Academic Terminology for ODU Students

The following are some terms or jargon used on campus that you need to know.

 

Academic Advisor. The person in your major department who will help you select courses each semester. It is your responsibility to see and use the resources of your advisor.  It is not possible to register for your classes until you have met with him/her.

 

B.A.L. The Batten Arts & Letters building on the corner of 43rd Street and Hampton Boulevard.

 

Catalog. The official policy book of the University, it is your "contract" with Old Dominion University. It is your responsibility to know what is in it--including your obligations, your rights and your degree requirements.

 

Change of Course (also known as Drop and Add). Any additions to your course schedule can be made during the first week of classes during the drop/add period of registration. This is specified in the Schedule of Courses. A student may withdraw from the University through the last day to drop (listed in the University Calendar) and will receive a grade of "W," which carries no academic penalty. If you abandon a course without officially withdrawing, you will receive a "WF" grade, equivalent to an "F," which is used in calculating your grade point average.

 

Classification (Academic Class). An undergraduate student has an academic classification. This is determined by the number of credits and grade points earned:

q       Freshman = less than 26 semester hours or less than 52 grade points.

q       Sophomore = at least 26 semester hours and at least 51 grade points.

q       Junior = at least 58 semester hours and at least 116 grade points.

q       Senior.= at least 90 semester hours and at least 180 grade points.

 

College. The University is divided into a number of academic colleges. All students are enrolled in one of the academic colleges, depending upon their choice of major. The colleges are:

 

q       College of Arts & Letters

q       College of Business & Public Administration

q       Darden College of Education

q       College of Engineering and Technology

q       College of Health Sciences

q       College of Sciences

 

Course. The course (or class) is the basic division of study. A course represents a semester's work in a given area. Each course is designated by a course number, and the number designates the level of the course.

 

Credit Hour. Credit is given for each hour of lecture each week, plus additional credit for some laboratory and studio hours. Most University courses carry 3 or 4 credit hours, so a full-time student will need to take at least 4 courses for the 12 hour undergraduate minimum or 3 courses for the normal graduate minimum course load.

 

Curriculum. The total program of courses required for a degree in a particular subject.

 

Dean. An administrative officer in charge of a college, faculty, or division of the University.

 

Elective. A course that is accepted toward fulfillment of credit for a degree but is not required for that degree. So termed because a student "elects" or chooses to take the course.

 

Full-time Student. A student who registers for 12 or more semester hours as an undergraduate or (normally) 6 or more semester hours as a graduate student. Required of all F-1& J-1 international students.

 

Good Standing. A student who is registered full-time, has no financial or other outstanding obligations to the University, and has no disciplinary sanctions against him/her.

 

Grade Point Average (GPA). A weighing of your grades and credit hours. A 4.0 is a perfect average, a 2.0 is the minimum required to graduate (3.0 for graduate students). See the Catalog for calculation methods.

 

Graduate Program Director. This is the title given the person who acts as an academic advisor for graduate level study at Old Dominion.

 

Hold. Outstanding debts or obligations to the University (such as library fines or parking tickets) will result in a hold on your registration barring you from registering for subsequent semesters until it is cleared. The International Student & Scholar Services office also will not issue enrollment certifications, letters, etc. to students with holds.

 

Identification (ID) Card. The student ID card is obtained at the Card Center in Webb. The initial ID card is free, but there is a fee for replacements. It is used to check out books at the Library, get access to recreational facilities, attend athletic events, etc. If you lose yours, report it to Campus Security.

 

Major. The academic area in which you specialize; also known as "field of study."

 

Minor. The academic area in which you place special emphasis as a secondary specialization.

 

Part-time Student. A student who registers for less than 12 hours as an undergraduate or 9 hours as a graduate student. See the main ISSS web site to see what enrollment requirements or exceptions are possible for your visa status. 

 

Prerequisite. A course which must be taken prior to another course. It is your responsibility to check for these before you register.

 

Probation. An undergraduate student with a GPA less than 2.00 is on academic probation. Students in this situation need to obtain assistance to avoid suspension. A graduate student must have a 3.00 GPA or higher to avoid academic probation.

 

Provisional Admission. Some applicants to the graduate school may be admitted provisionally if their grades and/or test scores are below minimum admission standards. Provisional graduate students must meet certain minimum requirements in their graduate work to continue toward the degree.

 

Registration. The period before each semester during which the student signs up for courses. You are not enrolled in classes and officially a student unless you have gone through registration and paid your tuition bill.

 

Schedule of Classes. This is a newspaper-like publication which gives all courses to be offered in the upcoming term, a registration schedule, calendar for that semester, and the schedule of finals.

 

Section. Some courses are taken by so many students that several classes with different times, locations and instructors must be offered. Each individual class is called a section, and has its own unique course number.

 

Student Handbook. This is a publication that all students should read to know of their rights and responsibilities while studying at ODU.

 

Transcripts. The official University document that lists all courses taken and marks received.

 

UIN.  University Identification Number.

 

Webb. The Webb Center is home to many student-related offices, including the Student Health Center, Women's Center, and Career Management Center. There are also restaurants, a cafeteria, a bank, and the University bookstore. This is not to be confused with 'web,' which refers to the World Wide Web, or Internet. You will often hear people say "I saw it on the web (referring to the Internet)" or "I got it in Webb (the building)."