College Abbreviations and Terms You Need to Know

AA
Associate of Arts (university transfer) is designed for students who plan to transfer to a four-year or upper-level college or university.

AAS
Associate of Applied Science (not traditionally intended for transfer) is awarded to students who complete the requirements as outlined in the technical programs section of the catalog. Some universities do accept technical courses for transfer credit; the College encourages students to speak with faculty and Department Chairs to determine which programs include this option.

AAT
Associate of Arts in Teaching (university transfer) is a Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board-approved collegiate degree program consisting of lower-division courses intended for transfer to baccalaureate programs that lead to initial Texas teacher certification.

AS
Associate of Science (university transfer) is designed for students who plan to transfer to a four-year or upper-level college or university and major in mathematics, one of the sciences (biology, chemistry, geology, physics, biotechnology, or related field), engineering, or computer science.

Academic Advisement
Process of advising students about courses that must be taken to fulfill degree and/or transfer requirements.

Accreditation
Professional organizations have established rules for presenting and managing a strong defensible academic program at a college. Without institutional accreditation, the credit hours and the degrees granted by an institution may not be acceptable at other schools.

Advanced Placement
Earning of college credit prior to enrollment at the College by obtaining certain scores on examinations (such as AP and CLEP tests) administered by the College Entrance Examination Board.

Applicant

An applicant is a person who is applying for admission, has applied for admission, or has been accepted for admission but has not yet enrolled and paid for classes.

Audit
Regular credit course taken for no credit.

Blackboard
The learning management system used by San Jacinto College for instructional content delivered via the Internet.

Blue Book
Collection of blank pages bound together between a blue cover and used specifically for examinations. Blue Books are sometimes required by a professor to provide a uniform format for the presentation of answers. They are sold in the campus bookstore.

Catalog
General information publication provided by the College that contains admissions requirements, outlines of degree programs, and course descriptions.

Certificates
Awarded to students who complete required courses with a minimum overall grade point average of 2.0 usually between 30 and 42 credit hours.

Commencement
Traditional ceremony in which students are recognized by the College as having completed all the necessary requirements for a degree.

Concurrent Enrollment
Occurs when a student is enrolled at two or more state-supported colleges or universities at the same time.

Continuing & Professional Development (CPD)
Non-credit classes, seminars, and conferences designed for adults and pre-college aged students who desire to improve their occupational, cultural, or social education. Schedules of course offerings are available in the Continuing & Professional Development division on each campus or online at the CPD webpage. 

Co-requisite
Required course that must be taken at the same time as the course for which it is a co-requisite.

Credit Hour
Academic credit given for a class, usually equal to the number of hours per week. There are a number of exceptions. A typical course is worth three credits; a lab is usually worth one credit.

Dean’s List
List of students who have completed at least 12 semester hours of courses in a semester, made no failing grades, and earned at least a 3.5 GPA.

Distance Learning Course
A mode of delivery for instruction with options to take as an online or online/classroom class.

Drop Date
Last day on which a class may be dropped to receive a W (withdrawal) on a student’s transcript. If a student drops the course after this date, the student will receive an F for the course.

Generated ID Number (G00)

Identification number assigned to the student by San Jacinto College that provides the student access to various services and to the San Jacinto College computer systems. This number is used in lieu of a Social Security Number to protect a person’s identity while enrolled at the College.

Good Standing

A student is in good standing if the student maintains a 2.0 GPA,  has met all obligations to the College, and is not under a disciplinary sanction such as suspension or expulsion.

Grade Point Average (GPA)
Grade Point Average is an indicator of a student’s academic performance. Numerical values, or points, are assigned to each letter grade.

To compute GPA:
Divide total grade points earned by total number of semester hours completed.

Honor Societies
Organizations honoring students who have achieved distinction in academic areas or service.

Hybrid Class
A course that is a combination of content delivered through Blackboard and face-to-face classroom instruction.

Major

Primary academic program a student chooses to pursue based on the student’s personal and career goals for the future.

My San Jac GPS
My San Jac GPS (Graduation Plan Strategy) is a free, web-based application allowing students to track their academic progress toward degree completion, view how evaluated transfer credits and/or coursework meet program requirements, construct “What-If” scenarios when considering program changes, and view plans built with advisors that map out classes through completion of the student’s credential. The system is designed to aid and facilitate academic advising, but it is not intended to replace face-to-face advising sessions. My San Jac GPS is available to all SJC credit students. To access the system, students should log into their SOS account and navigate to their My Student Records links.

Online Class
A course where all content is delivered online through Blackboard.

Prerequisite
Requirement that must be met before a course can be taken.

Probation
Academic warning that satisfactory progress has not been maintained, and unless immediate corrective action is taken, the student risks suspension.

Recreational Sports
Variety of competitive individual and team sports and recreational activities offered to currently enrolled students free of charge.

San Jacinto College District
The San Jacinto College District consists of the Central campus, South campus, North campus, Generation Park campus, Maritime campus, and extension centers. The San Jacinto College District is a political subdivision of the state of Texas. One Board of Trustees, made up of seven individuals elected to six-year terms, governs the District. As used in this handbook, San Jacinto College and San Jacinto Community College District are synonymous.

Scantron Form
Special form used for recording answers during an examination. Answers are recorded using a No. 2 pencil, allowing the examination to be computer-scored. Scantron forms are sold in the College bookstore.

Secure Online System (SOS)
Secure Online System allows students to register for classes, apply for and monitor financial aid, check grades, add and drop classes, access the Class Schedule and Catalog, and obtain unofficial transcripts and degree evaluations.

SJC "Alert Me"
The emergency notification system used to inform the College community of an emergency situation on a campus or throughout the College.

Student

A student is an individual who is enrolled at the College and is registered and has paid for one or more courses. 

Student Account Suite
Student Account Suite allows students to check their balance, make a payment toward their balance, view their payment history, and store their payment method for automatic payments on the due dates. It allows students to provide permission to others to view their bill and make payments, enroll in a payment plan, and view their current payment plan.

Suspension
Academic suspension means that satisfactory progress has not been maintained and that a student is ineligible to register for classes for at least one long term (fall, spring, or the entire summer session). A disciplinary suspension is a sanction for conduct that violates the Code of Student Conduct. A disciplinary suspension is not based on academic performance.

TBA
“To be arranged (assigned, announced).”

Term
There are varying lengths of academic terms including but not limited to 16-week, 13-week, and eight-week courses.

Transcript

Official record of a student’s grades, credits, hours, etc., from any school or college. Official and unofficial San Jacinto College transcripts can be obtained through the Secure Online System (SOS) or by going to the Center for Advising, Career, and Transfer office. An official transcript has been approved or authorized by the College Registrar. The College offers official transcripts online.

Warning
At the end of the first term in which the overall institution GPA is less than 2.0, a student will be placed on academic warning status.

Withdrawal
Removal from a class and/or the College via the Secure Online System (SOS).