GLOSSARY
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| Academic
Calendar |
Cal
Poly's academic calendar consists of four ten-week quarters
– Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer. |
| Academic
Year |
Cal
Poly's academic year consists of Fall, Winter and Spring quarters.
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| AP |
Advanced
Placement. A program administered by the College Board through
which a student can earn college-level credit for examinations
taken in high school. |
| AS-594-03/IC |
Example
of a number assigned to an Academic Senate (AS) resolution:
the coding number—year/committee |
| ASSIST |
ASSIST (Articulation System Stimulating Interinstitutional Student
Transfer) is the statewide repository of articulation information,
offering easy access to a single computerized database of student
transfer information. This database includes UC TCAs, IGETC
lists, CSU GE-Breadth lists and articulation agreements for
all California public postsecondary institutions. ASSIST can
help you determine if a student will receive credit for courses
already taken, and how those courses will apply to specific
academic goals. |
| CO |
The
CSU Chancellor's Office |
| Concentration |
A
group of courses designed to provide specialized knowledge within
a bachelor's degree program. Completion of a concentration will
be noted on the student's transcript, but not shown on the diploma. |
| CPEC |
California
Postsecondary Education Commission, the statewide planning and
coordinating agency for postsecondary education in California.
New degree program proposals are reviewed by CPEC. |
| C/S
# |
Course
Classification System. A number is assigned to all courses per
definitions created by the CSU in the 1960's. The C/S number
determines class meeting times, faculty WTUs and space utilization. |
| CSU |
The
California State University consists of 23 campuses. Responsibility
for the CSU is vested in the Board of Trustees, whose members
are appointed by the Governor. The Trustees appoint the Chancellor,
who is the chief executive officer of the system, and the Presidents,
who are the chief executive officers of the respective campuses.
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| Experimental
Courses |
Courses
that are approved after the publication of the catalog and are
distinguished by an "X" in front of the course number.
Experimental course descriptions appear in the quarterly Class
Schedule. |
| GE |
General
Education |
| GPA |
Grade
Point Average. A numerical indication of the final letter grades
earned by a student. Cal Poly uses a four-point (4.0) grading
scale for both semester and cumulative grade-point averages.
A grade of A is equivalent to a 4.0, a B is equivalent to a
3.0, and so on. |
| HEGIS |
The
Higher Education General Information Survey coding structure
is the classification system for academic disciplines. Each
degree program is assigned a HEGIS code by staff in the Chancellor's
Office. |
| IRA |
Instructionally
Related Activity (IRA) is an "out-of-class experience"
that provides enrichment to the student and others. Funding
for all IRA-recognized programs/activities are provided through
student fees. |
| IGETC |
Intersegmental
General Education Transfer Curriculum articulates lower division
coursework among the three segments of higher education in California—CSU,
UC, Community Colleges. |
| Lower
Division |
A
general term describing the first two years of college (a lower-division
student) or courses taken in the first two years of college
(lower-division courses). Cal Poly courses with numbers 100-299
are considered to be lower-division courses. |
| Major |
A
program of study that provides students with the knowledge,
skills and experience necessary to pursue a specific career
or advanced study and leads to a degree in that subject. Each
major is offered in an academic department. |
| Major
Courses |
Designed
to provide competence in the professional field in which a degree
is earned. They are usually offered by the academic department
in which the degree program is offered, but they may include
courses from other departments.
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| Minor |
An
integrated, coherent group of courses designed to give a student
knowledge in an academic area outside of the major field of
study. The minor will be completed along with the requirements
for the bachelor's degree. |
| Mode
of Instruction |
Modes
include: lecture, seminar, activity, laboratory and supervision.
The mode determines the number of hours for class meeting times.
Some courses have more than one mode of instruction. |
| Prerequisite |
One
or more courses that must be completed or other knowledge, skills,
or standards that must be demonstrated before a student is permitted
to take certain courses. Prerequisites (if any) for a course
are listed in the Catalog. Some prerequisites have their own
prerequisites, forming a string of courses that must all be
taken. The catalog course description shows the last course
in the prerequisite string of courses. For example, ME 212 Engineering
Dynamics has prerequisites of MATH 241 and ME 211. MATH 241
requires MATH 143, which requires MATH 142, which requires MATH
141. ME 211 requires ME 241 and PHYS 131. To enroll in ME 212,
students must have successfully completed MATH 241, 143, 142,
141 and ME 211 and PHYS 131. |
| Quarter
Units |
Each
course offered by Cal Poly carries a value in quarter units,
often referred to simply as units or credits. To convert semester
units to quarter units, multiply by 1.5. For example, 6 semester
units X 1.5 = 9 quarter units. |
| SCU |
Student Credit Unit |
| Specialization |
A
group of courses designed to provide specialized knowledge within
a master's degree program. Completion of a specialization will
be noted on the student's transcript and be shown on the diploma.
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| Support
Courses |
provide
background needed for major courses and are usually offered
by departments other than the department in which the major
is offered. For example, most majors in engineering and in the
sciences require support courses in mathematics. |
| Upper
Division |
A
general term describing the third and fourth years of college
(an upper-division student) or courses taken in the last two
years of college (upper-division courses). Cal Poly courses
numbered 300-499 are considered upper-division courses. |
| University
Year |
The
university year includes, and begins with, Summer Quarter. |
| USCP |
United
States Cultural Pluralism, a one-course requirement for graduation
at Cal Poly. |
| WTU |
Weighted
Teaching Units |
| X
Courses |
Experimental
courses that are approved after the publication of the catalog
and are distinguished by an "X" in front of the course
number. Experimental course descriptions appear in the quarterly
Class Schedule. |
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