Glossary
A Brief Glossary of American College Terminology| Advisee, Advisor | Your advisor or counselor is the instructor assigned by the University to help you with your academic program and problems. You are called the advisee. |
| Audit | To take a course without credit. A course audited cannot later be taken for credit. |
| Classroom Hours | Most classes meet for 150 minutes each week either 50 minutes a day Monday, Wednesday and Friday (MWF) or 75 minutes a day Tuesdays and Thursdays (TR). |
| Course | A particular subject being studied. For example: a course in English. Often used synonymously with "subject." |
| Credit | The numerical reward you receive for completing a college course. At Frostburg it is described in semester units. The undergraduate student will ordinarily register for 15 credits of class work each semester. A total of 120 units, or credits, is required to graduate with a BA or BS degree. |
| Curriculum | The whole body of courses required for a degree. |
| Department | A division of the University which offers instruction in a particular branch of knowledge. For example: The Department of English. |
| Elective | A subject or course which you may choose to study as distinguished from a required course which you must take. |
| Extracurricular | Those activities which are part of student life but are not part of a course of study. Debate, dramatics, and athletics are extracurricular activities, for example. |
| Fee | A charge which the University asks you to pay for certain services it offers you. For example: a music fee is paid for private lessons in music. |
| General Education | The knowledge, skills and appreciation that a well-educated person should possess. More than one-third of the work required for graduation consists of general education courses which are required of all students. |
| Grade Points | For reasons of simplicity in bookkeeping, grades are assigned numbers call grade points. For every hour of "A" which you earn, you are credited with four grade points; for every hour of "B", three grade points; for every hour of "C", two grade points; for every hour of "D", one grade point. To determine your grade point average, divide the total number of grade points by the total number of credit hours attempted. |
| Graduate Study | Course work beyond the bachelor's degree; at Frostburg State University, this is course work toward a master's degree. |
| Hours | Hours, credit hours and credits are terms used interchangeably. |
| U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services | Administers and enforces immigration related provisions and statutes within the United States. Outside the United States these provisions and statutes are enforced by consular posts of the Department of State. |
| Center For International Education |
International students can receive help in adjusting to campus life, in understanding the US educational system, and learn about local customs and culture. |
| Load | The total units of credit for which you are registered. The average undergraduate load is 15 hours of credit each semester and 9 hours for graduate study. |
| Major/Minor | The subject or field of study which you decide to emphasize. If, for example, you plan to specialize in English, you will be said to major (or minor) in that field. A major requires you to complete more credits than a minor. |
| Passport | Please keep this in a safe place and DO NOT allow it to expire while you are in any country other than the issuing country. It is defined as any travel document issued by authority showing the bearer's origin, identity and nationality, if any, which is valid for entry of the bearer into a foreign country. |
| Prerequisite | The preliminary requirements which must be met before a certain course can be taken. Thus, English 101 is the prerequisite to all other English courses and must be successfully completed before other course are taken. |
| Probation | The status of a student whose academic progress is unsatisfactory as defined by the University's Academic Standards Committee. |
| Program | The curriculum or course of study a student has chosen to pursue. |
| Quality Point Average | Used interchangeably with grade point average. |
| Registration | The act of enrolling in classes, usually prior to the beginning of a semester. The process includes selecting, with the help of an advisor, courses to be taken. |
| Required Courses | Those subjects or courses required by Frostburg for the completion of your program. You choose your elective; your required subjects are chosen for you. |
| Residence Hall | Buildings on the University campus designed to provide living accommodations for students. Such buildings are owned and maintained by the University. |
| Schedule |
A listing of the courses you are taking each semester. Your schedule is your program of studies. |
| SEVIS | Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. SEVIS is used to track and monitor schools; exchange visitor programs; and F and J nonimmigrants while they visit the United States and participate in the U.S. education system |
| Term |
The designation for a period of instruction. At Frostburg, a semester. |
| Undergraduate | A student who has not yet earned a bachelor's degree. |
| Visa | A stamped or affixed entry on a page of your passport. The nonimmigrant visa stamp will show the visa number, the location of the issuing office, the visa classification, the date of issuance, the expiration date and the number of application for admission allowed (multiple). Don't confuse the term "visa," which is a permit for entry, with the terms "Arrival/Departure Record," "I-94," or "Authorized stay." These terms refer to a person's permission to remain in the US |