Cancelled Courses
Courses are subject to cancellation (e.g. low enrollment). There is a 100% tuition/fees refund for canceled courses. Students are notified via mail, email, phone call, or note posted on the classroom door. A tuition refund does not apply to individual class periods that are canceled.
Change In Registration
All changes in registration (adds, drops, withdrawals) must be officially recorded by the deadlines. If drops and withdrawals are not officially recorded, students are subject to receiving a failing grade. Changes can be made via MyUH Services, or by visiting the academic counselor, or the Admissions & Records Office. Once the semester begins, there is a fee for in-person add/drop transaction charged to students. Additional tuition and fees may be applicable when adding a class. Once the semester begins, complete withdrawal from ALL courses must be made in person at the student’s home campus.
Change of Home Institution
Students who want to change institutions after submitting an admissions application or enrolling at a CC campus must complete a Change of Home Institution form instead of a UH System-wide application (excluding 4-year UH campuses).
Class Size
Classes at the college normally range in size from 15 to 35 students; WI classes are usually limited to no more than 20 students.
Classified Students
Students who are enrolled for credit in an officially declared, prescribed program leading to a degree or certificate (AA, AS, CA, CO).
Commencement
A public ceremony and celebration held at the end of the academic year at which students’ degrees and certificates are recognized.
Course
A unit of instruction consisting of varying combinations of recitations, lectures, laboratory sessions, and field trips in a particular subject within the time span of a semester or session.
Credit Hours (also referred to semester hours, credits, units)
The value assigned to each class of each course. One credit hour usually equals 15 hours in class per semester. The number of credit hours for each course is determined by the number of lecture, laboratory, or field experience hours determined necessary for each semester course. No student may register for more than 18 credits without obtaining approval from a counselor at registration.
Continuing Student
After admission, students must be enrolled each semester (Fall/Spring) for at least 1 credit hour of coursework. Students who are not enrolled will need to submit the system application form for readmission with the established regulations. Students who are readmitted will be subject to the degree requirements in effect at the time of readmission.
Distance Learning (DL)
Working collaboratively, the UH Community Colleges now provide courses that allow Hawai‘i students to earn a degree through cable TV, Internet, and interactive television.
Erase Period
During this time, students dropping a course will have the class erased from their registration file. See the current Academic Calendar or Schedule of Classes for deadlines.
Full-time Student
A student carrying 12 or more credit hours in a semester or 6 credits or more in a 6-week Summer session where full-time status is for only the 6-week session. A third-party sponsor may have a different definition of full-time status used in determining their benefits (e.g. VA, financial aid).
Part-time Student
A student carrying 11 or fewer credit hours in a semester.
Prerequisite
Skills or courses required prior to enrollment in a course. Course descriptions indicate prerequisites if they apply.
Returning Students
Students who have missed (stopped out) a semester or longer (Fall/Spring) must reapply for admissions if they wish to return to the college.
Semester
A time span of 15 weeks within a four-and-one-half month period during which courses are offered and completed. Courses may vary in length within this period. There are usually two semesters in one academic year: Fall semester and Spring semester. There may be several “accelerated terms” within each semester (e.g. 8-week, 5-week).
Summer Session
The college usually offers two or more sessions during the summer. Tuition and fees for the summer session differ from those of the Fall/Spring. Students who are enrolled for the Spring semester may register for the summer session without applying for summer. New/Returning summer students are required to apply for the Fall semester if the students want to continue for the upcoming semester.
Unclassified Students
Students who are not pursuing a degree or certificate but are taking courses for upgrading or enrichment.