College Lingo
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
A
Academic Advisor: a faculty or staff member who helps students understand academic requirements, connect
with campus resources, and assist in selecting courses
Academic Calendar: a calendar that outlines all important dates and deadlines (ex. last day to withdraw
and priority registration)
Academic Map: a personalized plan that identifies which courses a student should take each semester
in their chosen major
Academic Good Standing: when a student maintains at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA
Academic Probation: when a student’s cumulative GPA falls below a 2.0; students can still enroll in classes
but must earn a minimum 2.0 semester GPA to prevent from being placed on suspension
Academic Suspension: when a probation student fails to earn at least a 2.0 semester GPA; student must
sit out one regular semester (fall/spring)
Accessibility Services: advocates for students with identified disability who seek academic accommodations;
students must self-identify by submitting appropriate documentation
Associate Degree: a two-year degree; generally offered by community colleges as a stepping-stone toward
obtaining a bachelor’s degree
B
Bachelor’s Degree: a four-year degree; consists of a core set of general education courses and a concentrated
set of courses in a single subject or academic discipline
Blue Book: a thin workbook of plain loose-leaf paper with a blue cover; typically used for essay
tests; available in the Student Government Office (SGA) or the Bookstore
C
Canvas: an online platform allowing access to course learning materials and assignments
Career Services: an office on campus that helps students prepare for and find employment; offers resume’
workshops and career fairs; utilized mainly by junior and senior level students
College of Honors and Excellence (CHE): includes the Office of First-Year Success, Academic & Career Exploration (ACE), the Honors Program, and the Tinsley Learning Center
Classification: determined by the number of credit hours earned
- Freshman 0-29 credit hours
- Sophomore 30-59 credit hours
- Junior 60-89 credit hours
- Senior 90+ credit hours
Code of Conduct: the university’s official rules and behaviors students are expected to follow
College: academic division of the University headed by a Dean; made up of multiple academic
departments; Southeastern has five colleges:
- Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
- Business
- Education
- Nursing and Health Sciences
- Science and Technology
- Honors and Excellence
Concentration: a specialty within a major
Credit Hours: units acquired for completed coursework which are applied toward a degree; many courses
are three credit hours
Cub Cash: money associated with a meal plan that can only be used at campus dining facilities
Curriculum: the specified courses necessary to complete a degree
D
Dean: the administrative head of the College; makes all final decisions related to academic
matters within the College
Dean’s List: full-time students who achieve a semester grade point average of 3.2 to 3.499, with
no grade below C
Department: academic unit within a College focusing on certain academic disciplines
Department Head: the administrative leader of a department; responsible for all activities at the
departmental level
Drop/Add Period: period of time at the beginning of the semester when students can add or drop courses
without financial or academic consequences, typically the first 1-2 days of the semester
Division for Student Affairs: the non-academic division of the Univeristy offering services and opportunities for
student development
E
Elective: a course students choose to enroll based on their personal interest; electives are
not a part of every curriculum
Entrance Loan Counseling: an online process all students must complete in order to receive loans
Exit Loan Counseling: an online process all students who received loans must complete if they graduate,
drop below half-time, or resign from the University
F
Fall Semester: August through December
Finals: the last major grade/test administered in a course; typically scheduled the last
week of the semester
Financial Aid: scholarships, grants, and loans students use to pay for school
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA): the free online application for federal financial aid
Full-time student: student enrolled in at least 12 credit hours in the Fall or Spring, or 6 credit hours
in Summer
G
General Education: courses that offer a broad base of academic knowledge for a well-rounded education
GET Account: online portal or mobile App for adding Cub Cash or Lion’s Lagniappe to students’
accounts
Grant: financial aid that typically does not have to be repaid
H
Honor Roll: full-time students who achieve a semester grade point average of 3.0 to 3.199, with
no grade below C
Honors Program: a curricular program that leads to an honors degree in a field of study
L
LeoNet: the online portal students use to register courses, check financial aid, etc.
Lion’s Lagniappe: allows students to load money onto their student ID and use as a on-campus debit
card
M
Major: a primary degree path providing skills and knowledge toward a specific academic discipline
or career path
Master Promissory Note: a contract which states a student who receives loans must promise to repay all loan
amounts and agree to the terms and conditions of the loans; must be electronically
signed by student before loans can be awarded
Minor: a secondary academic area in which student can choose to gain skills and knowledge
in a field separate from their major
My Den: the area of Southeastern’s website where students can access many important resources
including LeoNet, Moodle, Webmail, etc.
O
Office for Student Engagement: the office which offers opportunities for students to get involved on campus
Office Hours: the hours that a faculty member is available to assist with student questions: typically
posted on the class syllabus or office door
P
Part-time student: a student enrolled in fewer than 12 credit hours in the Fall or Spring, or fewer
than 6 credit hours in Summer
Plagiarism: using someone else’s work, whether directly quoted or summarized, without crediting
the source; results in serious consequences
Prerequisite: course(s) or condition(s) required before enrolling in another course (ex. Engl 101
is a prerequisite for Engl 102)
President’s List: full-time students who achieve a semester grade point average of 3.5 or higher, with
no grade below C
Priority Registration: a designated week each semester when students who have already been advised and do
have not registration holds can register courses for the following semester; priority
is assigned in order of classification
R
Registration Hold: a “hold” on a student’s LeoNet account which prevents registration; types of holds
include financial, disciplinary, or academic
Resign: withdraw from all courses during the semester; students must obtain Resignation Form
from Enrollment Services
S
Satisfactory Academic Progress: a progression policy students must follow to maintain eligibility for financial aid
Scantron: used for multiple choice testing; has bubbles to be filled in with pencil; available
for free in the Student Government Office (SGA) or for purchase at the University
Bookstore.
Scholarship: a financial award based on academic or other achievement or financial need
Section Number: the number assigned to a specific section of a course during registration
Semester: the specific time period classes are taken within the academic year; Fall and Spring
are 16 weeks, Summer is 8 weeks
Spring Semester: January through May
Student Employment Network: a site that connects students with career planning resources, career counseling services,
and on- and off-campus employment
Study Abroad: a university program allowing students to take courses while visiting a different
country
Subsidized Loan: a loan in which the federal government pays the interest that accrues on the loan
during the student’s in-school, grace, authorized deferment and (if applicable) post-deferment
grace periods, if the loan meets certain eligibility requirements; must be paid back
after leaving school
Summer Semester: Generally offered June through July between the Spring and Fall semesters.
Syllabus: a document detailing course standards, learning objectives, and a list of graded
activities and assignments, usually provided to students on the first day of class
T
Term courses: can be completed during one-half of the regular semester; are designated as either”Term
1″ or “Term 2” courses in LeoNet
To-Do List: a list of items on a student’s LeoNet account that needs to be completed for enrollment
or financial aid
Transcript: an official academic record of every course a student has taken, includes course
grades and GPA
Tinsley Learning Center: place where students can seek one-on-one or small group tutoring for a variety of
general education courses
U
Undergraduate: a student pursuing a bachelor’s degree
University Catalog: the annual University publication which details all academic regulations, fees and
tuition, and the requirements of each academic curriculum
University Counseling Center: office of trained, professional staff of licensed mental health counselors who can
help students and their families through difficult personal issues; services are confidential
University Health Center: provides routine health care for students including physical exams, treatment for
minor illnesses and injuries, immunizations, etc
Unsubsidized Loan: a loan in which the borrower is responsible for the interest on the loan during in-school,
grace and deferment periods, and repayment periods; must be paid back after leaving
school
W
“W” number: a student’s identification number used for most transactions associated with the University
WebMail: the official email account students will use on campus
Withdraw: when a student withdraws from a course after the Drop/Add period; receives a “W”
grade on transcript
Work Study: student jobs available on campus; eligibility determined by FAFSA
