Glossary of Terms A
A Number: The A Number is the Student Number assigned to each student who applies to Wallace State Community College (as of July 1, 2019). See Student Number. ACCUPLACER: ACCUPLACER is the assessment test for students to determine placement in math and English classes. Students with ACT scores of 20 or above or SAT scores of 470 or above in math and English in the last three years are not required to take the placement exam, as well as students who have taken the ASSET or COMPASS test within the last three years. Adjunct: An adjunct is a part-time instructor, usually teaching evening courses. Attendance Verification (AV): Attendance Verification is required of students for each class they take each semester to maintain their schedule. It is also required of students receiving financial aid in order for the distribution of balance checks. Students can track their Attendance Verification through their myWallaceState account under the Student tab.
B
Blackboard: Blackboard is the application through which students and instructors communicate. Instructors make assignments and students submit assignments through Blackboard. It also provides announcements to students, faculty and staff; a calendar, address book, and other tools for students to use to stay on track.
C
Convocation: Is the meeting of Wallace State faculty and staff prior to the start of a semester. Co-requisite: Usually associated with English or mathematics courses that allow students to enroll in two courses during the same semester, one a developmental course and the other the next-level course in that subject. CRN: Stands for course reference number. Each class is given a unique CRN used during the registration process.
D
Days: The schedule uses abbreviations to indicate the days of the week classes are offered. • M = Monday • T = Tuesday • W = Wednesday • R = Thursday • F = Friday • S = Saturday DegreeWorks: The online source through myWallaceState that helps students track Page 48
their progress and provide guidance for courses to take that fit within their degree plan. Disbursement: Disbursement is the delivery of funds remaining in student financial aid accounts after tuition and fees, books, etc., have been removed. The money is delivered by check and usually sent out two weeks after classes begin and attendance is verified. Dual Enrollment: Dual enrollment allows high school students in grades 11-12 to earn high school and college credit at the same time, advancing their college degree by up to two years.
F
Faculty Duty Day: Days set aside for Faculty to complete professional development or tasks associated with their programs. No classes are held on these days. Fast Track: Fast Track is a joint partnership between Wallace State and local school systems which allow high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to complete up to two years of college coursework before high school graduation. All coursework is taken on Wallace Sate’s campus, but students are still able to return to their local high school to participate in extracurricular activities. FAFSA: FAFSA is the acronym for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, which all Wallace State students seeking any type of financial assistance or scholarships must complete. Students should complete the FAFSA at least two (2) months before the next semester begins. Flex Term: Flex Terms, formerly mini terms, are offered each semester, condensing a regular term course into a shorter time period, often half of the semester. Dates for each term are listed in the schedule. A number of courses in a variety of subjects are offered during each Flex Term. Flipped Class: A Flipped Class lets students do homework in class, and everything else online.
G
GPA: GPA is your Grade Point Average and is determined by averaging the grades received, and is computed by multiplying the quality points earned by the credit value of each course and dividing the total quality points earned by the total credit hours attempted. A student’s GPA is calculated for each semester and cumulatively for the student’s college career.
H
Hybrid Class: Hybrid classes are those that are taught mainly online, with occasional Fall Semester 2019 Schedule of Classes
on-campus visits for tests or labs, with the number of visits at the instructor’s discretion.
L
Location: Campus Locations of classes are listed under Campus in the online registration link. Understanding the abbreviations will be helpful. • Main refers to the Hanceville campus • ONE refers to the Oneonta Center • APT refers to the Cullman Airport • JPB refers to J.B. Pennington High School • TBA is for To Be Announced, used if location has not been determined when the schedule is printed.
M
myWallaceState: myWallaceState is the portal students use to apply for admission, register, keep track of their schedule, grades and transcripts, pay tuition, view the course schedules, the college catalog and more.
N
Navigate Wallace State: Online tool customized to help students plan ahead and manage their college experience, including reminders of important dates to remember.
O
Online Class: An online class is one in which all lectures, assignments, and exams are conducted by computer. Students can watch lectures through Tegrity, and assignments and exams are usually delivered through Blackboard. Most online courses require Respondus testing. Online math classes also have a final exam requirement which is scheduled on campus. Students with special circumstances may be approved for a proctored exam at an alternate location. In such situations, the student is responsible for securing an approved proctor with approval from the instructor at a certified testing center, college, or university at least two weeks prior to the scheduled exam date. Online classes are designated in the course schedules under a separate online heading for each subject.
P
Pathways: Pathways includes four meta-majors — Applied Technologies, Health Science, Liberal Arts/General Studies, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math). Students can choose one of the four meta-majors that best meet their general interest, before choosing a major within one of those meta-majors. Payment Plan: A payment plan offered to Wallace State students, allowing them to break up their tuition into two, three or four payments, depending on when they enroll in www.wallacestate.edu