Glossary of Terms Frequently Used on SXU’s Web Pages

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Term	Definition
Academic Advising	A one on one appointment each semester with a faculty or staff member to determine the classes needed to make progress toward a degree as well as develop meaningful educational, personal, and career goals. Students often use these appointments to learn more about majors.
Academic and Career Resource Advisor	A professional staff member who will help you with your academic and career needs including choosing classes, exploring and choosing majors, creating a resume, or finding a job.
Academic Dismissal	Students that do not meet the minimum required grade point average are dismissed from the University.
Academic Warning	Students who do not meet a required grade point average receive this warning. An academic warning typically comes before an academic dismissal.
ACT	An entrance exam used by colleges and universities to make admission decisions. This exam measures students' English, reading, math, science, and writing abilities.
Alumni	Individuals that have graduated from a college or university.
AP (Advanced Placement)	A college-level course students take in high school and receive college credit if they receive acceptable scores on their AP exam(s).
Asynchronous	An online class style where students access and complete materials, tests, and assignments on their own time.
Audit	An option that allows students to take a course to learn material without earning credit.

Term	Definition
Baccalaureate	A bachelor degree.
Bachelor Degree	A degree awarded to students that attend a four-year college or university. Students typically receive a bachelor of art or bachelor of science degree.

Term	Definition
Canvas	An online educational system students use to access their course materials, syllabi, documents, grades, and submit assignments.
Class schedule	A list of courses a student is enrolled in that includes information such as room number and meeting times.
Co-Curricular Activity	A university activity or event that occurs outside the classroom.
Code of Conduct	A set of guiding principles and expectations of student behavior both on and off-campus.
College-to-Career Expo	A fair that connects students with organizations offering jobs, internships, volunteer experiences, and graduate school opportunities.
Commencement	A formal name for graduation.
Commuter	A student that travels back and forth to campus and does not live in the residence halls.
Core Value	These are the fundamental values or beliefs that guides an organization. The core values of Saint Xavier University include Respect, Excellence, Compassion, Service, Hospitality, Integrity, Diversity, and Learning for Life.
Corequisite	A course that must be taken within the same semester as another course.
Cougar Card	The student identification card of Saint Xavier University.
Cougars LEAD	A leadership certificate program through the Center for SUCCESS.
Counseling Center	An office on campus that provides free individual counseling for students.
Course Catalog	A list of courses offered by the university each academic year.
Course Number	The number associate with a specific course such as TS-100 for Transitions.
CPM (Cougar Peer Mentor)	A student mentor that provides college transition resources and serves as the teaching assistant in Transitions (TS-100).
Credit Hour	A way of measuring how much credit a student receives for attending a course. One credit hour is equivalent to 50 minutes of instruction across 15 weeks. Most classes are 3 credit hours.
Curriculum	A set of courses required to earn a degree within a major.

Term	Definition
Dean	An academic dean is a professional staff member who oversees a school within the university. A dean of students is a professional staff member who oversees student life outside of the classroom.
Dean's List	An honor recognizing outstanding academic achievement for full time students with a GPA of 3.75 or higher.
Default	Failure to repay a student loan.
Deferment	An option offered by some loan lenders which allows students to delay payment on a loan.
Degree	A title or diploma awarded to students when they complete their coursework and graduate.
Degree Requirements	A set of courses required to earn a degree within a major.
Department	A unit within a school at the university which consists of faculty or staff in a specific area
Department Chair	An individual that oversees a department.
Drop	To withdraw from a course.
Drop-Add	A period of time at the beginning of the semester a student may add or drop a course from their schedule.
Dual Degree or Major	When a student is pursuing two degrees.

Term	Definition
Elective	A course that a student chooses to take which may also count toward their degree requirements.
Employer	An organization that employs people with positions.

Term	Definition
Faculty	Professors or instructors that teach courses at the university.
FAFSA	The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is an application students must complete to receive financial aid from the government.
Federal Work Study	Part-time work offered by the university as part of a student's financial aid package from the federal government. Acceptance of federal work study does not guarantee employment at Saint Xavier University.
FERPA	The Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act provides guidelines on how colleges and universities protect or share student information.
Final Exam	An exam given to students at the end of a course. Final exams are typically given during the last week of classes (finals week).
Finals Week	The last week of the semester where students take final exams.
Financial Aid	Financial support students receive for college expenses including loans, scholarships, work study, and grants. Some financial support such as student loans must be paid back.
First Year Seminar (FYS)	A course students take within their first year to transition to college-level learning and learn about the Catholic and Mercy traditions at Saint Xavier University.
First-Generation Student	A student without a parent or guardians that attended college. These students are the first in their immediate family to go to college.
Freshman (First-Year)	A first-year college student that has completed few than 30 credit hours.
Full-Time Student	A student that takes 12 or more credit hours.

Term	Definition
General Education (Gen Ed Classes)	A portion of degree requirements all students must take. These courses may include humanities, social science, history, and language courses.
Grade Point Average (GPA)	A numerical measure of academic performance, typically on a 4-point scale. Students have both a Semester GPA and an Overall or Cumulative GPA.
Graduate Student	A student that earned an undergraduate degree and is now pursuing advanced studies to earn a masters or doctorate degree.
Grant	A form of financial aid awarded to students that does not need to be paid back.
Group Advising	This is a group session that allows students (typically first-year) to ask brief questions about course selection and degree requirements.

Term	Definition
Handshake	The academic and career management system used by the Center for SUCCESS. Students can use this to schedule appointments with their Academic and Career Resource Advisor, search for jobs, or access resources.
Hold	A restriction on the academic record which limits a students ability to register for classes, receive their diploma, or other actions until the hold is removed.
Honorable Mention	An honor recognizing outstanding academic achievement for part time students with a GPA of 3.75 or higher.
Humanities	A categorization of classes which include art, music, literature, philosophy, religious studies, and languages.
Hybrid (Blended) Course	A class style in which course materials and instruction are done both online and in a physical classroom.

Term	Definition
IB	The International Baccalaureate (IB) is a program that allows individuals to earn college credit while in high school.
Instructor	A faculty member that teaches a course.
Internship	A temporary professional position where students can gain experience in their chosen field as well as develop skills valued by employers. These experiences may be paid or unpaid.
Interview	A formal one on one meeting with an organization to determine whether or not an applicant is a fit for an opportunity. These opportunities typically include jobs or admission into a university or college.
Intramurals	Informal sports played at a university.

Term	Definition
Junior	A third year college student that has completed between 60-89 credit hours.

Term	Definition
Lab	A part of a class that has a hands-on component. Lab is short for laboratory.
Learning Center/Writing Studio	A center where students can go for tutoring as well as help writing papers for their classes.
Lecture	A course where the faculty member teaches primarily through oral instruction.
Loan	A form of financial aid awarded to students that needs to be paid back.

Term	Definition
Major	The primary subject area a student chooses to focus on during their college education.
Master's Degree	A degree that typically comes after a bachelor degree and takes approximately two years to earn.
Matriculation	The process of a student enrolling at a university and registering for courses.
Meal Plan	Funds available to a student to purchase meals on campus at various dining establishments.
Micro-Internship	Professional, paid, short-term assignments that are often completed remotely.
Midterm Exam	Exams that are taken at the mid-point of the semester.
Minor	A secondary subject area a student chooses to focus on during their college education. Not all students declare a minor.
Mission/Mission Statement	A statement that outlines an organization's intent and operational goals.
Mock Interview	A practice interview with a staff or faculty member who acts as an employer to ask interview questions and provide feedback.
MySXU Portal	An online self-service tool where students can access their email, resources such as Canvas, registration tools, and account information.

Term	Definition
Natural Science	A branch of science that includes subjects such as biology, chemistry, astronomy, physics, and geology.
Net ID	A username assigned to students that is used to log in to systems across the university.
Networking	The process of building mutually beneficial relationships with other professionals.
Nontraditional student	A student that starts college later in life.

Term	Definition
Office Hours	Time set aside by professors to meet with students outside of the classroom.
Online Classes	Classes that students take virtually or remotely outside of a traditional classroom. Students typically use Canvas to access course content.
Orientation Leader (OL)	A mentor that is assigned to incoming students as part of Via (orientation)

Term	Definition
Part-Time Student	A student that takes less than 12 credit hours.
Pass/Fail	A grading option where a student is assigned pass (P) or fail (F) instead of a traditional letter grade of A, B, C, D, or F.
Pell Grant	Federal financial aid awarded to undergraduate students that does not need to be repaid.
Placement Exam	An exam first-year students take to determine where they place in a particular subject (most often English or Math).
Plagiarism	The act of using and passing off someone else's work as your own. Plagiarism is a violation of the student code of conduct.
Priority Registration	A date assigned to certain groups of students that need to register for their classes sooner than the general student population. Priority registration is common with student athletes who need to select courses that will not interfere with sports.
Probation	A status or period of time in which a student's academic performance or behavior is unsatisfactory. Students that do not adjust their performance or behavior may be dismissed.
Provost	A senior-level academic officer of a university who oversees all academic policies and matters related to the curriculum.

Term	Definition
Reference	A source of information or a person that can be contacted to speak about someone's ability or reliability when applying for a job. References are commonly needed when applying for jobs.
Registrar	An individual responsible for managing student records.
Registration	The process of enrolling in courses.
Registration Date	A date in which a student can begin registering. These dates may vary from student to student depending on a number of factors.
Reinstatement	The process of returning to a university or college after being dismissed.
Requisite	A course that must be taken before another course.
Residence Halls	Buildings on campus where students live, eat, and engage in co-curricular activities.
Resident	A student that lives on campus.
Resident Assistant (RA)	A student that lives and works in a residence hall on campus. Resident Assistants serve as resources to students and model appropriate student behavior.
Resource	A form of support or aid to help students be successful in college. Resources can be in the form of money, educational materials, or physical items.
Resume	A document used to apply for jobs that highlights skills, past experience, and education.
RSO (Registered Student Organization)	A student club centered around a particular area of interest which can be social, educational, recreational, or service-related

Term	Definition
Sanction	A disciplinary action against a student who violates the code of conduct.
SAT	An entrance exam used by colleges and universities to make admission decisions. This exam measures students' writing, critical thinking, and math abilities. In contrast to the ACT, science is not measured.
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)	A status that indicates a student is adequately progressing toward their degree. Students who fail to make satisfactory academic progress may lose their ability to receive financial aid.
Scholarship	A form of financial aid awarded to students that does not need to be paid back.
School	A branch of the university that contains academic departments. Saint Xavier University has three schools including the College of Arts and Sciences, the Graham School of Management, and School of Nursing and Health Sciences.
Semester	A period of time in which a university holds courses typically not exceeding 16 weeks. Saint Xavier University has fall, spring, and summer semesters.
Senior	A fourth-year college student that has completed 90-120 credit hours.
SOC (Student Organization Center)	A workplace and meeting space for student leaders and registered student organizations.
Social Science	A categorization of classes which include psychology, sociology, criminal justice, and anthropology to name a few.
Sophomore	A second-year college student that has completed between 30-59 credit hours.
SSP (Student Success Program)	An office that provides support services for students who are first generation, low-income, and or students with disabilities.
Student Accounts	An office that helps students with their tuition bill.
Student Life	This office on campus encourages student involvement and oversees student activities, student leadership, and registered student organizations.
Student Planning	A system that students use to register for their classes and track academic progress.
Study Abroad Program	A program that allows a student to live and study in another country.
Subsidized Student Loan	A student loan that does not accrue interest while a student is in school and payments can be deferred until after graduation.
Syllabus	A document provided by professors which outlines course expectations, due dates, office hours, and other important information about a class.
Synchronous	An online class style where students attend their class virtually during a set date and time.
Synergy Conference	A student-led leadership conference that typically occurs in the spring semester.

Term	Definition
Term	Another term for semester.
The Hub	An information technology department that assists students with their technology needs.
Transcript	An official record that lists the courses a student has taken along with grades.
Transfer Credits	Credits taken at another institution outside Saint Xavier University that a student would like to transfer in to receive academic credit.
Transfer Student	A college student that has taken courses at another college before enrolling at Saint Xavier University.
Transitions	A first-year college course all students take their first semester to help with the transition to college life.
Tuition	The cost of taking courses at a university. This cost typically does not include room and board, fees, and books.
Tutor	A student that provides assistance in learning course materials in a particular subject area. Tutors work in the Learning Center/Writing Studio.

Term	Definition
Undergraduate	A student pursuing a bachelor degree.
Unsubsidized Loan	A loan that accrues interest while a student is in school.

Term	Definition
Via	New student orientation that takes place prior to the start of classes.

Term	Definition
WAC (Warde Academic Center)	A building on the Saint Xavier University campus that houses majority of the student services offices.
Waitlist	An option that allows students to add themselves to a list of queue for a class that is full. Students on the waitlist are admitted to a class if an enrolled student drops the course.
Withdrawal	When a student removes themselves from a course.
WXAV	The official radio station of Saint Xavier University.

Term	Definition
Xavierite	The official newspaper of Saint Xavier University.