The following abreviations and terms are found in the College catalog, schedules, and other printed materials:
AA |
Associate of Arts Degree (2 year college degree) |
A&R |
Enrollment Services Office |
AS |
Associate of Science Degree (2 year college degree) |
BA |
Bachelor of Arts Degree (4 year college degree) |
BS |
Bachelor of Science Degree (4 year college degree) |
CAN |
California Articulation Number |
CSU |
California State University |
EOPS |
Extended Opportunity Programs & Services |
ESL |
English as a Second Language |
FAFSA |
Free Application for Federal Student Aid |
GE |
General Education |
GPA |
Grade Point Average |
IGETC |
Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum |
LRC |
Learning Resources Center |
SSS |
Student Support Services |
TAA |
Transfer Admissions Agreement |
TBA |
To Be Announced |
UC |
University of California |
| Academic Probation | Status of a student who has earned a GPA below 2.0 in all A-F graded units. |
| Academic Renewal | A policy that allows a student who meets specific criteria to have disregarded a portion of previous COS substandard college work which is not reflective of the student's demonstrated ability. |
| Accreditation | A system of voluntary, non-governmental self-regulation whereby an institution evaluates itself in accordance with standards of good practice and accepts the obligation to undergo periodic evaluation through self-study and professional peer review. COS is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. |
| Certificate Programs | These are occupational and vocational programs requiring fewer units of course work to complete; they concentrate only on those courses that are essential to prepare the student for employment. Certificate programs typically take three to four semesters to complete. |
| Incomplete Grade | "I" symbol on the student's record indicating incomplete academic work because of an unforeseeable emergency and/or justifiable reasons at the end of the term. Students must petition the instructor in order to receive this notation. |
| Lower Division | Freshman or Sophomore level course work. |
| Matriculation | A process which brings COS and a student into an agreement for the purpose of realizing the student's educational objectives. |
| Non-degree Applicable | Certain courses which do not count towards the 60 unit requirement for an Associate Degree at COS. |
| Prerequisite | Requirements students must meet prior to enrolling in a particular course. |
| Prerequisite Challenge | A process to petition the requirements students must complete prior to enrolling in a particular course. |
| Probation | A warning status that the proper academic or progress standard is not being met. |
| Progress Probation | Status of a student who failed to complete at least 50% of the cumulative units for which the student was registered. |
| Registration | Official process of enrolling in class and paying the required fees. |
| Resident | For California Community College fee purposes, a resident is one who has established both physical presence and intent to make California his/her permanent home for one year and one day prior to the first day of the term for which he/she wishes to attend. |
| Semester | The academic year from August to May is divided into two 17-week semesters. Students receive grades at the end of each semester. |
| Transcript | A copy of a student's academic record at a specific high school or college. |
| Transfer Courses | Classes which are accepted for credit at four-year colleges toward a Bachelor's degree. The course descriptions in the catalog and schedule specify whether a course is transferable to UC or CSU. |
| Transfer Admission Agreement | Guaranteed admission agreements with participating unversities for eligible students. |
| Undergraduate | College freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior. |
| Unit | Amount of credit given to a class. |
| Withdrawal | Process by which the student officially drops and class in a term. Failure to officially drop a class can result in a grade of "F" or "NC". |