| ACE: |
ACE is the ‘American Council on Education’.
This council reviews military, training, and alternative
forms of receiving credit to see if it can be equated
to college-level credit. It is possible that,
a training course you took is accredited through
ACE and can be transferred in just as a normal
college course would be. Check with an advisor
to see if what you have done in the past is ‘ACE’ accredited.
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| Add: |
Adding a course is when you add yourself to a
course roster either before the course starts or
during the ‘add/drop’ period. To add into a
course you can go to the SIS (Student Information System)
on RIT’s homepage and add the class, go to RIT’s
Registrars office and have a staff assistant add you,
or contact your advisor who can also add you.
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| Admissions Office: |
The Admissions office is where you can go to meet with
an admissions counselor and learn about the different
degree programs offered by a university. The Admissions
office is also where you send the application, admissions
fee, and any official high school and/or college
transcripts to be evaluated. Many times, the admissions
office determines if you are accepted or rejected
from a degree program. If you are accepted into a
program, you will receive an acceptance letter
from the admissions office.
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| advisor: |
An advisor is a person you can go talk to
about your degree program, schedule, study habits,
how to maximize your transfer credits, what courses
to take that best suit your academic/professional
goals and who can also assist you in
adding, dropping, or withdrawing from a
course; obtaining contact information for a person
or department on campus; explain a degree or
course requirement; and basically help you with
any questions you have regarding your degree or
point you in the right direction to do so.
|
| Audit: |
When you take a course and do not to receive
a grade for the course. To audit a course,
you must have the professor/department chair
sign an audit form during the add/drop period
of classes and bring it to the Registrars
office for processing. Audited classes
allow you to attend a course to gain information,
but do not expect or require you to do the
assignments. Audited courses DO NOT count
towards fulfilling your degree requirements
and do appear on your transcript.
|
| CLEP: |
CLEP stands for ‘College-Level Examination Program’.
CLEP exams are distributed by the College Board©
and can be used to fulfill requirements of your degree.
To take a CLEP exam, you can visit www.collegeboard.com
and view the listing of the exams offered. Check with your
advisor to see what exams could work in your degree program.
Next, order the materials for the exam(s) you wish to study for.
After obtaining study materials, review the content and
when you feel comfortable with the course, register to
take the exam. There is a registration fee.
To earn college credit for the exam, you must earn at
least the ACE recommended score (sometimes more
depending on your programs requirements).
|
| Credit By Experience: |
Credit by experience is when you find a course that
teaches a skill or knowledge level you believe to
possess through a professional capacity (job, training, etc.).
To petition for credit by experience, you must put
together a portfolio that explains your experience
and that also shows examples of the work you have
done. A faculty member reviews this portfolio to
determine if credit can be awarded. Working with
your advisor is a great way to make sure the credit
by experience can be used in your program and also
can help you figure out what courses best suit
your professional background.
|
| Drop: |
Dropping a course is when you remove yourself
from the course roster either before the course
starts or during the first week of classes.
(This first week is called the ‘add/drop’ period.)
Just not attending a course does not automatically
drop you from it. To ‘drop’ from a course, you
can go to the SIS (Student Information System) on
RIT’s homepage and drop the class, go to RIT’s Office
of the Registrare and have a staff assistant drop
you, or contact your advisor who can also drop you.
When you drop a course, you receive a full refund.
|
| Full-time: |
At RIT, full-time is what you are when
enrolled in 12 or more credit hours.
This is usually 3-5 classes.
|
| Part-time: |
AT RIT, part-time is what you are when enrolled in
6-11 quarter credit hours. This is usually 2-3 classes.
|
| Institute Withdrawal: |
If you decide you no longer wish to attend RIT, you need
to fill out an ‘Institute Withdraw form’.
This form will de-matriculate you from your program.
All debts must be paid off to the university before
you can receive an official transcript (if you want
to request one for transferring purposes).
|
| Leave of Absence: |
When you are not able to take a course(s)
for a period of one to four quarters, but you do
not want to be withdrawn from the Institute or lose
your matriculation status, you fill out a
‘Leave of Absence’ (LOA) form.
LOA forms can be found in your home department or
at the Office of the Registrar.
You can take a LOA for up to four quarters.
When processed, you receive a grade of ‘W’
for all courses you were enrolled in at that time.
|
| Major: |
Your major is the title of your degree.
You may have different concentration or
focus areas within your major, but that
does not change the title of your major.
For example, you can have a major in Business
Administration, but focus on finance and marketing.
|
| Matriculated: |
You are a matriculated student when you are officially
enrolled in a program (i.e. sent in any official transcripts
(if needed), paid the admissions fee, and have received an
‘acceptance’ letter from a program).
To receive financial aid, you must be matriculated.
|
| Minor: |
A minor is an extra credential you can receive
that is a part of your major. A minor usually
consists of 5-6 courses in one area of study.
You have to meet with a minor advisor at RIT
to have it approved and processed.
|
| Non-matriculated: |
When you attend a college and take courses without
being officially enrolled in a degree program.
|
| Official Transcripts: |
Official transcripts are needed to apply for matriculation
into any RIT program that is over 24 quarter credit hours.
To obtain an official transcript, you must contact the Office of the Registrar
of all past colleges. They will ask you to either fax or mail
in a signed request with the mailing address of the school
you wish to have the transcripts sent to. If you receive an
official transcript and open it, it is not longer official.
The transcript must be sealed for the admissions office
to consider it ‘official’. Transcripts that are sealed
but say “Issued to Student” on it are not considered official.
|
| Online Class: |
An online class at RIT is a class taken completely
through the web. There may be supplemental materials
such as videos/teleconferencing, but you work
on the course material through email/chat discussions
and independent readings and homework.
For RIT, the online classes run on the same
quarter calendar as the on campus courses.
Students can do the work for the courses whenever
it works into their schedule but must adhere
to the deadlines set by the professor.
|
| Overload: |
When you take more than 18 quarter credit hours at RIT.
|
| Part-time: |
At RIT, part-time is what you are when enrolled
in 1-5 quarter credit hours of study. This could be
1-2 courses depending on the individual credit
hours assigned to each.
|
| Quarter System: |
RIT runs on the quarter system calendar.
This means there are (4) 10 week terms throughout the year.
The other type of calendar system is the semester system.
There are usually two main semesters a year (fall & spring);
each running between 15-17 weeks depending on the school.
|
| Quarter Credit Hours: |
The unit of credit hours awarded to an RIT student
upon passing a course. Courses range from 1-5 quarter credit hours.
|
| Registrar's Office: |
The Office of the Registrar is where you go to
add or drop a class from your schedule, request official
transcripts, obtain a student ID, and/or withdraw or take a
leave of absence from the institute. The Registrars office
also inputs yours transfer credit on the system, processes
all of the academic-related forms (change of grade, change
of program, suspension, suspension waiver, transfer evaluation,
course withdraw, etc.). The Registrars office also houses all
official documentation that is student related.
|
| Transfer Student: |
There are two types of transfer students: Internal and External.
An internal transfer student remains at the same college,
but changes majors. An external transfer student leaves
one college to enter another college. Many traditional
students transfer before their junior year in college.
Some students transfer two or three times in their
academic career before obtaining a degree. If you
transfer, be aware of the possibility that not all the
courses you have completed with transfer into your new
major or college. Each college/major has its own
requirements for what transfer classes they will accept.
|
| Unofficial Transcripts: |
Unofficial transcripts are either official transcripts
you have now opened, and/or a list of your courses with
the corresponding grades and credit hours that you requested
from the university or downloaded off the web.
|
| Withdraw: |
When you withdraw from a course, you must fill
out a ‘course withdrawal form’ and have your department
chair sign off. Students at RIT can withdraw during the
first 6 weeks of the course. The further into the quarter
you withdraw from a course, the less money you will be
refunded. Students that withdraw receive a grade of
‘W’ on their transcript.
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Undergraduate Study
