Definitions & Glossary

Cascadia Community College Glossary, Definition of Terms

The following is a list of terms used at Cascadia, which may be unfamiliar to newcomers. The topics range from governance structures to academic programs.

All-College Assembly: The All College Assembly (ACA) advises the college president with institutional governance matters. The ACA acts within Cascadia's Operational Model as a unified voice for the college's constituent members. Areas in the purview of the ACA include: college policies, college-wide budget, strategic planning, institutional assessment, program evaluation, institutional/programmatic course of study and the calendar. Areas not in the purview of the ACA include: curriculum, individual course offerings, operational, procedural and logistical matters, personnel matters. The ACA is organized by a group of "Navigators."

Associate in Integrated Studies: The AIS is a two-year degree that is equivalent to the first two years of a four-year baccalaureate degree. The AIS degree is designed to satisfy most (if not all) of the General Education Requirements of most public colleges and universities in Washington state.

Associate in Science: The AS degree is designed for students who are interested in earning a two-year academic degree. This degree is primarily intended for students planning to transfer to a four-year college or university with a major in the natural sciences, pre-med, engineering or computer science. Students choose between two tracks. Track 1 is for students planning to major in biological sciences, environmental/earth sciences, chemistry or geology. Track 2 is for students with majors in computer science, atmospheric science or physics.

Campus Library: The Campus Library is part of the University of Washington Library System, which includes 6 million volumes. Cascadia students have complete access to the entire university library system.

Campus Media Center: The Campus Media Center is a high-tech laboratory for students to produce high-end multimedia productions, including sound and video editing.

Co-location (Campus Library, Campus Media Center): Cascadia Community College is co-located with the University of Washington, Bothell. The two institutions have separate governance, but share a campus and some services, such as the Campus Library, Campus Media Center and security.

Employee Learning Institute is a professional development organization that helps foster the college as a learning organization. The ELI sponsors classes on Excel, stress management, employee evaluations and more.

EPortfolio: The ePortfolio is an electronic resume maintained by students to serve as a record of their accomplishments at Cascadia. Employees will also produce ePortfolios to track their learning on the job.

Faculty Assembly: The Faculty Assembly provides support for faculty in the practice and scholarship of teaching and advises the Vice President for Student Learning on matters pertaining to employment conditions such as faculty contracts, workload, and instructional support. The Faculty Assembly (FA) is open to all faculty members, and any faculty member can forward a matter to the FA for consideration. The goal of the FA is to provide support and a representative voice for all faculty. The Faculty Assembly is comprised entirely of faculty members.

Learning Communities: These classes combine two or more courses and are team-taught around a common theme. Students learn the relationship between subjects and study an issue in-depth through a variety of lenses.

Learning Outcomes: These are the outcomes by which students, faculty and staff are evaluated. At Cascadia they are: learn actively; communicate with clarity and originality; think critically, creatively and reflectively; and interact in diverse and complex environments.

Learning Outcome Teams: Cascadia is organized by Learning Outcome Teams (LOTs), rather than discipline. All members of the college are expected to join a LOT and participate in college activities through the LOTs. College information is disseminated through the LOTs and assessment measures are developed for the classroom and employee evaluations.

Mentors: Administrators and staff are assigned to individual students to serve as mentors and to help support student success. Mentors are guides to help answer questions, point students in the right direction, and generally assist in finding their way through the college experience.

Navigators: A group of eight employees nominated by the LOTs and selected by the president, establish the monthly ACA agenda and facilitate issues by referring them to the appropriate group or individual for resolution.

Open Learning Center: The Open Learning Center (OLC) provides a place for students to receive assistance with class assignments and technology needs. The OLC also houses a writing center and a math center for tutoring.

Student Orientation, Advising and Registration: SOARs introduce students to Student Success Facilitators, course scheduling and the registration process. Students also receive information regarding Cascadia's programs of study and availability of support services.

Student Learning Council: The Student Learning Council (SLC) provides the college with a central forum to address curricular concerns, including class schedule design, curriculum development, program development, and degree/certificate requirements. The SLC has 15 voting members and two ex-officio. Of the 15 voting members of the SLC, eight are faculty members. Four of the faculty members are LOT Leads and four are at-large faculty members who are nominated through the Faculty Assembly and appointed by the Vice President for Student Learning.

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