutes) to those courses offered by the universities.
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Assessment
  Testing to meet course prerequisites and/or to determine proper placement in courses.
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Associate in Arts Degree
  Received upon completion of course work totaling not fewer than 60 units in the major, general education, and electives.
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Audit
  To take a course without being graded or receiving credit; available to eligible students by petition only.
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B.A., B.S.-Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science
  Bachelor's degrees consisting of a minimum of 120 semester units in either the arts or sciences. Although they are awarded by four-year institutions, students may complete half of their degree course work at MiraCosta.
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Board of Governor's Waiver (BOGW)
  A program by which enrollment fees are waived for eligible students. The BOGW application form is in the schedule of classes and must be submitted before registering. A new application is required each academic year.
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Catalog
  A book published once a year which guides students' progress toward degrees and certificates, and contains course descriptions, programs, requirements, policies and procedures.
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Certificate
  Awarded upon completion of course work leading to competence or achievement in a vocation/occupation.
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Class Schedule
  A booklet listing classes to be offered during a specific semester (fall, spring, summer). The schedule also contains an Application for Admission, telephone registration schedule, testing dates and times, and general information of interest to new and continuing students.
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Committee on Exceptions
  A process through which students can petition to deviate from the college's policies and procedures. Petition forms are available in Admissions and Records offices.
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Community Services Classes
  Classes or workshops which are fee-based, noncredit enrichment courses. Neither grades nor credit are given, and no records are kept.
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Corequisite
  A course that a student is required to take simultaneously along with another course. A corequisite is enforced through the registration process.
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Course Articulation Number (CAN)
  Courses or sequences of courses which will be accepted in lieu of designated CAN courses or sequences at participating campuses in California.
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Directed Study
  Directed Studies is a transfer course available to students who petition an instructor for class material unavailable at MiraCosta. Students may apply a maximum of three units of Directed Study credit toward a degree.
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EOPS-Extended Opportunity Program and Services
  Provides outreach and special assistance to students from culturally, educationally, or financially disadvantaged backgrounds.
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Final Examinations
  Tests given on fixed days at set times at the end of each course, according to the schedule published in the class schedule.
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Financial Aid Program
  Designed to provide grant, work, and/or loan assistance to students who are enrolled at least half-time and who meet income guidelines.
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Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
  Application required for federal financial aid eligibility determination. Available in the Financial Aid Office or on the Web at www.fafsa.ed.gov. This application can be used at community colleges and four-year institutions. A new application is required each academic year.
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Freshman
  One who has completed fewer than 30 degree-applicable units of college credit.
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Full-time Student
  One who takes a study load of 12 or more units per semester.
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G.E.
  General education, also known as breadth requirements; see index for further information.
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Grade Points
  Points per unit given for academic grades.
A = 4 points;
B = 3 points;
C = 2 points;
D = 1 point;
and F = 0 points per unit of credit.

 

 

 

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G.P.A.
  Grade point average; determined by dividing total grade points by total units attempted.
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Half-time Student
  One who takes a study load of 6-8.5 units per semester.
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IGETC (Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum)
  A general education program that California community college transfer students can use to fulfill all lower-division G.E. requirements at any CSU or UC campus (except Revelle and Roosevelt Colleges at UCSD).
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Late-Start Classes
  Classes which begin several weeks into the semester and compress the time required so students finish at the end of the regular semester.
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Matriculation
  An assessment, orientation, and advisement process for new students.
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Medal of Honor
  Awarded annually to honor selected students' academic achievements. Faculty members select the recipients. It is the college's highest academic honor.
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Minor's Petition
  A high school student under 18 years old must obtain signatures from his or her high school counselor, principal, and parent on a Minor's Petition in order to attend MiraCosta. A home-schooled student or a minor who is not currently attending high school must secure required signatures on this form in order to attend MiraCosta College.
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Non-Degree Appropriate Courses
  Includes college-preparatory courses in basic skills and counseling (numbered in the 800s) as well as specialized or advanced courses (numbered 900 and above).
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Online Class (CyberCosta)
  Classes which are offered entirely via the Internet. A variety of classes are offered online each semester.
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Open Entry/Open Exit Class
  A class in which the student works (usually on computer) at his/her own pace. The class may be completed before the end of the semester or be completed over two semesters.
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Part-time Student
  One who takes a study load of fewer than 12 units per semester.
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Prerequisite
  Requirement a student must meet in order to demonstrate readiness for enrollment in a course or educational program. A prerequisite is enforced through the registration process.
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President's List
  An honor designed to recognize students who achieve at high levels during a given semester.
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Probation
  A warning status that scholastic standards are not being met.
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Registration (Enrollment)
  Signing up for specific classes and paying fees.
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Requisite
  A prerequisite or a corequisite.
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Residence Requirement
  The law requiring that out-of-state students pay extra tuition.
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Semester
  A 16-week period of course work.
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Sophomore
  One who has completed at least 30 but fewer than 60 degree-applicable units of college credit.
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Student Educational Plan
  A document generated by a student and a MiraCosta College counselor, identifying the student's educational objectives and formulating a method for reaching them.
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TAA (Transfer Admission Agreement)
  The TAA program guarantees qualified MiraCosta College students admission to UC Davis in their choice of major.
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TAG (Transfer Admission Guarantee)
  The TAG programs guarantee qualified MiraCosta College students admission to several colleges and universities including UCSD, UCD, UCR and SDSU.
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Tech Prop
  A program in which high school students can earn college credit for certain vocational courses taken at their respective high schools.
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Telephone Registration (REGI)
  After submitting the Application for Admission, students may use REGI to register for their classes by dialing (760) 795-7344. Students may register based on a priority system detailed in the class schedule.
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Transcript (of Record)
  An official ropy of the record of classes attempted/completed by a student.
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Tutor
  A person recommended by faculty as knowledgeable in specified subjects who is available free of charge through Tutorial Services to work with an enrolled student in need of help with course work.
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Units Attempted
  Credit units (see Unit of Credit) in which the student was enrolled beyond the 30 percent point of any college or university course whether or not a passing grade was earned or the student withdrew from the course before its completion.
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Unit of Credit
  A credit hour of college work involving approximately one to three hours per week of lecture, activity, or laboratory with a credentialed instructor for a semester. It is expected that most students will spend two hours outside class in preparation for each hour of lecture. Slightly less outside preparation time is expected in laboratory. One unit of credit is thus understood to represent at least three hours of the student's time each week for a semester.
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Unit Limitations
  A normal study load per semester is 15 units. Students may not register for more than 18 units in a semester without consulting with a counselor.
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Work Experience
  A program which combines classroom studies with on-the-job experiences.
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 E-mail Dean Gilbert Hermosillo
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