TRU Lingo
Defining the Jargon
As you may have already discovered, there is some jargon that's unique to post-secondary education and some acronyms unique to TRU, so here's a glossary of terms to help keep you on course.
Academic: A program of study, usually involving theoretical knowledge and research and usually leading to a diploma or degree.
ACE: Founded in 1987, ACE (Advancing Canadian Entrepreneurship) is a national, not-for-profit organization that is igniting young Canadians to create brighter futures for themselves and their communities, there is a group at TRU.
Academic Advisor: A person attached to the Registrar's Office who helps students to determine the amount and type of courses that they need in order to qualify for a degree, diploma or certificate, and also helps students with application and admission processes.
Accreditation: A process in which college and university programs are reviewed, assessed and accepted by provincial, national or international guilds, institutes or review boards. When a program is accredited, it means that the program meets the training standards set by government or the industry.
Admission: Being allowed into a program after the requirements for entering the program have been met. Some programs have 'limited admission,' which means there are a limited number of spaces available.
Alumni: A graduate of a particular school, university or college.
Application: The first step toward being admitted to a program of study.
Audit: Taking a course for the educational value, but not for credit. Students who audit a course need not complete assignments or write the exams, and will not receive a grade upon completion of the course.
Bursary: Monetary award to students who demonstrate financial need--similar to a grant.
Calendar: Catalogue of courses and programs offered by a post-secondary institution, and usually published each year.
CAC: Campus Activity Centre.
CATC: Culinary Arts Training Centre.
Career/Technical: A applied program of study involving theoretical and practical knowledge, usually leading directly to a diploma in a specific career path.
Certificate: Recognition that a student has successfully completed a (usually one-year) program of applied study.
Chairperson: A faculty member, chosen by his/her peers to coordinate the instructional activities of a program.
Chancellor: An honourary appointment to head the university bestowed on a community leader by the university's board of govenors.
Class: A single teaching session within a course.
Concentration: A cluster of courses in one discipline within a general Bachelor's degree program, combined with area requirements which ensure a broad selection of courses.
Co-op: An educational component that allows students to participate in paid, on-the-job training sessions while going to school. The Co-operative Education department at TRU manages these work terms.
Convocation: The large, formal ceremony where students receive their degrees, diplomas and certificates, the university's version of graduation ceremonies.
Counsellor: A person attached to the Student Services department who helps students determine career goals and objectives, or assists in dealing with issues relating to success in post-secondary education from stress to techniques for becoming a better student.
Course: A single component of a program of study, which includes classes, seminars and labs. Semester courses are approximately four months long.
Credit: A counting system used to determine the amount of class time that a student has completed, usually based on hours of instruction. Every course has an assigned number of credits, which are used to calculate the cost of tuition. The number of credits that a student has completed are recorded on a permanent record or 'transcript.'
CSS: The Cariboo Student Society, see TRUSU.
CT: Clock Tower
Dean: The head of a university department.
Dean's List: A listing of students with exceptional academic standing compiled by the Dean's of each school.
Degree: Recognition that a student has successfully completed a four- or five-year program of study in a university program.
Diploma: Recognition that a student has successfully completed a two- or three-year program of study.
Faculty:
- a) The instructors at a post-secondary institution.
- b) A group of university departments concerned with one area of knowledge.
Foundation: TRU Foundation is a registered society raising and managing funds to provide scholarships, bursaries and special needs funding to support students in post secondary education and training.
Grade Point: The value of the final mark in a course rated on a scale between 0 and 4, with 4 being an "A" or "A+".
Grade Point Average: GPA, the value of each course final mark multiplied by the credit value of each course, divided by the number of courses taken.
Honours: An undergraduate degree more specialized than for ordinary studies and denotes a GPA of 3.0 or greater. Policy ED 16-0.
ISAP: International Student Activity Program
Lab: A hands-on portion of a course in which students apply the theoretical knowledge they have gained in their classes.
Laddering: A process which allows students to build upon credits earned in previous secondary or post-secondary study, which smoothes the transition between levels of an educational program.
Major: A program of study in a degree program in which the student specializes in a particular field in the final two years in order to obtain a Bachelor's degree in that field.
Minor: A program of study accompanying a major program, where the student specializes in a second field.
OM: Old Main
Practicum: See Work Experience.
Prerequisite: A course or credential a student may be required to have before taking certain courses or enroliing in some programs.
PLAR: Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition is a process involving the assessment and assignment of credit for learning that a student may have acquired as previous education or work experience. Students requesting PLAR usually submit a portfolio summarizing learning gained from non-formal learning experiences and may also need to write an exam or essay or complete a set of assignments to gain the required credit.
Program: A group of courses that combine to provide skills and learning leading to a certificate, diploma or degree.
Registrar (Office of): The Registrar's Office is divided into Admissions (which you consult to get into a program of study) and Records (which handle transcripts and keep a record of your marks and courses).
Registration: The selection of individual courses after completion of all required admission procedures. Full payment of fees is usually required to finalize your registration.
Scholarship: Monetary award to students who demonstrate excellence in their program of study.
School: A department of a university, ie. School of Nursing.
Semester: A period in the school year in which a course is completed (usually four months long).
Seminar: A scheduled discussion period in which students debate and discuss classroom theory and lab results.
Study Abroad: An international exchange program that allows students to live and study in a different country for up to a year?and have it count toward their degree.
Transcript: A permanent record of the number of courses a student has completed, together with the marks for those courses.
TRUSU: Thompson Rivers University Student Union, an elected body of student representatives who deal with student events and advocacy issues. Formerly known as the CSS, Cariboo Student Society.
Tuition: Fees charged for classes, usually charged on a "per credit" basis. Vocational tuition is based on a per-month charge.
Vocational: An applied program of study, usually less than two years, that leads to a certificate in a specific career path. Fees for most vocational programs are calculated on a per month basis, not per credit.
Work Experience: An unpaid practical component of a program that allows students to gain on-the-job experience. In many TRU programs, these are a required part of the program, and also may be called "practicum" placements.