Glossary — Academic Calendar

The glossary is intended as a guide to understanding academic terms used at UFV. Formal policies at www.ufv.ca/policies provide further information. In the case of a discrepancy between a definition in this glossary and in a UFV policy, the definition in the policy will prevail.

Academic renewal: A provision to exclude a returning student's prior UFV academic record from their cumulative grade point average (CGPA) when certain conditions are met.

Admission: The formal acceptance of a student into a particular program once all entrance requirements have been satisfied and space is available.

Admission requirements: The minimum qualifications required for entrance to a program.

Advanced placement (AP): A program under the College Board that offers post-secondary level courses and examinations to high school students. Advanced placement courses may be eligible for post-secondary transfer credit at UFV upon provision of an official transcript.

Appeal: A formal request by a student for a review of an academic or disciplinary decision or a final grade.

Applying: Submitting an application form, paying an application fee, and providing any other documents to request admission to a particular program at UFV.

Apprenticeship: A combination of on-the-job training and classroom learning that leads to a trade credential or “ticket” that qualifies someone to work in a skilled trade.

Articulation: The process of examining another post-secondary institution’s courses to determine how they compare to UFV courses. This process is also referred to as evaluating or assessing transfer credit.

Associate certificate: A credential that can be earned for completion of a program consisting of nine to 17 credits.

Associate degree: A credential, offered in Arts and Sciences, awarded for completion of a program that consists of a minimum of 60 university credits and meets provincial requirements. Associate degrees may count towards the first two years of a bachelor's degree.

Audit: Enrolment in a course that permits a student to attend without being evaluated for credit.

Bachelor's degree: A credential awarded for completion of a program consisting of a minimum of 120 credits (approximately 40 courses). See also Associate degree.

Block transfer: The process whereby a specific number of unassigned transfer credits are granted to students who have successfully completed a cluster of courses or a credential, such as a certificate, degree, or diploma, at another post-secondary institution.

Calendar: A post-secondary institution’s published rules, regulations, academic policies, important dates, programs (and their requirements), and courses.

Certificate: A credential awarded for completion of a program consisting of 18–45 credits or, for programs that do not assign credits, a minimum of 150 contact hours.

Certificate in extended studies: A credential designed for students who have already graduated from a program to allow them to complete another program option, such as a new major or specialization.

Concentration: A program option, available in some programs, that involves a set of courses within a specialized area of interest.

Concurrent studies: The process in which secondary school students may take courses at UFV while still working toward secondary school graduation. Approval to register as a concurrent studies student is given for one semester at a time.

Continuous application: Applications are accepted at any time for the next available intake in the program.

Co-operative Education (Co-op): A program option that combines academic studies with relevant, paid work experience, usually in periods of four-, eight-, or 12-month placements. Co-op options are available in Arts, Business Administration, Computer Information Systems, Criminology/Criminal Justice, Fine Arts, General Studies, Library and Information Technology, and Science programs.

Co-requisite: A course that is to be taken at the same time as another course.

Course: A unit of instruction that is offered under a designated subject code, course number, and credit value; for example, ANTH 102 (3).

Course challenge: The process of assessing a student’s prior learning through examination or other forms of evaluation to allow a student to obtain credit for a course without taking the course. See UFV's Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) policy (94) for more information.

Course outline: A description of the main content, organization, and expected outcomes of a course, normally including the number of credits awarded, hours of class time, methods of evaluation, assignments, and texts. An official course outline that provides the essential elements of each course is available in the academic calendar, and a detailed semester outline (also referred to as the course syllabus) is provided by the instructor in the first week of classes.

Course Reference Number (CRN): A five-digit identifying number assigned to a specific section of a course when it is offered at UFV.

Course repetition: A re-registration in a given UFV course or an equivalent UFV course, when the student is currently registered or was previously registered and received a grade. A student may choose to repeat a course to enhance skills and learning, or to improve their grade and/or their UFV grade point average. Students are not permitted to register for the same course more than three times. Students wishing to register for a course for a fourth time should connect with the Student Rights and Responsibilities Office. See UFV's Course Repeat policy (86) for more information.

Course section: A specific offering of a course at a particular location, time, and date, and designated by a Course Reference Number (CRN) in the semester timetable.

Course syllabus: See Course outline.

Credential: A qualification awarded by UFV to recognize successful completion of a program.

Credit: A numeric value assigned to a course, based on both the hours of direct instruction and the coursework done outside of the classroom, which indicates the course’s weight relative to other courses across the university.

Cumulative grade point average (CGPA): A numerical average of grades based on all courses taken at UFV within a particular level of study, such as preparatory, undergraduate, graduate, etc. See also Grade Point Average.

Degree/diploma level language proficiency: A level of English language proficiency that is required for admission to degree, associate degree, diploma, graduate-level, and post-baccalaureate programs and meets the prerequisites for ENGL 105 and CMNS 125. This level of proficiency may also be required for other programs.

Diploma: A credential awarded for the completion of a program consisting of a minimum of 60 post-secondary credits (approximately 20 courses) considered equivalent to at least two years of full-time study.

Duplication: See Course repetition.

Elective: A course that may be chosen from a number of course options, as specified in the requirements for completion of a particular program.

Entrance requirements: Various criteria that a student must meet to be accepted into a specific program.

Entry-level language proficiency: A level of English language proficiency that allows students to begin post-secondary studies at UFV, but is not necessarily sufficient to take first-year English or written communications courses or to enter some programs.

Extended minor: A degree option in a particular subject area consisting of a defined set of courses that includes a minimum of 14 upper-level credits.

Extenuating circumstances: Unusual circumstances beyond the student’s control which make it impossible for the course to be completed, such as medical, personal, or financial difficulties.

Field trip: An organized, off-campus, course-related activity that may be a required or optional component of a course.

First year: Usually the first 30 credits required for completion of a program.

Full-time studies: Enrolment in nine credits per semester (considered 60% of a standard course load) or, for graduate studies, enrolment in six graduate-level credits per semester.

Further credit: Where a course description indicates students with credit for another course "cannot take this course for further credit", if both courses are taken credit will only be given for one (typically the course with the higher grade).

Grade: A measure of a student's academic performance. See the Grading and Academic Standing section of the calendar for grading systems and definitions.

Grade point average (GPA): Academic performance expressed as a numerical average of grades in UFV courses. GPA values are truncated at two decimal places, not rounded.

Grade Point Value (GPV): A numeric value for each letter grade that is used to calculate the grade point average (GPA), given to two decimal places. See UFV's Grading System policy (101) for more information.

Graduate certificate: A credential awarded for completion of a program consisting of nine to 17 credits at the graduate level.

Graduate diploma: A credential awarded for completion of a program consisting of 18–29 credits at the graduate level.

Graduate level: Post-secondary education beyond the bachelor degree level.

Graduate/post-graduate study: Post-secondary education beyond the level of the bachelor's degree that requires at least one course numbered 600 or higher, and that leads to higher credentials, such as master’s degrees or graduate certificates or diplomas.

Honours: A degree option that involves a high level of specialization in a discipline, with more requirements than a major. Additional requirements may include additional upper-level credits; an honours course, seminar, project, or thesis; and/or a higher minimum GPA for graduation.

Interim transcript: A record of unofficial grades showing progress in courses before the final grades are available.

International Baccalaureate (IB): An advanced program that offers post-secondary level courses and examinations to high school students. IB diploma-level courses may be eligible for post-secondary credit at UFV upon provision of an official transcript.

Laddering: Building on previously earned credentials towards completion of higher level credentials; for example, using credits earned in a certificate or diploma towards completion of a bachelor's degree.

Late withdrawal: A withdrawal after the normal withdrawal deadline. Consideration is only through formal appeal, with documented evidence of extenuating circumstances that prevented completion of a course. See also Withdrawal.

Lower-level: Courses that are considered first- or second-year courses and are numbered 100–299.

Major: A degree option in a particular subject area consisting of a defined set of courses, including a minimum of 30 upper-level credits.

Master's degree: A higher degree that may be earned after completion of a bachelor's degree.

Minor: A degree option in a particular subject area consisting of a defined set of courses, including a minimum of 14 upper-level credits.

Non-credit course: A course, usually offered through Continuing Education (CE), that can be taken for general interest, upgrading skills, employment, and/or professional development. Non-credit courses may be used toward completion of certain credentials, primarily in CE and trades programs.

Official transcript: The official record of a student’s educational enrolment and achievement at a particular institution, bearing the authorizing signature and/or seal of the institution and the issue date, that is sent directly, by mail or electronically, to UFV Admissions.

Option (in a program): A defined set of courses within a specialized area of interest.

Part-time studies: Enrolment in less than nine credits per semester or, for graduate studies, in less than six graduate-level credits per semester.

Post-baccalaureate certificate: A credential awarded for completion of a program that consists of 27–35 credits and requires prior completion of a bachelor's degree.

Post-baccalaureate diploma: A credential awarded for completion of a program that consists of 36–60 credits and requires prior completion of a bachelor's degree.

Post-secondary program: A program that is considered university or college level.

Preparatory level: Courses or programs considered developmental or preparatory to post-secondary studies.

Preparatory program: A program at the pre-undergraduate or developmental level designed to
upgrade or enhance English and/or academic skills in preparation for post-secondary studies.

Prerequisite: A requirement such as a previous course, a specified number of course credits, or other academic skills, knowledge, or achievements that must be completed prior to enrolling in a particular course.

Prerequisite or co-requisite waiver (or instructor’s permission): Permission to register in a course without meeting that course's stated prerequisites and/or co-requisites. A student receiving a waiver must use the waiver in the term that it was issued.

Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR): The process of assessing a student’s prior learning to determine whether it is eligible to be awarded academic credit at UFV. Prior learning is learning acquired outside UFV, typically through professional, work or life experiences, independent study, or through completion of courses that are not eligible for transfer credit under UFV’s Transfer Credit policy (107).

Professional programs: Degrees or programs that often require a significant amount of university education (often a bachelor's degree) prior to admission, and that generally lead to a professional designation of some kind, such as Nursing, Medicine, Dentistry, Teaching, Engineering, Law, etc.

Program: A set of courses and associated requirements offered as a credential (such as a certificate, diploma, degree, etc.) or an option within a credential (such as a major, minor, concentration, etc.).

Program Grade Point Average (PGPA): The grade point average calculated over all courses taken at UFV that are used to meet program graduation requirements.

Qualified applicant: An applicant who has provided evidence of having met the minimum entrance requirements for a program as stated in the UFV academic calendar.

Registering: Enrolling in specific courses and paying course fees after being admitted to a UFV program.

Residency: The portion of credits for a program that must be completed through completion of UFV courses. All UFV credentials have residency requirements.

Semester grade point average: A numerical average of grades based on all UFV courses taken in a single semester.

Specialization: A program option, available for some programs, that involves a set of courses within a specialized area of interest.

Specific intake application: Program applications are accepted on or after a certain date for the next intake.

Theme (Bachelor of Integrated Studies): A student-designed learning plan that integrates courses from different disciplines based on a theme chosen by the student.

Timetable: The schedule of courses offered for a semester, including the day, time, location, and instructor’s name, if available, for each course section

Transfer credit: UFV credit granted for course work completed at another institution.

Transferability: Recognition of credit for courses taken at another institution.

Unassigned credit: Transfer credit granted for a course from another institution where the course doesn't have a specific equivalent at UFV. Unassigned credit may be given in a specific subject, such as HIST, or as general unassigned credit (GE), and may be at any level offered by UFV; for example, BUS 2XX is unassigned credit in Business at the second-year level.

Undergraduate level: Post-secondary education at the university or college level up to and including the level of the bachelor's degree.

University level:Courses that are numbered 100 and above.

Upper-level: Courses that are considered third- or fourth-year and are numbered from 300–499.

Withdrawal: Official de-registration from a course through the Office of the Registrar or the online registration system.

Withdrawal deadline: The final date to withdraw from a course. See also Late withdrawal.