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Contents
Academic Calendar
About Everett Community College
Admission and Registration
Student Financial Services
Transfer Credit Process and Policy
Student Support Services
All College Policies
Academic Regulations
Degrees and Certificates
Courses
Faculty and Administration
Appendix
Distribution Requirements
College Vocabulary
Catalog Links
Catalog Home
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All Catalogs
College Vocabulary
Academic Catalog Vocabulary
Academic Honors
You earn Academic Honors if you complete at least 10 traditionally graded credits with a quarterly Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.60 to 3.99. The Vice President of Instruction recognizes these students. The President’s Office recognizes students who achieve a perfect 4.0 quarterly GPA.
Accredited College
A college certified by an accrediting agency for meeting minimum educational standards. Credits from regionally accredited schools usually transfer easily to other colleges. Some schools are nationally accredited; credits from these schools may also transfer in certain cases.
Admission
The process of applying to enter the college. Most students apply online, though some specific programs require extra steps.
Admissions Application
The online form you submit to enter a Washington state community or technical college. After your application is processed, you will receive an email with your ctcLink Student Identification Number (SID) and your next steps.
Note: Applying for admission is a separate process from applying for financial aid.
Advisor
A college faculty or staff member who helps you plan your classes, choose a program, and meet your academic goals.
Audit
Taking a class for your own learning without receiving college credit or a grade. You must still pay full tuition and fees for audited classes.
Blocks
A restriction placed on your account that prevents you from registering for classes or requesting an official transcript. You must resolve the issue (such as paying a library fine or meeting with a dean) before the block is removed.
Catalog
An annual document outlining college policies, procedures, degree requirements, and course descriptions. It serves as your academic agreement with the college.
Class
A specific offering of a course (such as
English 101, Section A
). Every class is assigned a unique class item number.
Class Item Number
A four- or five-digit number found in the class schedule used to identify a specific class, section, and quarter.
Class Section
Different offerings of the same course. Sections may take place at different times, in different locations, or in different formats (such as in-person, online, or hybrid).
Class Schedule
The official list of all classes offered during a specific quarter. You can view EvCC’s schedule online at
EverettCC.edu/Classes
.
College in the High School
A free dual-credit program that allows high school students (grades 9 through 12) to take college-level courses at their high school.
Commencement
The annual graduation ceremony celebrating students’ academic achievements.
Course
A specific subject of study, such as
English 98
or
Math& 141
.
Common Course Number (&)
An ampersand (&) in a course title means the course number and title are identical across Washington’s community and technical colleges. This makes it easier to transfer your credits to other state schools.
Co-requisite
A class that you must take during the exact same quarter as another related class.
Counselor
A professionally trained faculty member who helps students navigate academic, career, or personal challenges.
Course Repeat
Taking a course again to try and improve your grade. The college will use the highest grade you earn to calculate your cumulative GPA. You can repeat a course up to two times (meaning three attempts total). You must register and pay all fees for the repeated course.
Credit (or Unit, Credit Hour, Quarter Hour)
A unit used to measure college work. In lecture classes, one credit equals one hour of class time per week for the quarter. Non-lecture classes may require two or three hours a week to earn one credit.
ctcLink
EvCC’s online student management system. You will use ctcLink for admissions, class registration, financial aid, and more. Visit
EverettCC.edu/ctcLink
for more information.
CTE Dual Credit
A low-cost program (formerly known as Tech Prep) that allows high school students (grades 9 through 12) to earn college credit for vocational and technical courses taken at their high school.
Current Student and Returning Student
Current Student:
Someone who has taken EvCC classes within the last two quarters (excluding summer).
Returning Student:
Someone who attended EvCC more than three quarters ago (excluding summer).
Curriculum
The complete list of courses offered by the college, or the specific group of courses required to complete a degree.
Deficiency
Lacking the necessary credit in a course required to complete a specific program or degree.
Degree or Certificate
An official award given by the college to prove you have successfully finished a specific academic program.
Degree Planner
A tool inside Starfish that helps you plan your academic goals. It tracks your completed EvCC classes, any transferred credits, and your current enrollment. You can access your Degree Plan at
EverettCC.edu/Starfish
.
Direct Transfer Agreement (DTA)
An associate degree designed to seamlessly transfer to most four-year colleges and universities in Washington state.
Distribution Areas
Categories of courses (like Humanities or Social Sciences) required to earn certain degrees. Courses within a distribution area share similar subject matter or learning methods.
Distinction
Academic honors awarded to students upon graduation. Honors are based on your cumulative EvCC GPA:
3.20 to 3.59:
Distinction
3.60 to 3.99:
High Distinction
4.0:
President’s Distinction
Division
An academic department or administrative grouping of related subjects at the college (for example, the Social Sciences division).
Domicile
Your permanent, legal home. Simply living in Washington does not automatically make it your domicile if your permanent home is legally established in another state or country.
Drops
The official process of canceling your registration for a specific class. This can be initiated by you or the college.
Dual Credit
Programs that allow high school students to earn high school and college credit at the same time. Examples include College in the High School, CTE Dual Credit, Running Start, and ORCA.
Elective
A class that is not strictly required for your specific program but counts toward the total number of credits you need to graduate.
Enrolled
You become officially enrolled in a class the moment you register for it.
Enrollment Requirement
See Prerequisite.
Enrollment Services Office
The main office for prospective and current students. Enrollment Services handles admissions, registration, official transcripts, and placement. (This office is also known as Admissions and Registration.)
Fees
Extra costs added to tuition for specific classes, materials, or campus services (such as the E-Tech fee or Campus Enhancement fee).
Financial Aid
Funding to help pay for college expenses. This includes grants, work-study programs, loans, and scholarships.
Financial Aid Application
The form you submit to determine if you are eligible for financial aid. Most students fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), while others use the Washington Application for State Aid (WASFA). The Financial Aid office uses your application to calculate your financial need.
Note: Applying for financial aid is a separate step from applying for college admission.
Flags
An alert in the Starfish system that indicates a block or restriction on your student account.
Full-time
Taking a minimum of 12 credits in a single quarter.
(Note: The Veteran Resource Center may have different credit minimums for veterans during the summer quarter).
General Educational Development (GED)
A series of exams that earn you a high school equivalency certificate. EvCC offers test preparation classes as well as official testing by appointment in the Testing Center.
Grade Point Average (GPA)
A calculation of your overall academic performance based on traditional letter grades (A through F).
Cumulative (CUM) GPA:
Includes all traditionally graded courses taken at EvCC.
College Level (CLVL) GPA:
Includes only traditionally graded courses numbered 100 and above.
Graduation Application
The form you submit to Enrollment Services to receive your official diploma or certificate. You should submit this application at least one quarter before you plan to graduate.
High School Completion
A program for students 16 and older who do not have a high school diploma. You can take high school or college-level classes at EvCC to meet state graduation requirements.
Holds
A restriction placed on your ctcLink account by a campus office (like Financial Aid or the Cashier). A
punitive hold
prevents you from registering for classes. A
non-punitive hold
is often used to protect your classes from being dropped while you wait for your financial aid to process.
Honor Society
Phi Theta Kappa is an international honor society for two-year college students. Students who meet the academic requirements are invited to join. Membership can be transferred if you move to or from another college.
Honors Program
An opportunity to enrich your academic experience. You can participate by taking dedicated honors classes or by working with an instructor to complete an "honors contract" in a standard class.
Hybrid Class
A course that blends both in-person and online learning. A portion of standard classroom time is replaced with online coursework.
Incomplete
A temporary grade given when an instructor allows you extra time to finish class requirements after the quarter has officially ended.
Independent Studies Class
A class where you work one-on-one with a faculty member through a specific, agreed-upon learning contract.
Kudos
A personalized note of encouragement or congratulations sent to you by EvCC faculty or staff through the Starfish system.
Lower Division
Freshman and sophomore-level college courses numbered 100 through 299.
Mandatory Entry Advising
A required advising session for all new students pursuing a degree. You are matched with a program advisor during your first quarter to help you plan your degree path.
Major
Your primary subject or field of concentrated study.
Non-Resident Student
See Resident Student.
Ocean Research College Academy (ORCA)
A tuition-free Running Start option for high school juniors and seniors. Students can earn up to two years of college credit while finishing high school.
Official Transcript
A certified, sealed copy of your academic record signed by the registrar. It becomes unofficial if it is opened by anyone other than a college or university official.
Online Class
Asynchronous Online:
Classes with no set meeting times. You complete the coursework on your own schedule by specific due dates.
Synchronous Online:
Classes that require you to attend virtual meetings at specific, scheduled times.
Open Enrollment
The period when class registration is open to all students. You can register online or in person at any time until the quarter begins. Once the quarter starts, you need written instructor permission to join a class.
Outreach
The college's effort to go into the community and educate prospective students and families about higher education opportunities, financial aid, and how to apply to EvCC.
Pathways
Groupings of related degrees and certificates designed to help you clearly define your academic and career goals.
Permission
Approval from an instructor allowing you to join a specific class. This can be an email, a physical signature, or a digital permission code.
Permission Codes
A six-digit number an instructor gives you so you can bypass registration blocks online or in person at Enrollment Services.
Placement
An assessment of your math and English skills using previous test scores or high school and college transcripts. Establishing placement is required if you are seeking a degree and want to register for eight or more credits. It ensures you have met the prerequisites for your classes.
Pre-Professional
A program designed to prepare you for specialized study after you transfer to a four-year college or university (such as Pre-Med or Pre-Law).
Prerequisite
A course you must pass before you are allowed to take a higher-level course. For example,
Math 096
is a prerequisite for
Math 141
.