Academic Advising Terms

Academic Advising

A collaborative relationship between a member of the University and the student. In Arts & Sciences, advisors: explain your responsibilities as a student, familiarize you with UTC, the College & departmental policies, procedures & requirements, develop an academic plan & goals for success with you, introduce you to campus life & resources, encourage your active participation in your education, help you navigate your degree, the campus & the path to success, explore post-graduation options with you and prepare you for timely graduation and post-graduation success.

Academic Calendar

Serves as an information source and planning document for students, faculty, staff and departments, as well as outside organizations. The calendar includes registration dates, class start dates, add/drop deadlines, exam dates and more.

Academic Forgiveness

Allows for the removal of previous coursework from the calculation of the student’s grade point averages and from consideration for fulfillment of all University requirements. Academic forgiveness does not remove the record of these courses from the student’s transcript. Upon issuance of academic forgiveness, the student must retake, as necessary, and complete all coursework specified for an academic degree and other courses the student may be required to complete (e.g., deficiency courses). Find out more about the policy in the academic catalog.

Academic History

An unofficial record of a student’s attempted coursework from all institutions attended. Students can access this information through the mymocs.utc.edu portal.

Academic Plan

A planning worksheet used to outline remaining course requirements semester by semester. Varies by college. May also be referred to as degree plan or degree checklist.

Academic Warning

A cautionary notice to the student that the semester GPA is 2.2 or below and that continued academic performance at this low level may lead to probation, suspension, or dismissal. Students may be placed on probation or may be suspended or dismissed without having received such a warning notice since these academic actions are linked to the overall grade point average. Academic warnings do not appear on the academic record.

Academic Probation

Students are placed on academic probation when their cumulative GPA falls below 2.00. While on Academic Probation, a student must maintain a minimum semester GPA of 2.0 to remain eligible to enroll in courses. Students on academic probation in Arts & Sciences are encouraged to meet with their advisor a minimum of twice a semester.

Academic Suspension

Students are suspended from UTC if they are placed on academic probation and do not maintain a 2.00 semester GPA. A student classified as on academic suspension cannot enroll at the university for one semester from the time he or she is suspended. The complete summer sessions, or the entire summer, constitute one semester for this policy.

Academic Dismissal

Students are dismissed from UTC if they are suspended, return from suspension and do not maintain a 2.00 semester GPA or overall cumulative GPA of 2.00. Students are dismissed for an indefinite period and may not apply for consideration for readmission for one calendar year.

Academic Year

Refers to the Fall, Spring and Summer semesters occurring in one calendar year. The academic year begins with each Fall semester.

Auditing Classes

Students who wish to attend undergraduate classes without earning credit or receiving grades may register as auditors. Students auditing a course are under no obligation of preparation, recitation, or examination, and receive no letter grades or credit. Fees for auditing courses are the same as those for courses taken for credit. Audit grading is based upon attendance. Students may not change from audit to credit after the publicized date in the academic calendar each semester. Auditing may impact

Students register online for credit and then notify the Registrar by sending an email to [email protected] to change the type of credit to audit.

Bachelor's Degree 

Available in a variety of fields, typically requires 120 credits, which can be completed in about four years of full time enrollment. The most common Bachelors degrees in the College of Arts & Sciences at UTC are Bachelor of Arts & Bachelor of Science. The Bachelor of Arts generally has more elective options and requires two years of a foreign language in addition to successful completion of a minor.

Bursar

The university official that manages billing and collection of student fees.

Catalog

A student’s “contract” with the University. This on-line publication contains all academic policies and procedures, college and degree requirements, faculty, and course descriptions. All students are responsible for knowing information provided in this publication. Catalogs are in effect for 6years. The catalog can be found at catalog.utc.edu.

Catalog Year 

The year during which regulations of a specific education of the Undergraduate Catalog apply. Students may satisfy requirements for a Bachelors degree using any catalog in effect during their attendance at the University provided the catalog has been in effect within six years of graduation. A new catalog year begins every fall term. Students beginning in a spring or summer semester are eligible to follow the fall catalog for that academic year.

Chancellor/President

The head of a university or university system. At UTC the Chancellor is the head of the university and reports to the President of the University of Tennessee System.

Change of Major (referred to as Program Change)

The active process by which students update their degree program. A form is to be completed with the Registrar. More information→ 

Clear Path

A roadmap used to outline degree requirements semester by semester. May be used in conjunction with the academic plan/degree checklist.

Closed Course (C) 

A course that is filled to capacity and has no available spaces. Special permission from the instructor (an override) and department is needed to add a closed course to your schedule. A waitlist option is available for many courses

Concentration

A specific focus within a major; for example, English majors may choose to concentrate in either american language & literature, creative writing or rhetoric & professional writing.

Counting Courses

Term used to describe a federal financial aid policy regarding eligibility requirements and degree applicable courses. More information→ 

Co-requisite

A course to be taken, or a requirement to be fulfilled, at the same time you are taking a particular course.

Credit Hours

Unit of measurement, referring to the amount earned by successfully completing a course. This is approximately equal to the number of hours the class meets per week; also referred to as semester hours.

CRN

Course registration number: five-digit code associated with each unique section of a course. Many courses have multiple sections, offered at different times, with different instructors, etc. Each one will have a different CRN.   

Course Load

Used to describe the number of credit hours enrolled for each semester.  The average course load for any semester is 14 to 16 credit hours. Students registered for at least 12 hours are considered full-time each semester (6 hours in the summer). The maximum number of hours that may be attempted in one semester  is 20. To request course overloads, advanced approval of the Petitions Committee is required. Students requesting approval of the Petitions Committee to register for excess hours for a given semester must submit the petition to the Registrar (125 University Center) no later than one week prior to the first day of class for each semester. Petition Form→

Curriculum

Term used to describe the courses required for a particular degree program.

Dean

The head of a college or school.

Degree Checklist

A planning worksheet used to outline remaining course requirements semester by semester. Varies by college. May also be referred to as academic or degree plan.

Degree Plan

An academic planning worksheet used to keep track of projected and completed course requirements. Varies by college. May also be referred to as academic plan or degree checklist.

Drop/Add

The process of adding or removing a course or courses from a schedule. Most dropping and adding can be done using MyMocsNet. Drop/Add deadlines are found on the academic calendar.

Elective

A course that does not fulfill a specific requirement but that may be used toward the total number of credit hours needed for graduation.

FAFSA

Free Application for Federal Student Aid. All students, regardless of need, are encouraged to fill this out when it becomes available each year so that they can be aware of their federal aid options.

General Education

Courses that expand students’ fundamental knowledge, abilities, and aesthetic sensibilities, leading to more enriched lives and a more comprehensive view of our global world. General Education requirements are common to all UTC degrees, while some majors have more specific requirements than others General education is often abbreviated to “gen ed” at UTC.

GPA (Grade Point Average) 

A number representing the average value of the accumulated final grades earned over a period of time. The most common calculations for GPA are by semester and overall (includes all courses). GPA definitions include institutional (all work completed at UTC), transfer (all work completed at another institution and submitted to UTC) and overall (UTC institutional + transfer).

GPA is calculated by the following formula: the total number of quality points divided by the total number of attempted GPA credit hours, including hours for which the student received an F. The GPA hours do not include credit hours for courses in which grades of S, NC, I, and W have been earned. 

Grading Scale

UTC’s grading scale is a 4-point scale consisting of letter grades A, B, C, D, and F, with an A worth 4 quality points and an F worth zero quality points.

Incomplete (I)

An interim grade given to a student whose work has been of passing quality and who has valid reason for not completing some requirement of the course. Removal of an Incomplete must be submitted by the instructor to the Registrar no later than the due date published in the Academic Calendar, or the Incomplete will become an F. The Incomplete grade will not be computed in the grade point average during the interim. Any student called to active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States may, with the permission of the instructor, be given an indefinite incomplete. The incomplete may be made up at any time. Degrees cannot be awarded with an Incomplete. Students should never re-enroll in a course in which an “I” was awarded.

Liberal Arts Education

A holistic approach to teaching and learning that emphasizes a broad and well-rounded course of study in a variety of fields that builds intellectual and practical skills and prepares students to think critically and creatively while cultivating a sense of personal and social responsibility. Liberal education is key to the mission of the College of Arts and Sciences at UTC.

Major

Concentrated study in a subject area of special interest.

Minor

An optional secondary field of study requiring fewer credits than a major. All students seeking the B.A. degree must complete the requirements for a minor in the same valid catalog year as the major(s). Students completing the requirements for two majors satisfy the requirement for a minor. 

MOCS ID 

The first part of a student’s UTC email address received once attendance at UTC is confirmed. Your MOCS ID is used each semester to register for courses, to log in to your UTC email account, to sign onto UTC Learn, and to log in to your MyMocsNet account.

MyMocsDegree (MMD)

An automated record of a student’s academic progress toward degree completion in a major. Students can access MyMocsDegree by signing into MocsNet at https://mymocs.utc.edu.

MyMocsNet

Web based portal, which includes the registration system, found at https://mymocs.utc.edu.

Office Hours

Time set aside by professors or teaching assistants for students to visit their office and ask questions or discuss the course they teach. Your professors will generally tell you at the beginning of the term (semester) when and where their office hours will be each week and this information is usually available on the syllabus for each course, as well. Students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of office hours.

Override

Term used to describe a process granting permission for students to enroll in a course. Overrides often must be granted for circumstances such as closed courses, classification errors, time conflict, etc. More information→

Petition

A request for an exemption to a particular curriculum requirement or other academic regulation that must be justified.

Prerequisites

A course to be completed or a level of skill or knowledge to be demonstrated before you may enroll in a particular course or degree program or associate with a particular college.

Progression Requirement

Courses and/or GPA requirements that must be met before a student may officially declare certain majors.

Provost

The chief academic officer of a university.

Quality Points

Quality points are used solely to calculate GPA and are awarded for courses completed. The number of quality points earned for each course completed is computed by multiplying the value of the grade received in the course (A= 4, B = 3, etc.) by the number of credit hours assigned to the course. Example: an A in Biology 1110, a 4-credit-hour course, totals 16 quality points (4 x 4) for the work.

Registration

The process for signing up for the next semester’s courses.

Registrar

The university official responsible for managing student records.

Registration Hold

Term used to describe the process preventing students from making any adjustments to their schedule. Types of registration holds might include advising (must see an advisor) and parking (outstanding balance which must be paid with parking).

Schedule of Classes

Online list of all classes available for a particular semester. Schedules can be found on the Registrar website.

Section Number

A three-digit number that identifies the section of a particular course when multiple sections of the same course are offered.

Semester

Type of academic term, indicating how courses are offered. UTC offers courses on a semester schedule, with Fall and Spring semesters and a summer term

Sequence

Two or more courses that must be taken in a specific order.

Syllabus

Your guide to a course and what will be expected of you in the course. Generally it will include course policies, rules and regulations, required texts and a schedule of assignments. A syllabus an tell you nearly everything you need to know about how a course will be run and what will be expected of you. Students are strongly encouraged to keep a copy of the syllabus for each course and have it available to refer to when needed.

Tennessee Reverse Transfer

Refers to a statewide initiative that allows transfer students who are currently attending a four-year school to combine four-year college credits with community college credits to receive an associate’s degree. Ask your advisor for more information.

Tennessee Transfer Pathway (TTP)

Refers to a statewide policy easing the process of transferring from a community college or similar two-year program to a Bachelor’s degree program at participating colleges and universities. UTC participates in TTP and more information can be found on the Registrar website.

Time Ticket

Date and time students are eligible to register for the next semester. Time tickets are assigned by earned credits, with those who have more credits assigned the earliest time ticket. Learn how to find your time ticket here. 

Transient Student

A degree seeking student who is currently pursuing a degree at another institution. UTC students will often enroll as transient students at other institutions to complete courses during the summer and transfer them back to UTC. As your advisor for more information.

Transcript

An official record of attempted coursework from all institutions attended obtained in the Registrar.

University/College/Department

University describes the entire institution, with all offices, colleges and departments. UTC is composed of 5 undergraduate colleges: the College of Arts & Sciences (CAS), the College of Engineering & Computer Science (CECS), the College of Health, Education & Professional Studies (CHEPS), the Gary W Rollins College of Business (RCOB) & the Honors College. Each college is divided into departments (for example, the Departments of English & Math in the College of Arts & Sciences).

University System

A group of universities controlled by the same board of trustees (governing body). UTC is part of the University of Tennessee system.

Wait List

Registration option on MyMocsNet for many courses. Allows students to reserve seats in a closed course as seats become available.

Withdrawal

Dropping a class after the drop/add period has ended. The course will still remain on the academic transcript as attempted hours, but a grade of W will be issued, which is not calculated into the GPA. Withdrawals often have financial impacts, so students are always encouraged to contact the Bursars Office or MocsOne before withdrawing after the drop/add period has ended.  

Heard a term you’re unsure about and don’t see it listed here? No problem! Email us at [email protected] and we are happy to help.