An understanding of some common academic terms is necessary before you attempt to understand the information in this handbook. Become familiar with these terms; they are a part of every college student’s vocabulary.

Academic Advisor: An academic advisor is a faculty or staff member who helps students navigate through four years of college. Advisors guide students in matters such as deciding on a major, using an iCAP, and selecting courses. An academic advisor is assigned to each student and must meet with the advisor each semester prior to registration. Students can locate their advisor in TopNet under “Student Summary Schedule.”

Academic Probation: The academic standing of a student whose college grades are below the standard required to be in good standing.  After being placed on academic probation, a student who fails to earn a 2.0 for that semester will be subject to academic dismissal from WKU.  See the Undergraduate Catalog for details.

Audited Courses:  Students who audit courses gain information but do not earn college credit. Students choosing to audit a class must attend class and make individual arrangements with the instructor regarding attendance, completion of assignments, and examinations. Audited courses can never be used to fulfill the requirements for a degree or certificate.

Blue Book: Special booklets, which are available in the bookstore. Professors often require blue books for examinations.

Undergraduate Catalog:  A university publication, including information such as degrees offered, curricula for various degrees, admission standards, and course descriptions. This document is available online and includes answers to most questions.

College:  An administrative division that coordinates activities of several academic departments. There are six undergraduate colleges at WKU with a dean overseeing each college.

Community College/South Campus: The WKU Bowling Green Community College offers associate degree, diploma and certificate programs. The objectives of the Community College are 1) to offer career-oriented  associate degree programs designed to prepare students for immediate technical or paraprofessional employment; 2) to offer the first two years of a baccalaureate program for those who desire to attend a smaller college; and 3) to offer remedial and developmental education in preparation for college level course work. The emphasis is on providing educational opportunities and access to those opportunities for all members of the learning community.

Course Number: Numbers assigned to courses to show their level of difficulty or depth/breadth of study.  A 100-level course is less difficult or broader in scope than a 200-level course.

Course Pass:  Permission to enroll in a specific section of a restricted course. Most course passes are electronic and entered on the individual student’s record when the department offering the course gives permission.

Course Reference Number (CRN): A five digit number used by our computer system to identify a particular course and section.

Credit Hour:  The amount of academic credit earned for time spent in a classroom or laboratory as a required part of a course. Credit hours earned for a course are not always the same as the total number of hours a student is required to attend lecture or laboratory sessions.

Drop and Add:  The period after the start of an academic term during which students may add or drop courses on TopNet without a fee.

Elective:  A course that may be selected by the student, as opposed to courses required as part of the curriculum for a specific degree. Some elective courses apply toward a degree or certificate.

Finals Week:  Time at the end of the semester when classes do not meet and final exams are given.

Freshman: A student who has completed fewer than 30 hours of college credit.

Full-time Student: A student taking 12 or more credit hours in a semester.

General Education Requirements:  A set of requirements for all students seeking the baccalaureate degree at WKU.  These requirements are in addition to the courses in the student’s areas of specialization (major/minor).

GPA:  Acronym for Grade Point Average. To determine GPA, divide quality points earned by GPA hours.

iCAP (online degree audit):  Displays progress toward your degree requirements.

Incomplete: The grade earned by a student who has not fulfilled all required work in a course by the end of the term. Students who arrange with their instructor to complete the work within a specified time will receive a grade; otherwise, the incomplete changes to an F. Incompletes are designated on TopNet with an “X.”

Major:  A student’s concentrated field of study.

Part-time student:  A student taking fewer than 12 credit hours in a semester.

Pre-Requisite:  A course that must be completed prior to taking another course.

Priority-Registration: A period of time prior to each term during which students may register for classes.

Quality Points: Numerical point values for letter grades (A=4, B=3, etc...) multiplied by the number of GPA hours for a particular course determine the equality points earned for a course. For example, earning an A in a three-semester hour course results in 12 quality points.

Restricted Course:  A course may be restricted to prevent registration by anyone except those meeting certain qualifications. For example, an honors section of a course is restricted to ensure that only students in the Honors Program enroll in the course. An “R” next to the Course Registration Number in TopNet designates a restricted course. Contact the department offering the course for a course pass to enroll.

Syllabus:  Information about a course provided by the instructor within the first week of class including materials required a course outline and grading policy. Syllabi for many courses are sometimes viewable via a link on TopNet.

Transcript: A history of a student’s academic experience, including courses taken, or transferred from other institutions.