UofL Lingo

UofL is a new place, with new people, offices, resources and lingo to learn. We hope this helps!  This is also available as a printable PDF.


A


A&S
Abbreviation for the College of Arts and Sciences.

Academic Advisor (Academic Counselor, Academic Counselor, Sr., etc.)
Academic advisors are either professional staff or faculty members who work with students to assist them throughout their academic careers. Academic advisors can aid you in selecting courses, evaluating your career and major options, determining academic and career goals, and navigating the academic processes at UofL.

Academic Calendar
A calendar of dates showing when fall, spring, and summer terms begin and end, as well as other related dates, such as drop/add periods, final exams, and Commencement.

Academic Load (also known as Course Load)
Describes how many credit hours a student is taking during a semester. For instance, carrying a full academic load as an undergraduate student means taking at least 12 credit hours. However, enrolling in 12 hours each semester may not lead to graduation in four years. Consult with your academic advisor to learn more.

Academic Standing
Academic standing reflects student performance. For example, a student who meets or exceeds minimum GPA requirements for their academic unit is considered to be in “good standing,” whereas a student who is not meeting those standards may be placed on academic “warning,” “probation,” or “suspension,” for example. Learn more about each academic unit’s policies in the Undergraduate Catalog.


Academic Term

Refers to each individual semester. For example, fall term, spring term, and summer term.

Academic Unit

Another way to refer to the “college” or school in which students are enrolled. UofL’s undergraduate academic units include: College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, College of Education and Human Development, School of Dentistry, School of Public Health and Information Sciences, School of Music, School of Nursing, School of Social Work, and Speed School of Engineering.

ADA
Abbreviation for the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Add Courses
When students attempt to register for a course it is called “adding.” Students may add courses to their schedule throughout the early registration period and even in the first 6-7 days of classes as indicated by the Registrar’s “Last day to drop/add” deadline. After the first week of class, students must petition to “late add” a class. Students should check with their advisor for information about the late add petition process.

Advisement Report (also called AR or Degree Audit)
An online report that examines a student’s academic record and indicates what requirements are remaining to be completed graduate.

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B


BA
Abbreviation for the Bachelor of Arts baccalaureate degree.

Blackboard
An online, electronic, education platform designed to deliver course and/or organizational content and information. Instructors will often post things like the syllabus, readings and other course documents, assignments, videos, online tests and quizzes, and other materials for class. Blackboard can be accessed from the University of Louisville homepage or the link above.

Block Transfer
Students who transfer between Kentucky’s public institutions of higher education may qualify for a “block” rather than course-by-course transfer. For more information, see the Undergraduate Catalog.  

BS
Abbreviation for the Bachelor of Science baccalaureate degree.

Bursar
This is the office that bills students for tuition, room and board, and other fees. All payments on your account are made to this office. 

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C


Cardinal Card
Your official identification card for UofL, also known as your Student ID. You use this card for many purposes such as checking out UofL library books, printing, making meal plan purchases, accessing facilities, and riding the TARC bus for free. You can get a replacement card made or add money to your Cardinal Card at the Cardinal Card office. 

Cardinal Cash
Cardinal Cash is a voluntary account linked to your Cardinal Card that can be used for purchases at various on-campus and off-campus locations. Cardinal Cash is required for printing/copying services on campus. You may also use Cardinal Cash on campus at select vending machines, campus bookstores, and other locations. 

CardSmart
CardSmart provides seamless communication among student success professionals who serve undergraduate students by creating a coordinated support system. You log in using your UofL username and password.  

CEHD
Abbreviation for the College of Education and Human Development. 

CLEP
Abbreviation for the College Level Examination Program of the College Board. Students can earn college credit for certain introductory-level courses by passing the associated CLEP exam. If the CLEP exam is passed with the minimum score, the student is therefore not required to take that course to meet degree requirements. Areas of study, the amount of credit allowed, and minimum scores are listed in the Undergraduate Catalog

Closed Class
A class that has been filled with the maximum number of students allowed to register. For all undergraduate courses, a student can add his or her name to the course “waitlist” (available during online registration) to request a spot in the class if one of the currently registered students drops the class. See “Waitlist” for policy details.

COB
Abbreviation for the College of Business. 

Co-curriculum
Activities, programs, and learning experiences that complement what students are learning in the classroom. This includes things like taking part in a student organization, volunteering, or attending lectures or programs, all of which provide an opportunity for students to apply their classroom learning to real life.

Code of Student Conduct
This is the University's policy regarding non-academic discipline of students and student organizations. Academic discipline of students is not covered by this Code, but rather falls within the authority of the individual academic units of the University. Students have the responsibility to follow all regulations outlined in this policy. 

College (or School)
At UofL, this is another way to refer to “academic unit,” which offers its own set of majors and minors. At UofL, these are College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, College of Education and Human Development, School of Dentistry, School of Public Health and Information Sciences, School of Music, School of Nursing, School of Social Work, and Speed School of Engineering.

Commencement
This is the graduation ceremony. It is also referred to as walking.” This is the ceremony that takes place after a degree is completed. There are two commencement ceremonies: spring (May) and fall (December).

Course Load (also known as Academic Load)
Describes how many credit hours a student is taking during a semester. For instance, carrying a full course load means taking at least 12 credit hours (the minimum for full-time status). However, enrolling in 12 hours each semester may not lead to graduation in four years. Consult with your academic advisor to learn more.

Course Number (or Catalog Number)
Each course has an alphabetic subject area code and a three-digit number that indicates the level of the course within the discipline (such as ENGL 101 or PSYC 201). The online Schedule of Classes lists each course offered in each semester.

Credit Hour
College courses are usually measured in credit hours. Most classes are three credit hours, which means you will meet about three hours each week for one class. There are variations, especially in lab courses. This is also referred to as credits”  or hours.” 

Cross-Listing
Cross-listing refers to a course that is listed under more than one academic department. This may be done in instances when the subject matter covered by the course is applicable to more than one academic discipline. For example, PAS 218 Survey of American Jazz is also listed as MUH 218 Survey of American Jazz because the course material is applicable to both the Pan-African Studies and Music History departments.

Curriculum
A program of courses approved for a particular degree. To earn a degree in a particular program, a student must complete the curriculum for that program.

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D


Dean
The administrative head of each academic unit or college.

Degree Audit (also called an Advisement Report)
The process of examining a student's academic record to determine if the student has completed all degree requirements and is eligible to graduate. This is available to all students through online resources and should be reviewed with your assigned academic or department/faculty advisor.

DENT
Abbreviation for the School of Dentistry. 

Department Advisor
Once students have been approved for their majors, they will be contacted by a representative in that department (often a faculty member) who will serve as the student's mentor for the remainder of their academic career. This representative will discuss major requirements, as well as relevant resources for the discipline and continued study.

Department Chair
Administrative head of an academic department who has been appointed by the dean of the college to manage that department. For example, the Chair of Modern Languages or the Electrical and Computer Engineering Chair.

Disability Resource Center (DRC)
The Disability Resource Center is designed to assist students with disabilities in obtaining equal access to the many services that are available on campus. The DRC is located in Stevenson Hall.

Distance Learning or Distance Education
When a student takes an online course rather than being in the classroom for instructional time. Students attending UofL can choose to enroll in online courses, but it’s a good idea to talk to an advisor to see if a fully online course is the best fit for you. There is also an additional instructional fee associated with online courses.

Drop/Add
The period during which students can make a change to their schedule by removing or adding a course from their schedule. This is usually the first week of the fall and spring terms, and the last date to drop/add is always listed on the Academic Calendar. Note that changes in the total number of credit hours taken for the semester can have an impact on financial aid and other matters, so always carefully consider drop/add choices.

Drop Courses
When students remove themselves from a course that they had previously registered for it is called “dropping.” Although the terms “drop” and “withdrawal” are used interchangeably, they have two very different results. Dropping a class completely removes the course from the student’s transcript, so there is no record of the student having ever been registered for the class. Since the course is deleted from the student’s transcript, no grade is recorded, and the student is not charged any tuition for the course. Students may drop courses from their schedule throughout the early registration period each semester. Once courses have begun for a given term, students may drop classes from their schedule until the end of the drop/add period. This is typically the first week of classes for fall and spring and the first day of classes for summer courses, but this date can vary. The date will also vary for courses that have special schedules that differ from the regular semester meeting dates. Students should always check the Registrar’s website for the official drop/add dates. See also: “Withdrawal.”

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E


Earned Hours
Course hours completed in which academic credit was earned. These include courses taken for a letter grade and/or on a pass/fail basis. You can find your total number of earned hours by using the ULink Student Center to access your unofficial transcript.

Elective
Electives are courses you take for degree credit that are not already required for your curriculum. Some majors have several hours of electives, while others have none.

ELSB
Abbreviation for Engage Lead Serve Board, which is a division of the Student Government Association and offers service opportunities and leadership experience for students.

EngageUofL
This online portal lists all Recognized Student Organizations (RSOs) at UofL and is a tool to help any student get involved and know what’s going on around campus. Organizations can post announcements, list events on the campus calendar, and manage membership. You can search by organization name or by type of organization to find the group that’s of most interest to you.

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F


FAFSA
Abbreviation for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The FAFSA is the annual application used for students seeking federal, state, and some institutional financial aid. Always check the Financial Aid Office's website about annual deadlines.

FERPA

Abbreviation for the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. This is a federal law applying to educational agencies and institutions that receive funding under a program administered by the U.S. Department of Education. Under FERPA, schools must generally afford students who are aged 18 or over, or are attending a postsecondary institution, access to their education records, an opportunity to seek to have the records amended, and some control over the disclosure of information from the records. At UofL, responsibility for authorizing the release of student information rests with the director of the University Archives and Records Center. 

Flag (also known as a Hold)
A registration hold occurs when the University blocks a student’s access to the course registration system because he or she has not met a particular requirement, such as paying a parking ticket, taking care of a disciplinary sanction, or participating in a required advising session. You can find out if you have any holds on your account by looking in the “Registration” section of ULink in the Student Services tab.

Flight Plan
A degree planning tool that provides an example of a semester-by-semester schedule to graduate in four years. There is a flight plan offered for every major at UofL, and each flight plan is listed in the Undergraduate Catalog.

Freshman
An undergraduate student who has earned fewer than 30 semester credit hours.

Full-Time (F/T) Students
Undergraduate students who are registered for 12 or more semester hours in a regular school session (fall or spring). In order to complete a degree in four years, you should plan to complete 15-16 credit hours each fall and spring semesters. Summer sessions are also available to earn additional credits.

FYE
Abbreviation for First Year Experience, the office which supports all new and transfer students in their transition to UofL.

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G


General Education (Gen Ed or GER)
General Education, also referred to as Cardinal Core, is a common core of courses that must be completed by all degree-seeking students. These courses are designed to encourage students to think critically, communicate effectively, and appreciate diversity.

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H


Hold (also known as a Flag)

A registration hold occurs when the University blocks a student’s access to the course registration system because he or she has not met a particular requirement, such as paying a parking ticket, taking care of a disciplinary sanction, or participating in a required advising session. You can find out if you have any holds on your account by looking in the ULink Student Services tab under the “Registration” or “Student Center” sections.

Hours Attempted with Grade
Total number of credit hours taken by a student for which a letter grade (A, B, C, D, or F) is recorded. These hours are used in the calculation of a student’s grade point average (GPA).

Home Institution
The college or university in which a student is enrolled. For example, University of Louisville, Eastern Kentucky University, etc.

Host Institution
When a student elects to participate in a program or complete a course offered by a college or university outside of their home institution, the school that the student is attending is called the host institution.

HSC
Abbreviation for the Health Sciences Center. The HSC is home to the University’s healthcare programs (School of Medicine, School of Dentistry, School of Nursing, and School of Public Health and Information Systems) and are located in downtown Louisville.

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I


Information Center

Refers to the visitor and information centers at the University of Louisville. There are two on Belknap Campus: one on the north end of campus off the Cardinal Boulevard entrance, and the other at the southwest end of campus off the 3rd Street entrance by Grawemeyer Hall and the Thinker statue.

Information Technology (IT)
The department that provides technology-based services to UofL faculty, staff, and students. Through IT, students can get assistance with their computer accounts, purchase software for their courses, or purchase hardware that is designed to meet campus computing requirements. 

IUS
Abbreviation for Indiana University Southeast.

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J


JCTC
Abbreviation for Jefferson Community and Technical College (formerly known as JCC or Jefferson Community College). 

Junior
An undergraduate student who has earned 60-89 hours of credit.

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K


KCTCS
Abbreviation for the Kentucky Community and Technical College System. 

KENT
Abbreviation for the Kent School of Social Work.

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M


Matriculate
To be admitted and enrolled at the University of Louisville.

Metropolitan College (Metro College)
A joint program with United Parcel Service (UPS). Students work at UPS in exchange for tuition and an hourly rate of pay.

Metroversity
A cooperative effort of seven institutions: Bellarmine University, Indiana University Southeast, Jefferson Community and Technical College, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Spalding University, and the University of Louisville. A full-time student at any of these schools enjoys the opportunity of cross-registration, double degree programs, library privileges, and other benefits. For more information, see the Undergraduate Catalog.

MITC
Abbreviation for the Miller Information Technology Center.

MU
Abbreviation for the School of Music. 

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N


New Cards Navigator
This online resource delivers a series of three informational modules that are a graded part of every student’s academic orientation course.

NU
Abbreviation for the School of Nursing. 

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O


Orientation Program (also known as Freshman Orientation, New Student Orientation, and Transfer Orientation)
An online or in-person program required for all degree-seeking students new to UofL and completed prior to registering for courses. The orientation program is the foundation needed to meet with one’s academic advisor and learn important details related to campus services, academic support services, student services and organizations, and UofL academic technology. 

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P


Pass/Fail (P/F)
An option whereby a student may elect to take a course not for a traditional letter grade, but rather for "pass" or "fail."  Students should speak with their advisor if they are interested in taking a course on a pass/fail basis. For more information and eligibility requirements, see the Undergraduate Catalog.

Part-Time (P/T) Students
Undergraduate students who are enrolled for fewer than 12 semester credit hours in a regular academic term (fall or spring).

Prerequisite
A prerequisite is a requirement you must meet before you may enroll in a certain class. Prerequisites are listed in the course description that can be accessed from either the Undergraduate Catalog or the online Schedule of Classes.

President
The UofL president is the chief operating officer of the University.

Priority Registration
The time during which current students may register for the upcoming semester. Students are assigned a specific registration date and time by classification/status, and you can find your assigned time by looking at the Registrar’s website or the Registration section in the ULink Student Services tab.

Provost

The second in command at the University reporting to the President, the Provost is the chief academic officer and the Executive President of UofL.

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R


REACH (Resources for Academic Achievement)

The University's centralized academic support unit for undergraduate students. REACH has free services and programs designed to help you succeed in the classroom and transition to college life.

Reading Day
The day between the end of the semester and the start of the final exam period, during which no classes or exams are scheduled.

Recitation

Additional class/study time assigned to some lecture classes. Recitation classes are typically smaller subsections of the larger class and may be led by either the course instructor or a teaching assistant. For example, math and science courses often have a recitation attached to the course.

Registrar
The office that is responsible for enrollment services including student records, course grades, issuing diplomas and transcripts, posting and managing the schedule of classes, University catalogs, and more. 

Registration Period
The time during which students can select and enroll in courses for the upcoming semester. To tell which courses are available for that semester, check the Schedule of Classes online.

Residence Halls
“Traditional” communities (Miller Hall, Unitas Tower, and Belknap Residence Hall) are typically double-occupancy rooms with community baths. “Non-traditional” communities are suite-style (Community Park, Kurz Hall, Louisville Hall, and Billy Minardi) or apartment-style (Cardinal Towne, Bettie Johnson, University Pointe, and University Tower Apartments) with semi-private and private bathroom options.  

RSO (also known as Recognized Student Organization)
Abbreviation for Recognized Student Organizations. A list of all active RSOs can be found in EngageUofL

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S


SAB
Abbreviation for Student Activities Board, which is a major division of the Student Government Association and provides social, multicultural, recreational, and educational activities for the University's students and other interested members of the campus community.

SAC
Abbreviation for the Swain Student Activities Center on Belknap Campus.

Schedule of Classes

An online, comprehensive reference tool which lists courses offered at UofL for each academic term.

Senior
An undergraduate student who has completed more than 90 semester credit hours, but has not yet earned a baccalaureate degree.

Service Indicator

A registration hold occurs when the University blocks a student’s access to the course registration system because he or she has not met a particular requirement, such as paying a parking ticket, taking care of a disciplinary sanction, or participating in a required advising session. You can find out if you have any holds on your account by looking in the ULink Student Services tab under the “Registration” or “Student Center” sections.

SGA
Abbreviation for the Student Government Association, which is the student governing body of the University of Louisville. SGA works to be a voice for fellow students on campus and in the Commonwealth.

Sophomore
An undergraduate student who has earned 30 or more, but fewer than 60 semester credit hours.

SOSers

Abbreviation for Student Orientation Staff members. These are the student staff who work with first-time freshmen during New Student Orientation, as well as the Cards Connection program.

SPEED

Abbreviation for the J.B. Speed School of Engineering.

SPHIS

Abbreviation for School of Public Health and Information Sciences.

SRC
Abbreviation for Student Recreation Center.

Student Transfer Evaluation (STE)
A report that outlines the courses that you took at previous institutions and how those credits were transferred to UofL.

Student ID Number
A seven-digit number issued to you upon admission to the University. This number is listed on your Cardinal Card.

Supplemental Instruction (SI)
SI is peer-facilitated academic support that targets difficult courses and offers regularly scheduled out-of-class small group discussions and review sessions for clarification of the material taught in the course.

Syllabus
Provided by each of your course instructors, this document is an outline of the goals of the course, materials to be used, schedule of topics and assignments, methods of evaluation, and more.

SW
Abbreviation for the Kent School of Social Work.

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T


Transcript
A transcript is a student’s official academic record. The transcript contains information about the courses that a student has taken and the grades that have been received in those courses. Students may review their unofficial transcript in their ULink account. Students can order official copies of their transcript from the Registrar’s Office.

Transfer Credit

Transfer credit refers to coursework taken by a student at another institution that has been accepted (or transferred in) by the University of Louisville for academic credit. It is important that students understand that not all courses offered by other colleges or universities may be transferred in by the University of Louisville. It is also important for students to be aware that not all transfer work may be applicable to their specific degree plan.

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U


ULink
An online portal that serves as the one-stop-shop for many things you’ll need to take care of at UofL, such as Registration, Financial Aid, Bursar’s Office, and personal account management. It can be accessed from UofL’s home page.

ULtra
Abbreviation for the University of Louisville Transfer Program. This program is designed to assist students in transferring to the University of Louisville. ULtra currently has offices on the Downtown, Southwest, and Shelbyville campuses of Jefferson Community and Technical College (JCTC). 

Undecided
Refers to students who have not yet chosen an academic major. This is also known as "exploratory."

Undergraduate Catalog
An online, comprehensive reference tool which serves as the official source for all degree program and academic requirements, as well as institutional policies and procedures.

User ID
This is the information you will use to log into University systems such as ULink, Blackboard, your library account, UofL email, and more. Your user ID is usually made up of your first initial, middle initial, the first four letters of your last name, and a two-digit number (ex: cdbird01).

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V


Visiting Student
A visiting student is someone who is regularly enrolled at one institution and registers to take courses at another institution for one semester. If you are a UofL student and choose to take courses at another institution for a semester, you must work with your academic advisor to complete the visiting student form in order to ensure that your courses will transfer back to UofL.

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W


Waitlist

For all undergraduate courses, a student can add his or her name to the course “waitlist” (available during online registration) to request a spot in the class if one of the currently registered students drops the class.

Withdrawal (W)

A grade of a “W” will be reflected on students’ official transcript for all courses dropped after the last day of the drop/add period. The “W” does not factor into your GPA.

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