Glossary

Academic Advisement Report

Academic Advisement Report is an automated system that generates a report of each individual student’s UB and transfer coursework matched with the student’s degree requirements. Coursework satisfying university, UB Curriculum/general education, and major requirements is identified. The report also identifies courses that will satisfy specific degree requirements yet to be completed.

Academic Major/Plan

An academic major or academic plan is an undergraduate program of study leading to a degree. For degree requirements, refer to the Undergraduate Catalog or Graduate School.

Accepted Major/Plan

An Accepted Major or Plan (Approved Major) is the status of a student who has been formally admitted into a major by a specific academic department. To be admitted, you must file an application with that department and satisfy admission criteria. Students receiving TAP are required to have an Accepted Major (Approved Major) after completing 60 credit hours.

Add Course

Adding a course is the action that you take to register for a class. A course is not “added” to your schedule until the request is processed in your HUB Student Center. Check the semester class schedule for eligible dates to add.

AP Credit

The AP program for secondary schools is sponsored by The College Board and offers a college level curriculum and nationally standardized examinations which are generally recognized for college and university credit. See the Alternative/Exam Credit webpage for more information.

Audit a Class

Auditing a class is a student option for recording attendance in a course when no grade is desired. An “N” grade is assigned at the semester’s end. Graduate and undergraduate audit policies differ.

Cancellation of a Course

An action initiated by the course’s academic unit to rescind an offering for the upcoming semester; if you enrolled in a cancelled course, you will not be charged for that enrollment. The academic unit is responsible for notifying the students of the cancellation.

Chained Course

A chained course is a method of registering for two components of a course by registering for one part. The other part of the course is automatically added to a student’s schedule. For instance, to register for Chemistry 102, there are three parts — lecture, laboratory and recitation. The laboratory component is “chained” to the recitation.

Class List

A class list is a roster of students registered for a class; no students can receive a grade for the course without appearing on the instructor’s class list.

Class Schedule

Class Schedules provide the semester listing of courses offered by academic departments, including undergraduate, graduate/professional schools and continuing education.

Closed Course

A “closed” course is the status of a course in which current enrollment has reached the capacity requested by the instructor or department.

Continuing Student

A continuing student is a student who is considered eligible for registration the next semester because he/she was enrolled the previous semester, is in good academic standing, and has not yet graduated.

Co-Op Programs

A co-op program is a special program sponsored by an academic department whereby registered students gain practical experience in their specific field for a semester. Students in these programs are registered for less than half-time status but are certified full-time status for enrollment purpose, only.

Corequisite

Corequisite is an indicator in the Class Schedule that notes that another part of course is required for complete registration in the course. The other part of the course is not automatically assigned and must be registered by you when you complete your registration.

Credit Hour

Unit of measurement for course credit; it is normally granted for satisfactory completion of one 50-minute session of classroom instruction per week for a semester of not less than 15 weeks.

Cross Registration

Cross-Registration is a program that permits a matriculated student to register for one course at another Western New York Consortium college or university without additional tuition charges, and have the grade automatically forwarded to UB.

Dean’s List

Students will be named to the Dean’s List if, in any single semester, they earn a 3.600 GPA or better, having completed at least 15 UB undergraduate credit hours of study during the semester, 12 of which are letter graded. Students will be nominated to the Dean’s List for each semester in which they achieve this standard. Students in a professional baccalaureate program require at least 14 credit hours of specified courses in a semester, earn a 3.600 in all courses graded "A-F" and a grade of "P" in all required or elective courses graded "P/F". The courses graded "A-F" shall constitute at least 50% of the credit hours in which the student is enrolled for the semester.

Declared Major/Plan (Intended Major)

Every undergraduate not yet admitted into an Accepted Major (Approved Major) should have a Declared Major/Plan (Intended Major/Plan). To have a Declared Major (Intended Major) added or changed, see the academic department.

Degree Application and Conferral

Students preparing to graduate must formally apply at the beginning of their final semester of enrollment. Only upon application for a degree can the final review of their requirements be performed, a diploma ordered, commencement information forwarded, etc. All students except those in certain graduate programs must Apply for Graduation prior to the application deadline for each conferral date.

Drop a Course

Dropping a course is the action taken to eliminate a course from your schedule before the drop deadline. A course is not “dropped” until you process the request in your HUB Student Center. The course will not appear on your academic record.

Enrollment Appointments

Students may initially register during a specified period of time called an enrollment appointment. Enrollment Appointments are based on the number of credit hours completed.

Exception Registration

This process is designed to accommodate exceptional registration circumstances if you need to get in or out of a course but cannot do so on your own due to constraints or extenuating circumstances (e.g. not in a major, prerequisite taken by transfer work).

FERPA

FERPA, the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, was enacted to protect student information. It mandates that you, the student, are allowed to inspect your education records and limit others from reviewing that information without your permission.

Force Registration

Departments may process drop/add registration online for students into department courses during the scheduled Force Registration period.

Freshman Status

Freshman Status is the undergraduate label for students who have completed 0 – 29 credit hours.

Full-Time Status

A student is considered to be full-time University at Buffalo student for enrollment and billing purposes if enrolled for a minimum of 12 credit hours in a given semester. Financial aid eligibility may have additional requirements.

Graduate Student

Students who have typically completed their bachelor’s degree and are currently working on a master’s/doctorate degree.

Half-time Status

At UB, a student is considered half-time when they are registered for at least six (6) credit hours per semester.

Incomplete Grade

A grade of incomplete indicates that additional course work is required to fulfill the requirements of a given course. Students may only be given an “I” grade if they have a passing average in coursework that has been completed and have well-defined parameters to complete the course requirements that could result in a a grade better than the default grade.

Junior Status

Junior Status is the undergraduate label for students who have completed 60 - 89 credit hours.

Leave of Absence

Leave of Absence is an action to leave the University for one or two semesters and return to the same status s/he had without the necessity of re-application.

Matriculated Student

A matriculated student is a student who has applied and has been officially accepted to the university through an undergraduate or graduate admissions process and, as such, is eligible to pursue a degree-granting program.

MyUB

MyUB is a web-based, personal portal to online UB. Instead of having to search throughout the UB website for what you need, you can log on to MyUB and find links to every major topic related to your academic life, such as your HUB Student Center, registration, financial aid, exam schedules, grades, student services, and career planning, plus campus events, UB and national news, and more.

Non-Degree Seeking Student (Non-Matriculated)

A non-degree seeking student is someone who is enrolled on a semester-by-semester or course-by-course basis and has not been accepted as a regular student pursuing a degree.

Part-time Student Status

If you are enrolled for at least three (3) credit hours but less than 12 hours in a semester you are considered to be part-time.

Quality Point Deficit

An absolute measure of what is necessary to bring a student’s UB GPA above 2.0. The formula for calculating the quality point deficit is the following: Quality Point Deficit = (Cumulative GPA Hours Attempted x 2) – Cumulative Quality Points. On the unofficial transcript, this calculation would be: (GPA Units X2) - Points (taken from the Cumulative GPA line).

Register for a Course

Registering for a course is a student action to enroll in a course by following registration procedures specific to the student’s division during a specified period of time.

Resign Course

Resigning from a course is an action taken to drop a course from your semester schedule during a specified period of time after registration ends (until the eleventh week of spring or fall semester). This action does not eliminate the class from your academic record. An “R” grade is automatically assigned, indicating that you exited the course without academic penalty.

Room Capacity Reached

Room Capacity Reached Course is a course status in which the actual seating capacity of the room has been reached. No additional registration is possible, even by exception registration.

Satisfactory Grade

Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) is a student-designated option, with “S” indicating credit and “U” indicating no credit. For more information, see Undergraduate Catalog (search for Explanation of Grades) and Graduate School Grading policies.

Senior Status

Senior Status is the undergraduate label for students who have completed more than 90 credit hours. During the final year of an undergraduate’s program of study, the student will file a Apply for Graduation, which initiates a formal review of a candidate’s academic work.

Service Indicator/Hold

A service indicator/hold is an action which may prevent you from registering for classes, receiving grades or transcripts. Various offices on campus may create service indicators/holds for outstanding financial obligations or for failing to submit required documents requested by the University.

Sophomore Status

Sophomore Status is the undergraduate label for students who have completed 30 - 59 credit hours.

Transcript

A transcript is an official record of a your academic work that is maintained and updated each semester.

Transfer Coursework

Transfer coursework refers to credit hours taken at an institution other than UB.

Transfer Student

An individual formally accepted by the Admissions Office as a matriculated student who has previously attended an institution of higher education following high school graduation.

Undergraduate Student

A student working towards a bachelor’s degree.

Unsatisfactory Grade

Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) is a student-designated option, with “S” indicating credit and “U” indicating no credit.

Variable Credit Hours

Variable Credit Hours is a student option with the instructor’s permission. Courses identified as variable may be taken for a range of credit hours. After the registration period ends, students may not change the credit hours registered for these courses.

Visiting Student

Visiting student is a student status for persons who are enrolled at another institution and wish to study at UB for up to a full year without formal transfer.

WNY Cross Registration Consortium

The WNY Cross Registration Consortium is an agreement with 22 colleges and universities in Western New York to facilitate the registration of their students in each other’s institutions.