Ketchikan Campus
Terminology

The process by which a student submits all of the required forms and credentials to a university informing them of his intent to attend that university to pursue a degree.  If a student meets the requirements of the school, he is granted admission. 

Applicants who meet the requirements for admission but are unable to submit official documents before registration may be granted conditional admission for up to a semester.  Conditional admission is a temporary admission until the required documentation can be obtained.  Conditional admission is not sufficient to release some types of financial aid!

Transfer students who do not meet the minimum 2.0 GPA requirements for admission but who show potential for college work may be considered for probationary admission.  The conditions for probationary admission may include successful completion of specific course work, a minimum GPA, or a specified length of probationary status.

The highest level of administration for the University of Alaska (UA) System which includes the UA Southeast, the UA Anchorage, and UA Fairbanks.

A member of the faculty who teaches on a part-time basis.  Most adjunct faculty work in the community and teach a limited number of courses.

A university employee who is teaching courses within a field of expertise.  There are a variety of levels of professor - their level is an indication of their rank with the institution.

The highest level of administration on a branch campus of the university.  The Campus Director is responsible for guiding the campus in its daily operations.

The highest level of administration at the university and is responsible for guiding and directing the university.

The faculty member responsible for guiding an academic unit in its academic endeavors.

The staff person responsible for maintenance of all academic records.

A faculty or staff member who is responsible for assisting students in selecting classes to fulfill their degree requirements as well as providing support in reaching degree completion.

Orientation - A program designed to introduce new students to the University and the resources available on campus such as counseling, tutoring, computer services, student activities, and student government.

Full-time Student - A student taking 12 or more credits in a semester.

Part-time Student - A student taking fewer than 12 credits in a semester.

Semester - A unit of measure of an academic term; there are 2 semesters in an academic year.  At UAS a semester comprises 15 weeks of classes and one week of final exams.

Quarter/Trimester - Alternate units of measure of an academic term.  There are 4 quarters in an academic year, and a trimester is similar to a semester in length but offers 3 trimesters during a longer academic year.  A quarter credit is worth 2/3 of a semester credit.  A trimester credit is equal to a semester credit.

Placement Tests - Tests in reading, English, and mathematics required of all new students prior to registration for English or math classes.

Registration - The process of informing the university of which classes you intend to take during a given semester.  The separate process of fee payment is required to confirm that a space is reserved in that class for you.

Credit Hour - The unit for measuring educational credit based on an amount of time spent in class during a term and a level of work.  Each credit hour is equal to one hour in class and two hours of study per week.

Academic Petition - A process by which a student can, with good reason, request exclusion from an academic policy or requirement.

Student Conduct - An obligation each student must uphold to conduct herself in a manner compatible with the University function as an educational institution and to obey all local, state, and federal laws as well as institutional policies and regulations.

Disciplinary Action - A student charged with violating a University standard of conduct is subject to disciplinary action which, in severe cases, could mean expulsion.  Students have a right to due process.

Academic Appeal - Students have the right to request reconsideration of academic actions.  Appeals must be submitted in writing no later than fifteen days following the student’s notification of the academic action.

Several agencies monitor academic institutions.  Accredited institutions have met requirements which insure their quality.  UAS is accredited as an institution of higher learning by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges.  One of the regional accrediting bodies that are the primary accrediting bodies for U.S. Colleges and Universities.

Degree Audit - A student should file a degree audit with the Office of Records & Registration early in the semester prior to his final semester.  The University will complete a degree check to make sure the student has met all his degree requirements.

Application for Graduation - All students must submit a formal application for graduation before they can be awarded a degree.  Applications are due early in the semester you expect to graduate.  

Summa Cum Laude - Students who obtain a cumulative grade point average of 4.0 will graduate summa cum laude.

Magna Cum Laude - Students who obtain a cumulative grade point average of 3.8 -3.9 will graduate magna cum laude.

Cum Laude - Students who obtain a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 - 3.7 will graduate cum laude.

Graduate - A student engaged in studies beyond a Bachelor’s degree.

Certificate - The first level of college degree, it requires a minimum of 30 credit hours, and is designed to give intensive training in specific occupational areas.

Associate of Applied Science (AAS) - A college degree which provides training in a career or occupational field and a requires a minimum of 60 credit hours.

Bachelor’s (BA) -  A college degree providing a broad general education and intensive training in a specific field, and requiring a minimum of 120 credit hours.

Pre-Major - Some degrees require students to complete specific academic courses before being admitted to a major.

Major - A subject of academic study chosen as a field of specialization.

Declaring a Major - The process of formally admitting a student into a degree program.  Once admitted, a student must complete a formal Change of Major form to change his major.

Curriculum/Degree Requirements - Courses required for graduation.

General Education Requirements - Courses required to ensure that students receive a breadth of knowledge.

A student at a college or university who is working towards a Certificate, AA, AAS, or a Bachelor’s Degree.

A college degree which provides a broad general education, designed to transfer to a bachelor’s degree program and requiring a minimum of 60 credit hours.

Several agencies monitor academic institutions.  Accredited institutions have met requirements which insure their quality.  UAS is accredited as an institution of higher learning by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges.  One of the regional accrediting bodies that are the primary accrediting bodies for U.S. Colleges and Universities.

Course Numbering - Indicates the level of preparation required for a course.  0-099/college preparation - do not count as college credit.  100-299/lower division - primarily for freshmen and sophomores.  300-499/upper division - primarily for juniors and seniors.

Audit - A student can register for a class as an audit.  Auditing students attend the class but are not required to complete the assignments and do not receive a grade or credit for the class.

Credit/No Credit -  An enrollment option where the student will only receive credit for the class if she performs at a “C” level or above (the grade would be recorded as “pass”).  If the grade falls below “C” the course will not be on the student’s transcript.  

Credit By Exam - A process by which, with instructor permission, a student may take a test to earn credit for a course.  You MUST be enrolled in a degree program to receive credit by exam.

Prerequisites - Some courses require students to complete another particular course called a prerequisite before enrolling.

Corequisites - Some courses require that you complete or are dually enrolled in another particular course called a corequisite before enrolling.

Syllabus - A document distributed at the beginning of a course outlining the course content and assignments.

Drop - A student may decide to drop from any course by completing an add/drop form.  Drops are only allowed during the first two weeks of a semester-length course and do not show on transcripts.

Withdrawal - Students may withdraw from a class by completing an add/drop form.  Withdrawls are only allowed during the first ten weeks of a semester length course and will show on a student’s transcripts.

Directed Study - A method of course delivery in which a student works one-on-one with the instructor to learn course material for a catalog course not offered in a given semester.

Independent Study -  Courses in which the course content, learning activities, and evaluation criteria are developed primarily by the student with guidance and concurrence from a faculty sponsor.  

Internship - Experience-based courses that involve placing a student in an organization under the supervision of both a qualified professional in the agency and a faculty member.

No Basis - A grade which indicates the student has not attended or has stopped attending without officially withdrawing and there is insufficient progress and/or attendance to evaluate.  No credit is given for the class, and it is a permanent grade.

Incomplete - A temporary grade which indicates the student has satisfactorily (with a grade of C or better) completed the majority of the course but for personal reasons beyond the student’s control has not been able to complete the final requirements.  The instructor has the discretion to allow an incomplete grade and must submit a Course Completion Contract signed by the student with semester grades.  

Pass/Fail - Students will receive a passing grade if all requirements are met and a failing grade if they are not.  No letter grade is assigned.

GPA - The average of your grades in one semester.

CGPA - The average of your grades overall.

Official Transcripts - A list of the classes you have taken and the grades you received in each class.  Official Transcripts are sealed by the institution and must be delivered sealed to insure authenticity.

Unofficial Transcripts - A list of the classes you have taken from a university and the grades you received in each class.  Unofficial Transcripts are not sealed to insure authenticity.

Attempted Hours - Credit hours a student signs up for.

Earned Hours - Credit hours completed by a student.

Quality Hours - Credit hours for which the student received a letter grade (A,B,C,D or F).

Academic Probation - Any student in a degree program whose cumulative GPA drops below 2.0 will be placed on academic probation.  The student then must achieve a cumulative GPA of 2.0 within 2 semesters to be removed from academic probation.

Academic Suspension - Any who remains on academic probation after two consecutive semesters will be placed on academic suspension and required to leave the university.  Students can reapply for admission one semester after their suspension but must show they have a high probability for success.

Chancellor’s List - All full time degree seeking students who receive a 4.0 GPA for a semester will be placed on the Chancellor’s List during that semester.

Dean’s List - All full time degree seeking students whose GPA during a semester is between 3.5 and 3.9 will be placed on the Dean’s List during that semester.

Tuition - Tuition is the amount paid for each credit hour of instruction.  Different tuition rates are charged for resident and non resident students as well as upper division and lower division courses.  In addition to tuition, students also pay additional fees such as lab or materials fees or a student activity fee.  The college catalog provides a full list of fees and expenses.

Non-resident Tuition - Additional charge for students who have not lived in Alaska for one full year prior to enrollment.

Deferred Tuition - All fees must be paid in full at the start of a semester.  Deferred tuition is an agreement made with the campus through the Business Office to develop a payment plan for tuition and lab fees.

Fees - Other costs associated with attending the university that are charged to the student.

Fee Payment - The process of paying for or applying financial aid to your cost of attendance.  Students must complete fee payment to confirm their registration.

Financial Aid - Funds available to help students pay for their  tuition and fees.  Applications and additional  requirements must be completed well in advance of the start of school to be eligible.  Check with your financial aid office for details.

Student Loan - A loan for college costs that must be repaid - with interest.  Educational loans generally have long-term repayment schedules, low interest rates, provisions for deferring payments, and often do not need to be repaid until the student has graduated or left school.  Make sure to check all the aspects of a loan - some loans are much better bargains than others.

Grants - Are awarded based on the applicant’s demonstrated financial need and do not need to be paid back as long as the student meets the academic progress requirements of the granting agency.  However, most awards have specific academic standards that students MUST maintain to continue to receive funding.

Scholarships - Are awarded to students on a variety of criteria and, like grants, do not need to be paid back.  Academic achievement, leadership potential, extracurricular involvement, and/or financial need are common criteria for judging applicants.

Satisfactory Academic Progress - In order to continue to receive financial aid from federal and state programs or from institutional funds, the student is required to maintain satisfactory academic progress toward her educational goals.  A detailed list of the requirements is printed in the catalog.

Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) - A collaborative agreement between Western states to allow residents of participating states to attend universities in the program at a reduced tuition (150% of in-state tuition).  Not all schools within each state participate in the program, and each school has the ability to limit the number of participants in this exchange. 

Courses taken at another university and accepted at a student’s new university.

The department responsible for maintenance and security of students’ academic records, developing the course schedule, and posting grades at the end of a semester.  

The academic units in which the university is organized (i.e. School of Business and Public Administration, or the School of Education).

A group of departments whose emphasis is assisting students in both academic and nonacademic matters.

A university-recognized group of students which represents student concerns and provides a variety of activities and services to their fellow students.

An International honorary society for students in associate degree programs that provides opportunities for academic growth as well as fellowship, transfer, and scholarship support.

The office responsible for administering all of the financial aid programs offered at that institution. 

The Business Office deals with the financial aspects of the university.  Most important for students is the fee payment process.

The department of the university that admits new students into degree programs.

Transfer students must have their previous course work from other colleges evaluated.  The previous courses must be from an accredited institution in order to be accepted.  Previous courses could be accepted as degree requirements or electives, depending on the course content.

The document that outlines the days, times, and locations of classes that are offered in a specific academic term.

Upon admission, a student will be required to meet the degree requirements listed in the current catalog in order to graduate.  Students are not required to meet any changes in degree requirements developed by the University and listed in future catalogs unless they choose to do so.

Students with prior or concurrent credit hours at another university.

Campus bookstore where you can purchase books and supplies required for classes.

The Learning Center provides tutorial and testing services to UAS students.