East Hartford, CT 06118
Tel 860.528.4111
Toll Free 800.889.3282
Glossary of Terms:
Academic Credit – a unit of study. Most courses bear three credits, representing three classroom hours per week. For courses that have a laboratory component the class will be worth 4 credits.
Academic Program – (see MAJOR)
Add/Drop – a period of time, usually the first week of classes, when students may make changes to their class schedule by dropping or adding courses or by changing course sections. ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE - the formal name for a two-year undergraduate degree. The Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) is awarded in Nursing; and the Associate of Science (AS) is awarded in a number of professional programs.
Bachelor's Degree – the formal name for a four-year undergraduate degree. Goodwin is currently in the process of adding the option for students to get a four-year degree in several of our programs.
Catalog – an institutional handbook that outlines all of the college rules and regulations as well as lays out academic programs and provides course descriptions. Each year a new catalog is issued and a student is held to the catalog that existed when they entered Goodwin. If a student leaves and then returns they will be under the new catalog.
Course Number – the identifier accompanying a course name in the catalog and in the registration booklet (e.g. ENG 101). In general, courses 100-299 are for first-year students and sophomores.
Course Sequencing – the recommended order in which to take certain courses. Check with your advisor and plan of study and review catalog descriptions.
Credit Hours – (see ACADEMIC CREDIT)
Curriculum – all the courses required for a degree; also refers to all planned programs at the College.
Dean's List – an honors designation given for achieving a 3.5 grade point average for the semester.
Drop – a period of time when a student may drop a course. Dropping results in the course not being included on the student's transcript; in other words it will not appear as an attempted course.
Foundational Courses – these are courses with course codes that typically begin with a '0'. These are prerequisite courses that students must receive a 'C' or better in before they can continue into the next level. These courses are for institutional credit and may be eligible for financial aid but do not qualify as credit towards an Associates or Bachelors Degree or Certificate.
GPA (grade point average) – total quality points divided by number of credits taken.
Grandfathered – is a condition where a student is held to the catalog and rules that existed when they enrolled at Goodwin. This is particularly important in times when changes occur such as when new course requirements are added to a program or new rules exist. When these changes occur they will only apply to students who enrolled at Goodwin the year the changes were made. Students who return to Goodwin after being absent for three consecutive semesters will be readmitted under that year's catalog and will therefore lose their grandfather status.
Leave of Absence – an approved temporary withdrawal from the college without the student suffering any adverse effects. A leave of absence must be approved by the Registrar's Office.
Major – the field of academic study in which one concentrates or specializes.
Matriculate – To successfully apply for admission to the College through the admissions office.
President's List – an honors designation given for achieving a 4.0 grade point average for the semester.
Pre-Requisite – coursework that must be completed before one may register for certain courses. See course descriptions in the catalog.
Probation – Students who fall below a 2.0 (1.8 for 0-15 credits earned) will be placed on probation for one semester in order to improve their grade point average to good standing.
Quality Points – the numeric value of your letter grade (A=4.0, B=3.0, etc.) multiplied by the number of hours for the course yields a value for calculating your GPA. An "A" for a 3-credit course would net 12 quality points.
Syllabus – a course outline. Instructors should provide the syllabus at the first or second class session. It provides a description of the course and may include information on the grading system, attendance policy, and assignments
Transcript – the permanent and official record of your college work.
Withdraw – when withdrawing from a course a 'W' will be on the student's transcript instead of a grade. The student will receive no credit for the course and a 'W' does not affect GPA.