Glossary
ACADEMIC ELECTIVE
An optional course in a program, selected from transferable courses toward meeting the total credit requirements of the credential. See Elective.
ACADEMIC PROGRAM
A program of study specified by Selkirk College that allows a student to earn the appropriate credits to transfer into a degree program at a provincial university or university college.
ACADEMIC YEAR
The academic year starts in September. Normally students study in two consecutive semesters ending in late April.
ADMISSION
The process of applying to and providing the necessary documentation for Selkirk College programs. Upon completion of the application process a prospective student will be advised as to their status. Fully qualified: meets all program admission requirements. Partially qualified: meets some but not all program admission requirements.
ADULT BASIC EDUCATION
Upgrading current education to a maximum of Grade 12 academic completion.
APPRENTICESHIP
Is work-based experience combined with post-secondary technical training. Selkirk College follows the British Columbia Industry Training Authority's guidelines for apprenticeship programs.
ARTICULATED
Synonym for transferable. See Transferable.
ASSOCIATE DEGREE
A provincially standardized formal credential that acknowledges successful completion of a prescribed two-year university program in Arts or Science.
AUDIT
Attending classes in a credit course without participating, completing assignments, writing examinations, or receiving credit. Not all courses may be audited; permission to audit must be given by the instructor.
CALENDAR
Selkirk College's publication, issued annually, which outlines admission requirements, grading, academic regulations, course offerings, programs, and other information pertinent to education at the College.
CAREER PROGRAM
A prescribed sequence of courses leading to a certificate or diploma.
CERTIFICATE
A credential issued upon successful completion of a program of study. Certificate programs normally require up to one academic year of study.
CO-OPERATIVE EDUCATION (CO-OP ED)
Is the formal integration of (classroom) study semesters with paid work semesters in the student's career field.
COURSE
A series of weekly lectures, and/or labs, studios, or seminars offered by Selkirk College. Each course is assigned a title, a number, and a specific number of hours and/or credits.
COURSE CHALLENGE
The process of requesting credit for previous study.
COURSE CREDIT
Is normally the value assigned to a course in relation to the program graduation requirements leading to a certificate or diploma.
CREDIT HOURS
See SEMESTER HOURS.
DEGREE
An academic credential awarded by a post-secondary educational institution to a student who has successfully completed a program of study normally of four or five years duration.
DEGREE PROGRAM
A program of study specified by a post-secondary educational institution that allows a student to earn a degree.
DEVELOPMENTAL EDUCATION
The term applied to the series of upgrading courses and programs available at the College. These include Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Completion, Adult Special Education, and College Preparatory.
DIPLOMA
A credential issued to a student who has successfully completed a program that is normally not less that two academic years of full-time study.
DISCIPLINE
A subject of study within a department or school.
DISTANCE EDUCATION
A means of study that utilize web technology to support the learning process. Program and course delivery may range from fully on-line to web supplemented. Also referred to as Distributed Learning, Home Study, and On-Line Learning.
ELECTIVE
An optional course which may be taken as part of a program of study. Some programs allow one or more electives each term. Electives are chosen by the student. Choice of electives may be limited by restrictions on transferability, subject, or credit and/or availability.
ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (EASL)
Conversational, reading and writing language skills for those who are learning English.
FA
Faculty Assistant.
FACULTY
The teaching staff is commonly known as faculty.
GRADE POINT
Numerical value given to an alphabetical letter grade used to compute an average measure of academic performance prescribed by each programs' departmental policy.
HOME STUDY
See Distance Education.
LAB
A portion of time in a course devoted to exploratory, experimental, or practical activities. For example, science courses have a lab component.
MATURE APPLICANT
An individual who is at least 19 years of age and has been out of the school system for at least one year on or before the first day of classes of the program to which application is made. A mature applicant shall normally meet the specified program or course requirements.
ORIENTATION
A series of activities to acquaint students with Selkirk College facilities, programs, services, and personnel.
PRACTICUM
Part of a course consisting of practical work in a relevant field.
PRECEPTORSHIP
An on-site clinical mentoring relationship with a qualified practicing health care worker.
PREREQUISITE A preliminary requirement which must be met before a student may register in a particular course.
PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT
A process whereby students may receive college credit for work experience or for any type of formal educational activity for which credit or a credential was received.
PROBATION
Students who do not maintain adequate standards in a course or program may be placed on probation during a semester.
PROGRAM
A specific series of required courses and electives which lead to a certificate or diploma.
REGISTRATION
The process of enroling ("signing up") to take a specific selection of courses in any given term. Admission and registration are sometimes confused. Admission is the process of applying for and being accepted into a Selkirk College program. Once a student is admitted, registration is the next step – course selection, formal enrolment, and fee payment. A short period of time is set aside before each term for registration.
SELKIRK COLLEGE REGION
The area formed by school districts #8 (Kootenay Lake), #10 (Upper Lakes), #20 (Kootenay Columbia), #51 (Boundary).
SEMESTER
A period of study lasting about four months. Official opening and closing dates for the Fall and Winter semesters at Selkirk College are given in the college calendar.
SEMESTER HOURS
A means of designating credit for a college course. The number of semester hours for any course is shown in the course description of the calendar for each course immediately following the course number e.g. Physics 104-3. This does not necessarily mean that the student will be in class for three hours per week, although this may be true for some courses. Often more than three hours are required in lectures and lab/seminars.
SEMINAR
A portion of time in a course devoted to small group projects and discussions.
TERM
A period of time in the academic year, e.g. a semester.
TRANSCRIPT
An official record of all courses taken with credits and grades shown. A transcript for each college student is maintained by the Admissions and Records office.
TRANSFER CREDIT
A process where students who have successfully completed another post-secondary institution may apply for transfer credit for courses completed there. Transfer credit may be used to provide evidence of program requirements, prerequisites for College courses, or to count as electives toward a certificate or diploma. Information regarding Selkirk College application procedures is available from the Registrar's office. To obtain information on transferability within the province of BC, check out www.bccat.ca.
TRANSFERABLE
A word describing a college course which is normally accepted for credit towards a degree.
TRANSITIONAL TRAINING
Life and work skills training toward independent living and employment for special needs adults.
UNIVERSITY TRANSFER COURSE
A college course that can be used to transfer credit to fulfill a university degree program requirement. See the BC Transfer Guide at www.bctransferguide.ca.
