Glossary of Academic Terms
It takes time to adjust to a new educational system and a new language. In the American system, homework is usually assigned the first day of class, and students are expected to work hard from the beginning. Most college courses require a great deal of study outside the classroom. The standard guideline is to allow about two hours of study for every hour spent in the classroom. There may be quizzes after a few weeks and mid-term tests within six weeks. While this may be difficult at first, you will find by the end of the semester that this is an advantage because the final grade is not wholly dependent upon the final exam.
Click a topic below to learn more about it.
The Academic Year
Priority Registration
Major and Course Selection
University Studies Program
The Honors Program
Academic Advisor
Syllabus
Papers
Classroom Participation
Examinations
Grades (Marks)
Grade Point Average (GPA)
Graduation
Academic Dishonesty
Suspension
The Academic Year
The academic year at the University of Kentucky is divided into two equal terms called semesters. The fall semester begins in late August and ends in December. The spring semester begins in mid January and ends at the beginning of May. In addition, the University of Kentucky offers two summer terms. The first, a four-week session, begins in the second week of May; the second, an eight-week session, extends from early June to early August.
While international students are required by immigration law to attend school full time, this requirement applies only to the regular academic year covering the fall and spring semesters. They are not required to attend summer school to stay legally in the United States.
Priority Registration
After enrollment at the University of Kentucky, students have the opportunity to register early for the following semester. Priority registration for spring takes place in November; for summer and fall, priority registration is in March or April. Academic advisors usually confer with students regarding courses about two weeks before priority registration begins. Normally, a computer "hold" is placed on each registration; to lift this "hold" students must confer with their advisors to plan their course selections and register.
Major and Course Selection
A "major" is the main field (often department, sometimes college) in which a student chooses to specialize. For example, a student may have a major in history or computer science or electrical engineering. A student may also be called a "major" in a field or department and may be said to be "majoring." Whether at the undergraduate or graduate level, each "major" has particular requirements and usually some choices.
University Studies Program
In addition to one's major, undergraduate students are required to take a core group of courses, known as the University Studies Program. Most of these courses are usually taken during the first two years at the university. Besides basic mathematics, foreign language, inference and communication skills (some of which a transfer student may complete before coming to the university), undergraduates must complete courses in natural and social sciences and the humanities. Students also have cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural requirements. The total credit hours required in University Studies is 39 to 42 hours. The purpose of University Studies is to help students become broadly educated in fields of human knowledge and develop an intellectual base and curiosity that will lead to life-long learning. University Studies also helps students develop their own values and ideas so they can contribute to the political, moral, social, and cultural enrichment of society.
The Honors Program
The specially-appointed faculty in UK's Honors Program offer small, seminar-style classes, in which students acquire essential critical and analytical skills as they discuss and examine the ideas that shape today's world.
Academic Advisor
Within University Studies and within the major, there will be choices to make about which courses to take. Some international students find making these decisions difficult and different because they come from systems where students follow a pre-determined curriculum. Advisors can be particularly helpful in these cases.
It is very important that you be assigned an advisor in your major as soon as possible so you may get assistance in planning your program of study. If you have not been assigned an advisor, inquire in your department or college. Some colleges have professional advisors rather than professors to work with undergraduates. If you are undecided about your major, your advisors will be from the Central Advising Center, located in Miller Hall.
Syllabus
At the beginning of a course, the professor gives each student a syllabus. The syllabus of a course identifies its purpose and scope, describes the pedagogy to be followed, outlines assignments and grading procedures, and makes clear the professor's expectations and policies regarding absences.
Papers
As part of completing the requirements for a particular course, students may be assigned a topic or may choose one themselves to research and write about. The result is called a "paper." To complete some courses, students are required to write more than one paper during the term, in addition to passing some tests or examinations.
In order to write such papers, certain rules for organizing the material must be followed. Several manuals have been devised to provide the new students with guidelines for this purpose. In the paper, students are expected to express their original thoughts and knowledge about the assigned topic and when using quotations or opinions of other writers, to give the author's name in a footnote, which should include the title of the source and the page number. To neglect to do so is considered cheating or "plagiarism" (a term which means copying any content verbatim from a book or from another person's paper), a serious academic offense.
Classroom Participation
Most international students come from countries where professors are revered and seldom challenged. They are looked upon as a source of knowledge and wisdom, and a student's role is fulfilled by receiving this knowledge without questioning it.
In an American classroom, the relationship between student and professor is somewhat different. Students generally are encouraged to voice their opinions and to participate in the discussion of the subject matter. This contribution is expected and highly valued. Therefore, even if you are not accustomed to speaking out in class, try to participate; the different viewpoint you bring will not only enrich the educational experience of others in the class, but may contribute to your final grade as well.
Examinations
Most international students come from countries where an examination is given only at the end of the school year. In an American classroom, short tests called "quizzes" are very common. They are designed to provide feedback to the professor about how the students are absorbing the material. In addition to these quizzes, other tests or examinations are given, usually at midterm and at the end of the semester. Thus, students must study throughout the term and not leave everything until a few days before the final examination.
"Objective Tests" are widely used to determine students' knowledge of the subject matter. These can take the following forms:
Multiple Choice - Several answers are given to a particular question and the student is asked to select the correct one.
True of False - A statement is provided and the student is asked to decide whether that statement is true or false.
Matching - The student is asked to match words, phrases or statements from two different columns.
Fill in the Blank - The student is asked to define a particular term or phrase or asked to fill in the blanks left in a phrase or statement to complete properly.
Essays - Most foreign students are accustomed to answering questions by writing essays of varying lengths. Such essay questions are common here, as well, especially in the Graduate School.
Grades (Marks)
The general marking system at the University of Kentucky uses a series of letters to which are assigned grade-point values. For most colleges, the marking system is:
- Grade A represents exceptionally high achievement as a result of aptitude, effort and intellectual initiative. It is valued at 4 grade points for each credit hour.
- Grade B represents a high achievement as a result of ability and effort. It is valued at 3 grade points for each credit hour.
- Grade C represents average achievement. It is valued at 2 grade points for each credit hour.
- Grade D represents the minimum passing grade (not to be used for graduate students). It is valued at 1 grade point for each credit hour.
- Grade E represents unsatisfactory performance and indicates failure in the course. It is valued at 0 grade point for each credit hour.
- Grade F represents failure in a course taken on a pass-fail basis.
- Grade I (Incomplete) means that part of the regularly assigned work of the course remains undone. It is given only when it is reasonable to assume that the student could complete the work within the allowable time and that a passing grade will result from completion of the work.
- Grade P represents a passing grade in a course taken on a Pass-Fail basis.
- Grade S represents satisfactory work in progress or the final grade in a course carrying no academic credit.
- Grade W (Withdrew) is assigned when a student officially withdraws from a course before the deadline.
Students in Architecture, Law or Medicine have a slightly different system of grading. Please consult the University Bulletin.
Grade Point Average (GPA)
The grade point average is the ratio of the number of points gained to the number of credits attempted in a given semester. For example, suppose you are registered for two courses, a 2-credit course and a 3-credit course. You receive a B in the 2-credit course and an A in the 3-credit course. The B would be worth 6 points overall (3 grade points by 2 credit hours), while the A would be worth 12 points overall (4 grade points by 3 credit hours). The sum of these two products--18 divided by the number of credit hours (5)--provides your grade point average, in this case 3.6.
Cumulative grade point average is the grade point average the student earns for all course work attempted throughout an entire program of study for a specific degree. It is important to note that when calculating a cumulative GPA, the grades of P, S and W are ignored.
Graduation
Depending on the number of hours spent in the classroom or the laboratory, each course is assigned a number of credits. To graduate, a student must accumulate a specific number of credits and maintain a specific Grade Point Average. Undergraduate students must have maintained at least a 2.0 GPA (in some colleges higher) before they can graduate, while graduate students must have a 3.0 GPA before they can graduate.
Academic Dishonesty
Academic dishonesty is a very serious offense in the United States, so it is important to understand what behavior constitutes dishonesty in the U.S. academic system. Examples of dishonesty are cheating and plagiarism.
Cheating is defined as copying or taking answers or material from someone else, either on computers, homework or examinations. Presenting work done by someone else as your own. Giving or taking answers on examinations (even to or from a friend).
Plagiarism is defined as using the words, ideas or computer programs of another author in your paper or oral presentation without acknowledging the source or allowing someone to use your words, ideas or computer program.
For many international students, plagiarism is an unfamiliar concept, but ignorance of the rule is not an adequate defense. Because plagiarism is so serious that it may result in your failure, it is very important to consult your professor about forms of citation before you submit a paper. (See Student Rights and Responsibilities. Ask for a copy either in OIA or the Ombud's Office, 109 Bradley Hall.)
REMEMBER: If you copy the words of others, you must place quotation marks around the passage and cite the source to avoid plagiarism.
If you paraphrase (put in your own words) another's ideas, you must also identify the source of those ideas. (Inquire of your professor for the exact form to use.)
Suspension
Students who are suspended from the university -- for an academic reason or otherwise -- may not stay legally in the U.S. during the duration of suspension. Students who suspect that they might be suspended at the end of the academic term should check their academic status with their respective colleges before leaving the country on vacation.
If they return and discover that they have been suspended, they will lose their student status, and their stay in the U.S. will be considered illegal. To regain student status would then involve leaving the country and re-entering again when the suspension is lifted.