Academic Terminology Glossary

We’re sure you know being on the Dean’s Honour Roll is a good thing ... but there can be a lot of other lingo used in the post-secondary world. This A to Z guide should help to make sense of the terminology you’ll read in the Academic Calendar and hear while you’re attending RDC.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Academic Term: The academic year is separated into terms; summer term from July to August, fall term from September to December, winter term from January to April and spring term from May to June. For important dates within the academic term, visit the academic schedule of the Academic Calendar.

Academic Advisors: Individuals who provide information and advice to students regarding their program, major, course selections or other academic concerns.

Academic Appeals: Students may appeal any academic decision made by a faculty member or administrator. Academic Advisors, the Counselling and Learning Support Centre and the Students’ Association can provide information and assistance with academic appeals at all levels including informal appeals, formal appeals, appealing a grade or academic standing or fee appeals. All appeals are submitted in person to the Registrar’s Office. See the Academic Appeal policy called Student Dispute, Appeal and Misconduct Processes Standard Practice.

Academic Calendar: The College calendar contains the official information a student needs to know, such as: academic regulations and policies, tuition fees and program costs, course descriptions and important dates and deadlines. It also contains detailed information on all programs offered at RDC, including admission and graduation requirements. The electronic calendar is the official RDC calendar.

Academic Credit Weight: The quantitative measurement assigned to a course.

Academic Program: A set of courses, a number of which may be mandatory and of specialized nature, leading toward a particular program parchment.

Academic Schedule: Contains the important dates that a student needs to be aware of, such as: the last day to add or drop courses for a term, the last day to pay tuition fees for a term, the last day to withdraw from courses for a term, the first and last day of classes for a term, the final exam dates for a term, etc. Visit the academic schedule of the Academic Calendar.

Academic Standing: The standards that are set for academic performance during a given term. See the Academic policy called Academic Standing.

Academic Warning: An academic standing at the end of a term in which a student has a GPA between 1.00 and 1.69, except when the student was on Academic Warning in the previous term. See the Academic policy called Academic Standing.

Adding a Course: A student may, prior to the specified deadline, add a course/s. Consider the implications of adding a course and be aware of the deadlines published in the academic schedule for adding a course!

• Will this affect your funding?
• Will this change your part-time or full-time enrolment status?
• Will this affect your eligibility to graduate?
• Will this affect your eligibility to transfer to the University you have selected?
• When will the course be offered again?
• Do you require approval from your Chairperson or an Academic Advisor to add a course?

Address: Always ensure that the College has the correct address information. The mailing address is where you will live while attending school and the permanent address is normally the home of your parents. RDC will send most correspondence to the mailing address and at the end of the year will send any further information to the permanent address.

Admission or Readmission: Acceptance of a student in a specified program of study.

Advanced Placement: Advanced Placement recognizes learning that enables students to waive a course prerequisite and register directly into a higher-level course, or acknowledges that the desired learning outcomes have been achieved in an equivalent course. Advanced Placement is applicable for students transferring courses across programs within RDC. For more information, visit the Test Centre and Assessment webpage.

Alumnus: A graduate of a college or university.

Audit: To audit means to attend a course without doing assignments, receiving credit or writing exams. A grade of AU will appear on your transcript. NOTE: This grade is not acceptable for transfer credit. For more information on auditing a course, refer to the Academic Calendar.

Bachelor’s Degree: Also known as a Baccalaureate. The formal name for a 3 or 4 year undergraduate degree. Requirements for degrees will vary depending on the standards of each institution. A Bachelor’s degree at RDC is generally the first two years of a university transfer program.

Billing Credit: The total number of billing credits of the course multiplied by the specified tuition and Students’ Association fees (other special fees as required) will determine the tuition value of the course.

Certificate: A certificate is a program that is usually up to one year long. The term is also used to describe the parchment that is granted at the end of a one year program.

Challenge a Course: The procedure whereby a student may seek credit in a certain course without actually taking the course. For more information on challenging a course, visit the Test Centre and Assessment Services webpage.

Contact Hours: The total number of hours of instruction to which a student is obligated for a specific course. This number includes weekly lectures, labs and/or seminars as well as other irregularly scheduled requirements.

Convocation/Graduation: A day set aside to celebrate the completion of your certificate, diploma, university transfer or apprenticeship program. The date of convocation is located in the Academic schedule of the calendar.

Co-requisite Course: A course that must be taken at the same time as another course because the content of the two courses is closely linked and interdependent.

Course Load: The number of courses a student is taking. The maximum suggested full time course load for one term is five courses.

Course Reference Number (CRN): This number identifies a course in the timetable. When filling out registration forms or registering on-line, this number is required.

Cross-listed Course: A course listed for credit that is offered at the same time, same room, and same instructor as another different course listed for credit.

Curriculum: Curriculum is all the courses required in order to graduate from your program of study.

Dean’s Honour Roll: If you achieve a grade point average (GPA) of 3.50 or higher with a minimum of 9 credits in a term (6 credits for Spring term), this notation will appear on your RDC transcript and you will receive a congratulatory letter from the Dean of Student Services.

Deadline: A date by which specific actions/requirements must be satisfied such as add/drop deadlines.

Deferred Final Exam: An examination written by a student, with permission from the Registrar’s Office, subsequent to the regular time of writing.

Department: Most faculties are divided up into departments that correspond to subjects and disciplines. For example, psychology is a discipline within the Department of Humanities.

Diploma: A diploma is a program that is usually two years long. The term is also used to describe the parchment that is granted at the end of a two year program.

Discipline: A subject area or branch of knowledge.

Distance Learning: The name used for classes that go beyond the bounds of the traditional classroom.

Dropping a Course: A student may, prior to the specified deadline, drop a course/s. Dropped courses do not appear on a student’s transcript. Consider the implications of dropping a course and be aware of the deadlines published in the academic schedule for dropping a course!

• Will this affect your funding?
• Will this change your part-time or full-time enrolment status?
• Will this affect your eligibility to graduate?
• Will this affect your eligibility to transfer to the University you have selected?
• When will the course be offered again?
• Do you require approval from your Chairperson or an Academic Advisor to drop a course?  

Elective (also called an Option): This is an opportunity for you to take courses from other subjects which interest you. Some conditions may apply.

Entrance Requirements: The academic background (general high school courses) necessary for admission to a particular program of study.

Faculty: The academic teaching staff of an institution.

Final Grades: Grades recorded on the official transcript for completed courses. Grades may be obtained by utilizing the personal student web account.

Full Year Course: A course that extends over two consecutive College terms for a total of 30 weeks. Billing credits are charged in the term the course starts and academic credits are assigned in the term the course ends.

Full-Time Student: Full-Time students take 30% or more of the actual full year program load per term (normally 3-5 courses per term).

• Student loan: You must take 60% of a full course load (normally 9 academic credits and 3 courses per term). In the spring term, you may be eligible if you take a minimum of 2 courses and 6 academic credits.
• Athletic eligibility: You must take a minimum of 9 academic credits per term. In the spring term, you may be eligible if you take a minimum of 2 courses and 6 academic credits.

Good Standing: An academic standing at the end of a term in which a student has a GPA of 2.0 or greater. See the Academic policy called Academic Standing.

Grade Point Average (GPA): A grade point average is arrived at by taking your course grade and converting it to a grade point (see Grading Policy under Standard Practices and Policies for conversion scale). Each grade point is then multiplied by the course’s weighting factor to give a total grade point for that course. The sum of your total grade points is then divided by the sum of the weighting factors to give your grade point average. 

Major: A primary area of study in a degree program.

Minor: A secondary area of study that may or may not be required for your degree.

Part-Time Student: Part-Time students take less than 30% of the actual full year program load in a term (normally less than 3 courses per term).

Plagiarism: The submission by a student of the writings, ideas or data of another individual as the student’s own in any essay or assignment. Avoid the consequences of plagiarism by giving proper references to your sources.

Practicum: Work experience requirement within a specific program of study.

Pre-Requisite Course: A course that must be completed before a student is eligible to begin another course. Students are responsible for ensuring that they have completed any prerequisites required for all courses in which they are registered.

President’s Honour Roll: If you achieve a grade point average (GPA) of 3.50 or higher with a minimum of 15 credits in a term (9 credits for Spring term), this notation will appear on your RDC transcript and you will receive a congratulatory letter from the President of RDC. See the Academic policy called Academic Standing.

Probation: An academic standing at the end of a term in which a student has a GPA of 0.00 to 0.99 or a GPA of 1.00 to 1.69 and was on Academic Warning in the prior term or an F grade in Nursing or Nursing Diploma clinical courses. See the Academic policy called Academic Standing.

Reading Week: A break near the middle of the second term designed to allow students to catch up on outstanding reading and to prepare for the upcoming exams.

Registration: The process of choosing, enrolling in and paying fees for courses taken in a term.

Required to Withdraw: An academic standing at the end of a term in which a student has a GPA of 0.00 to 0.99 and was on Academic Warning in the prior term or a GPA of 0.00 to 1.69 and was on Probation in the prior term or inappropriate or dangerous behaviour or performance in a practicum or work experience course. See the Academic policy called Academic Standing.

Reserved Course: A reserved course is one that is temporarily set aside for students in a particular program. While the reserve is in effect, a non-program student can not access the course. Reserves are normally removed from courses beginning in July.

Residency Requirement: In order to qualify for a RDC program credential, students must complete 25% of the credit requirements for the credential through enrollment in RDC courses. Please note that some RDC programs may have a different residency requirement.

Restricted Course: A restricted course is one that is restricted to ONLY those students in a particular program. A non-program student can not access the course and restrictions are not lifted.

Satisfactory Standing: An academic standing at the end of a term in which a student has a GPA of 1.70 to 1.99. See the Academic policy called Academic Standing.

Schedule: A listing of your courses including the days of the week, times, room numbers and instructors.

Section: The different classes offered for a single subject. For example, at RDC, we offer many sections of first year English.

Student Rights and Responsibilities: Be sure to be aware of your rights and responsibilities as a student. They are located on the Standard Practices and Policies webpage listed as Students Rights and Responsibilities.

TBA: Stands for ‘to be announced’. This generally means that an Instructor has not been assigned to teach the course yet.

Term: The academic session is divided into three regular terms; fall term from September to December, winter term from January to April and spring term from May to June.

Timetable: The electronic listing of all courses offered for a particular term can be located on the RDC Timetable.

Traditional Learning: Courses taught on-campus in a traditional classroom setting.

Transcript:

• Official: Transcripts of all academic history of a student are considered official when they bear the seal of the issuing institution and when they are sent directly from the issuing institution to the receiving institution.
• Unofficial: Transcripts of all academic history of a student are considered unofficial when issued directly to the student.

Transfer Credit: Credit granted toward a degree for work completed at another recognized institution.

Transfer Guide: The Alberta Transfer Guide is a record, by year, of transfer agreements between Alberta post-secondary institutions. The guide indicates how courses or programs taken at Alberta colleges will be accepted by universities or other colleges in Alberta. While a course may transfer to an institution, it is the responsibility of the student to ensure that it is appropriate for the program they are in. The Alberta Transfer Guide is available online at www.acat.gov.ab.ca.

Tuition: The cost of a course based on the number of billing credits of the course.

Unclassified Student: A student who is not formally admitted to a specific program but is allowed to take a maximum of two courses per term.

Undergraduate: An undergraduate student is one who has been admitted to, and is working toward, completing a Bachelor’s degree.

Visiting Student: A student who is enrolled in a program at another recognized post secondary institution and who presents a letter of permission to take courses specified in the letter. 

WebCT: There are courses offered at RDC that have a WebCT component. WebCT functions as a virtual classroom – the place students go to pick up additional resources, assignments, reviews, quizzes, unofficial grades, etc. Instructors also may create a calendar for the course to remind students about important dates, etc. The instructor for the course with a WebCT component will explain to the students how it works.

Withdraw from a Course: A student may, prior to the specified deadline, withdraw from a course. These courses will remain on a student’s transcript with a grade code of WD. There is no academic penalty for a grade of WD and it is not included in any GPA calculations. Consider the implications of withdrawing from a course and be aware of the deadlines published in the academic schedule for withdrawing!

• Will this affect your funding?
• Will this change your part-time or full-time enrolment status?
• Will this affect your eligibility to graduate?
• Will this affect your eligibility to transfer to the University you have selected?
• When will the course be offered again?
• Do you require approval from your Chairperson or an Academic Advisor to withdraw from a course?