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Glossary of Academic Terms

We are frequently asked what the following terms mean.  Here are the answers.

• ACADEMIC PENALTY DEADLINE
  Last day to change registration or to withdraw from courses without penalty. After this date, students need the instructor’s and the assistant dean’s approval to change their registrations. Documented extenuating circumstances required to withdraw from a course after this deadline.
• AUDITOR "Au" (LISTENER "L")
  Registration in a course without credit or grade. Class attendance required. Registration as Auditor is counted the same as registration for credit for the purpose of determining course load.
• CLASSIFICATION (STUDENT)
  A student's year (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior) is based on the number of earned credit hours. Students with 27 or fewer credits earned toward the degree will be classified as freshmen; 28 to 59 credits as sophomores; 60 to 89 credits as juniors; and 90 or more credits as seniors.
• COREQUISITE
  A course that must be taken at the same time as another course. A corequisite course may also have been taken as a prerequisite.
• COURSE LOAD
  A normal course load for a full-time undergraduate student consists of four or five academic courses (12-17 credits). All full-time students must be registered for a minimum of 12 credit hours.
• CREDIT HOURS OR UNITS
  Each course carries a specific number of credit hours which generally equates to the number of hours per week that class will meet for a standard lecture class. Most courses are three credit hours, however, there are some exceptions.
• CROSS-LISTED COURSE
  A cross-listed course is interdisciplinary in nature and therefore is listed as a course offered under two or more departments.
• CUMULATIVE INDEX  (GRADE POINT AVERAGE)
  A number that represents the average of all earned grades. The cumulative index is computed by dividing the total number of quality points by the total number of quality hours. Courses taken at another institution are not included in the student's cumulative index.
• (CURC) COMMITTEE ON UNDERGRADUATE RECORDS/CERTIFICATION
  Referred to as CURC (“Kirk”), this committee implements University policy regarding scholastic standing. Specifically, the committee reviews the records of matriculated students after each fall and spring semester, and investigates petitions regarding scholastic standing, which may be submitted by students prior to graduation. Students must submit petitions through their academic dean's office. For more information, see www.udel.edu/provost/curc.html.
• DEAN'S LIST
  Students, who in a term, complete 12 or more credits, receive passing grades in all courses, and earn a term index of 3.33 or better are placed on the Dean's List.
• DEFICIT POINTS (QUALITY POINT DEFICIT)
  A student with a GPA below 2.0 will have quality point deficits. The quality point deficit may be determined by subtracting the cumulative number of quality points from twice the cumulative number of quality hours.
• DEGREE PROGRESS REPORT
  A tool that is available on UDSIS. It allows students to monitor their progress toward completion of degree requirements. It is also referred to as “Academic Progress Report”.
• DELCAT
  The online catalog of the UD Morris Library and the four branch libraries.
• DISCOVERY LEARNING EXPERIENCE (DLE)
  All UD students are required to participate in 3 credits of a DLE. A DLE is experiential learning which involves instructional experiences out-of-class and beyond typical curriculum courses. DLEs can include internships, study abroad, service learning, independent study and undergraduate research.
• DISMISSED
  A student with a quality-point deficit of more than 12.99 points will be dismissed for academic deficiency pending review by the Committee on Undergraduate Records and Certification (CURC).
• DUPLICATE CREDIT
  Courses may be counted only once towards a degree. Courses repeated to improve a passing grade may not be counted a second time towards the minimum total credit hours required. Certain courses offered in a sequence will not be counted towards a degree if taken in reverse order of difficulty (i.e. Math 115 would not be acceptable if taken after Math 221).
• FAMILY EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS AND PRIVACY ACT OF 1974 (FERPA)
  This federal law establishes requirements for several aspects pertaining to students' records, including the release of information and grades. In the majority of circumstances, student consent must be requested before information pertaining to their academic history is disclosed to others. For more information please visit the University Registrar website.
• FIRST YEAR EXPERIENCE
  The First Year Experience Program is designed to provide freshmen with the essential strategies and information they will need to have a successful freshman year. All first year students participate in at least one First Year Seminar.
• FREE DROP/ADD
  A designated period of time at the beginning of each semester where students are permitted to make changes to their schedule and no fee is charged. Freshman students should see their advisor before making any registration changes.
• GRADE POINT AVERAGE (G.P.A.)
  See cumulative index.
• GRADE POINTS or QUALITY POINTS
  The numerical value assigned to a letter grade per credit unit. For example: a letter grade of “A” is worth 4 quality points, a “B+” is worth 3.33 quality points, an “F” “X” or “Z” are worth 0 quality points. The undergraduate catalog has a list of all letter grade/numeric equivalents. The total number of points are used as the numerator (top number of a fraction) when determining a student's GPA.
• GRADUATION DATE
  The expected term of degree completion listed in the UDSIS personal access system. Each semester, it is critical that students check this date for accuracy since it impacts advisement, degree completion and graduation mailings.
• INCOMPLETE "I" GRADE
  The "I" grade is a temporary grade given, at the discretion of the instructor, for incomplete assignments, absences from final or other examinations, or any other course work not completed by the end of the semester. Incomplete work must be completed no later than the end of the first two weeks of the fall or spring semester immediately following the semester in which the incomplete ("I") grade was given.
• INDEPENDENT STUDY
  Credits earned by working on an independent research or reading project supervised by a faculty member. See your department for more information.
• LISTENER "L" (AUDITOR "Au")
  See "Auditor" definition.
• MATRICULATED
  Any student officially admitted and enrolled at the University. Students will lose matriculation if 15 months have passed without registering for classes.
• MID-TERM GRADE REPORT
  Freshmen are issued mid-term grade reports at the end of the seventh week of each semester. These grade reports are intended to be used by the student for academic advising purposes only and do not become a part of the student's permanent academic record.
• MINORS
  Offered in more than 50 areas, minors provide programs of study less intensive and comprehensive than a major. You can find a comprehensive list of minors along with procedures to declare a minor in the Undergraduate Catalog.
• MULTICULTURAL COURSE
  A University requirement for graduation. Students need 3 credits of approved course- work stressing multicultural, ethnic and/or gender related content. Only course sections that are designated as multicultural in the Undergraduate Catalog can be used to fulfill this requirement.
• OVERLOAD
  A student may obtain permission from their advisor and the Assistant Dean for Student Services (104 TNS) to register for an increased credit load (18 or more credits) provided the student has a cumulative index of 2.5 and an index of 3.0 for the preceding semester. In no instance shall a student be permitted to register for more than 22 credits including registration as pass/fail or listener.
• PART-TIME
  The status of a student registered for fewer than twelve credits during a regular semester.
• PASS/FAIL
  Undergraduate students may choose to take one elective course on a pass/fail basis each term. A letter grade is not given; the student either passes or fails. Credits earned in this way count only as free electives, not as fulfilling specific requirements. The total number of credits taken on a pass/fail basis may not exceed 24 in the baccalaureate degree program excluding courses that are graded pass/fail only. A failing grade under the pass/fail option will be counted in the cumulative index.
• PREREQUISITE
  A course that must be completed prior to taking another course.
• PROBATION (ACADEMIC)
  The Committee on Undergraduate Records and Certification (CURC) places students on Academic Probation according to their GPA and number of earned credit hours. Students on probation may not register for more than four academic courses or up to 14 credit hours. Students are also placed in the UCanDoIt probation support program.
• READING DAY
  Usually the day before final exams when no exams or classes are scheduled. There also can be Reading Days scheduled during the week of final exams.
• READMISSION
  Students who allowed their matriculation to lapse more than 15 months without registering for classes or were academically dismissed must apply for readmission.  A student must have a cumulative GPA of at least a 2.0 to be eligible for readmission to the University. Contact your assistant dean for information.
• REGISTRATION APPOINTMENT
  Based on student classification, students are given a specifically designated timeframe during which they may register for classes for the upcoming sessions/semesters. You may only begin to register at your designated appointment time. To find your appointment time, login to UDSIS and click the "Registration Appointment" link.
• RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT
  Each student must complete either 90 of the first 100 credits, or 30 of the last 36 credits at the University of Delaware to satisfy graduation requirements.
• SAKAI
  This web application allows instructors and students to upload and exchange course materials, assignments, and important announcements online. Instructors will notify students in-class if SAKAI will be used for that particular course. SAKAI can be accessed by logging in with a UDelNet ID and password.
• SEAT CLAIM POLICY
  Unless excused by the faculty member, students holding a confirmed assigned seat in a class will have relinquished their seat if they have not personally appeared in class to claim the seat by the third meeting for a class scheduled to meet three times a week, by the second meeting for a class scheduled twice a week, by the third meeting of a class scheduled to meet five times a week, or by the second meeting for a class scheduled once a week. If the student does not claim the seat within the time limit specified above, and does not drop the course, the instructor has the option of giving their seat to another student and assigning the student a grade of "Z" at the end of the term. See "Z" grade.
• SEMESTER
  A 14-week period of study. There are 2 semesters in an academic year.
• STUDENT CLASSIFICATION
  A student's year (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior) is based on the number of earned credit hours. Students with 27 or fewer credits earned toward the degree will be classified as freshmen; 28 to 59 credits as sophomores; 60 to 89 credits as juniors; and 90 or more credits as seniors.
• SUMMER SESSION
  Optional 5, 7 -1/2and 10 week academic sessions held during the summer months.
• SYLLABUS
  A document provided by professors at the beginning of each semester outlining the main topics and requirements for a course.
• T.A. (TEACHING ASSISTANT)
  A graduate or undergraduate student with teaching responsibilities.
• TRANSCRIPT
  An official copy of a student's academic record available through the Registrar's Office.
• TRANSFER CREDIT EVALUATION
  Students enrolled at UD who wish to receive credit for work that will be taken at another accredited institution must complete a Transfer Credit Evaluation form. Start by visiting the University Transfer Center in the Student Services Building.
• UCanDoIt
  UCanDoIt is an advisement program for students placed on academic probation (GPA under 2.0) or students with a semester GPA of < 2.0. Latoya Watson, Undergraduate Services Coordinator, provides probation support and guidance for CANR students. Support includes: a GPA improvement calculation, referral to appropriate resources, and periodic appointments to discuss academic progress. To schedule an appointment, please contact her via phone at (302)831-2508 or e-mail at latoya@udel.edu.
• UD ONLINE
  University credit classes offered through an alternative format (video, Web, CD-Rom). Available to all UD students although some (including freshmen) need special permission to enroll. Course material, level of work and amount of credit is the same as that of a live class. Not all University courses offered through this option. 
• UDSIS STUDENT CENTER
  The screen in the UD Student Information System (UDSIS) where students can view academic, financial, personal and housing/dining information. You can access transcripts, grades, schedules, registration and more from this screen.
• UNITS TAKEN or QUALITY HOURS
  The sum of all units taken from courses in which a student is awarded a letter grade of A through F (or Z). Units taken is used as the denominator (bottom number of a fraction) when determining a student's grade point average. For example: a first year student who completed 12 credits in the fall and 14 credits in the spring would have a total of 26 units taken or quality hours.
• WINTER SESSION
  Optional five week academic session between the fall and spring semesters where up to 7 credits may be earned.
• "X" GRADE
  A grade received for academic dishonesty. This grade is counted the same way an F would count towards the cumulative average.
• "Z" GRADE
  A grade received when a student fails to officially withdraw from a course. This grade is counted exactly the same way that an F would count towards the cumulative average.