Speaking "University"

A

Academic integrity - The demonstration of honest and moral behavior in an academic setting.

Academic year - Annual period during which the student attends and receives instruction. For us, that is July 1 - June 30. 

Accommodation - A device, material, or supported process that enables the student to accomplish a task more efficiently. To find out more about accommodations, go to your PG Campus page > My Studies > Student Accessibility Services.

Accredited - Official recognition that the University meets the standards of a regional or national association. Some professional programs may also be accredited. Accreditation, Approvals, Memberships PG Catalog

Adult learner - A mature student who is older and comes to the university with life experience. 

Alumni - Students who have graduated from their degree programs. Alumni is plural; singular versions are alumnus, alumna, or just alum.

Analysis - A level of questioning in which something is broken down into its component parts.

APA - In many academic contexts, APA is used to refer to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, often referred to as APA Manual. This is the guide used for most scholarly writing, including how to format papers, citations, etc. Visit the Writing Center Resources on PG Campus for more specific information.

Appeal - A formal request to reverse a decision. For example, a student may wish to appeal a grade. Academic Appeals Policy

Application - A level of questioning in which information is taken and applied to a new situation.

Assessment - Gathering information about the level of performance. For example, an assessment in the classroom might be a discussion board. 

Assistant Department Chair - An administrator, assigned by the dean to assist the department chair in managing the department.

Associate's Degree - An undergraduate degree awarded upon successful completion of a program of study, usually requiring two years or the equivalent of full-time study. Often, these credits may be transferred to a four-year bachelor’s degree program. Most require a minimum of 90 quarter credits (60 semester credits).

Asynchronous - Something that does not happen at a designated time. At PG, this typically refers to learning that does not happen live, for example, discussion boards, quizzes, and assignments. This is contrasted with synchronous learning opportunities such as seminars, where students participate at the same time.

Attendance - Attendance is defined as showing active asynchronous participation in a class by posting to a discussion board, the virtual office, drop box, or submitting a quiz.  More information can be found in the Purdue Global catalog. 

B

Bachelor's Degree - An undergraduate degree awarded upon successful completion of a program of study, typically requiring at least four years or the equivalent of full-time study. Most bachelor’s degrees require a minimum of 180 quarter credits (120 semester credits). A bachelor’s degree is required before starting graduate studies. 

Benchmark - This is the same as a performance standard (see below).

Blueprint - A degree plan tool in PG Campus for students and advisors to track academic progress and register for classes in a program. 

Brainstorming - Generating many ideas from a group of people. 

BrightSpace - The learning platform or LMS (learning management system) that PG has chosen as your digital or virtual learning environment; the online classroom. 

C

Campus - The grounds and buildings where a University is located. In our case, our virtual environment.

Catalog - An official publication of a college or university that provides information about academic programs, official policies, faculty, and services. It is updated at a minimum annually. Purdue University Global Catalog

Center for Career Advancement - Department at PG that assists students seeking employment (full-time or part-time) and/or internship locations. Career Network  Center for Career Advancement

Certificate - A quickly earned credential that is shorter than associate's degree, and often the credits can be transferred to degree programs. Certificates are often focused on a specific topic and do not include general education courses.

Chancellor - The chancellor is the leader of the university; usually the executive head of the university similar to a CEO. PG Academic Leadership

Code of Student Conduct - The behavior students are expected to exhibit while interacting with faculty, staff and students. Code of Student Conduct

College - A post secondary institution that provides undergraduate programs and sometimes graduate degrees. Sometimes, people use the word, “college” to mean “university” or “school” as well. In addition, sometimes the word, “college” can be used to refer to a particular academic division within a University, such as the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Purdue Global. 

Commencement - The ceremony in which degrees are conferred on graduating students.

Comprehension - The way in which ideas are organized into categories.

Competency-based education - An approach that allows students to advance based on their ability to master a skill or competency at their own pace. 

Copyright - The registration with the Library of Congress that protects a book or other printed material from unfair and/or unauthorized duplication. U.S. Copyright Office

Core requirements - A series or selection of courses that all students are required to complete. 

Credits - Units that schools use to indicate that a student has completed and passed courses that are required for a degree. Each school defines the total number and types of credits necessary for degree completion, with each course being assigned a value in terms of ‘credits.’ 

Critical Thinking - The ability to analyze information. 

Curriculum - The subjects that make up a course of study in a school or university. 

D

Dean - The title for the university administrator that oversees a specific academic unit or area, or both. PG Academic Leadership

Deductive Thinking - Progressing from general to specific ideas.

Deferment / Loan Deferment: Students who have educational loans can request In-School Deferments while they are attending school. During deferment, a borrower is not required to pay loan principal and interest does not accrue. In order to be eligible, the student must be enrolled in six or more credits (undergrad and Purdue Global Law School) and four or more credits (grad).

• • Application: Students complete and submit the In-School Deferment Request Form provided on PG Campus (Help > Support > Documents and Forms)

Degree - A diploma or title awarded to students by the University after successful completion of a program of study.

Degree plan - A degree plan is a tool that PG uses to assist students to help identify the areas of credit needed to complete a degree. 

Department - A division of a school or college, made up of faculty and staff that gives instruction in a particular field of study. For example, the Department of Human Services within the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Purdue Global.

Department Chair - An administrator, assigned by the dean to manage a department. 

Drop - To withdraw from a course. The university typically has a period of time from the beginning of the term during which students can drop courses without financial obligation. For PG, this is 7 days.  Registration Information

E

Elaboration - The expansion of an idea or thought.

Electives - A requirement in the degree plan where there are multiple course options to choose from to satisfy that requirement. Program Electives must be selected from within your major; Open Electives can be from any program (if you meet any prerequisite requirements).

Enroll - To register or enter a school or course as a student.

Enrollment Verification: Purdue Global students who are in an active status can obtain enrollment verifications (confirming they are a currently enrolled student at the university) by using the MyHub site (found in PG Campus: University Info tab > Registrar’s Office page Or Help tab > Support Page > Forms and Documents) Students click on a link which takes them to the MyHub site, where they set up an account and can obtain an enrollment verification. 

• • Eligibility Notes: 

    • First time undergraduate students must have completed their third week of classes (i.e., the Purdue Global Commitment period). 

    • Returning undergraduate students and all graduate students must have completed the first week of classes. 

    • Ineligible Students: Students on a Leave of Absence are not eligible to receive an enrollment verification. Students on a Military Leave of Absence may request Enrollment Certification.

Evaluation - A method of determining if a student has learned what they have been taught. Usually, this happens at the end of a unit but not always. For example, you will be evaluated on your work on the discussion board each week. 

Excel - A Microsoft product that is used for storing and handling data. 

Exempt - Not required to do something that other students are required to do. For example, the University may require all students to take a particular comp course but you may be exempt from this because of your transfer credit.

Extrinsic motivation - Motivation that comes from factors outside of yourself, such as people or money, as opposed to being motivated by things within yourself. 

F

FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) - Application used by U.S. citizens and permanent residents to apply for financial aid from U.S. federal and state governments. There is no cost to apply for financial aid using the FAFSA. FAFSA 

Federal Work-Study - Federal Work-Study (FWS) is a federally funded program that provides employment for students that demonstrate a financial need, to meet their indirect cost of attending college. It is an excellent way for qualified students to gain relevant experience concerning their program while working part-time.  Learn more here.

First-generation student - A student who is the first in their family to attend college. The parents of the student may have attended college, but did not graduate or complete their education. 

Flow chart - A type of diagram that represents a workflow or process. 

Full-time student - A student who is enrolled at the University and is taking at least the minimum number of credits required by the school for a full course load. Enrollment Status PG Catalog

G

General education courses - A broad, common foundation of courses upon which to develop skills of oral and written communication as well as critical thinking, logic, and scientific reasoning. General Education and Professional Competency Requirements

Grade - A score or mark indicating a student’s academic performance.

Grade point average (GPA) - The calculation of a student's overall academic performance, represented as a numerical average of grades earned in all courses determined after each term, typically on a 4.0 scale. Upon graduation, students receive an overall GPA for their studies. Academic Grades and Marks

Graduate school - The division of the university which administers graduate studies and master’s degrees. Graduate studies and master’s degrees can only be earned and obtained after successful completion of a bachelor's degree. A ‘graduate’ can also refer to any student who has successfully completed a program of study and earned a degree or certificate. PG Graduate Programs

Grant - A type of financial aid that consists of an amount of money given to a student, often by the federal or state government, a company, school, or non-profit organization that does not have to be repaid.

Graphic Organizer - A chart, outline, or web of ideas that are visually organized into groups or categories.

Grievance - An official compliant. Information regarding grievances at PG an be found in the PG catalog here: Problem Resolution and Grievance Procedures

H

Humanities - Academic courses that are focused on human life and ideas such as: philosophy, history, foreign language, religion, art, music, and literature.

I

Incomplete - The grade of “incomplete” or “I” is granted by an instructor if a student is making sufficient academic progress but is experiencing extenuating circumstances and needs more time to complete the course beyond the end of the term. For more information go to your PG Campus page > Help > Support > Academic Issues.

Intrinsic motivation - Motivation that comes from within the individual.

L

Laude system - The Laude system has three levels of honors for students that have completed their undergraduate degree. Students graduate with one of these honors if they graduate with the respective GPA in an associate's or bachelor's degree.

Cum Laude - with praise; 3.70 - 3.79

Magna Cum Laude - with great honor; 3.80 - 3.99

Summa Cum Laude - with highest honor; 4.0

Learning outcomes - Measurable statements that indicate what knowledge students should acquire as a result of completing a course or program. 

Liberal arts - Academic studies of subjects in the humanities, social/behavioral sciences, and the natural sciences, with a focus on general knowledge; in contrast to a professional or technical emphasis.

M

Major - The academic subject area that a student chooses to focus on during their studies. 

Major requirements - A series or selection of discipline-specific courses that all students within that major are required to complete (e.g. human services, psychology, business) to earn the degree they have selected.

Master’s degree - A graduate degree awarded by the university upon successful completion of an advanced program of study, typically requiring one or two years of study beyond the bachelor’s degree. 

Micro-credential - A course or grouping of courses that represents a focused skill or area of knowledge. MIcro-credentials PG Catalog

O

Open Elective -  A course requirement in the degree plan where you can select any PG course that doesn't have a prerequisite or that you have completed the prerequisite(s).  More information available here.

Orientation - A university’s official process of welcoming new students to the university and providing them with information and policies before the term begins. 

P

Part-time student - A student who is not taking the number of credits required for a full course load. Enrollment Status PG Catalog

Performance standard - Measure of a student’s progress toward learning specific content. In other words, how much of the academic content do we expect a student to know to be considered proficient? 

Plagiarism - The act of taking someone else’s work or ideas and passing them off as one’s own. Plagiarism can be intentional or unintentional. Academic Integrity

Portfolio - A selection of student work compiled over a period of time that is used for assessing performance or progress within a course or program.

Postbaccalaureate - Undergraduate-level coursework completed after completing a bachelor's degree.

Postgraduate - Graduate-level coursework completed after completing a Master's program.

PowerPoint - A Microsoft product that is used to create slideshows and presentations. 

Prerequisite - A course that must be completed before a student is allowed to register for a more advanced course.

Prior Learning - Learning completed outside the PG classroom that can be recognized for credit toward a PG degree program. Students can earn prior learning credit from many sources, including courses taken at other colleges, military experience, Advanced Placement exams, course assessments, or experiential learning portfolios. Types of Credit - PG Catalog

Probation - A status or period of time in which students with low GPAs or reduced pace must improve their performance. If the student is unable to do so, they may be academically dismissed from the university. Academic Probation 

Provost - The chief academic officer at the University. PG Academic Leadership

Q

Quarter - A period of study typically 9-12 weeks in length. Most schools at PG offers courses on 10-week quarter terms. 

R

Registrar - The college or university official who is responsible for keeping students' official academic records. The PG Office of the Registrar can be found via your PG Campus page > University Info > Office of the Registrar.

Registration - The process of selecting and enrolling in courses. Registration - PG Catalog

Remediation - A plan or program designed to close the gap between what a student knows and what they are expected to know. 

Rubric - A scoring guide that is used to evaluate the quality of student work. It describes performance expectations for the assignment or work.

S

Satisfactory academic progress - The University requires that students make Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) toward earning a degree by achieving a minimum GPA and pace of credits earned each term. Students not meeting the SAP minimums may be placed on academic probation or be dismissed from their program.  

Scholarship - A grant or payment to assist in the payment of tuition that does not need to be paid back.

Semester - A period of study typically 13-16 weeks in length. Not every university uses the semester system. For example, Purdue Global Law School uses semesters, but the rest of PG is on the quarter system. 

Seminar - The synchronous meeting with instructors held via the Zoom platform. In another context, it may mean a course that is offered to a small group of students who are typically advanced and meet with an instructor to discuss specialized topics and writings.

Skills report - This report summarizes a student’s progress toward mastering learning outcomes embedded in courses, career goals, knowledge and skills obtained through coursework, and the engagement and leadership demonstrated in any student organizations.

Student Advisor - A member of the school’s professional staff that provide advice and guidance on academic matters, such as course selections and degree requirements. They serve as excellent resources for University resources and services. Students can find their Student Advisor's contact information on PG Campus under Help >Contact Us > Office of Student Support Your student advisor will be listed as the first point of contact.

Student portal - At PG, the student portal is the PG Campus page where students can access their classroom, library, degree plan, assistance, and everything else they might ever need. PG Campus Portal

Syllabus - The document that outlines the course itself, materials required, policies, and what will be expected of you in the course. 

Synchronous - Something that happens at a designated time where all students participate together. At PG, this typically refers to learning that happens live, like in seminar. This is contrasted with asynchronous learning opportunities, such as discussion boards, where students don’t participate at the same time; they can come and go as their time allows.  

T

Tech support - Technical support, also known as Support and Solutions, is available 24 hour per day, 7 days per week (except for University holidays). They help with any technical issues students encounter with the PG campus environment, Brightspace, email, and items of that nature. On PG Campus, go to Help > Support, and also on that same page, under Technological Issues. 

Term - A period of study within an academic year. A term could refer to a semester or a quarter.  

Third party authorization - A third party authorization allows someone other than the student to be authorized to speak with the university as a representative of the student. For example, a student may want a partner to act on their behalf during a time of illness to obtain class assignments. If so, a third party authorization letter will be required in advance of any university employee sharing any information. 

Transcript - An official record of a student’s coursework and grades at a high school or university.

Transfer credit - Credit granted toward a PG degree based on studies completed at another college or university. Types of Credit - PG Catalog

Turnitin - An internet-based plagiarism detection service embedded within the Brightspace course environment.

U

Undergraduate student - A student enrolled in a program made up of undergraduate coursework, like an associate's or bachelor's degree or undergraduate certificate program. Students may enroll in an undergraduate program after earning a high school diploma or its equivalent.

Unit or Module - The way a course is subdivided or organized by content, similar to chapters of a book.

W

Withdraw - To unenroll from the university. Withdrawal - PG Catalog

Z

Zoom - A virtual meeting space that PG uses for weekly synchronous online face-to-face seminars with faculty.