College Life Vocabulary
College life comes with an entirely new vocabulary, here are some of the words that Cougars need to know!
A
Academic Advising: Guidance provided by academic advisors to help students select courses, plan their academic path, and address any concerns related to their academic progress.
Academic Calendar: A schedule that outlines important dates in the academic year, including start and end dates of semesters, holidays, registration deadlines, and exam periods. Review the current academic calendar here: College of Charleston | Academic Calendars
Academic Honors: Recognition awarded to students for outstanding academic achievement, such as Dean's List, Honor Roll, or academic scholarships.
Academic Integrity: The ethical standards and principles expected of students in their academic work, including honesty, fairness, and respect for intellectual property. Academic integrity standards are available for review in the student handbook:
Academic Probation: A status given to students whose academic performance falls below a certain standard, often resulting in restrictions or requirements to improve.
Academic Standing: A student's status in relation to their academic performance, typically classified as good standing, probation, or dismissal.
Academic Suspension: A temporary dismissal from the institution due to poor academic performance, typically with conditions for reinstatement.
Add/Drop: Before the add/drop deadline, students have the oportunity to change course registration (add courses, drop courses, or switch courses) without academic or financial penalty.
Addlestone: Shorthand for Marlene and Nathan Addlestone Library. This is the CofC library located at 205 Calhoun St.
Alumni/Alumna/Alumnas: Individuals who have graduated with a degree from the College of Charleston
Appointment Manager: Online system used to schedule appointments with academic advisors, faculty advisors, or other campus resource: Achieve - Student Success and Retention CRM (cofc.edu)
Audit: Refers to the option for a student to enroll in a course for informational purposes, but the student will not recieve a grade or credit for the course. Audited coursework carries attempted hours but no quality points, no quality hours, and no earned hours, and carries full fees and tuition. This is not the same as a degree audit which reviews academic progress towards a degree.
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C
Capstone: A culminating project or course that integrates knowledge and skills gained throughout a student's academic program.
CARTA: Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority. This is the Public Transit System in Charleston. CofC Students can ride CARTA busses for free with their Cougar Card!
Cheating: the actual giving or receiving of unauthorized, dishonest assistance that might give one student an unfair advantage over another in the performance of any assigned, graded academic work, inside or outside of the classroom, and by any means whatsoever, including but not limited to fraud, duress, deception, theft, talking, making signs, gestures, copying, electronic messaging, photography, unauthorized reuse of previously graded work, unauthorized dual submission, unauthorized collaboration and unauthorized use or possession of study aids, memoranda, books, data, or other information, including the use of generative artificial intelligence (GAI) tools when not authorized by the instructor(s). The term cheating includes engaging in any behavior related to graded academic work specifically prohibited by an instructor in the course syllabus or class discussion.
Cistern Yard: Located at the corner of George and St. Philip St. The Cistern is the heart of campus. Many events, including commencement, take place in the Cistern. The Cistern is open to the public.
Clyde:Clyde the Cougar is CofC's mascot!
Code of Conduct: Defines the behavioral expectations and standards that students are expected to uphold while enrolled at the College of Charleston: College of Charleston | Code of Conduct
Commencement: The ceremony celebrating the completion of a degree, where students are awarded diplomas in front of family, friends, and faculty.
Concentration: A focused area of study within a major. Ask your academic advisor about concentrations available at the College of Charleston.
Corequisite: A course requirements that must be taken simultaneously with another course.
Cougar Card: The official College of Charleston identification card. All members of the campus community get one. Use your Cougar Card to access events, facilities and services – like your meal plan and free rides with CARTA!
Cougar Complete: course material model that lowers the cost of materials for students and ensures they have access to all of their required course materials on or before the first day of class. Through this program, physical books will be conveniently packaged and provided to students on a rental basis, and digital materials will be delivered directly within OAKS.
Course Catalog: A publication provided by the institution listing all available courses, along with descriptions, prerequisites, and other relevant information. Contact the registrar to view course catalogs: Registrar (charleston.edu)
Course Load: The number of credit hours or courses taken by a student in a given semester or academic year.
Course Reference Number (CRN): The CRN is a five-digit code that identifies the specific section of a course.
CWID: Campus Wide ID number. A unique identification number or card issued to students by the institution, used for accessing campus facilities, checking out library materials, and verifying student status
D
Degree Audit: A review of a student's academic progress towards a degree. You can view your degree audit using Degree Works
Degree Works: Provides you with access to your unofficial degree audit which lists information regarding your current program(s) of study including institutional requirements, general education requirements, major requirements (with concentration, cognate or track, if applicable) and minor requirements. You and your advisor can access your degree audit via MyPortal and the Academic Services tab.
Department Chair: A faculty member within an academic department who is assigned by the dean to manage the specific department.
Dining Hall: On-campus dining facility
E
eBill: Your online eBill will always display your current registration and billing information. eBill is accessed via MyPortal.
Elective: A course that students can choose to take based on their interests, often not directly related to their major.
Express I/ Express II: Fall and spring will each have 14 weeks of class time and a final examination period. Each fall and spring term will also be divided evenly into two express sessions, Express I and Express II.
Extracurricular: Activities that you may engage in during your time as a student separate from academics (clubs, sports, Greek orgnizations, Stuent Governement, etc).
F
Faculty: An educator who works at the College. Faculty members may teach courses and/or conduct research.
Faculty Advisor: A faculty member assigned to students to provide guidance and mentorship regarding academic and career-related matters.
FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid): A form completed by students to determine their eligibility for financial aid, including grants, loans, and work-study programs.
Faculty/Friends/Family Assisting Students in Trouble/Share a Concern (FAST): An online reporting form that can be used to report a personal or academic conerns about a CofC student to ensure they are connected to resources for support
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA): A federal law that protects the privacy of student education records.
Finals/ Final Exams: The last set of exams or assessments administered at the end of a semester.
Financial Aid: Monetary assistance provided to students to help cover the costs of education, including scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study programs.
First-Generation Student: Any student whose guardian(s) have not completed a 4-year degree
Folly: Shorthand for Folly Beach, one of the beaches near College of Charleston
Freshman: A student with less than 30 credit hours earned
Full-Time: A student enrolled in 12+ credit hours
G
GPA (Grade Point Average): A numerical representation of a student's academic performance, calculated by averaging the grades received in all courses.
Good Academic Standing: You are in compliance with the minimum cumulative GPA requirement required at CofC. Students enrolled at the College of Charleston are required to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) to avoid falling out of Good Academic Standing. The GPA requirement is based on credits earned.
Graduate School: Postgraduate education beyond the undergraduate level, leading to advanced degrees such as master's or doctoral degrees.
Graduation Requirements: The specific criteria and courses needed to fulfill the requirements for obtaining a degree from the institution.
Grant: Grants are need-based, financial-assistance awards that generally do not have to be repaid. In most cases, you'll need to complete the FAFSA to apply for grants.
H
Handshake: Online job board which can be used to find jobs and internships.
Hold: If you have a registration hold on your account, you will not be able to register for courses until this hold is cleared. Only the department who placed the hold can remove the hold from your account. You can contact the registrar for more information about any holds on your account.
Honor Code: defines the academic integrity standards at CofC including
Honor's College: A learning community within CofC. You must apply and be admitted to the Honor's College to join. Find more information on their website: College of Charleston | About the Honors College
I
Incomplete: Final transcript designation "I" indicates that only a small part of the semester’s work remains to be done, that the student is otherwise doing satisfactory work in the course, and that an extension of time is warranted to complete the course. The “I” also signifies that an agreement has been established between professor and student as to the quantity of work remaining to be done, the deadlines established for its completion, and a schedule of meeting times. It is recommended that this agreement be made in writing with both professor and student having a copy. The faculty determines the time allowable for completion of coursework, up to 60 days from the date of the last scheduled examination of the semester in which the “I” is received. If the student does not complete the work within 60 days, the “I” is automatically changed to an “F.”
Independent Study: A directed study to facilitate independent inquiry into a topic relevant to the student’s intended area of practice. Talk with your advisor about independent study opportunities
Instructor: The individual who teaches a course, usually a faculty member.
Internship: A structured work experience related to a student's field of study, providing hands-on learning opportunities and often academic credit.
J
Junior: A student with between 60 and 89 credit hours earned
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L
Lab: Short for Laboratory. This is a type of course usually required in science, engineering, and technology fields. Labs complement theoretical lecture courses by providing hands-on practical experience.
Loan: A type of financial aid which usually needs to be repaid and may accrue interest. Contact financial aid for more information about loans and qualification for loans: College of Charleston | Loan Application Process
M
Major: A specific field of study chosen by a student for specialization during their undergraduate education.
Mandatory evacuation: A protective action taken by government agencies requiring all persons in a designated area to evacuate. Charleston may be issued a mandatory evacuation during major tropical storms or hurricanes. The College of Charleston will provide support and instruction to naviagte an evacuation.
Maymester: The summer term is divided into four parts of term entitled Maymester, Extended Summer, Summer I, and Summer II. Maymester courses last approximately 2.5 weeks. See academic calendar for registration dates and course dates.
Meal Plan: Meal plans give you access to on-campus dining options
Medical Amnesty Policy: Also called the Good Samaritan policy. This policy provides that any student who is in need of medical care during an alcohol or other drug-related emergency (as defined in Section 3.2 and from here forward shortened to AOD-alcohol and other drugs), and who receives or actively seeks out such care in a timely fashion, may do so without fear of being subjected to Student Conduct action. This policy only applies to College policies as outlined in the Student Code of Conduct.
Minor: A secondary field of study chosen by a student to complement their major, requiring fewer courses than a major.
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O
OAKS: CofC's learning managment system. OAKS allows faculty to post content, administer quizzes, foster discussion, grade assignments, display grades, etc. all in a secure online environment. Students can then access the course materials through OAKS during and after class, participate in class discussions and contact other students in their courses.
Office Hours: Designated times when professors are available to meet with students outside of class to provide additional help or clarification on course material.
Orientation: a chance for students and their families to get acclimated to the College of Charleston before the start of the fall semester. Students meet their academic advisors as well as faculty and staff from every corner of the College community.
P
Part-Time: A student is classified as part-time if they are enrolled in less then 11 credit hours
Peninsula: A historic downtown district in Charleston, SC. The peninsula is the main downtown area of Charleston located between the Wando, Cooper, and Ashley rivers. CofC is primarily located on the Peninsula. If you have to travel over a bridge, you are most likely leaving the "peninsula".
Plagiarism:
- The verbatim repetition, without acknowledgement, of the writings of another author. All significant phrases, clauses, or passages, taken directly from source material must be enclosed in quotation marks and acknowledged in the text itself and/or in footnotes/endnotes.
- Borrowing without acknowledging the source.
- Paraphrasing the thoughts of another writer without acknowledgement.
- Allowing any other person or organization (including Generative AI) to prepare work which one then submits as his/her own.
Q
Quality Points: numerical values assigned to letter grades earned in college courses. These points are used to calculate a student's Grade Point Average (GPA).
R
Resident Advisor (RA): are a live-in student staff team under the supervision of a Residence Hall Director. RAs serve as a resource and source of support for the on-campus residential community. RAs will assist a community of residents with adapting to campus living and developing a strong sense of belonging with each other and within the College of Charleston. RAs are an essential part of the policy enforcement and community development team. They serve in an on-call rotation to offer support to residential students on evenings and weekends. RAs use varied methods for engaging residents, building both individual relationships and community-wide bonds. RAs will empower residents to develop skills that will benefit their college experience, including interpersonal communication, conflict management, and self-accountability.
Residence Hall Director (RHD): professional or graduate student staff members responsible for the management of a residential community. RHDs supervise the residence life student staff in each residential community, support students living within the community and are a general resource to all of our residential students.
Reading Day: A designated day before final exams during which students do not have classes or exams. Many students use reading day to review course materials, catch up on coursework, and prepare for final exams.
Registrar: The office responsible for student records, course registration, and academic policies and procedures.
Registration: The process by which a stuent reserves a seat in future courses. Review teh academic calendar for information about when registration begins and ends.
S
Students for Support (S4S): a peer-counseling program on campus available to support students in person or via text
Scholarship: Financial awards given to students based on academic achievement, financial need, or other criteria.
Senior: A student with 90+ credit hours earned
Sophomore: A student with between 30 and 59 credit hours earned
Student ID: A unique identification number or card issued to students by the institution, used for accessing campus facilities, checking out library materials, and verifying student status. Also referred to as CWID.
Student Government Association: The student representative body to the administration of the College
Student Handbook: The student handbook will assist you, the student, in understanding your rights, freedoms and responsibilities as a student. It's an official publication of the College of Charleston and all students are held accountable for its contents: Student Handbook (charleston.edu)
Study Abroad: The opportunity for students to spend a semester or academic year studying in another country, immersing themselves in a different culture and educational system.
Syllabus: A document provided by instructors at the beginning of a course outlining the objectives, assignments, grading criteria, and schedule of the course.
T
Transcript: An official document containing a student's academic record, including courses taken, grades earned, and degree awarded.
Transfer Credits: Credits earned from courses taken at another institution that are accepted toward a degree at the current institution.
Transfer Student: A student who enrolls in a new institution after completing coursework at another college or university.
Treasurer: The College of Charleston's Treasure's Office is here to help you navigate the financial landscape of your college journey. Contact us for clear billing information, flexible payment options and expert guidance: Treasurer's Office (charleston.edu)
Tuition: The fee charged by colleges and universities for instruction and academic services. You can see your tuition expenses in eBill.
U
V
W
Withdrawal: The process of officially dropping a course or courses from a student's schedule, typically with a specified deadline.
Work Study: The Federal Work-Study (FWS) Program provides degree-seeking students who have financial need the opportunity to work part-time in order to earn money for educational expenses. Contact financial aid for information about qualfication and beginning work-study.
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Zoom: video communications platform that allows users to connect via video, audio, and chat.