It is a good idea to become familiar with the following UTB/TSC terminology.

Understanding the following information will help you successfully navigate the UTB/TSC system.

 

A

The first letter of the alphabet.  It counts 4.0 on your GPA. The best grade you can possibly earn.

Academic Advisor—A trained professional who can help you plan your class schedule and chart your academic progress.

Academic Probation—This is a warning to the student that his or her academic progress is

 unsatisfactory.

Academic Suspension--- When you have not regained satisfactory progress and your grade point average is very low. You must stay out of school for one semester or request readmission by appeal.

Academic Library—Located near the Gorgas Building, has three floors; computer rooms, study rooms, magazines, takes, films, and many other helpful aides.

Academic Load—For a full-time undergraduate, the minimum is 12 credit hours.  The average load is 5-18 credit hours.  You need approval from you academic advisor to take more than 18 credit hours per semester.

Adds and Drops—Adding or taking classes out of your schedule after registration.

Alcohol—State laws apply on campus, so university policy maintains the age limit guidelines.  You must be 21 to drink beer or any other alcoholic beverages. No alcohol is allowed at the dorms.

All-Nighter (or “to pull an all-nighter”)—Staying up all night, usually studying or attempting to study.  The Surgeon General has determined that too many all-nighters may be hazardous to your health or GPA.

Alumnus—What you will become after graduating from UTB/TSC.

Athletics—The department that offers sports.

Attendance—Each instructor enforces the          attendance policy of the university.  A student may be dropped after 6 unexcused absences for Monday /Wednesday/Friday classes and 4 unexcused absences for Tuesday/Thursday classes.

 

B

The second letter of the alphabet. It counts 3.0 on your GPA. A good grade.

Bookstore—Used for all needs: books, supplies, and many other essentials for college life.

Boredom—A psychological state, often resulting in a feeling of indifference, dissatisfaction or lack of personal growth.  This can be avoided easily by getting involved.  GET INVOLVED!!!

Bachelor’s Degree—A student receives this degree upon completion of his/her                  undergraduate studies of 4 or more years.

 

C

The third letter of the alphabet. It counts 2.0 on your GPA. Still a passing grade.

Classification—Undergraduate students are classified as freshmen, sophomores, juniors, or seniors based on the number of academic credit hours earned. This classification is as follows:  freshmen (0-30 credit hours); sophomores (31-60 credit hours); juniors (61-90 credit hours); seniors (91 credit hours and above). Freshmen and sophomores are referred to as lower-division; junior and senior are designated upper-division.

Chair --      Director of a department. Usually a faculty member who supervises professors and instructors in his area.

Cheating—Suppress any temptation to cheat. The penalties are stiff if you are caught.

Cinemark—Movie theatre that offers movies at a low price, one or two dollar. Perfect for the college student of today.

CLEP—College Level Examination Program- an examination that offers academic credit in either Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, or Spanish. More information can be obtained through the Testing Office, Tandy Hall—216.

Community—One of the most essential elements of UTB/TSC. It means that everyone feels that they are part of a family.

Community Service—An activity for the good of the community-distributing food, walk-a-thons, beach clean-ups, donating goods to the poor etc.

Commuter—Students who do not live on campus.

Couch Potato—One who sits in front of the TV all day, or sleeps the day away. 

Core Curriculum—Courses you must take before you can take classes for your major.

Counseling Center—Where professionally-trained counselors assist students in solving personal, social, career problems.

Credit—What a student receives upon completing a college course.  Credits are based on the number of hours spent in a class.

 

D

Fourth letter of the alphabet; counts 1.0 on your GPA. Barely passing the class.

Deadline—The due date for a course assignment, paper, project, etc.

Dean—Senior academic officer of a college. UTB/TSC has several deans on campus.

Dean of Students—Responsible for regulations, activities, and discipline of students.

Department Chair—The administrative head of a department within a college.

Doctorate—Upon completion of a Master’s Degree, a student can earn a doctorate for gaining additional graduate credits.

Dress Code—UTB/TSC has no dress code.

 

E

Electives—Courses not taken as prescribed and not   included in the student’s major and minor sequence.  May be chosen as free electives to complete hours    required for graduation. It is often wise to choose    electives from advance courses related to your major or minor.

 

F

Sixth letter of the alphabet; counts 0 on your GPA. (Failing a class).

Financial Aid— A program that provides financial   assistance to eligible students who, without such aid, would be unable to attend college. Financial aid for eligible students is available in the form of grants, loans, college work-study, veterans' benefits, and   scholarships. This is very limited for International Students

Flunking Out—This occurs when you are failing your class(es)… try your best not to let this happen.

Fraternity—A social, honorary, or professional student organization in which members share common          interests and are considered “brothers.” There are 5 social fraternities on campus, 4 are national and 1 is local.

Freshman 15—A casual term used to describe the 15 extra pounds of weight a freshmen tends to gain during the first year in college. Exercise and proper eating habits can help remedy this problem.

Friends—Special people who are often a source of comfort and support.  Friendships made here will last a lifetime.

Fun—Can be found at the strangest times and in the strangest places. Take time to have fun; it makes life more bearable.

 

G

General Information Catalog—Refers to the booklet published by ___ which discusses general admission         requirements, registration and fees, academic policies    and procedures, student affairs, and other academic        resources. 

GPA—Grade Point Average– is calculated by dividing the number of hours taken into the number of grade points received.  Adding those points together and dividing by the total number of semester hours results in a GPA.

Grade Reports—Grades are available by telephone at the end of the semester or may be picked up as a transcript at the Registrar’s Office.

Grading System—The grade point average (GPA) is the single most frequently used evaluation of a student’s classroom performance.  In computing this average, the following point system is used:  A= 4 points per semester hour, B=3 points per semester hour, C=2 points per     semester hour, D=1 point per semester hour, F=0 points per semester hour.

Greek—One who is a member of a fraternity/sorority.

Greek Week—One week devoted to friendly competition between fraternities and sororities.

 

H

Head of Department (chair)—Full-time professors who have been given administrative duties in addition to their teaching responsibilities.

Health Services—Where students go for treatment of a minor illnesses and injuries.  Usually, there are            professional nurses and doctors on staff who will assist with problems.

Headache—A physical feeling-may be lack of sleep, stress, academic or social pressures.  Remedy:  1) take time out to relax;   2) get involved;   3) talk to someone.

Help—Something we all need but are often too shy to   ask for.  There are lots of places and people at          UTB/TSC who want to help.  Many of them are listed   in this booklet. 

Homesickness—Everyone experiences it at one time or another.  Experienced by most new students who leave home for the first time.  Symptoms include a need for home cooked meals and interactions with family, friends and pets.

Hour—Received for each hour of class per week per semester.  128 hours are the minimum requirement for a degree plan in a major.

 

I

ID—A student identification card that also serves as a library, test admissions, computer facilities admissions, and free admission to sporting events among many other campus activities.  Replacement cards may be obtained in the Library for the low price of $5.00… so don’t leave home without it.

Internship—Work experience that contributes to the student’s major.

Intramural—Athletic events offered for all students. They include volleyball and others.

Involvement—Something to do.  There is PLENTY to do on campus if you get involved.  A listing of                   organizations can be obtained from Student Activities.

I-20 form --   Immigration form issued by the university that states the program of study, the length of time you can stay in this country and if you should be a full or part time student.

I-94--- Small white paper stapled to your passport issued at the port of entry. It states official date of

entry to the U.S.A.

 

L

LAC—Learning Assistance Center—assists in individualized instruction laboratory work, small group  seminars, programmed instruction and individualized tutoring at no cost to the student.   Located in North Hall—122.

 

M

Major—A specialized field of study that a student chooses to pursue throughout his or her college career.

Masters—A degree awarded to a graduate student once he/she has completed the first level of graduate school.

Mid-terms—Tests administered midway through the semester to assess a student’s academic progress.

Minor—Concentration of usually 3 years of work, usually 18 hours in a subject related to the major field. 

Munchies—An overpowering urge which compels you to attack the local vending machine.

 

N

No Parking Signs—Posted around campus that must be obeyed to avoid receiving a ticket.

 

O

Orientation—A great program designed to introduce all new students UTB/TSC and assist them in adjusting to their new college surroundings by making them feel right at home.

 

P

Passport--- Small document in the shape of a small book that establishes citizenship.

Pizza—A popular and readily available food at UTB/TSC. Several places will deliver including Pizza Hut and Domino’s.

Plagiarism—A serious offense.  The act of stealing another person’s words or ideas and using them as one’s own.  If caught plagiarizing, the offender is often released from college or placed on academic probation.

Prereq—Abbreviation for prerequisite.  A prereq is a course or series of courses which must be successfully completed prior to taking another specific course. Students should make sure that they meet all prereqs listed in the Course Schedule before registering for a course, or they may be dropped from that course.

President—The administrative head and spokesperson of the UTB/TSC.  The current president of UTB/TSC is Dr. Juliet Garcia.  She is responsible for directing UTB/TSC.  Her office is located at Gorgas Hall.

Professor—the person who will give you homework, tests, and papers to write, but nonetheless will give you a great education.

 

R

Registrar—Processes and maintains student transcripts and other official records affiliated with student           attendance and accomplishments. Located at Tandy Hall—105.

Registration—The process of enrolling in college classes.

Road Trip—Traveling to any destination for pure recreational purposes.

Roommate—Your living partner for the next semester or more.  Good relationships between roommates can make a year the best time of your life.  Make an effort and be willing to compromise and remember…                              Everyone is Human!!!

Rush—A specific periods of time in which a fraternity or sorority has the opportunity to take in new members.

 

S

Sevis – Internet based electronic immigration system to monitor international students and scholars.

School Colors—Orange and Blue.

Scholastic Probation—In order to remain in good standing at UTB/TSC, a student must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 (equivalent to a C average). Any student failing to meet this standard may be placed on scholastic probation.  For more detailed information, see the General Information catalog, which may be purchased at the campus bookstore.

Semester—The school year is composed of semesters.  UTB/TSC has 5 semesters: Fall, Spring, May,        Summer I and Summer II. Fall and Spring semesters are 15 weeks long. 

Sleep—Try to get a little each night, no matter what you’ve been doing or have to do.

SGA—Student Government Association—an organization composed of students to represent all students.  SGA is the voice for the student body.           It represents the students’ needs, interests, and opinions to ensure students’ rights as citizens of the UTB/TSC community.  For SGA meeting times, contact Student Activities 956-983-7116.

Smile—You were blessed with a mouth. Use it to smile and brighten someone’s day.

Social Life—The social life at UTB/TSC is what you make it. There are special events scheduled        throughout the year… If you look, there is always something new and exciting to do!  For a calendar       of activities, contact Student Activities.

Spring Break—The week long break from classes, during which many students travel to sun-drenched areas of the country, and mainly South Padre Island.

Statement of Charges—An important slip of paper     listing the courses for which you are registered.              It is proof that you are enrolled at UTB/TSC and should be kept handy.

STING’ em—A hand signal that resembles a Scorpion.

Student Life—The department in charge of   coordinating extracurricular non-academic activities for the students.  This might include social or philanthropic activities.

Student Union—The place on campus where students socialize and relax. 

Study—The act or practice of preparing and learning information for a class or exam.

Sweats—A must for any student’s wardrobe.  Also known as sweat-pants. They can be worn anywhere and everywhere. Ideal for the “athletic look”.

Syllabus—A document prepared by a course instructor that outlines the basic requirements for that class.      A reading list dates and descriptions of exams and policies regarding attendance are a few of the items of information which are usually included in a course syllabus.  It may also include the professor's office location, office hours, and telephone number.

 

T

T.H.E.A.—Texas  Higher Education Academic Program mandated by the Texas Legislature and it is designed to determine whether students possess the basic skills in reading, writing, and mathematics necessary to succeed in university courses.

Transcript—The official record of your academic grades, credits, honors, etc., received throughout your college career.

Tuition—The money you paid to attend UTB/TSC.

 

U

UPC—University Programming Council-plans campus activities, such as weekly movies, concerts,       lectures, and much more.

Undergraduate Catalog—Refers to the booklet published by the Registrar’s Office.  This publication     discusses admission requirements which are particular to each college or school, lists faculty, describes     content of courses offered by the colleges or schools, and illustrates degree requirements, among other things.

 

V

Visa -- A sticker on your passport giving you permission to enter the country. It indicates type of visa with your name, date of issuance and expiration. Very important!

 

W

“W”—Withdrawal from classes without a grade.

Weekend—God’s gift to college students. Stick around—you’ll be surprised at what goes on.

Work Study Program—Jobs on campus offered to students who need financial aid.  Not available to International students.