Rockhurst University Academics: Quick Glossary
Academic Terms
- Academic Standing – The status of a student’s academic career; usually determined by their GPA and other considerations.
- Academic Warning – The status a student is given if they fall below good academic standing and are at risk of dismissal from the institution.
- Advisor/Advisement/Advising – Advisors are staff members assigned to students within their college to assist in the advisement process by aiding in declaring majors and minors, assisting students in semesterly class scheduling, and ensuring students fulfill graduation requirements.
- Certificate – A non-degree credential that provides knowledge or skill in a specific area. (add better definition later)
- CLEP – College Level Examination Program, proficiency tests in selected courses that can be administered to students who desire to obtain college credit.
- Concentration – A specific area of emphasis that allows a student to narrow their degree path within a broad major.
- Course Catalog – A college publication that describes academic programs, policies and procedures, majors and minors and required courses.
- Course Sequence – A group of courses that must be taken in a specific order.
- Credit Hour – A measure of a class’s time based on how many hours students spend in class, which can vary from institution to institution.
- Cumulative Exam – An exam that covers everything learned in a course up until the current point. For example, a cumulative midterm would incorporate concepts from the start of the term to the midpoint, and a cumulative final exam would incorporate concepts from the start of the term to the end of the term.
- Cumulative GPA – Cumulative GPA includes a student’s completed coursework and can change as more courses are completed.
- Degree Audit – This refers to a formal evaluation of your academic coursework and an analysis of the degree requirements you still need to complete to graduate.
- Electives – Classes chosen by students that either fulfill a general education requirement or pique their interest outside their major’s core courses.
- Faculty – Academic staff, including both full-time and adjunct professors.
- FERPA – The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, the legislation that ensures educational institutions protect students’ educational and personal information.
- Liberal Arts – An Interdisciplinary study of the humanities, social, and natural sciences meant to provide students with a broad spectrum of knowledge.
- Major – A student’s primary area of study; it typically reflects the field in which they plan to get a job after graduation.
- Minor – A secondary focus meant to add value to the student’s major.
- Office Hours – Time set aside by professors or instructors for students to visit their office and ask questions or discuss the course.
- Overload – A course load of more than 18 credit hours that needs special approval.
- Prerequisite – A course required to take more advanced courses or to apply for a program.
- Program of Study – The specific curriculum that leads to a degree or certificate.
- Registrar – A specialist tasked with handling several administrative and logistical areas of academia, including but not limited to registering students for classes, preparing student transcripts, preparing class schedules, and analyzing enrollment statistics.
- STEM – The collective subjects of science, technology, engineering, and math.
- Syllabus – A description of a course distributed by the professor, which typically outlines the course by providing important dates, grading scales, and projects listed.
- Transcripts – An official academic record of courses taken and grades earned at a given institution issued by the institution's Registrar’s Office.
Academic Leadership Terms
- College Dean – Oversees the educational and administrative affairs of programs and departments within a college, reports to the provost. Rockhurst University has three deans for each of its colleges: the College of Arts & Sciences, the College of Business and Technology, and the Saint Luke’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences. Something important to keep in mind is the hierarchy of communication relating to questions or concerns with a course. Keep this order in mind: Faculty > Department Chair > Assistant/Associate Dean > College Dean.
- Department Chair – Oversees the administrative and teaching activities of instructors within a campus department offering degrees and Core courses.
- President of Rockhurst University – Responsible for the operation of the entire university, overseeing all academic, administrative, and student support operations to ensure their success.
- General Information: rockhurst.edu/about/presidents-office
- Professor (Assistant, Associate) – An instructor with a doctorate degree or equivalent qualifications who teaches and researches in their areas of expertise. Instructors at Rockhurst have various titles, including faculty, Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor. Your faculty (sometimes in conjunction with your Academic Advisor) should always be your first level of outreach if you have questions or concerns about a course. To identify your professors, head to your Student Portal > Student Academic Services > Profile.
- Provost – Coordinates all academic programs, degrees, policies, and activities at Rockhurst, working closely with college deans and professors regarding the educational offerings of a university. Reports to the university president.
Academic Technology
- Airtame – Wireless screen sharing in the classrooms.
- ATI Testing – Exams for the Nursing Program
- Lecture Capture/Mediasite/Zoom Recording – Tools to record and access class sessions.
- Respondus/LockDown Browser – Used to secure online exams.
- Smart Classroom/AV Systems – Classrooms equipped with projectors, microphones, and hybrid learning tools.
Student Support Services
- Accommodations – Accommodations, such as extra time on tests, are granted to students with a diagnosed disability or medical condition that affects their ability to learn or function on campus. Students must meet with Student Accessibility Services to establish official accommodations.
- Peer Coaching – The Peer Coaching program consists of certified peer educators who can assist all students by offering direct coaching and support related to each student’s own academic journey and interest areas. Peer Coaches also co-teach the Manresa class, designed for all First-Time college students.
- Student Accessibility Services (SAS) – Office that coordinates accommodation for students with disabilities or medical conditions.
- Success Coaching – Individualized coaching for academic, co-curriculars, personal, and financial success. Coaches help students navigate the transition to college and the various resources available at Rockhurst.
- Supplemental Instruction (SI) – Regularly scheduled out-of-class group study sessions in select traditionally challenging courses, led by trained SI leaders who utilize collaborative activities to promote greater understanding of course materials. Sessions are free and optional for students.
- Tutoring – One-on-one help from a trained peer tutor with course content, exam prep, writing, or general questions. Tutoring through the Aylward-Dunn Learning Center is FREE for all Rockhurst Students.
Library Services Terms
- A to Z Library Databases – List of online resources that can contain peer-reviewed information and journals. You may find the list of all the databases we have and the subjects they are associated with here.
- Interlibrary Loan – A library service that allows the library to request materials from other libraries throughout the nation. May be called Tipasa and/or OpenRS.
- Liaison Librarian – Greenlease Library participates in the liaison librarian model. This means that each discipline has a specific librarian to support that discipline's research needs.
- Library Chat – Online tool that can be found on the library's main website, where students can type in questions and connect with a real-life librarian 24/7. Like how Chat GPT would function with an actual person.
- LibGuides – An online resource that contains a curated list of library resources, websites, and more devoted to a specific topic. Each major at Rockhurst has a LibGuide, which can be found here.
- One Search – Located on the library's main website, this search engine searches through all available resources at the library.
- Research Consultation – A time that is prearranged with a librarian to get research support and/or citation support for a class. Each discipline has a librarian whom you can schedule a research consultation with.
Financial Aid/Student Accounts Terms
- FAFSA – The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, an application that students complete to determine eligibility for federal loans and grants, state grants, and institutional need-based aid.
- Financial Aid – Funds students can receive for tuition or expenses that may or may not have to be paid back.
- Grant – A form of financial aid that the student does not have to repay.
- ITINS(Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) – A number issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) used to identify an individual in tax returns and other documents filed with the IRS.
- Loan – A form of financial aid that the student must repay.
- Master Promissory Note (MPN) – A legal document that is a student’s agreement to repay their loans and any accrued interest and fees.
- Promissory Notes – A legal contract in which a borrower agrees to repay a loan according to the terms and conditions.
- Student Accounts – An office responsible for financial transactions, bookkeeping, etc., for an institution.
- Student Fees – Used to fund institutional programs beyond academic that can include, but are not limited to, student union operations, student government activities, and athletics.
- Transact – The official payment platform for students at RU.
Career Development Terms
- Career Fair/Career Expo – Events held on campus to connect you with employers. Students are encouraged to attend early in their college experience to explore internship and/or full-time employment opportunities.
- Co-op/Internship – A cooperative education program that allows students to work in their chosen field to gain skills and experience. It can take place during the semester, replacing some or all classes, but continues the student’s enrollment in the institution. Summer is the timeframe when most are completed. Also known as experiential education.