ACA 122 is designed as the college’s First-Year Experience course, intended to deliberately engage students in their first semester of enrollment and support them through that term as they transition into the college. The course is required for all university transfer students enrolled in the following degree programs:
- Associate in Arts
- Associate in Arts Elementary Education
- Associate in Arts in Teacher Preparation
- Associate in Engineering
- Associate in Fine Arts
- Associate in Fine Arts, Music
- Associate in Fine Arts, Theatre
- Associate in Fine Arts, Visual Arts
- Associate in Science
- Associate in Science in Teacher Preparation
Students enrolled in the aforementioned programs must enroll in ACA 122 at Cape Fear Community College unless they have transfer credit for ACA 122 (or equivalent) from another regionally accredited institution.
The course description for ACA 122 is as follows:
This course provides information and strategies necessary to develop clear academic and professional goals beyond the community college experience. Topics include the CAA, college policies and culture, career exploration, gathering information on senior institutions, strategic planning, critical thinking, and communications skills for a successful academic transition. Upon completion, students should be able to develop an academic plan to transition successfully to senior institutions.
Due to the content of the ACA 122 course, we believe it is highly advantageous for the student to enroll in the course as early in their program as possible. Therefore, we are proposing that students enroll in ACA 122 within their first 24 credit hours. To enforce this, we would like to create a registration rule in Colleague that would require students to register for ACA 122 within their first 24 credit hours. If a student does not have credit for ACA 122 when attempting to register for classes, Self-Service will not allow students to register for a schedule that does not include ACA 122.
In addition to the procedure listed above, we would like to add the following policy to the College Catalog:
Students who are seeking a transfer degree must complete ACA 122 during their first 24 credit hours. If a student who is seeking a transfer degree fails to complete ACA 122 during the first 24 hours, registration will be restricted until ACA 122 is added to the student’s schedule.
All associate degree programs at Cape Fear Community College (CFCC) comply with the program standards established by the North Carolina Community College System. Each degree program includes a general education component consisting of a minimum of 15 credit hours:
- The Associate in General Education program requires a minimum of 15 general education credit hours;
- The Associate in Applied Science programs require a minimum of 15 general education credit hours;
- The Associate in Engineering requires a minimum of 45 general education credit hours;
- The Associate in Arts requires a minimum of 45 general education credit hours;
- The Associate in Science requires a minimum of 45 general education credit hours; and
- The Associate in Fine Arts programs require the following: 25-26 general education credit hours in the Music premajor, 31-32 general education credit hours in the Theatre premajor, and 25-26 general education credit hours in the Visual Arts premajor.
Degree programs’ general education components are comprised of courses from some or all of the following areas: communications, humanities and fine arts, social and behavioral sciences, natural sciences, and mathematics.
General education courses are designed to introduce students to a wide variety of academic topics and traditions. These courses also help promote students’ attainment of CFCC’s general education competencies, which represent the broad areas of knowledge and skills that students develop in the general education component of their degree programs. CFCC’s general education competencies include:
- Critical Thinking: Students will apply questioning and reasoning skills to problems, scenarios and arguments in order to create, support, and reflect upon sound solutions, decisions, and positions.
- Global Fluency: Students will utilize knowledge of historical contexts, cultural differences, and social constructs to analyze human interactions, conflicts, and achievements.
- Communication: Students will utilize written, oral interpersonal, and creative media communication skills to effectively convey information, ideas, and arguments appropriate to specific audiences.
- Quantitative and Scientific Reasoning: Students will use mathematical and scientific concepts to solve numerical problems, create and analyze experiments, and record observations.
These competencies promote learners’ appreciation for intellectual rigor, academic integrity, cultural diversity, and responsible citizenship.
College Transfer/University Parallel
General Information and Articulation Agreements
Students should always check with the Admissions Office of the four-year institution for the most current transfer information. Effective fall of 2014, UNC institutions will develop, publish, and maintain four-year degree plans identifying community college courses that provide pathways leading to associate degree completion, admission into the major, and baccalaureate completion. Students who complete the AA or AS degree and the degree plan tracks published by a UNC institution, and who are accepted into that institution and into that major within four years of initial enrollment at the community college, will continue into that major at the UNC institution with all courses fulfilling lower division general education requirements.
Articulation (Transfer) Agreements
The Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA)
To facilitate the transfer of students between the North Carolina Community College System and the constituent institutions of the University of North Carolina System, the North Carolina General Assembly mandated the Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA). The CAA applies to students who are pursuing an Associate in Arts or an Associate in Science degree and provides guidance to those who are pursuing an Associate in Fine Arts degree. These two transfer programs consist mainly of general education courses. The courses provide opportunities for students to know the philosophy, literature, institutions, and art of their own culture and other cultures; to understand math and science; to communicate with others and develop a sense of community. Students should choose electives that align with their intended major and institution.
Students must meet the receiving university’s foreign language and/or health and physical education requirements, if applicable, before or after transfer to the senior institution. Only 60-61 semester hours are guaranteed to transfer.
To receive the maximum benefit from the CAA, students may transfer as juniors if they follow these guidelines:
- Earn an Associate in Arts degree or an Associate in Science degree.
- Earn a grade of “C” or better in all courses.
- Earn an overall grade-point average of a “C” or a 2.0 at the time of transfer (Note: If the entering grade-point average of the receiving institution is higher than the 2.0 CAA grade-point average, the student must comply with the requirement of the receiving institution. Students should always contact the receiving institutions for the latest information about the admission and program standards. Some UNC institutions do not accept grades of a “C-,” even though CFCC will accept a “C-.”)
- Obtain acceptance at the UNC institution.
Under the CAA, no student is guaranteed admission to a specific UNC institution or to any specific program or professional school in the institution. Admission is a competitive process.
Students Not Completing the Associate in Arts or Associate in Science Degrees
A North Carolina community college student who satisfactorily completes, with a grade of “C” or better, courses identified in the Universal General Education Transfer Component (UGETC) will receive credit applied toward the university’s lower-division general education course requirements, subject to the following distribution limit: maximum of 6 hours in English Composition, 9 hours in Humanities/Fine Arts/Communications, 9 hours in Social/ Behavioral Sciences, 8 hours in Mathematics, and 8 hours in the Natural Sciences.
A North Carolina community college student who satisfactorily completes a transfer course that is not designated as a UGETC course will receive transfer credit for the course. The receiving institution will determine how the course counts. (Source: CAA Manual, February 21, 2014)
Transfer of Courses Not Originated at North Carolina Community Colleges
Transfer courses that do not originate at a North Carolina Community College System institution or at a UNC System institution are allowed to be used to complete the AA or AS degree at an NCCCS institution and would fall under the protections of the CAA. Students transferring without the completed degree would have their individual courses from outside of NCCCS institutions subject to the receiving institution’s regular transfer articulation procedures.
Transfer Assured Admissions Policy (TAAP)
The Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA) assures the admission of a North Carolina community college graduate to one of the sixteen (16) University of North Carolina (UNC) institutions with the following stipulations:
- Admission is not assured to a specific campus or program or major.
- Students must have graduated from a North Carolina community college with an Associate in Arts or an Associate in Science degree.
- Students must meet all requirements of the CAA.
- Students must have a minimum grade-point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale, as calculated by the college from which they graduated, and a grade of “C” or better in all CAA courses. (Note: If the entering grade-point average of the receiving institution is higher than the 2.0 CAA grade-point average, the student must comply with the requirement of the receiving institution. Students should always contact the receiving institutions for the latest information about admission and program standards.)
- Students must be academically eligible for re-admission to the last institution attended.
- Students must meet judicial requirements for the institution to which they apply.
- Students must meet all application requirements at the receiving institution, including the submission of all required documentation by stated deadlines.
If a student is denied admission to a UNC institution, they will receive a letter from that institution directing the student to the College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC) website. At the CFNC website, the student will be presented with the conditions of the TAAP. If these conditions are met, the student will be given information regarding space availability and contacts within other UNC institutions. The student should contact those institutions and get specific information about admissions and available majors.
If the steps above do not result in admission to a UNC institution, then the student should contact the CFNC Resource Center at 1-866-866-CFNC.
The Independent Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (ICAA)
The ICAA establishes the procedures governing the transfer of credits for students who transfer from a North Carolina Community College to a Signatory Institution of North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities. The ICAA does not address admission to a specific institution or to a specific major within an institution.
To be eligible for the transfer of all credits under the ICAA, the student must graduate from the community college with an Associate in Arts (AA) or Associate in Science (AS) degree, have an overall Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale, and a grade of “C” or better in all ICAA courses. Students who do not complete the degree are eligible to transfer credits on a course-by-course basis.
Purpose of the College Transfer Programs
Most of the college transfer programs provide the first two years or the basic studies requirements of a baccalaureate degree. If students plan to transfer to a four-year college or university, they should declare a college transfer program as their program of study. Cape Fear Community College (CFCC) offers six college transfer programs: one (1) associate in arts, one (1) associate in science, one (1) associate in engineering, and (3) associate in fine arts, and two (2) associate in teacher preparation.
These academic programs help students develop the abilities to solve problems, understand scientific principles, write and speak effectively, use computers, reason and think critically, research, understand cultures, manipulate numerical data, and work in teams—invaluable workplace skills for the 21st century. Across the college transfer curricula, faculty try to adapt to students’ learning styles by using a variety of teaching techniques. In turn, students are expected to adapt to a variety of teaching styles.
Students should expect courses in these programs to require reading, study, and interaction outside of class or in an online platform each week. Courses in the college transfer programs are equal in rigor and expectations to university courses.
To evaluate student performance, faculty use some of the following methods: critical analysis papers and research papers; article reviews; book critiques; organized discussions; video summaries and applications; journals and novels; study guides/concept sheet assignments; readers’ analysis of readings; debates; current events papers; project/oral presentations; exams/quizzes (true/false, fill in the blanks, short answers, multiple choice, essay); portfolios; hands-on assignments and faculty observation; peer reviews; role-playing; resumes, business letters, and compositions.
Choosing a Program of Study
When choosing a program of study, students should
- Consider their talents/abilities, personality, and passions/ dreams.
- Research the career of their choice for information about the following: the nature of the career, qualifications, salary range, market demand, employment locations, and related fields. For information about careers, students may visit CFCC’s Career and Testing Services.
- Be willing to change their program if they discover a more rewarding academic field. Through a classroom project, an extracurricular activity, or an interview with someone in a field, a student may decide his or her career goal. Review the websites about academic majors from senior institutions.
Additional Supplies and Costs
Art Supplies - In addition to the purchase of a textbook, some art classes require students to purchase supplies. The following costs are estimations and will depend on the instructor, the place of purchase, and the maker/manufacturer: ART 121 - Two-Dimensional Design - Design I, $75-$100; ART 131 - Drawing I , $80 - $100; ART 240 - Painting I , $150-$175 (an additional $80 needed if a class wants to learn about watercolors and oils/acrylics.); and ART 261 - Photography I , $120 for film, paper and supplies. ART 261 also requires students to have a manual 35-millimeter camera. ART 283 - Ceramics I , Students in ART 283 must pay $10-$20 for a personal tool packet, available at the CFCC Bookstore.
Math Supplies - Students may be required to purchase a graphic calculator if they enroll in the following math classes: MAT 121 , MAT 122 , MAT 171 , MAT 172 , MAT 271 , MAT 272 , and MAT 273 .
Some courses require a MyLabsPlus student access code. This code is included with the purchase of a new textbook from the CFCC bookstore and is used to access the online portion of the class. If a used book is purchased, the code must be purchased separately at an additional cost either at the CFCC Bookstore or online from the publisher of the textbook.
Physical Education Courses - Some PED classes require membership at a commercial facility approved by the class instructor. The cost ranges from $20 to $144 depending on the course and the facility. Some PED courses meet off-campus at local parks.
All PED courses require a physical activity component. Details on specific PED course requirements may be found in the Course Descriptions section at the rear of the catalog.
NOTE: The course PED 110 requires the commercial membership only if the PED 110 class is an internet class. The commercial facility must be approved by the instructor.
Science Courses - Internet, hybrid, and face-to-face science courses may require lab software as an online supplement or the purchase of a lab kit and/or safety supplies.
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