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S

sabbatical- period of leave from teaching; often used for research.

SAT- Scholastic Aptitude Test; measures aptitude in mathematics, verbal comprehension and problem solving.  Taken by students in their junior and/or senior year of high school.  Required by many colleges as a condition of admission.

schedule of classes- published list of classes offered; details days and time of class meetings, instructor, class location, etc.

scholarship- money awarded to a student based on need, merit or other criteria.

school- academic division within a university; for example, school of arts and letters.

semester- a period lasting about 15 weeks or half an academic year; typically there are fall and spring semesters.

semester system- division of the academic year into two parts or semesters.  a fall and spring term of fifteen weeks each. A summer session is seven weeks.

seminar- course; typically for graduate students.

senior- student in the fourth year of studies; has completed 90 or more credit hours.

SEOG- Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant; federal grant for undergraduates with extraordinary financial need.

SLEP- Second Language English Placement Test.

social sciences- disciplines that study human interaction such as history, political science, sociology, and anthropology.

sophomore- student in the second year of studies; has completed 30-59 credit hours.

sorority- social organization with female student members

Stafford Loan- federally guaranteed student loan; can be need or non-need based.

standing (academic)- student's scholastic standing; based on GPA.

statement of purpose- a.k.a. personal statement or letter of intent; essay submitted as part of the admission application; usually required for graduate studies; subject matter centers around applicants' goals and aspirations.

student activities- extracurricular activities.

student council- student governing body made of elected members.

student union- campus building used for social and recreational activities.

student-teacher ratio- total students divided by total faculty; important metric for comparing institutions.

subjective test- exam requiring answers in the form of essays or sentences; usually seeks beliefs or opinions as opposed to factual information.

summa cum laude- highest of three honors awarded to graduating students for exceptional grades; typically requires 3.8+ GPA.

summer session- term conducted during the summer.

suspension- temporary expulsion.

syllabus- outline of a class prepared by its teacher; usually features course topics and test dates well as readings and other requirements.

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T

take-home exam- test completed by students outside the classroom; typically students are allowed to use all available resources to complete the examination.

TBA- to be announced; to be arranged.

tenure- permanent employment status

term- divisions of the school year.

term paper- essay or report assignment; usually due to be completed by the end of a term or semester.

test- collection of questions and/or problems used to evaluate a student's understanding of course material.

three quarter-time student- student carrying three-fourths of a full course load; for undergraduates, usually 9 credit hours a semester.

TOEFL- Test Of English as a Foreign Language; assesses English proficiency; common requirement for international students persuing studies in the US.

transcript- official record of a student's courses and grades.

transfer student- a student who enrolls after previously attending another school.

transferability- credit for a class taken at one institution can be accepted at another institution.

true or false exam- test with questions the correct answers for which are either "true" or "false".

tuition- the money charged for course instruction.

tutor- superior or advanced student who helps other students with course material.

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U

undergraduate studies- studies leading to an associate's or bachelor's degree.

university- higher education institution usually offering graduate degrees and organized into various schools.

upper division course- course intended for juniors and seniors.

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V

visiting faculty- temporary teaching staff who come from another institution.

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W-Z

waiver- permission for a student to omit a normally required course.

web registration- registering for classes via the Internet.

web-based classes- classes conducted via the Internet instead of in a physical classroom.

William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan- federal loan funded directly by US Department of Education.

withdrawal- official removal from enrollment in a course; usually signified by a "W" in student records; tuition may or may not be accompanied by a refund.

work-study program- aid program providing students with part-time employment on campus.

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