A

Abbreviated Educational Plan: A pathway that identifies the courses a new student will take in their first one or two semesters. An abbreviated educational plan may be developed by a student with or without the help of an academic counselor and is not approved by a counselor. Abbreviated educational plans are required for all new non-exempt students; however, a comprehensive educational plan will also satisfy this requirement.

Academic Notice: Academic standing when a student fails to maintain progress towards their declared academic goal or if the grade point average drops below 2.0 for any term. Students on academic notice are required to meet with a counselor to develop a plan to get off academic notice and return to good academic standing.

Academic Year: Fall and Spring semesters, beginning with the start of the Fall term in August through the end of the Spring term in mid-May.

An Academic Calendar shows when classes start, stop, the holidays, exam week and important deadlines.

Add: Formally adding a class(es) by completing the appropriate forms online in your MyVCCCD portal.

Add Authorization Code: Six-digit code received from an instructor allowing the student to register prior to census online in a closed class using their MyVCCCD student portal.

Adding a Closed Class: Students seeking entry to any class that is closed at the time they attempt to register are referred to the instructor.

Advanced Placement (AP): A program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board offering college-level curriculum and examinations to high school students. Colleges often grant placement and course credit to students who obtain high scores above a certain number on the examinations. To see the list of AP exams that Oxnard College accepts toward the Associate Degree, see the AP chart in this catalog or schedule an appointment with a counselor.

Advisory/Recommended Preparation: A condition of enrollment that a student is advised but not required to meet before or in conjunction with enrollment in a course or educational program. The recommendation is made by faculty and is intended to ensure that students are adequately prepared to successfully complete a particular course.

Area of Emphasis: Required in General Studies programs of study, an area of emphasis consists of 18 units in an area of concentration, with 6 of the 18 units coming from a single discipline to give the student more depth in their study.

Area of Interest: A cluster of degrees & certificates that are considered similar from a student's perspective. In most cases, students will still declare a major in a specific discipline or department. Commonly referred to as “Meta-Majors” nationwide, our “Areas of Interest” are called “Career and Major Communities”, “Learning and Career Pathways”, or “Career Clusters” at other colleges.

Articulation Agreement: Contractual agreements between two or more schools of the courses that transfer and satisfy specific requirements. Articulation agreements between each of the Ventura County Community Colleges (Moorpark, Oxnard, Ventura) and CSU/UC campuses are available at www.assist.org. The listings include all courses that transfer between the individual college and CSU or UC campus.

Assessment: The use of multiple measures (including high school transcript data, self-reported high school transcript data and informed self-placement) to provide a recommendation for placement into math and English courses. Placement recommendations are intended to help you, the student, make an informed choice about which Math and/or English classes will help you complete your academic requirements. Ultimately, it's the student's right to choose which class/classes to enroll in. All students have direct access to transfer-level English and math courses.

ASSIST (Articulation System Stimulating Inter-institutional Student Transfer): ASSIST is an online student-transfer information system. It displays reports of how course credits earned at one public California college or university can be applied when transferred to another. ASSIST is the official repository of articulation for California’s colleges and universities and provides the most accurate and up-to-date information about student transfer in California.

Associate Degree: An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, and some bachelor’s degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years.

• Associate in Arts (A.A.)
• Associate in Science (A.S.)

Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT): is an undergraduate academic degree designed to guarantee admission to the CSU system. The degree consists of 60 CSU transferable semester units including certified completion of general education requirements (CSU GE-Breadth/IGETC-CSU), major requirements, and electives (if needed). An Associate Degree for Transfer may be earned in academic and career technical education majors.

• Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T)
• Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T)

Audit: Process by which a student may enroll in a class as an observer for information only. The student is not officially registered, and will not receive a grade. Audit enrollments do not satisfy degree, certificate or transfer requirements and do not appear on a student’s transcript. See the Audit Policy in this catalog.

B

BAC List: Courses identified by California Community Colleges as appropriate for transfer to the CSU and fulfill credit towards a bachelor’s degree. This list of CSU transferable courses can be found on Assist.org.

Bachelor’s Degree: Degree granted by four-year colleges and universities. The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) are most commonly offered. A limited number of Bachelor's degree programs are now available at California Community Colleges in majors not offered by CSU or UC campuses. 

BOGW: Board of Governors Enrollment Fee Waiver is now the California College Promise Grant.

By Arrangement: Courses, or part of a course, which include additional hours not yet formally scheduled. The arrangement is usually scheduled with the Instructor of the course at the start of the semester.

C

California College Promise Grant: A form of financial aid that covers enrollment fees for eligible California residents, AB 1899 Victims of Trafficking, Domestic Violence and other Serious Crimes, and AB 540 Undocumented students. A form of financial aid that waives enrollment fees for eligible California students as defined by the California Community Colleges Board of Governors.

California College Promise Grant Appeal Process: Students qualifying for a fee waiver must meet minimum academic and progress standards adopted by the Board of Governors. Students who have lost their CCPG Fee Waiver may Appeal the loss based on certain circumstances before an Appeals Committee.

Certificate of Achievement: A college-awarded certificate indicating the student has satisfactorily completed the major courses in a program, but not the general education courses. A Certificate of Achievement is not a degree.

Certificate of Competency: Awarded to students who have demonstrated achievement in a set of competencies that prepares them to progress in a career path or to take non-degree applicable or degree-applicable credit courses. Noncredit courses included in a Certificate of Competency are offered for no cost, with the exception of textbooks and other materials, if required.

Certificate of Completion: Awarded to students who have satisfactorily completed a sequence of noncredit courses designed to improve employability or job opportunities. Noncredit courses included in a Certificate of Completion are offered for no cost, with the exception of textbooks and other materials, if required.

Class Schedule: The listing of courses including hours, instructor, and room assignments to be offered each term. The class schedule is only available online.

Collaborative Learning: A method of instruction designed to actively engage students in their learning using small groups, team and group projects, and providing opportunities for students to share common experiences and solve problems.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP): A group of standardized tests created by the College Board that assess college-level knowledge in several subject areas. These exams are administered at various colleges and universities across the United States. Some institutions award credit to students who meet the college’s minimum qualifying score for that exam, (typically 50 is a qualifying score), but qualifying scores vary by school and exam. For more information on CLEP exams and how they provide credit toward the Associate Degree or CSU GE-Breadth, see the CLEP chart in this catalog. 

Comprehensive (Active) Educational Plan: A plan that identifies the courses a student must take to complete their informed program of study and reach their educational goals. The comprehensive educational plan is long enough to identify everything a student must do to achieve their educational goal. Comprehensive educational plans are required for all students who have completed 15 units of college coursework, and must be approved by an academic counselor during a counseling appointment.

Concurrent Enrollment: A required prerequisite course that can be taken at the same time as the course in question. This course may also be taken prior to the course in question. 

Corequisite: A course where enrollment is based on a student being concurrently enrolled, meaning the courses are taken during the same term. A corequisite represents a set of skills or a body of knowledge that a student must acquire through concurrent enrollment. Corequisites are indicated in the Class Listings of the Schedule of Classes and in the College Catalog.

Counselor: Faculty who assist students with personal, career, vocational and educational planning and development.

Course: An organized pattern of instruction in a specified subject offered by the college. Also referred to as a class. A single course may have several sections.

Course Description: A brief statement about the content of a particular course. Found in the college catalog and the online schedule of classes.

Course Identification Numbering System (C-ID): C-ID is administered by the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges as a faculty-driven system for colleges and universities to facilitate the identification of comparable courses and increase articulation across all segments of higher education in the state. C-ID addresses the need for a “common course numbering system” to simplify student movement both within the California community colleges and intersegmentally. For additional background information on C-ID, please visit www.c-id.net.

Credit Course: A course for which units are granted.

Credit by Examination: Process by which a student may meet a specific requirement through successful performance on a comprehensive exam. Students who are successful in challenging a course through credit by exam will receive units earned in the challenged course and the appropriate letter grade of A, B, C, D, F, or P/NP will be posted to their academic transcript.

Credit for Prior Learning: Granting unit credit for prior learning is based on the principle that previous experience, training, or instruction is the equivalent of a specific course taught by the college. Course and unit credit can be obtained through the credit for External Examinations process (AP/IB/CLEP), Internal Departmental Examinations process (locally administered exams), High School to College Articulation process, or Evaluation of Joint Services Transcripts (JST), Student-Created Portfolios, or Industry-Recognized Documentation, Credentials or Licensure. See catalog section on Credit for Prior Learning for details on the policy and process.

CRN: Course Reference Number is listed in the Schedule of Classes and referenced when students register in courses or make adjustments to their courses.

CSU: The California State University system, also called Cal State, consists of 23 campuses statewide.

CSU GE-Breadth: General Education pattern for the CSU system. See the CSU GE-Breadth section of this catalog.

Curriculum: Course offerings of the College as a whole; also refers to a group of required courses leading to a degree or certificate.

D

Degree: A diploma granted by a college confirming the student has attained a certain level of ability in a specific field. The most common degrees offered at California Community Colleges are:

1. A.A. Associate in Arts
2. A.S. Associate in Science
3. A.S.-T Associate in Arts for Transfer
4. A.S.-T Associate in Science for Transfer; and
5. AS-UCTP Associate in Science for UC Transfer

The most common degrees offered at 4-year colleges and universities are:

1. B.A./B.S. Bachelor’s Degree; and
2. M.A./M.S. Master’s Degree.

DegreeWorks: A Degree and Goal planning tool to help educate and guide students as they make choices in their class schedules and educational goals here at the Ventura County Community College District.

Dismissal: The procedure of dismissing a student from college for poor academic achievement, for incurring excessive withdrawals, or for disciplinary reasons. Dismissal can be temporary, providing the student agrees to and meets certain conditions. See this Catalog for more information.

Double-counted Units: In a group of required major courses, some of these courses also satisfy General Education requirements.

Drop: Withdrawing formally from a class in which a student is enrolled. It is the student’s responsibility to formally withdraw from a class. A student may drop a class online or in-person, or the instructor may initiate the drop. Contact the Admissions Office for more information and for term specific deadlines.

E

Educational Work Load: Generally consists of 15 units of work per semester to make normal progress towards the A.A./A.S. degree and/or transfer requirements.

Elective: A course that is not specifically required for the major but which the student takes for unit credit, and which may count towards the total units required for the degree.

Eligibility Cap: The maximum allowable time a student can receive state or federal financial aid. Pell Grant eligible students have 6 years (12 full-time semesters) of total Pell Grant lifetime eligibility. Each year a student has received a federal Pell Grant will be counted toward the 6 years, regardless of when the student began receiving aid. A student becomes ineligible to receive a Pell Grant upon reaching 600% of their Pell or the equivalent of 6 full time years. 

Excused Withdrawal: An Excused Withdrawal (EW) is a non-evaluated symbol used to permit a student to withdraw from a course for reasons beyond their control. It may be requested by the student at any time during the semester (effective January 2018) and no later than three (3) years after the term in which the course was taken. Excused Withdraw shall not be counted in progress probation or dismissal calculations nor shall it be counted towards the permitted number of withdrawals or counted as an enrollment attempt. The financial aid of a student may be affected depending on individual circumstance. A student should consult with the financial aid staff regarding any impact. Check with the Admissions and Records Office for the specific requirements and procedures.

F

FERPA: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. A Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds from the U.S. Department of Education.

Financial Aid: Money available from the federal or state governments or local sources to help students meet college expenses. Financial aid can include grants, loans, scholarships, and work-study programs.

Full-Time Student: A student who enrolls in and satisfactorily completes a minimum of 12 units during the term. This status is important for financial aid eligibility and other special program requirements.

G

General Education Requirements (GE): Courses that all students must satisfactorily complete to obtain an Associate or Bachelor's degree. GE requirements vary depending on the degree the student is seeking, whether or not the student is transferring, and the transfer destination. For a list of available General Education options and which majors they apply to, please see General Education Options in this catalog. Current GE lists are available in this catalog, at the Counseling Office, on the College website, and for transfer, also on assist.org. 

Good Academic Standing: For purposes of assigning enrollment priority; describes any student who has not been on academic or progress notice or dismissal for two consecutive terms. Students who are on academic or progress notice for two consecutive terms will lose enrollment priority for the next term.

Good Standing: Describes a student whose grade point average is a “C”(2.0) or better and the percentage of entries of W, I, NC, and NP has not reached or exceeded fifty percent (50%).

Grade Point Average (G.P.A.): The average of a student’s grades; calculated by dividing grade points earned by the number of units attempted. See Academic Policies.

H

Hour: Same as “Credit” or “Credit Unit.” See Units.

I

International Baccalaureate (IB): An international educational-based system which offers individual subject exams to students who complete its diploma programs. Many US colleges and universities award credit for qualifying scores on these exams. To see the list of IB exams that Oxnard College awards credit toward the Associate Degree, see the IB chart in this catalog or schedule an appointment with a counselor.

Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC): A pattern of courses that can be used to satisfy general education requirements at both CSU and UC campuses. See the IGETC course list, IGETC information, and IGETC rules by UC campus.

L

Learning Community: Thematically links two courses, providing the student with an interdisciplinary context for learning.

Lower Division: The first two years of college work, i.e., freshman and sophomore years. By California law only lower division work can be offered at California Community Colleges. An exception is made for the limited number of CCCs approved to offer Bachelor's degrees which require upper division coursework. 

M

Major/Area of Emphasis: An organized program of courses in a specific area of study, leading to a Certificate of Achievement, an Associate degree, or ultimately a Bachelor’s degree.

Multiple Measures: Multiple measures refers to the process in which more than one assessment is used to determine a student’s readiness for a course or program, specifically, English and mathematics. Measures may consist of high school grades, courses, grade point average, test scores, and college assessment test scores. Faculty use at least two of these measures to recommend placement into courses in which students would be best prepared to succeed.

MyVCCCD: The Internet student portal that provides access to a variety of services, tools and information.

N

Noncredit Courses: Courses that grant no college credit, no units, and no student grades. A noncredit course should not be confused with the pass/no pass grading option as defined below. Limited to no costs associated with noncredit courses.

O

Open Entry/Open Exit: Courses that may be added throughout the semester and may be completed upon fulfillment of course requirements at any time during the semester.

P

Part-Time Student Status: A student who enrolls in or completes fewer than 12 units in a semester.

Pass/No Pass: A grading system allowing a course to be taken for a “grade” of pass/no pass (P/NP) rather than for a letter grade. See Academic Policies.

Pell LEU: Pell Lifetime Eligibility Used - Pell Grant eligible student has 6 years (12 full-time semesters) of total Pell Grant lifetime eligibility. All the years a student has received federal Pell grant will be counted toward the 6 years, regardless of when the student began receiving aid. A student becomes ineligible to receive a Pell grant as soon as reaching 600% of their Pell or the equivalent of 6 full time years.

Preparation for the Major: Lower division courses required by four-year universities as part of the selected major.

Prerequisite: A requirement (typically another course) which must be completed prior to enrollment in a course and without which a student is highly unlikely to succeed. Prerequisites are listed in the course descriptions in the College Catalog and in the Class Listings of the Schedule of Classes.

Primary Semesters: The college calendar is broken down into two main 16–8 week sessions: Fall and Spring. The Summer Session is broken down into several 4–8 week inter-sessions that run simultaneously and consecutively.

Proficiency Award: A document awarded to a student upon completion of a course or a series of courses as designated in the College Catalog. Awards are issued by selected instructional departments of the College. See Proficiency Awards in this catalog or consult the instructor for more information.

Program Changes: Adding or dropping any class(es) after being enrolled.

R

Recommended Preparation: Preparation suggested by the faculty to successfully complete a particular course. While encouraged to do so, students do not have to satisfy recommended preparation guidelines to enroll in a course. Same as Advisory.

Registration: The official process of enrolling in courses. The process of registration must be completed by the second week of the semester for Fall and Spring and by the middle of the first week for Summer in order for a student to be officially enrolled and to receive credit for his or her classes.

Registration Planner: A registration and planning tool that allows students to select courses, list their availability, compare potential schedules, register for classes, drop courses, and plan courses in advance.

Repeatability: The conditions under which a course may be repeated and whether the student may earn credit for additional attempts of a course. The State of California Community Colleges Title 5 has its own set of rules for Course Repetition Policy. Those rules are adhered to at the Ventura County Community Colleges.

Federal regulations prevent the Financial Aid Office from paying for a course that has been passed and repeated more than one time. In order for a repeated course to be counted towards a student’s enrollment status for financial aid purposes, they may only repeat a previously passed course once (a total of two attempts). If a student enrolls in a previously repeated and passed course for a third time, this course will not count towards the student’s enrollment for financial aid purposes. The State of California Community Colleges under Title 5 also has its own set of rules for Course Repetition Policy.

S

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP): To be eligible for federal student aid and college financial aid, a student must be making Satisfactory Academic Progress. This generally consists of maintaining at least a 2.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale (i.e., at least a C average) and passing enough classes (67% of attempted units) with progress toward a degree.

Schedule of Classes: Listing of college courses offered in a particular term. The course ID, title, units, hours, time, instructor and location of classes. Other course information (e.g., prerequisites, fees, transfer credit) plus the registration and deadline calendars is included in each listing. The schedule is only available online through the MyVCCCD portal and on the Oxnard College website.

Section: A single course taught several times in a term. For example, an English 101 course could have twenty sections spread over time and space in order to give students the maximum opportunity to take the course.

Semester: Refers to the calendar year on which the Ventura County Community Colleges operate and unit count students can earn; typically one-half of the academic year; 16 to 18 weeks duration.

Short-Term Course: A class that meets for less than a full semester; course carries semester unit count.

Staff: Noted in the Schedule of Classes when a faculty member has not yet been assigned.

Student Education Plan (SEP): A program of study and services needed by the student to enable the student to reach his or her educational objective. The SEP is developed by the student and counselor.

T

TAG Transfer Admission Guarantee: Six UC campuses offer guaranteed admission to CCC students who meet specific requirements. TAG is available for the following UC: Davis, Irvine, Merced, Riverside, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz.

TBA: “To Be Announced” is noted in the Schedule of Classes when the time of a class may be arranged independently or when the location is to be announced after the publication goes to print.

Transcript (of record): Same as academic transcript and official transcript. A student’s college academic records prepared by the Admissions and Records Office.

Transfer: This term generally applies to the student who plans to continue his or her education at a four-year college or university.

Transfer Certification: Process by which a counselor at a community college evaluates a student’s transcripts and verifies that they have met the CSU-GE Breadth or IGETC requirements for transfer to either a CSU or UC school. Transfer certification (also called GE certification) will be certified on the student’s academic transcript by the Admissions and Records Office. Student must meet with a counselor to initiate this process.

Transfer Credit: Credit from one college that is accepted and applied toward a degree, certificate or program of study by another college or university.

Transferable Course: A course that is accepted at universities at least for elective credit. Indicated after each applicable course in the Catalog and Schedule under “Transfer Credit”.

Transfer Requirements: Students planning to transfer must satisfy the specific requirements for admission to the institution they are transferring to. Admission requirements include, but are not limited to: completion of a general education pattern, subject area preparation for the major, specified number of transferable units, and minimum GPA. See a Counselor in the University Transfer Center for transfer policies to 4-year colleges and universities.

U

UC: The University of California system of 10 campuses (There are nine campuses for undergraduates. (UCSF is graduate education only.)

UC TCA: Community college courses that are transferable to all campuses of the University of California are identified on the UC Transferable Course List.

Undergraduate: Courses in the freshman through senior years of college work. Courses taken prior to completion of a Bachelor’s Degree.

Unit Transferability: While all California community colleges have transfer agreements with various educational institutions, it is important for students to understand there are limits on the number and type of course credits a student can transfer. Each college develops courses and curriculum based on the expertise of its faculty and District standards. Each course is assigned a number of units ranging from 0.5 to 16 depending upon the course content. While the majority of our courses are articulated to transfer to the UC system and/or CSU system, there is a possibility that not all units for every course will transfer in their entirety to every transfer institution due to the receiving institution unit limitations. Students need to connect with a community college academic counselor as soon as possible, visit the University Transfer Center, and regularly check www.assist.org to learn whether their specific courses are transferable to an institution of choice. Taking more credits than needed to transfer to another institution can also limit an eligible student’s financial aid opportunities. By working closely with academic counselors, the financial aid office, and a receiving institution’s support services, eligible students can maintain maximum levels of financial aid resources and transfer of credits.

Units: The basic unit of credit is the semester unit which is equivalent to a credit hour. One credit hour of community college work is approximately three hours of recitation, study or laboratory work per week throughout a term. For practical purposes, the following terms are synonymous: Unit, semester unit, semester hours, credit, credit hour.

Units Attempted: Total number of credit units in the courses for which a student has enrolled.

Units Completed: Total number of units in the courses for which a student has received a grade of A, B, C, D, F, P, or NP.

Upper Division: Refers to courses taken at the junior and senior class level at the four-year college or university or during the last two years of a Bachelor's degree program at a CCC.

W

Withdrawal: The process by which a student officially drops one or some classes or withdraws from all classes during the semester. Visit the website for withdrawal information. View the academic calendar, the online schedule of classes, and/or your schedule/bill in the MyVCCCD portal for deadlines. Sometimes called a “W” when referring to grades.