Academic Glossary

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U W X Y Z

A

Academic Advisor: See advisor/advising
Academic Calendar: The academic calendar provides important information, such as deadlines and semester-specific dates. Unlike a calendar year, KCKCC's academic year has three terms: summer, fall, and spring.
Academic Catalog: See catalog
Academic Dismissal: Students are placed on dismissal if they have attempted at least 16 credit hours with a cumulative GPA (grade point average) below 1.60. Dismissal is for one entire fall or spring semester. Students must complete a reinstatement form available in the Student Success Center to be readmitted.
Academic Division: An academic division is a structural unit within a college or university that organizes related academic programs, disciplines, and subdivisions. These divisions are based on a common area of study or research focus.
Academic Probation: Academic probation is a warning to students who are not performing well academically and need to improve their grades. It's a period when students can demonstrate academic progress and avoid being dismissed from school.
Academic Standing: Academic standing is a student's academic status at a given time, which is usually determined by their grade point average (GPA). It can indicate whether a student is eligible to continue in their program, or if they need to take action to improve their academic performance.
Academic Suspension: Academic suspension is temporary, forced leave from college for students who do not meet academic standards. Students on academic suspension are not allowed to enroll in classes, receive financial aid, or earn credits.
Academic Year: An academic year is one complete school year at KCKCC. For schools that have a year-round program of instruction, nine months is considered an academic year.
Accommodations/Access Services: Student Accessibility & Support Services (SASS) is dedicated to the ideals of full access to campus programs and services by providing learning support for all students as well as accommodations for students with disabilities. (See also Student Accessibility and Support)
ACCUPLACER: (see also placement exam) The ACCUPLACER is a series of tests that evaluate a student's readiness for college courses. The placement evaluation is given in the Student Success Center, Jewell Building, Room 3345A on a walk-in basis; no appointments are needed. Students who have not attended college before applying to KCKCC will be assessed using the Accuplacer assessment. Advisors use the placement evaluation to help students choose the right classes.
Add a Course: To add a course" means to formally enroll in a new class or subject within your academic schedule, typically done through a student portal or registration system, allowing you to start taking that class alongside your other courses; essentially, it means to include an additional course to your current academic workload.
Adjunct Instructor/Professor: Faculty who teach on a part-time basis. Often adjuncts work full-time jobs in their fields or teach at multiple institutions.
Advisor/Advising: An academic advisor is a professional who helps students navigate their academic and career paths. They offer guidance on course selection, degree requirements, and other academic concerns. Academic advisors can also help students explore career options, study abroad programs, and scholarships.
Alumni: Students who have graduated from an institution or met the requirements for a program. KCKCC alumni are people who have graduated from KCKCC.
Associate's degree: An undergraduate degree that is typically awarded at the completion of a 60-credit degree program. Associate degrees are usually pursued at community or technical colleges. Common types of associates degrees include Associate Arts (AA), associate in science (AS), and associate in applied science (AAS).
Associate in Arts: The associate in arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences Degree requires satisfactory completion of a minimum of 60 semester hours of academic work with a cumulative grade-point average of not less than “C” (2.0). Candidates for this degree must present an organized program of study, which meets the following 34 hours of general education core requirements. The AA degree is designed for students to transfer with advanced standing into university bachelor's degrees.

B

Bachelor's Degree: An undergraduate degree that is awarded to students after completing a 4-year program of study. KCKCC does not award bachelor's degrees. Students interested in this degree must transfer to a 4-year college or university to earn this degree.
Basic Needs Center: The KCKCC Basic Needs Center provides limited emergency financial assistance. Students are eligible for assistance once per academic year. Students must meet certain criteria to qualify. Services include the Student Relief Fund and Blue's Kitchen Cupboard (food pantry).
Blackboard Ultra: A type of Learning Management System (LMS) that KCKCC uses as an interface for students to access their course materials, submit assignments, interact with their instructors, and find course grades. Instructors and professors use Blackboard Ultra to varying degrees, so be sure to familiarize yourself with the course organization and how you will interact with it.
Blended Class/Course: A class modality that consists of some online work and learning along with some face-to-face class time or instruction. In this modality, there are fewer face-to-face classes compared to a class taught only face-to-face.
BLUE 101 (Bettering Life Utilizing Education): BLUE is a freshman seminar course designed to acquaint a student with KCKCC resources and the campus community along with providing experience and instruction to help provide successful adjustment to college.
Blue Connect: A platform that connects KCKCC students with student organizations, events, and opportunities to get involved in the community. It allows students to find information about student groups, their advisors, and upcoming events. It also provides a way for students to learn more about community service opportunities on and off campus, including the Blue Unit.
Bookstore: The bookstore is where students and the campus community can purchase textbooks specific to KCKCC classes, swag, clothing and merchandise for KCKCC, beverages, snacks and some grocery items, some electronics and art supplies and other items.
Bursar's Office (Business Office): The Business Office provides services to students, faculty, and staff with regards to tuition billings, tuition payments, student refunds, and vendor payments.

C

Career Services: Career Services is here to provide KCKCC students and alumni with the resources, skills, opportunities, and confidence to discover and achieve their career goals. They assist students and graduates with things such as exploring career options, career planning, job and internship searching, resume writing, interview preparation, employer connections, and others.
Catalog: The academic catalog is a publication that provides information about a university or college, including courses, degree programs, policies, and requirements. When you start a program, keep that year's catalog because it will be used to determine program requirements and completion. The academic catalog is a publication that provides information about a university or college, including courses, degree programs, policies, and requirements. When you start a program, keep that year's catalog because it will be used to determine program requirements and completion.
Certificate: A certificate is a document that verifies the completion of a specific course or program of study. It is often awarded by educational institutions or professional organizations to recognize a student's achievement in a particular field.
Center for Equity and Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement (CEIM): The Mission of the Center is to create a college climate that demonstrates commitment to civil rights, social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion. We advocate for a just and inclusive atmosphere regardless of individual differences, beliefs, or identities for all students, staff, and community.
Certificate Programs: Certificates are awarded by KCKCC. Certifications are usually awarded by professional associations or independent organizations. Certificates typically don't expire, while certifications often do.
Commencement: A ceremony celebrating the completion of a certificate or degree program. During this ceremony, graduates' names are announced, and graduates walk across the stage in recognition of degree completion.
Continuing Education: This branch of the College offers non-credit courses for individuals to enhance career development, deepen personal enrichment and increase skills in a variety of areas.
Corequisites: Some courses that have corequisite designations require you to enroll in and take certain classes simultaneously. The courses must be taken together.
Counselor: Counselors are individuals at KCKCC who can listen to a specific problem, provide insight, and support.
Counseling Services: The Counseling & Advocacy Center is to empower students to thrive in the face of life challenges while achieving personal and academic success. We provide a full array of counseling services including personal, mental health, substance abuse, career, academic and relationship concerns. We offer crisis intervention including victim and gender advocacy, services for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender students, prevention and education programs and a Women and Gender Resource Library.
Course Load: This is the number of credit hours you are enrolled in each semester. Taking 12 credits equals full-time status; 6 credit hours equals part-time status.
CRN (Course Reference Number): This is the number that each course is assigned to reference the department, the course level and section.
Credit: A unit that measures your progress toward graduation. Each degree, certificate and/or program requires completion of a certain number of credit hours to be eligible for graduation. Typically, one credit is equivalent to three hours of student work per week (including class time and study time).
Credit Hour: A credit hour is the unit of measurement used to indicate the amount of instructional and learning time required to achieve the student learning outcomes of a credit-bearing course, regardless of modality. A credit hour is based on the number of weeks that are set by the institution for the term.

D

Dean: Each Division at the college has a dean. A dean is the head of a college or university faculty or department.
Degree Check: A Degree Check is an unofficial audit of your coursework to help you determine if you are on track for graduation. It matches your academic history against your degree or certificate requirements in the College catalog.
Drop a Course: You can drop a course within three drop periods in a semester. The three drop periods include “drop with 100% refund,” “Drop with no 'W', no refund” and “Drop with a 'W', no refund”. A “W” stands for “Withdraw” and it will not affect your GPA. You must pay attention to drop dates found in your KCKCC portal or the Academic Calendar. You should check with Financial Aid and a counselor before dropping a course.
Department/Division: The college contains different divisions based on discipline. Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Career and Technical Education, Health Professions and Public Safety, and Math, Science and Business Technology. Within each division, there are different departments based on the area of study. EX: English department is located within the Division of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.
Division of Equity and Inclusion: (See Center for Equity and Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement)

E

Elective: Electives are courses you take for credit. You usually have some freedom to select electives that are of interest to you.
Enrollment: The process of signing up to take a course or courses. The enrollment process varies and depends on where you are in your program and how many credit hours you have completed.

F

FAFSA: The Free Application Financial for Student Aid is an application you fill out to determine your eligibility for federal financial aid. The FAFSA results may be required to be considered for certain need-based scholarships.
Federal Work Study: Federal Work Study is employment offered to students who have financial need so they can earn money to meet the needs of their education and expenses. There are different positions available on campus for federal work study. - Visit Financial Aid or Career Services for more information and to see if you are eligible to apply for work study positions.
Fees: Fees are additional costs that students pay for specific services or activities at KCKCC. These can include technology fees, student activity fees, special course fees, official transcript requests, and graduation fees.
FERPA: FERPA stands for the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act. This is a federal law that protects the privacy of education records, establishes the right of students to inspect and review their educational records, and provides guidelines for correcting inaccurate information.
Financial Aid: Federal regulations mandate that a student must be making “satisfactory academic progress” toward earning a certificate or associates degree to receive federal financial aid. All recipients of federal financial aid programs which include Federal Pell and SEOG Grants, Federal Direct Loans and Federal Work-Study funds are subject to these standards for renewal of financial aid eligibility.
Finals: Final exams are given by instructors during the last week of the semester. Finals week exam schedules are posted on the website and the academic calendar. During finals week, regular classes are not in session.
First Generation College Student: Students whose parents or guardians did not earn a 4-year college degree. These students come from families that often have had minimal exposure to higher education.
Foundation Office: This office supports KCKCC by serving as the fundraising partner of the college. They provide scholarships to students and administer alumni association programs.
Full-Time Student: A full-time student is one that is enrolled in the minimum number of credit hours per semester. For KCKCC this means the student is enrolled in 12 credit hours for Fall and Spring semester.

G

GPA (Grade Point Average): A scale used to measure academic performance. At KCKCC, a GPA is based on a 4.0 scale and is the average of your course grades based on credit hours for each course taken. Each letter grade received is converted to a value on the 4.0 scale: A = 4 points, B = 3 points, C = 2 points, D = 1 point, and F = 0 points.
Graduation (see also Commencement): The formal completion of a degree or certificate program. You must apply for graduation to start the audit process to ensure requirements are met and walk at the commencement ceremony.

H

Health Services (Student Health): Provides information to individuals to help them become informed healthcare consumers, assisting in the mental and physical healthcare needs of the KCKCC campus community, as well as healthcare information that addresses the whole person's needs: physical, mental, social, emotional, and spiritual. The college's FERPA and HIPPA policies protect personal and medical information.
Help Desk: The KCKCC Help Desk is a resource for the campus community (students, staff, faculty, administrators) to be able to get support from an IT professional.
Holds: KCKCC will apply administrative holds on students’ accounts when students owe KCKCC past due balances or any form of debt, or if requirements must be met before the student can enroll. Holds may prevent students from enrolling or registering for classes until the hold is resolved.
Honors Education: A special enrichment program designed for eligible students. Completion of the program and its requirements earn the student an Honor’s distinction and special cords for graduation. This program requires additional coursework and campus work outside of a regular degree program.

I

Incomplete Grade: A grade that indicates the student’s academic work is of passing quality but has not been completed. Course work needed to remove the grade of “I” is expected to be completed during the following semester.
Instructor: A person who teaches a course at KCKCC. Instructors may be full-time faculty or part-time adjuncts.
Involve: An app by Modern Campus that allows students to discover campus events, student organizations, and other ways to get involved in the KCKCC community.
Information Services: See Help Desk.
Internship: A temporary work experience (usually one semester or during the summer) to gain professional experience, usually related to your degree program/career interests. Internships can be paid or unpaid, full-time or part-time, students may be able to receive academic course credit for an internship, and some academic programs/degrees require students to complete an internship. For more information and assistance in finding an internship, visit Career Services.

L

Late Start: Late start course are courses that begin after the traditional start of a 16-week semester. Course offerings range in start dates to accommodate students, including 8-week and short-term courses. Always check start dates for courses when enrolling.
Learning Commons: The Learning Commons is a shared space where students can access and utilize technology, tutoring, and collaboration areas. Study rooms, computers, academic resources, and professional employees are available to support the KCKCC academic community. The Dean of Academic Support & Assessment, Office of Assessment, Learning Services, KCKCC Library, and Online Education Services are all housed in the Learning Commons.
Learning Management System (LMS): A Learning Management System is a computer assisted program for online learning that faculty use to house materials and assignment for courses. The LMS that KCKCC uses is Blackboard Ultra. If you are in an online course, this is the way all of your course materials will be disseminated.
LibGuide: A web-based content management system to assist the campus community, including the option to live chat.
Library: See Library Services
Library Services: Library Services offers academic research assistance. Books, reference materials, and videos are available within the library and online. In the library you will find computers, interlibrary loan services, anatomy models, the KCKCC Archives, and other resources to support learning and leisure reading-including librarians to assist in research. The library is located in the upper level of the Learning Commons.
Locations: KCKCC has several locations offering services including Main Campus, TEC (Technical Education Center), and the Pioneer Career Center.

M

Major: A major is a specific area of study that a student chooses to focus on during their college education. It typically involves completing a set of required courses and electives related to that field, allowing students to gain in-depth knowledge and skills in their chosen discipline.
Math and Science Center: Provides walk-in tutoring for math and science and supports success through a shared learning space and individualized approaches to tutoring. Peer and faculty tutors engage with students to improve self-confidence and skills in the fields of math and science. Services are available at all campus locations, by appointment
Modality: Modality refers to the method or format in which a course is delivered to students. Common modalities include face-to-face (in-person), online (fully online), and blended/hybrid (a combination of in-person and online).

N

Non-Traditional Student: A non-traditional student is typically defined as a student who is older than the traditional college age (usually 18-22) and may have other responsibilities such as work or family. Non-traditional students may also have different educational backgrounds or life experiences compared to traditional students.

O

Online Education Services: The Online Education Services team provides support for online courses, including training for faculty and students on how to use the Blackboard Ultra learning management system.
Online Class: Courses that are delivered online, but do not have scheduled meeting times. They do not meet in a classroom and are available 24/7 in the college learning management system. However, depending upon the content and instructor students may be required periodic face to face testing, labs, or performance purposes.

P

Part-Time Student: A student at KCKCC is considered part-time if they are not enrolled in 12 credit hours during a 16- week semester. Part-time students are sometimes not eligible for certain types of aid.
Pioneer Career Center: The Pioneer Career Center is a KCKCC location that offers programs and services to help students prepare for careers in various fields. It provides resources such as career counseling, job placement assistance, and training programs.
Placement Test: A test that is used to determine a student's skill level in subjects such as math, reading, and writing. The results of the placement test are used to place students in appropriate courses.
Pass/Fail: Some course grades are determined by P/NP. This means that the grade is determined by whether the student completed the appropriate objectives for the course, and they do not receive a letter grade. Pass/Fail courses are not computed into the student’s grade point average.
Peer Tutor: A Peer Tutor is someone who assists other students in courses by providing support in Learning Services. Peer Tutors must excel in the content areas in which they tutor, apply for a position, interview and be accepted, and undergo training to become a peer tutor.
Placement Test (see also Accuplacer): Students who have not attended college before applying to KCKCC will be assessed using a placement test (ACCUPLACER) to help advisors assist students in choosing the right classes. The assessment is offered in the Student Success Center. For first time students who have completed the ACT or SAT exam, those scores may be used for placement.
Pre-requisites: Pre-requisites are courses that must be completed prior to the enrollment in additional courses. Depending on the department and level of the course, students may be required to complete a successful pre-requisite course to ensure that they are prepared for the next sequence.
Program Coordinator: An individual who oversees a specific program area. They are experts in their academic area and a great resource if you have questions about a specific program or a program’s employability after graduation.

R

Registration: The process of signing up for classes at KCKCC. Registration is done through the KCKCC portal and is available during specific times each semester.
Residence Life: Residence Life is the department that oversees student housing at KCKCC. They provide support and resources for students living on campus.
Registrar: The Registrar is a person responsible for keeping official student records and academic records such as your personal information, degree and certificate information, transcripts and grades. Transcript requests go through the registrar's office.
Registration: see enrollment

S

Self-Service: A student and employee portal that contains access to personal, financial, and academic information. It houses multiple functions and processes such as financial and academic management. From the student perspective, it houses all your student information, grades, schedules, and financial information. From the employee perspective, it contains personal and financial information and other HR processes.
Semester: A semester is a period of time that breaks up an academic year. KCKCC’s academic year is broken up into three semesters: Fall, Spring, and Summer. Fall and spring semesters are 16 weeks long and summer semester is 7 to 8 weeks long.
Student Accessibility and Access Services: The SASS office assists students with documented disabilities and students needing accommodations while at KCKCC. The office also supports students with different learning needs. If you need assistance, access services are available to help you in making learning accessible.
Student Activities: The Student Activities office provides opportunities for students to get involved in campus life through clubs, organizations, and events. It is a great way to meet new people and enhance your college experience.
Student Basic Needs Center: The Student Basic Needs Center is a resource that helps expand and enhance equitable access to basic needs services and resources college-wide. It supports student persistence, aids retention, and promotes success with a focus on historically marginalized populations across the college.
Student Success Center: A center that houses advising, student placement testing, and career services in the Upper Jewell building.
Student Senate: The KCKCC student government- works as a legislative body which includes executive board members, student senators, and student club representatives from all the KCKCC clubs, organizations and special interest groups. This legislative body is the voice for all KCKCC students. Through the voice of this body, issues concerning students, academics, faculty, staff, policies, procedures and the institution are discussed.
Syllabus: A syllabus is a document outlining the subjects or topics to be studied in a particular course along with instructor expectations and other course information. Typically, a syllabus contains details regarding course objectives, required readings, assignments, and exams, and the grading schema. It is a useful document to help students succeed and understand the expectations of a course. A course syllabus also generally contains the course schedule and due dates.

T

Technical Support: Technical support at KCKCC is offered in three different ways for students: online education, media services, and computing services. Once you have been accepted as a student, you should check your Enrollment Checklist to ensure you have technical support. (See also Help Desk)
Transcript: A student's permanent academic record. It contains information that requires a request that has been signed by the student and in compliance with college policy.

W

Wellness Center: Situated on the main campus, the Wellness Center provides personal training sessions, body composition analysis, and fitness testing. Health and nutrition seminars and incentive programs are offered throughout the semester to students to enhance their state of wellbeing. Locker room and shower facilities are available for those who choose to use the facility before or after work or college, or during their lunch hour. The facility is open to the employees and students of the college, as well as the members of our community. They can attend classes, seminars, nutrition and fitness testing and counseling, as well as personal training, all at an affordable cost.
Withdrawal: Students may have a “W” posted on their transcript instead of a letter grade by officially withdrawing from a course. This is done through the KCKCC portal or by contacting the Registrar's office.
Work Study: Employment offered to students who have financial need so they can earn money to meet the needs of their education and expenses. There are different positions available on campus, and there are two different ways to qualify for work study (Federal Work Study or College Work Study). Visit Financial Aid or Career Services for more information and to see if you are eligible to apply for work study positions.
Writing Center: Located in the main campus, lower-level Learning Commons, faculty and peer tutors work with students on essays, speeches, and academic projects, including technical writing and presentations. In addition to topics addressed in humanities and social sciences courses, students can find tutors and resources for ESOL, freshman seminar, and foreign language courses.