Alamo Colleges Educational Services (ACES) is
a secure portal that provides students, staff, and faculty with access
to various applications using a single sign-on. As an ACES user, you
will have access to register for classes, financial aid information,
email, library resources, and online courses. ACES will also provide
you with the latest information of events and important news taking
place within your college with your ACES email that is:
yourname@alamo.edu
Act – Act is the actual number of students registered for a specific class.
Add — To add a class means to enroll in a course after the after the initial registration period.
Administrative Hold - Administrative holds
result when students fail to comply with the College’s administrative
policies, such as failing to maintain a 2.0 GPA or failing to register
for orientation. Such violations result in registration being delayed
until they are corrected.
Associate’s Degrees are granted by two-year colleges and some universities and require the completion of 60 or more semester hours of credit.
Bachelor’s Degrees are granted by four-year colleges/universities and generally require the completion of 124 or more semester hours of credit.
Banner - is an administrative software
application developed specifically for higher education institutions.
Used for human resources, admissions and records including
registration.
Blackboard Vista – Blackboard Vista is the
Learning Management System used by the Alamo Colleges to deliver online content to
students from 2006 - 2012 in face-to-face, blended, and Internet classes.The use of Blackboard Vista as the Learning Management System was discontinued in the fall of 2012.
Blended Courses - Blended courses are
classes in which at least 25 percent of the course is offered in an
online setting while still retaining elements of traditional teaching
methods, including lectures, discussions, group work, and in-person
activities. Blended courses are not recommended for students who have a
tight work schedule, who do not have the ability to attend on-campus
classes, and/or who live out-of-state or out of the country. For a
preview of blended courses visit legacy.alamo.edu/online.
Canvas Instructure - Canvas is the Learning Management System currently used by the Alamo Colleges to deliver online content to students in face-to-face, blended, and internet classes.
Cap – A cap is the maximum number of students that may register for a specific class.
Census Date - The census date is the date
on which the College certifies student enrollment for financial aid
recipients as well as to the state for formal funding. Courses dropped
by students on or prior to the census date will not appear on permanent
records. See the Academic Calendar in the current SAC Class Schedule
for census dates.
Course Loads – According to the Texas
Higher Education Coordinating Board, students generally should not be
allowed to enroll for more semester credit hours than the number of
weeks in the semester/session. For the 16-week Fall or Spring
semesters, students with a minimum of 12 semester credit hours are
considered full-time students, and they may enroll in more than 19
hours only by permission of the appropriate academic dean. Students may
enroll in a maximum of eight semester credit hours during the
eight-week Flex session, and six semester credit hours during the
six-week Summer session. Students simultaneously enrolled in terms of
different lengths may enroll in a maximum number of credit hours equal
to the number of weeks in the longest term. And, students enrolled in
such special block programs as English as a Second Language and the
Fire Academy, which requires enrollment in credit hours beyond the
maximum normally allowed, may be exempt from these limitations.
Course Number (CRN) - All credit courses
are identified by a four-digit number. The first digit differentiates
between standard college-level courses and developmental level courses
(which begin with a zero). The second digit indicates the number of
semester hours, and the last two digits identify the specific course.
For example, BUSI 2302 is a standard, three-semester-hour college-level
course and ENGL 0301 is a developmental, three-semester-hour course.
Day Class – starts sometime between 6 a.m.
and 11:55 a.m. There may be some variation between departments with
some departments including classes that begin at noon as day (rather
than afternoon) classes.
- Afternoon Class – starts sometime
between Noon and 5 p.m. There may be some variation between
departments with some departments including classes that begin at Noon
as day (rather than afternoon) classes.
Degrees – College degrees are classified as Associates (AA or AS), Bachelors (BA), Masters (MA), or Doctorate (Ph.D., Ed.D., etc.).
Developmental - A developmental class is a
class designed to bring a student’s basic skills up to a college level
of work. Developmental level courses are designed for students whose
records indicate they need preparation for entering standard
college-level courses. The Developmental Education Program exists to
identify academically under-prepared students, to prescribe appropriate
developmental coursework, to offer alternative delivery methods, and
to ensure adequate support services for students in the program. See
also Basic Skills Enrichment Program in Section 5 of the student
handbook. Developmental classes begin with a 0 (such as Reading 0300
or English 0301). Developmental classes do not count toward the
completion of degree requirements.
disability Student Services (dSS) –
Disability Student Services provides equal educational opportunities
for students with disabling conditions. dSS provides support services,
located in accessible facilities, which are comprehensive in nature.
For more information, call (210) 486-0020 or TDD Voice: (210) 733-2362,
a telecommunication device for the deaf.
Doctorate (Ph.D., Ed.D., etc.) granted by
a few colleges and some universities and generally require the
completion of 30-36 semester hours of graduate-level courses beyond the
Master’s Degree and may include extensive research and a dissertation
in addition to written exams.
Drop – Dropping a class is the voluntary or
involuntary official withdrawal from a course (or from all courses).
Dropping a class means to withdraw from the class after a student has
registered for a course but before the course has been completed. If a
class is dropped before the census date, the course will not appear on
the student’s permanent records. Students who withdraw from all
courses before the completion of 60 percent of the semester may be
required to repay all or some of the financial aid funds issued to
them. Classes dropped after the census date will have a ‘W’ rather
than a grade recorded [unless the student dropped from the class is in
poor standing. Students can be failed in a class by the instructor
before the course is complete for cheating, plagiarism, or other
activities that put the student in poor standing.]
Drop Date – is the last day in a semester
when a student can withdraw from a course before course completion
without having a grade assigned for the class. Students that are likely
to fail a course may decide to drop (withdraw from) the course to
avoid having a failing grade lower their overall grade point average.
The drop date usually occurs in the 13th week of a long (full Fall or
Spring) semester.
Dual Credit Program - allows eligible high school students to earn college credit while they are completing their high school requirements.
Enforced Scholastic Withdrawal – A
student on Scholastic Probation will be placed on Enforced Scholastic
Withdrawal if he/she fails to earn a 2.0 grade point average in any
semester/session when 12 semester hours of credit is attempted or
accumulated. A student on Enforced Scholastic Withdrawal will not be
allowed to enroll in any classes during the next semester/session.
The first and second withdrawal will be for one (1) calendar year.
Evening Class – starts between 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Face to Face – A face-to-face class (also
called a traditional class and sometimes abbreviated as F2F) is a class
that meets in person, on a regular basis, in a physical location (such
as a classroom or lab) with an instructor. Face-to-face classes
usually meet between 1 to 3 times per week in the regular long semester
and may meet between 1 to 5 times per week during flex, Maymester, or
summer semesters.
Freshman - is a student who has 0 to 29 semester hours of college level credit.
Grade Point Average (GPA) -
The GPA is a numerical grade average calculated on completed courses
by determining the total number of quality points earned (“A” = 4, “B” =
3, “C” = 2, “D” = 1, “F” = 0) divided by the number of semester hours
completed (indicated by the second digit of the course number: SPAN
1411).
Hold - Administrative holds result when
students fail to comply with the College’s administrative policies,
such as failing to maintain a 2.0 GPA or failing to register for
orientation. Such violations result in registration being delayed
until they are corrected.
Hybrid - A Hybrid Class is a cross between a
traditional on-campus class and an Internet class. Some of the class
will be done over the Internet, but there are regularly scheduled
on-campus meetings as well. For example, you may meet once a week on
campus and the rest of your learning will take place on-line.
Internet Class – is a class delivered
entirely online using a Learning Management System, such as Blackboard
Vista, to contain the materials of the course. Students in an Internet
class do not need to come onto the campus for the week-to-week class
meetings, but, depending on the instructor, may need to take major
exams on campus or (if they live outside of San Antonio) at a Testing
Center near them. To take an Internet class, students should have
regular access to a reliable computer with an Internet connection. If
a student needs to communicate with the course’s instructor, they can
do so on the phone, through e-mail, or with office visits.
Learning Management System (LMS) – is a
web site with various functions (such as assignment pages and
discussion boards) which help organize and deliver educational
courses. It houses each course by providing a files, folders, and
modules that instructors can place content in and that students can
access at any time during the semesters. Learning Management
Platforms also have the ability to deliver timed quizzes online and to
allow students to send in their assignments.
Major - is the primary concentration in a program of study toward a degree.
Master’s Degrees are granted by some
colleges and most universities and generally require the completion of
30-36 semester hours of graduate-level courses beyond the Bachelor’s
Degree, plus a major research paper (thesis) and/or comprehensive exam.
Minor - is the secondary concentration of study that may be offered at four-year colleges or universities.
Net (Internet Class) – A net (or Internet)
class is a class delivered entirely online using a Learning Management
System, such as Blackboard Vista, to contain the materials of the
course. Students in an Internet class do not need to come onto the
campus for the week-to-week class meetings, but, depending on the
instructor, may need to take major exams on campus or (if they live
outside of San Antonio) at a Testing Center near them. To take an
Internet class, students should have regular access to a reliable
computer with an Internet connection. If a student needs to communicate
with the course’s instructor, they can do so on the phone, through
e-mail, or with office visits.
Open Entry / Open Exit (OE/OE) - courses
are offered in an unstructured setting where students work
independently, adhering to regular weekly attendance and following
predetermined and definite due dates for assignments and tests. The
program, which is a part of the Administrative Computer Technology (ACT)
Department, offers students 23 different software applications
courses. For more information contact the ACT Department at
210-486-0531.
Payment - Students are not officially
enrolled at SAC until all tuition and fees have been paid. Students
must pay their tuition and fees by the payment deadlines as listed in
the current SAC Class Schedule. Failure to pay by the payment deadline
will cause the student to be dropped from classes. Payment of tuition
and fees may be made by check, money order, or major credit card. Checks
and money orders should be made payable to the College. Payment is
accepted on campus or by Web (legacy.alamo.edu). A $4 credit card user
fee is charged for each transaction.
Payment Deadline – All tuition and fees must
be paid by the close of business on the payment deadline or the
student’s classes will be dropped. Fee bills will not be mailed. Pay
online at alamo.edu with MasterCard, Visa, American Express, or by Web
Check. Debit cards will not be accepted.
Rem – is the number of remaining spaces available for students to enroll in a specific class.
Residency – Students declaring Texas
residency for tuition purposes must submit documents indicating the
establishment of a domicile and continuous Texas residency of one year
prior to the initial registration date in a Texas college or
university. A student declaring Texas Residency for tuition purposes
must complete and sign a “Certification of residency” form during
registration.
Semesters:
- Fall Semester - The full term Fall
semester lasts 16 weeks, generally beginning the last week in August
and continuing through mid-December.
- Flex I – Flex session courses are eight
weeks in length and are scheduled during the Fall and Spring
semesters. Flex I begins with the regular 16-week semester but ends
before it, at mid-semester. Despite existing in a shorter time frame,
Flex courses accumulate the same number of contact hours as 16-week
courses, as do available Maymester and Summer courses.
- Flex II – Flex session courses are eight
weeks in length and are scheduled during the Fall and Spring
semesters. Flex II begins at mid-semester, and its end coincide with
the end of the regular semester. Despite existing in a shorter time
frame, Flex courses accumulate the same number of contact hours as
16-week courses, as do available Maymester and Summer courses.
- Maymester – Maymester session courses are
offered during the three weeks separating the end of the Spring
semester and the start of the Summer session. Students are limited to
three college credit hours during the Maymester session.
- Regular Semester – A Regular Semester is a full semester (either a Fall or Spring semester) lasting 16 weeks
- Spring Semester - The full term Spring
semester, a 16-week semester, generally begins the second week in
January and continues through the middle of May.
Six Drop - The 80th Texas Legislature in
the 2007 Legislative session passed SB1231 that limits the number of
classes students can drop throughout their entire undergraduate career
to six (6). The legislation applies only to students who enroll for
the first time in any Texas public college or university after
graduating from high school or earning a GED beginning with the Fall
2007 semester and is in effect every term thereafter. It does not apply
to students who have been enrolled prior to Fall 2007.
Sophomore - A sophomore is a student who has 30 to 59 semester hours of college-level credit.
Start 2 (Late Start) - Start 2 classes are
14 weeks in length and cover the same amount of material and class time
as a regular sixteen-week course. Start 2 courses begin two weeks
after the beginning of the regular term. Start 2 classes are designed
so that students who have had problems with regular registration
(because of financial aid issues or missing registration deadlines) can
still take required courses. Class meeting time is about 21 minutes longer per week (for 3-hour credit course) to make up for the time.
Student Class Load - A full-time student
is enrolled in 12 or more semester Hours in Fall or Spring semester. A
part-time student is enrolled in fewer than 12 semester hours. No
student may enroll for more than 18 semester hours except by written
authorization of the Vice President of Student Affairs or a designee.
Student Classifications – Undergraduate
college students may be classified with freshman or sophomore status
depending on the number of college level credits earned.
Student Development Course (SDEV) –
Students with less than 15 college credit hours successfully completed
must enroll in SDEV 0170 or 0370 during the Fall or Spring semester in
which they enroll. Course topics may include: curricular offerings,
student support services, time management, reading strategies,
note-taking, test-taking, transfer strategies, career exploration,
career exploration, financial management, and healthy lifestyle
strategies. See Student Development in Section 5 of the handbook.
Summer Session - The Summer session is
divided into two six-week sessions and one eight-week session. Courses
taught in Summer’s six-week sessions generally meet four days a week,
beginning in June and continuing through mid-July and, again, starting
in mid-July and continuing through mid-August. Eight-week Summer
courses generally meet twice a week from June through July. See the
Academic Calendar for more specific dates.
Syllabus - Generally, instructors provide
students with a course syllabus during the first week of class. The
syllabus includes instructor information, a course description, course
requirements, grading system, attendance policy, and make-up
procedures. Complete understanding of the syllabus is the
responsibility of each student in the class.
TBA (To Be Announced) – This means can mean
that a meeting location for a face-to-face class has not yet been
determined and it will be available on ACES and from the class’s
department office on the first day that the class meets. Or, for
internet classes, it means that the class will not have a physical
location assigned because the class is delivered online.
Three-peat – Due to state legislation passed Spring 2005 (HB994, Sec3), the Alamo
Colleges will no longer be reimbursed by the state for courses taken by
students who have attempted the same course three or more times
previously (which includes courses taken that result in a grade of "W").
Therefore, the tuition for such a "three-peat" course will be the
current cost for out-of-state tuition.
Undergraduate - An undergraduate is any student who has less than a Bachelor’s Degree.
Withdrawals - Withdrawals may be initiated
by the student or instructor at any time during the semester after the
official reporting date —the 12th class day in the Fall and Spring
semesters, the 6th class day in the Flex session, and the 4th class day
in the Summer sessions — and before the official withdrawal deadline
(approximately three weeks before the end of the semester or session).
Withdrawal courses appear on the student’s record with a grade of “W.”
Students are responsible for following up and confirming that a request
to withdraw from a class (especially through a third party such as the
instructor) has been processed.
Schedule Abbreviations
Class Days:
- M=Monday; T=Tuesday; W=Wednesday; R=Thursday; F=Friday; S=Saturday; U=Sunday;
- MWF=Monday, Wednesday, and Friday;
- TR=Tuesday and Thursday;
- MW=Monday and Wednesday;
- MTWR=Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
- MW – MW is an abbreviation for Monday and Wednesday. In a
course schedule, this means that the class meets each week on Monday
and Wednesday.
- MWF- Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. In a course schedule, this means that the class meets each week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
- TR – TR is an abbreviation for Tuesday and Thursday. In a
course schedule, this means that the class meets each week on Tuesday
and on Thursday.
Satellite Campus Locations
The following off-campus locations provide some classes or services for Alamo Colleges:
Advanced Technology Center (ATC) is a small
conferencing and training venue of the Alamo Colleges. The facility
is located at 312 Clarence Tinker Drive (Port San Antonio), San
Antonio, TX; five minutes from downtown. Meeting rooms and computer
labs are available for public and private sector businesses and other
organizations when not reserved for classes or other activities of
Alamo Colleges.
Bandera High School (BHS)
Bexar County Justice Center (BCJC)
Central Texas Technology Center (CTTC) -
is facility is intended as an avenue for New Braunfels/Seguin area
residents to attain entry-level skills or increase technical skills and
to connect to jobs or higher education opportunities. The Alamo
Colleges, in partnership with the New Braunfels 4B Economic Development
Board and the Seguin 4A Economic Development Board have worked to bring
Alamo Colleges services to New Braunfels, Seguin, and the surrounding
area. Our Facility is located between New Braunfels and Seguin on FM
758 at the New Braunfels Airport.
Churchill High School (WCHS)
Citicorp (CITI)
City of San Antonio (SACO)
Federal Reserve Building (FB)
First Responders Academy (FRA) near Von Ormy, TX, is a training facility with classrooms for the SAC Fire Sciences Department
Goodwin Center (GWC), New Braunfels, TX,
Holmes High School (HOHS)
Jefferson State Bank (JSB)
Kelly USA (KAFB)
Lackland Air Force Base (LAFB)
New Braunfels High School (NBHS)
Randolph Air Force Base (RAFB)
San Antonio Credit Union (SACU)
Seguin High School (SEGHS)
Smithson Valley High School (SVHS)
Universal City Fire Department (UCFD)