ACADEMIC TERMS TO REMEMBER
ACT or SAT -- college entrance examination required of all students coming directly from high school.
Academic Adviser -- Faculty or professional member assigned to each student to assist in academic program selections.
Academic Load -- number of semester hours a student enrolls in during the semester - full-time students carry 12-18 semester hours.
- normal academic load is 14-15 semester hours
Academic Year -- system by which the institution structures its school year - September through May.
Catalog -- official document of the college that contains information on programs, courses, faculty and staff, social and cultural opportunities, and the university's statement of purpose.
Classification -- student's status in respect to progress toward the completion of his/her curriculum, usually based upon the number of hours or courses to his/her credit, i.e., freshman, sophomore, etc.
Course Description -- official explanation of the content of a course as published in the catalog.
Course Number -- a number assigned to identify a course in a systematic manner - designates the department offering the course and the level of the course
Course Title -- descriptive name of the course -- gives a general idea of the content of the course.
Department -- basic organizational unit that is responsible for the academic functions in a field of study, i.e., English, mathematics, music, etc.
Elective -- course, which a student can choose to take, but which is not required.
Enrollment -- process of being accepted, registered, and having paid all tuition and fees for any given term.
General Education -- subject areas in which the university requires all students to experience some learning, in order to assure that the students have a "rounded" educational experience.
Graduation Requirements -- those courses, prescribed by the institution, which a student must complete to earn a degree.
Honors Course -- course that limits enrollment to exceptionally capable students.
Lower Division -- freshman and sophomore level courses designated by 1000 and 2000 numbers.
Major -- student's chosen field of study - courses will fall within single department of instruction or may overlap several departments.
Orientation -- program through which entering students are made familiar with aims of higher education, principles governing the wise use of time and effort, ideals and traditions of the university, and exams to provide the faculty with a basis for advising and assisting students in planning their academic program.
Prerequisite -- preliminary requirement that must be met before a certain course can be taken.
Registration -- process of reserving spaces for one's self in courses
SAT or ACT -- college entrance examination required of all students coming to college directly from high school.
Schedule of Classes -- publication containing information on the courses and sections to be offered for a given term, including names of instructors, days, hours, places of meeting and credit.
Section -- division of a course, as between one or more instructors, but having the same subject matter.
Semester -- half of an academic year, usually fifteen or sixteen weeks.
Student Class Schedule -- student's proposed listing of courses for a semester and other related information pertinent to enrollment.
Upper Division -- junior and senior level courses designated by 3000 or 4000 course numbers.
