Glossary

Academic Advisor: a member of the faculty who provides advice and guidance on academic matters such as course selection

Academic Year: The period of formal instruction, which is usually September to May. It may be divided into terms of varying lengths, such as semesters, trimesters, or quarters

Accreditation: Approval of colleges and universities by nationally recognized professional associations or regional accrediting bodies

ACT: American College Test – a standardized test administered to students who want to be admitted into a college or university. It is designed to assess a student’s readiness for college-level academic work

Add/Drop: A process at the beginning of a term whereby students can delete and add classes with an instructor's permission

Affidavit of Support/Residency: An official document proving a promise of funding from an individual or organization

AP (Advanced Placement): a national program of standardized classes offered to high school students. AP courses are college-level courses that allow students to earn college credits with a qualifying score on the end of course AP exam

Associate Degree: A degree awarded after a two-year period of study; it can be either terminal or transfer (the first two years of a bachelor's degree)

Asynchronous Learning: a type of distance learning offered through online courses with no requirements for students and instructors to interact face-to-face

Audit: taking a class to gain knowledge about a subject, without receiving a grade or credit toward a degree

AWOTS: Application/ Applicant without test scores

Bachelor's Degree: a degree that requires 120+ specified credit which breaks down to approximately four years of study. It is awarded as Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BS), or Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)

Class Rank: A number or ratio indicating a student's academic standing in his or her graduating class. A student who ranks first in a class of 100 students would report his or her class rank as 1/100, while a student ranking last would report 100/100. Class rank may also be expressed in percentiles (for example, the top 25 percent, the lower 50 percent)

College: A postsecondary institution that provides an undergraduate education and, in some cases, master's and doctorate degrees. College, in a separate sense, is a division of a university; for example, College of Business

College Catalog: An official publication giving information about a university's academic programs, facilities, entrance requirements, and student life

Community College: A postsecondary institution that offers associate degree programs, as well as technical and vocational programs

Core Requirements/Core Curriculum: Mandatory general education, usually interdisciplinary, course requirements needed for the completion of a degree (Ex: English, History, Math, Science)

Credits/Credit Hours: units used by institutions to record the completion of courses (with a passing grade) in a degree program

Dean: the director or head of a division of a certain professional school or college of a university

Degree: a diploma or title awarded by a college or university to students after they have successfully completed a program of study

Department: the formal division of a school consisting of faculty and support staff responsible for instruction in a subject area

Designated School Official (DSO): A Designated School Official (DSO) is the person on campus who gathers and reports information on international students to the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) and assists international students in the visa and employment authorization process. Your DSO's name will be listed on your I-20 or DS 2019

Drop: refers to the withdrawal of a student from a course that must be completed in a specified period of time depending on the college or university. At UH, this will not be reflected on a transcript if it is done before the official reporting date.

EDI:

FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid): the application used by the US government to determine the amount of financial aid a student will receive in a given year. Students must reapply every year they attend a college or university. International students are not eligible

Fees: an amount of money charged by schools, in addition to tuition, to cover institutional costs

Financial Aid (SFA): a general term that includes all types of money offered to students to help them pay tuition, fees, and other educational expenses

Front:

Full-time Student: a student taking 12 or more credit hours at the undergraduate level and 9 or more hours at the graduate level.

GPA (Grade Point Average): a system of recording a student’s overall academic performance as a numerical average. A GPA is on a 4.0 scale and calculated at the end of each term/semester with an overall GPA calculated upon graduation

Honors Program: A challenging program for students with high grades

ISSSO:

Junior: A third-year student at a secondary school, college, or university

Language Requirement: A requirement of some graduate programs that students must show basic reading and writing proficiency in a language other than their own to receive a degree

Letter of Recommendation: a letter written on behalf of a student that assesses their qualifications and skills. They are usually required for admission to a program of study or as part of the application process for a fellowship, internship, scholarship, etc.

Living Expenses: Expenses such as housing and meals, books and supplies, transportation, personal expenses, health insurance, etc.

Major: an area of specialization, consisting of a number of courses in a discipline of study, chosen by undergraduate students. Students are usually required to choose their major before the end of their sophomore year

Matriculated: At UH, it occurs after a student has been admitted and permits them to enroll in orientation and courses. Once a student is matriculated, a FERPA is required to provide information to anyone other than the student.

Minor: a secondary area of specialization chosen by undergraduate students, this is determined once a student is enrolled

Naviance:

Nonresident: a student that does not meet a state’s requirements for residency. Colleges and universities usually have higher tuition rates for nonresident students. A nonresident student can also refer to a student that does not live on campus or in campus housing

Notarization: The certification of a document (or a statement or signature) as authentic and true by a public official (known in the United States as a “notary public”) or a lawyer who is also a commissioner of oaths

Orientation: a college or university’s official process of welcoming new students to campus and providing them with relevant information on campus policies, financial aid, housing, dining, courses, etc.

Office of the University Registrar(OUR):

Parchment:

Prerequisite: a required course that must be completed before a student is permitted to enroll in a more advanced course

Probation: a status given to students with a low GPA and unsatisfactory academic work as defined by their college or university. The probationary period requires students to improve their performance or be dismissed from school

Registration: the process in which students choose and enroll in courses for an academic term

SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test): a standardized test required for admission into a college or university and is usually taken in the junior or senior year of high school. The exam measure reading, writing, and math skills

Scholarship: a type of financial aid that consists of free money given to a student by a school, individual, organization, company, charity, or federal/state government to help pay for college tuition and expenses

Semester: an academic year that is divided into two equal segments of 15 to 18 weeks

Social Security Number: a unique nine digit number issued to people eligible to work and collect benefits in the US such as US citizens, permanent residents, and temporary (working) residents by the US government

Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS): An Internet-based system that maintains records of foreign students and exchange visitors before and during their stay in the United States. It is part of the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) managed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Student Business Services (SBS):

Syllabus: a document distributed to students enrolled in a course that outlines the material a course will cover, instructor expectations, assignments, due dates, instructor contact information, and relevant university policies

Term: a period of study such as a semester

TOEFL (Test of English as Foreign Language): a standardized exam that determines English proficiency in reading, listening, speaking, and writing. The exam is required for international student admission to a US college or university

Transcript: an official record of a student’s performance at an academic institution

Transfer: The process of moving from one university to another to complete a degree

Transfer Credit: credit awarded toward a degree on the basis of studies completed at another college or university

Tuition: the amount of money an academic institution charges its students for attendance

Visa: an official mark or stamp in a passport that allows someone to enter a country for a specified amount of time. The US government issues the following types of visas for students and scholars: F-1 (student visa) and J-1 (exchange visitor visa)

Withdrawal: The administrative procedure of dropping a course or leaving an institution. At UH, this is a course dropped after the official reporting date. This will be reflected on