Academic Terms

Academic Calendar – calendar that defines important enrollment dates and deadlines, such as add, drop, withdraw, and exam dates. Find academic calendars in the Academic Calendars tile in MyTCTC and in this Orientation Guide. Refer to the academic calendars regularly throughout each semester.

Academic Standing – students are expected to maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA to remain in Good Academic Standing College Catalog – publication that describes Tri-County policies and procedures, campus resources, academic program requirements, and course descriptions. The College Catalog is available online at tctc.edu/catalog.

Corequisite – course that must be taken at the same time as another course.

Credit – each course is worth 1-5 credits (most are 3). The amount of credit is based on the number of hours you spend in class and/or lab each week for the course.

Drop & Add Period – designated time after classes have started when students may adjust their schedules in the My Registration tile in MyTCTC. Students may add classes during the first three instructional days and may drop classes during the first five instructional days of a 14-week semester. Add and drop periods vary for terms of shorter lengths. Students who wish to change sections of the same course or move from certain upper and lower English or math courses may be allowed to do so throughout the drop period. The add and drop periods are published on the academic calendar.

Prerequisite – course that must be taken before another course.

SAP – Satisfactory Academic Progress is a Financial Aid term that applies to the minimum standards that students must meet to maintain eligibility for federal financial aid including loans and PELL grants: (1) 2.0 cumulative GPA, (2) 67% completion rate of all attempted courses, and (3) degree completion within 150% of the credits required for the degree.

Syllabus – Outline or summary of policies and expectations for a course. A syllabus may include a schedule of test dates or important due dates, the course grading policy, the course attendance policy, the instructor’s contact information, and a summary of course topics. You should refer to your class syllabus regularly throughout each semester.

Term – Portion of an academic year during which classes are held. The College’s academic year is divided into 3 terms: fall semester, spring semester, and summer term.

Withdraw (W) – A student may withdraw from a course with a grade of “W” after the drop period but prior to the completion of 60% of the session for which the class is offered. A grade of “W” is not used in GPA calculations, earns no credit, and generates no grade points but may affect your financial aid. The last day to withdraw from a course is published on the academic calendar.