4Cs Terms: Guide Around Campus
by Dillon McCarthy
When someone is thrown into a new environment, it can sometimes be difficult to properly understand exactly what is going on. Cape Cod Community College (4Cs) is no different.
The cause for much of the confusion at 4Cs or in any new environment can be as simple as the words that established members of the community use which, to an outside observer, can seem like nonsense. Because of this, a glossary of terms could serve as the key to finding one’s place on campus. One such glossary is contained below:
The Advantage Program: The Advantage Program is a program which helps students graduate with an associate’s degree and transfer to pursue a bachelor’s degree. This is done through programs such as peer mentoring, tutoring, and academic and career advising, etc.
Aviation Program: The Aviation Program is a course of study students can choose to take in the field of aviation maintenance. Classes are taught at a hanger in Plymouth. Like WKKL, the aviation program is a very rare treat for us at the 4Cs, as few colleges have programs like this.
CALM: The Crisis and Life Management team is a support group on campus that works to make students comfortable on campus through formal and informal counseling.
Cape Cod RTA: The Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority which provides transportation services all across the cape and can be reached through various stations on campus.
CCAPE: The Center for Corporate and Professional Education is an educational center within the college which attempts to prepare students for a career in business or organizations on Cape Cod aimed at achieving and sustaining economic growth.
Commonwealth Commitment: The Commonwealth Commitment is a program contained within Mass Transfer which, after graduation from 4Cs, guarantees admission to any state college or university, freezes tuition rates, transfers all credits, and can even provide 10% rebate checks after each semester.
Dual enrollment: Dual Enrollment is a program in which high school students can take college classes on campus. The high school student can attend both the college and their high school, or even take all their classes at the college.
FAFSA: The Federal Application for Student Aid is a form which students can fill out in order to request money for their college education. This form should be filled out regardless of whether you think you qualify for any aid.
FERPA: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act is a federal law that protects the privacy of student records. This law allows students to access their own records such as transcripts, report cards, disciplinary records, etc. This is why students must approve whether or not their parents have access to their records. Side note, if a student is under 18, their parents already have access without their child’s consent.
GI Bill: The GI Bill is a federal act has helped veterans pay for their education in order to pay them back for the service they have given our country. It is the reason that many veterans can be found on campus.
Grossman: The Grossman Commons are an area above the cafeteria where students can hang out, study, play games, or learn about various events on campus through bulletin boards.
Janus Players: The Janus Players are a theater group on campus which puts on shows in the Tilden Arts Center.
MainSheet: The MainSheet is the student-run newspaper on campus. Free copies are distributed semi-weekly across campus. It is a very good way to keep in touch with local events and issues on campus, and any students, staff or faculty can submit material.
MassTransfer: MassTransfer is a program which guarantees that your credits earned at 4Cs will transfer to any state college or university. It also allows students to easily transfer to other state colleges or universities, potentially waiving application fees, essays, or even the entire admission process altogether.
M.M. Wilkens: The Maureen M. Wilkens Hall is a building on campus which houses many classrooms. It also holds a tutoring center and is sometimes referred to by its previous name, South Hall.
North: The North Building is a building on campus, connected to the MM Wilkens, which houses many classrooms. It also holds the Center for Nursing and Allied Health.
O’Neill: The O’Neill Center for Student Access and Support is a center on campus which works to provide students who have documented disabilities with appropriate accommodations. They are located in Room 222 of the Maureen M. Wilkens Hall.
Project Forward: Project Forward is a program on campus that offers services to students with learning disabilities to help them gain vocational skills and learn about independent living.
Sea Change: Sea Change is a student run literary arts magazine which is published yearly. It publishes various poems, stories, and works of art submitted by 4Cs students. It can be found online or throughout different locations on campus during the fall semester.
Student Senate: The Student Senate is a body of student elected officials who, among other duties, promote participation in student activities, distribute money to student clubs, and protect the rights of students on campus.
WKKL: WKKL is the college’s radio station broadcasting on 90.7 FM and specializing in alternative music. It is broadcast from the Makkay Broadcast center behind the cafeteria and is very unique, as very few community colleges have their own radio stations.
The Write Stuff: The Write Stuff is a literary publication run by students and advised by faculty which publishes student submitted writing on any subject each summer. It is currently on its 28th volume and features mostly academic essays. It is a good place to read exemplary essays from which you can draw inspiration for your own essays.
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