Glossary of Terms
FAFSA®If there are terms that you believe should be added, or content that needs revising, please contact us at Provost@wou.edu.
Term |
Definition |
| A.A.O.T. (Associate of Arts Transfer Degree) | Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer degree. A non-designated block transfer degree, usually consisting of 90 credits and designed for the student who intends to transfer to a four-year college or university with the Oregon University System (OUS). |
| Academic Advising | “Academic advising is a developmental process which assists students in the clarification of their life/career goals and in the development of educational plans for the realization of these goals. It is a decision-making process by which students realize their maximum educational potential through communication and information exchanges with an advisor; it is ongoing, multifaceted, and the responsibility of both student and advisor. The advisor serves as a facilitator of communication, a coordinator of learning experiences through course and career planning and academic progress review, and an agent of referral to other campus agencies as necessary.”(ACT, American College Testing) |
| Academic Advisor | An assigned WOU faculty or staff member trained to assist the student in developing and managing the completion of the student’s program of study based on the documented assessments and declared educational goals within the student’s individual strategic action plan. |
| Academic Calendar | Start and end dates of the academic year and of each quarter. The calendar reflects deadlines and other information related to payment schedules, add/drop options, graduation applications, and related policies. |
| Academic Programs | Undergraduate and graduate programs offered at WOU. |
| Academic Records | The official listing of courses attempted and completed by a student at WOU, including the credits accepted as a result of the WOU registrar’s evaluation of official transcripts from other institutions. This information is accessible by logging onto the Wolf Web. |
| Academic Support Services | Services that are in place to help students succeed academically during their college career. Services such as the Academic Advising and Learning Center, the Honors Program, the Writing Center, etc. |
| Academic Year | The four-quarter sequence beginning in summer and ending the following spring. |
| Academic Notification of Warning, Probation, and Suspension | An official process by which degree-seeking students who do not achieve satisfactory academic progress receive a specific level of notice whenever their term grade point average (G.P.A.) falls below 2.00 or their cumulative G.P.A. falls below 2.00. Letter grades of F, W, NC, I, X and AU do not apply toward the satisfactory completion of the credit hour minimums. Please refer to the Academic Progress Requirements. |
| Accommodations of Disabilities | The Office of Disability Services provides reasonable accommodations to students and community members with documented disabilities in order to access Western Oregon University and its’ programs. |
| Accreditation | Gaining accreditation is a process in which an institution is granted approval by an official board after the institution has met specific requirements. Western Oregon University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE), National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE), and Oregon State Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC). Students may review accreditation documents in the Office of the Provost or the Library. |
| Additional Educational Expenses | Expenses that are not typically a part of a students cost of attendance. These expenses can be commuting, child care, medical/dental, computer, additional tuition costs, etc. |
| Army ROTC | The Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) is a nationally standardized program of pre-commissioned officer education and training offered at hundreds of colleges and universities throughout the United States. |
| Associate’s Degree | A degree granted to students who complete a specific program of study usually totaling 90 quarter credits or more. |
| ASWOU (Associated Students of Western Oregon University) | ASWOU is an organization designed to encompass all of the students at Western Oregon University (WOU). The student government is tasked with advocating for students’ rights to the WOU administration, as well as the state of Oregon. |
| Audit | Taking a credit class without being required to participate fully in the class activities (taking tests or doing homework). Classes taken under audit status do not count as credits attempted in financial aid calculations and the AU status does not count in calculating G.P.A.s. |
| Award Letter | Includes the student’s budget, source and types of financial aid awarded, and resources and financial aid need for the academic year. |
| B.A. (Bachelor of Arts) | Bachelor of Arts degree |
| B.F.A. | Bachelor of Fine Arts degree |
| B.Mus. | Bachelor of Music in Contemporary Music degree |
| B.S. (Bachelor of Science) | Bachelor of Science degree |
| Book Exchange | The Book Exchange acts as an alternative to the WOU Bookstore and offers students the opportunity to sell their books directly to and buy from other students. |
| Bookstore | Students can find textbooks and supplies for classes as well as general interest books and valuable study aids. The bookstore also stocks gift items, greeting cards, personal care items, magazines, snacks, university clothing and merchandise, art and office supplies and much more. |
| Bookstore Rental Program | A textbook rental program that provides WOU students with a truly green way to get the textbook and course materials needed for their classes. |
| Building Fee | Building fees are used to repay building fee debt service. |
| Campus Dining | Western Oregon University offers a wide variety of dining options in a variety of locations on campus. |
| Campus Public Safety | They provide a safe and secure environment for the campus community. |
| Campus Recreation | They provide activities that promote healthy and active lifestyles and foster growth and development. |
| Catalog | The catalog lists the degrees and class descriptions offered at WOU. |
| Class Schedule | A class schedule can be a list of WOU’s classes available for students to take for a selected term and/or a list of classes that a student is taking that displays CRN, course prefix, class title, day(s) and time(s) class meets, location(s), and professor/instructor name. |
| Cohort | A group, regardless of size, of individuals that can be identified by at least one identifiable characteristic. |
| Commencement | The ceremony for the current graduating class. |
| Composting | Composting is the purposeful biodegradation of organic matter, such as yard and food waste. WOU has implemented a program where compostable items are collected daily and hauled away to a compost facility. |
| Computing Services Help Desk | The UCS representatives are available to assist in any technological needs faculty, staff and students may experience. Students who live in residence halls have residential computing services available to assist them with their technological needs. |
| Cost of Attendance | The amount of money a student is estimated to spend for tuition and fees, expenses for meals and housing, books and supplies, and miscellaneous personal expenses to attend school. |
| Course/Class | An organized unit of instruction within an academic discipline or subject of study, or one of the instructional subdivisions of a discipline or subject area. |
| Course Description | The paragraph in the course catalog that describes a course’s emphasis and content; the description also may specify prerequisites, corequisites, recommended preparation, and credit hours. |
| Course Evaluations | A paper or electronic questionnaire, which requires a written or selected response answer to a series of questions in order to evaluate the instruction of a given course. |
| Course Level | The level of a course is part of a course numbering system that ranges from 100-600 levels. Levels 100-299 are lower division courses(freshman and sophomore), levels 300-499 are upper division courses (junior and senior) and 500-699 are considered graduate level courses. |
| Course Numbers | See course level definition. |
| Credit | A measurement of course work and time spent in an academic endeavor. One credit generally equates to fifty minutes (a clock hour) of instruction and two hours of preparatory work outside the instructional classroom each week, or the equivalent thereof. Credits and clock hours may vary depending upon the type of course. |
| Credit Load | The total number of credits taken in a given term. |
| Cumulative G.P.A. | An average of all grade points for courses taken. |
| Dead week | The week before finals. During this week no new course materials should be presented to students, nor should final exams be given during this week. |
| Degree Evaluation | The evaluation is designed to track students progress toward the completion of their degree requirements. |
| Degree Plan | Each undergraduate student must develop a degree plan in consultation with a designated faculty advisor and file the plan with the Registrar’s Office at least three terms prior to graduation. |
| Disability Services | Provides reasonable accommodations to students and community members with documented disabilities in order to access Western Oregon University and its’ programs. |
| Diversity Course | Students seeking a B.S., B.Mus. or B.F.A. (without a foreign language) degree will satisfy this requirement by successfully completing 6 hours of course work which emphasizes a topic or subject dealing with cultural diversity from within any portion of the student’s degree plan. Cultural diversity courses used to complete this requirement carry a special ‘D’ designation. |
| Drop | The process of removing one’s name from the class roster within the 100 % refund period for a course or courses. This procedure results in a full refund. There is no record of the student’s having ever registered for the class, and no grade is reflected on the transcript. |
| Dual Enrollment | The program is an opportunity for students to complete one application process for enrollment at either Chemeketa Community College or Clatsop Community College and Western Oregon University. Eligible students can receive financial aid at one institution for the combined credits at each school. The program is open to all U.S. citizens, permanent residents and eligible non-citizens pursuing their initial bachelor’s degree. |
| Early Bird Transfer Registration | Early Bird Transfer Student Registration is the first opportunity for admitted transfer students to register for fall term courses. In addition to registering for courses, students will attend academic advising with faculty, learn about valuable campus resources, receive ID cards and tour the residence halls. |
| Electives | Courses that students may choose to take, as contrasted with courses that are required for an academic program. |
| Emphasis | A concentration or specialization within a program or academic option that provides additional curricular focus. |
| Enrollment | The placement of a student within a credit or non credit course. Enrollment and registration are interchangeable terms from a student standpoint. From an institutional standpoint, registration is the process of enrollment and enrollment is a status. |
| Expected Family Contribution (EFC) | The EFC is based on the prior year’s income and assets as listed on the FAFSA®. The EFC is reported on the Student Aid Report (SAR) which is a summary of the FAFSA® information and is sent to the student in a hard copy or electronic format. Schools receive an electronic version of the same information. |
| Extended Programs | Provides lifelong learning opportunities that are responsive, flexible, and creative for meeting the educational needs of all learners. |
| Faculty | The group of employees whose primary assignment is instructional support of the academic mission. |
| FAFSA® | The federal form entitled “Free Application for Federal Student Aid.” A completed FAFSA® is required for students to be considered for federal financial aid. You can apply online at: https://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ |
| Family Housing | Originally set up to provide accommodations for Western Oregon University’s students with families and married students, the “Family Housing” complex has expanded it’s community to include domestic partners, graduate and non-traditional students as well as offering interim housing to WOU’s incoming faculty and staff as space allows. |
| Family Weekend | Family weekend is the perfect opportunity for families to reconnect with their student, explore the historic landmarks, view the expansion of Western Oregon University, and partake in a campus-wide celebration in honor of families, alumni, and extended families. |
| Fee Schedule | The fee payment schedule is allotted times at the beginning of the term for students to pick up their financial aid checks if they have a remaining amount of money after their student balances have been paid for the term. |
| FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) | The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act – sometimes called the Buckley Amendment – which provides guidelines for maintaining the confidentiality of education records and monitoring the release of information from those records. |
| Financial Aid Package | A combination of financial student-support mechanisms (such as a scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study) determined by the WOU Office of Financial Aid. |
| Final Exam | A final examination is a test given to students at the end of a course. |
| Final Exams Schedule | During finals week there is a different final schedule than the normal class schedule for the term. Students can find their final exam schedules and locations on line or on their class syllabus. |
| Finals week | The last week of classes for the term. No classes meet during regular schedule. Classes only meet once per the week to take the final exam for the class. |
| First Generation College Student | A student whose parents have not earned an associate’s degree or higher. |
| Focus on Leadership | A free annual leadership conference on campus for students. |
| Foreign Language Requirement | Students graduating from high school in 1997 or later are required to have completed two years of the same foreign language at the high school level. A student may also meet this requirement by taking two quarters or semesters of the same foreign language at the community college or university level. |
| Freshman | A student with 0-44 quarter credit hours. |
| Freshman Live-In Requirement | First year students who enroll at WOU within one year of high school graduation regardless of class standing must live on campus for the full academic year (Fall, Winter and Spring terms). |
| Full Time (Undergraduate) | When an undergraduate student is enrolled in 12 or more credits in any one term as of the FTE (full-time equivalent). |
| Full time (Graduate) | When a graduate student is enrolled in 9 or more credits in any term. |
| G.P.A. | A students grade point average. |
| G.P.A. Calculator | A calculator that calculates your grade point average. |
| Grade | A mark indicating a degree of academic accomplishment. |
| Graduate Exit Requirement | All graduate students must complete a final exit requirement. Common exit evaluations include comprehensive examinations, thesis, portfolio, and professional project. |
| Graduate Student (Admitted) | A student who holds a bachelor’s degree and has been admitted to a master’s program (degree, endorsement, authorization, CTL). |
| Graduate Student (Non Admit) | A student who holds a bachelor’s degree and is enrolled in courses for credit who is not recognized by the institution as seeking a degree or formal award. |
| Grant | An award of student financial support that does not require repayment and is based on financial need. |
| Half time | When an undergraduate student is enrolled in 6-8 credits in any one term. |
| Hall Host | The primary role of the Hall Host and their residence hall room, is to provide an opportunity for prospective students and their families to actually view a typical first year living space, and the opportunity to meet and talk with a current residential student. In addition, these students will also participate in various recruitment programs coordinated by the Admissions office. |
| Health and Wellness Center | The home of Campus Recreation that houses a two basketball court gymnasium with a suspended jogging track, a rock climbing wall, two racquetball courts, three multipurpose rooms, and an equipment check out area, as well as a 2,400 sq ft for strength and weight training and 3,600 sq ft for cardiovascular exercise. Students pay a mandatory fee each term that allows them access to the center. |
| Health and Wellness Center Building Fee | The health and wellness center building fees are used to repay health and wellness center building debt service. |
| Health Service Fee | The health service fee gives students access to the Student Health and Counseling Center’s services. |
| Holds | A block placed on a students account to prevent them from registering for classes, viewing their transcript, etc. Students can view who has placed a hold on their account by logging onto the Wolf Web. |
| Holiday Tree Lighting | The ceremony is an annual event where students, faculty, staff and the community gather together for a parade and tree lighting count down. |
| Honors Program | The Honors Program at Western Oregon University is designed to nourish intellectual abilities and cultivate interest in new subjects and activities. |
| Housing | University Residences are an offered service to provide housing for students that wish to live on campus. |
| Hybrid Course | A course that uses multiple presentation options, such as a combination of face to face instruction, interactive television (ITV), videotapes, WOUTV, Moodle and/or other sources. |
| Incidental Fee | The incidental fee supports student union activities, athletic activities, and educational, cultural and student government activities. |
| Institutional G.P.A. | An average of all grade points for courses taken within the institution. |
| International Students | A student who is from another country other than the U.S. |
| Internship | Internships are structured work experiences that directly expose students to jobs and careers in the field of business. They can be paid or unpaid. In either case, college credit is granted to interns who successfully meet the requirements. College credit is only a part of the reason for getting involved in an internship. |
| Intramural fees | Fee to participate in an intramural program. |
| Judicial Affairs | The Judicial Affairs program provides the WOU community various ways to resolve conflicts and alleged violations of university regulations by students. |
| Junior | A student who has completed 90-134 quarter credit hours. |
| LACC (Liberal Arts Core Curriculum) | The LACC is the foundation for all undergraduate bachelor degree programs. |
| Leadership Certificate Program | This program engages students on campus in six core competencies as they earn points towards fulfillment of the requirements. |
| Leadership Recognition Night | An event held each spring to honor students’ outstanding leadership endeavors and contributions. |
| Live-Learn Residence Hall | A residence hall that has both living spaces as well as classrooms for students. |
| Loans | An amount of money borrowed to help pay for school expenses, which has to be paid back. Student Loans are available to both undergraduate and graduate students. |
| Loan Counseling | If you decide to accept a loan, you are making a commitment to repay it. Loan counseling helps outline the terms of agreement for the student. Students are able to complete the loan counseling online. Loan counseling is required by WOU’s Financial Aid Office to help you understand your loan obligations. |
| Lower Division | Freshman and sophomore level courses. |
| Major | An extensive program of study in a designated subject area for a bachelor’s degree. |
| M.A. in Criminal Justice | Master of Arts in Criminal Justice degree |
| M.A. in History | Master of Arts in History degree |
| M.A. in Interpreting Studies | Master of Arts in Interpreting Studies |
| M.A.T. (Community College) | Master of Arts in Teaching degree (Community College) |
| M.A.T. (Initial License) | Master of Arts in Teaching degree (Initial License) |
| M.M. in Contemporary Music | Master of Music in Contemporary Music degree |
| M.S. in Education | Master of Science in Education degree |
| M.S. in Education: IT | Master of Science in Education: Information Technology degree |
| M.S. in Education: SE | Master of Science in Education: Special Education degree |
| M.S. in Management and Information Systems | Master of Science in Management and Information Systems degree |
| M.S. in Rehabilitation Counseling | Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling degree |
| M.S. in Rehabilitation Counseling: Deafness | Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling: Deafness degree |
| Matriculation Fee (Undergraduate) | Matriculation Fee is a one time fee that all admitted students must pay to matriculate into the University. |
| Matriculation Fee (Graduate) | The graduate matriculation fee is a one-time fee used to fund graduate student orientation and other activities that support graduate students. It is assessed the first term a student is admitted and enrolled as a graduate student. |
| Minor | A field of specialized study secondary to a major. |
| Moodle | A course management system. Faculty use this tool not only for fully online classes, but also as a supplement to face-to-face classes. Instructors may use WOU Online in a variety of ways, including sharing resources (like Power Points, PDFs, and links), fostering online discussions, and posting grades. |
| MSSP (Multicultural Student Services & Programs) | Provide educational opportunities and programs to enhance the retention of ethnic and culturally diverse students. |
| National Student Exchange (NSE) | NSE offers students the ability to study-away at another university in the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Canada, each taking advantage of the enormous savings in cost while still having access to personalized assistance from experienced NSE campus coordinators. |
| New Student Week | The week before classes start in the fall. The week is designed for freshman and transfer students to transition as new students on campus. |
| Non-credit Enrollment | Course offerings in which no credit is awarded for completion; non-credit courses often serve to upgrade skills, maintain licensure, or gain personal enrichment. |
| Non Resident | A term used for tuition purposes to define a person who is not a citizen or a national of the United States and who is in this country on a temporary basis and does not have the right to remain indefinitely. The tuition rate for a nonresident is different from the resident tuition rate, but a non resident student pays the same amount for fees and books. |
| Non Traditional Student | A student who is over the age of 25, are returning to school after an extended break and/or have children. |
| Non-Admitted Student | A student taking courses for credit but are not admitted into a program of study. |
| Non-Degree-Seeking Student | A student enrolled in courses for credit who is not recognized by the institution as seeking a degree or formal award. |
| Note Taker | A student in the class who takes notes and provides them for a student needing assistance with note taking. The student providing notes is compensated by the Office of Disability Services at the end of the term. Students needing assistance with notes can sign up with the Office of Disability Services. |
| Online Courses | The course is an e-learning experience which involves taking a course via a computer online. |
| Oregon Opportunity Grant | The grant provides financial support to low and middle-income families who want the dream of a college education to become a reality. This grant is money that will not need to be paid back because the state of Oregon is committed to making college more afford-able to more families. |
| Oregon Transfer Module | A one-year program of study through which a student can complete most, but not all, general education requirements before transferring to a public four-year institution in Oregon. |
| Out of State Resident | A term used to assess tuition for a student who is a U.S. citizen or national whose primary residence lies outside Oregon, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New México, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. |
| Overall G.P.A. | An average of all grade points for all courses taken. |
| Parking Permit | A variety of permits are available to suit the various parking needs of faculty, staff, students and guests. Permits are serialized and must be used on the vehicle that a driver registers at the time of purchase. Parking Permits are required in order to park on campus. |
| Peer Mentor | Peer Mentors are volunteer students that work in the residence halls, providing support for healthy living options and referrals for students undergoing transition to independence and college life. |
| Personal Identification Number (PIN) | A number generated for students use to submit and check the status of a FAFSA® application. |
| Petition for reinstatement | The petition should be completed if your financial aid is being (or will be) withheld due to failure to comply with the Western Oregon University (WOU) standards of satisfactory academic progress. It will be reviewed by the financial aid office and will either be approved or denied for a student’s aid to be reinstated. |
| PLUS Team | WOU’s orientation group that works with new students during SOAR and is responsible for planning New Student Week. |
| Post-Baccalaureate Student | A student with a bachelor’s degree who is enrolled in graduate-level or initial license. |
| Prerequisite | A course or instructional program that students are expected to complete successfully as a necessary requirement before they are permitted to enroll in another course or instructional program that is more advanced. |
| Print Credits | At the beginning of each term each student is allotted a certain amount of print credits to print for free. If that amount is used up before the end of the term, students are able to log onto the Wolf Web to purchase additional credits. |
| Program G.P.A. | An average of all grade points for courses taken for the program enrolled. |
| Program Plan | A list of the program requirements that must be successfully completed before a graduate student can be awarded a degree. Students seeking an endorsement or authorization or any other teaching license but also successfully complete requirements listed on the appropriate program plan. All program plans must be filed in the Graduate Office no later than the student’s second term of study. |
| Public Relations | The Office of Public Relations offers and coordinates services to enhance the visibility and accurately project the key messages and image of Western Oregon University. Their mediums include news and feature releases, publications, the Website, coordinated outreach activities, advertising and prompt response to media queries. |
| Public University | A university that is predominantly funded by public means. |
| Quarter | Synonymous with the academic period often called a term at WOU. There are four quarters in an academic year, beginning with the summer quarter and ending with the following spring quarter. |
| Real Time | A computer system that updates information at the same rate they receive information. For example the “Real Time” Class Schedules will show remaining seats available in the class or if it is closed because it is full. |
| Re-contracting | The process students use to sign up for the room or apartment of their choice with the roommate(s) of their choice. |
| Registrar | The office of the registrar assists with registration, academic records including grades and G.P.A. as well as providing services and documents which assist students, faculty and staff at Western Oregon University. |
| Registration | The placement of a student within a credit or non credit course. Enrollment and registration are interchangeable from a student standpoint. From an institutional standpoint, registration is the process of enrollment and enrollment is a status. |
| Residence Halls | Western Oregon University offers a variety of living spaces for students. There are four residence halls specifically designed for freshman living experience. |
| Residence Hall Linen Program | The program provides students and families with a convenient, affordable way to ensure students have sheets that will fit all of the beds on campus. The Residence Hall Linens program has all campus living needs, from extra long twin sheets and comforters, to matching towels and storage items. All items are conveniently shipped to the student’s home in the summer. |
| Resident | For tuition purposes, a student whose primary residence is in Oregon; residents are charged in-state tuition. |
| Resident Assistant (RA) | Members of the University Housing staff. RA’s are expected to strive to accomplish the primary objectives of the University Housing program and live in the residence halls. |
| Resident Hall Association (RHA) | The Residence Hall Association provides programming, activities, leadership, and advocacy for over 1,000 students living in the WOU residence halls. A variety of leadership positions are available for those who live in the residence halls for the academic year. |
| Rolling Admission | A policy that WOU accepts applications for the undergraduate program all year long without an application deadline. |
| Safe Zone | A network of students, faculty and staff committed and trained to provide safe, non-judgmental and supportive contacts for all WOU community members regarding gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans and queer (LGBTQ+) issues. |
| Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy | As a federal and/or state financial aid recipient, a student is expected to maintain satisfactory academic progress and complete degree requirements or educational objectives in a timely manner according to institutional and office policies. |
| Scheduling Grid | A tool for students to help organize their schedule. |
| Scholarships | Financial support mechanisms awarded to students based on merit or merit plus need. Scholarships do not have to be repaid. |
| Senior | A student who has completed 135 quarter credit hours or more. |
| Student Enrichment Program (SEP) | The program is designed to assist students in finding success in their college experience. SEP students benefit from academic, career and personal advising; availability of equipment (laptop/desktop computers, graphing calculators, voice recorders, etc.) for checkout; academic progress monitoring; success seminars; developmental math instruction; and tickets to campus cultural events. |
| Service Learning and Career Development | The Center for Service Learning & Career Development provides a comprehensive approach to career preparation, professional development, and service to the community through relevant experiential education opportunities. They offer so many valuable services, students are encouraged to stop by their office or check out their webpage online. |
| SOAR | Summer Orientation Advising and Registration program. Freshmen admitted for Fall Term are required to attend one of the SOAR programs. There are typically four different dates to choose from that students can register to attend. |
| Sophomore | A student who has completed 45-89 quarter credit hours. |
| Special Admissions | A limited number of students who do not meet admission requirements, but can demonstrate a level of college preparation that will enable successful transition to college, may be admitted through action of the Admissions Appeals Committee. |
| Staff | The category of employees whose primary assignment is administrative support of the academic mission. |
| Student Activities Board | Student Activities Board is part of ASWOU responsible for campus-wide programming and activities. Dances, comedians and more are presented on a regular basis. |
| Student Aid Report (SAR) | The SAR summarizes the information you reported on your FAFSA®, FAFSA® renewal, or FAFSA® on the Web. The SAR will also indicate the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). You will receive a SAR from the central processor after you have submitted your FAFSA®. |
| Student Employment | Jobs for students on campus are available through work study and student employment. Student employment is limited to 20 hours a week per WOU policy. |
| Student Health and Counseling Center | The center provides students at WOU with quality primary health care, information, referral services, counseling and educational services. |
| Student Inquiry Web Module | The module is a system allows access to student financial data. |
| Student Media | Student Media on campus puts out the Western Oregon Journal, the campus newspaper, as well as The Northwest Passage, the campus literary magazine and KWOU, the Western Oregon University Radio. |
| Student Record | Also known as an educational record. Education records are those records directly related to a student maintained by the university or by a party acting for the university. |
| Students Record Policy | The Student Records Policy outlines the policies established by the university to maintain the confidentiality of students’ education records. |
| Study Abroad & International exchanges | The program provides diverse international programs and opportunities to WOU’s students, faculty, and staff, and supports the university’s goal of increasing participation in and advancing programs that facilitate understanding and the exchange of people and ideas in international, multicultural, and cross-cultural arenas. WOU strongly encourages all students to participate in a study abroad or internship. |
| Summer Session | The summer session is not part of the regular academic year, although credits earned in summer session may count toward degree requirements. Students may enter at the beginning of any term, including summer session. |
| Sustainability | Sustainability is a part of WOU’s efforts towards becoming a more green campus. It means meeting the economic, social, and environmental needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. |
| Syllabus | An outline of a particular course offering that communicates the course’s content, learning objectives, and expected performance criteria for student grades. |
| Technology Fee | The technology fee is a resource fee in support of the maintenance and enhancement of technology. |
| Technology Resource Center | TRC supports the mission of the university, providing technology training and services in support of instruction and learning. Assistance is available with a variety of services that include, but not limited to: scanning documents, creating digital videos, help with programs (MS Office, Moodle, etc.), lamination, die cuts, transferring material to another format, and short term equipment (camcorders, digital cameras) check out. |
| Term | An academic quarter. |
| Term G.P.A. | An average of all grade points for courses taken during a term. |
| The Learning Center | The Learning Center helps students assess their current academic skills and develop new skills to help them become successful. There are multiple services available to students free of charge, which include peer tutoring, tutor assisted study groups, individual assessments, and a computer lab. |
| Three quarter time | When an undergraduate student is enrolled in 9-11 credits at any given term. |
| Transcripts | The official record of courses and grades attempted or completed by a student. Official transcripts must be ordered by the student from an academic institution’s registrar’s office. Transfer transcripts are records from another school that WOU uses for admission purposes or for evaluating a student’s earned credits that may be accepted toward a program of study at WOU. Students requesting transfer transcripts from another institution must arrange to have those transcripts sent directly to WOU’s registrar’s office in order for those transcripts to be considered official and to be used in assessing credits already earned. Unofficial transcripts from WOU are available online through the student’s account. |
| Tuition and fees | The total mandatory charges assessed students for enrolling in the institution each term. |
| Undergraduate Student | An enrolled degree seeking student in a postsecondary institution. |
| University Policies | Policies that the University has developed for WOU faculty, staff, and students to follow. |
| Upper Division | Junior and senior level courses. |
| V-Number | WOU student identification number. |
| Web drop | A term used to describe when a student drops a class using the Wolf Web. |
| Web Mail | Every new student is assigned an email that will be used for their college career while at WOU. To look up username, visit: https://wou.edu/wouportal/ and choose account lookup. |
| Web Registration | Students are able to register for classes via the Wolf Web. Traditional registration of classes can be done in the registrar’s office. |
| Western Advocates | WOU Advocates are current WOU students that work with the Admissions Office on campus, providing campus tours, working with WOU Preview Days. |
| Western Multicultural Recruiters (MCRs) | Multicultural Recruiters are current WOU students that work directly with MSSP and the Admissions office during several programs throughout the year. |
| Western Tuition Promise | WOU’s commitment to help students and families more effectively plan for and afford the cost of attending and graduating from WOU. We guarantee that undergraduate students will have the same tuition rate as the year they enter for four academic years. |
| WOLF Ride – Safe Ride program | The program is to provide a free and reliable shuttle service to students of Western Oregon University who would otherwise walk alone at night and risk their safety or possible assault. |
| Wolf Web | The Wolf Web which can be found on the WOU Portal is an online system that allows students to perform an array of services that include, but not limited to registering for classes, checking account balance, purchasing a parking permit and making a payment. |
| Wolfie | WOU’s mascot is a Wolf. Wolfie is a fixture of WOU campus events and has been our mascot since November 1928. |
| Work Study Program | The Federal Work Study Program is available to eligible undergraduate and graduate students. This program provides funds for employing students who qualify for part-time jobs either on-campus or off-campus in community service positions. The amount that you earn is limited to the amount that appears on your award letter. |
| WOU Alert for Emergencies | The WOUAlert emergency notification system (provided by 3n – National Notification Network) enables the university to contact the campus community via the following methods: cellular telephone, office telephone, home telephone, work email, home email, text messages, instant message, and fax. |
| WOU Cumulative G.P.A. | An average of all grade points for courses taken at WOU. |
| WOU Mania | WOU Mania is Western Oregon University’s most popular series of free events. WOU Mania has a theme each year to accommodate the diverse needs of students and university community members. |
| WOU Portal | The WOU Portal is available to anyone with a WOU email address, and just like other portals is customizable so the user can see the links and information they find most useful. The goal is to make so many useful features available here that users will want to use it as their browser’s start page. The WOU portal allows a single sign-on for all of WOU’s systems such as, but not limited to the Wolf Web, Moodle, Web mail. As well, as access to other programs. |
| Writing Center | The writing center is the only academic support unit on campus specifically designed to promote student’s development and success as a college writer. The consultant team is available to assist students both in person and online with writing projects for any course and any level of instruction. |
| Writing Intensive Course | Students will satisfy this requirement by completing six hours of “writing intensive” course work taken from within any portion of the student’s degree program. Writing intensive courses carry a ‘W’ designation. If the course also meets the cultural diversity requirements it will carry a ‘C’ designation. |
| The Werner University Center (WUC) | The WUC is the hub of campus where all students come together to circulate, eat, meet, and get the full flavor of campus life! |
| WUE (Western Undergraduate Exchange) Program | The program offers students from participating states the chance to enroll in designated four year institutions in other participating states at a special reduced tuition level – 150% of resident tuition. The following states are participating states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New México, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. |
