Student Services & Engagement

"I've gained meaningful relationships with students and professors."
- Brodie Taylor

"My boss wants me to succeed academically too!"
- Sydney Harris

"I have gained conversation skills that will benefit me in future careers."
- Ethan Harris

"It's helped me understand the processes that go on behind the scenes to benefit student experiences."
- Morgan Sanford

Academic Advising

Is guidance and support in degree planning, course selection, campus resources, and academic success that is provided by authorized, trained WSU advisors representing one of WSU’s academic departments.

Academic Warning/Probation/Suspension

If your cumulative WSU grade point average (GPA) falls below a 2.0, you will not be in “good academic standing.” If you do not bring your GPA back up to good standing, you will eventually be put on suspension. Seek help from campus resources, including your academic advisor.

Adjunct Faculty

Are contracted by WSU to teach part-time.

Alumni

Are former WSU students.

Articulation/Transcription

Is the process by which transfer courses are evaluated for equivalency to WSU courses.

Associate’s Degree

Is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting approximately two years.

Bachelor’s Degree

Is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting approximately four to six years (depending on the institution and academic discipline).

Bursar’s Office

Is the financial office on campus. This is the office that sets up payment plans with students and works with billing and past due accounts.

Catalog Year

Indicates the academic year in which you were admitted or in which you declared your major and identifies the courses you need to complete and policies you need to follow to graduate. You have 3 years to complete an associate degree under a declared Catalog, and 6 years to complete a bachelor degree. If you do not complete your degree within that time frame, then you would need to be bumped up to the next active Catalog Year, and fulfill any different requirements of that newer Catalog Year.

CatTracks

Is WSU’s degree evaluation/audit tool available through your eWeber portal. This tool is a report of your progress toward major and degree completion. Consult your academic advisor for clarifications and explanations.

Convocation

Occurs in both the spring and the fall. In the spring, it complements Commencement (University graduation ceremony). Each WSU college (e.g., Arts & Humanities) and interdisciplinary programs not housed within a WSU college (e.g., General Studies and Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies) hosts a formal ceremony to celebrate graduation from that program. Convocations can also refer to the speaker series conducted through the Student Involvement and Leadership Department.

Co-curricular Experiences

Are those that a student participates in that are in addition to the normal course of study such as participating in a club or organization or watching a performing arts event.

Co-requisite

Refers to two courses that must be taken during the same semester.

Community Engaged Learning

Is an activity that involves a collaborative, reciprocal relationship with the community that prepares our students, faculty, staff, and alumni to be engaged citizens, strengthen democratic values and civic responsibility by addressing community issues.

Course Cancellation

Occurs if you drop a class by the cancellation deadline (usually during the first three weeks of a semester) and is deleted from your transcript. Depending on when you cancel, you may still owe tuition. View the Tuition Refund Schedule online to learn when full, partial, and no refunds will be granted

Course Withdrawal

If you drop a course by the withdrawal deadline around mid-semester, a “W” will appear on your transcript and does not affect your GPA. You will not be eligible for any tuition refund. Before withdrawing, contact your academic advisor and any funding sources you have so you are aware of the potential negative impacts of withdrawing before you do it.

Credit Hour or Credit

Is the term we use to represent the in-class time commitment. For a three-credit class, you’ll spend approximately three hours in that class each week. For every hour in class, you should spend at least two hours outside of class on homework and studying, but you may need significantly more time for some classes.

Deans

Are in charge of a WSU area. At WSU we have college deans (e.g., the Dean of the College of Science), a dean over Continuing Education, and a dean of students.

Developmental Courses

Are courses that prepare you for subsequent university-level courses. These courses are not calculated into your overall Weber State GPA or your total credit hours.

Double Major

Refers to an undergraduate student who is completing two sets of degree requirements.

Education Record

Is any record directly related to a student which contains personally identifiable information and is maintained by WSU or a party acting on behalf of WSU.

Elective Credits

Are courses that earn you credits but do not fulfill a major, minor, or general education requirement.

eWeber/Student Portal

Is WSU’s interface with online WSU processes. Use the portal to register, pay tuition and fees, access online courses and your WSU email account and much more.

Faculty Member

Refers to full-time college teachers although it is sometimes used to also include part-time college teachers.

FAFSA

Stands for The Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This form is required for any student who wants to be considered for federal aid of any kind (e.g., grants, loans, and work-study).

Fees

Are additional charges to students. There are many different fees including course fees and student fees. Student fees help to pay for many WSU student services. Thanks to the student fees, most WSU resources (e.g., the WSU gym and most health services) are free to students.

Financial Aid

Is the funding (e.g., scholarships, grants, work-study, and loans) that helps you pay for school. Know the difference between aid that does not need to be paid back and funding that needs to be paid back without or with interest.

Full-time Students

Are registered for at least 12 credit hours during a given semester and are degree seeking. Note that the same tuition is charged for 11 - 17 credit hours. If you take more than 18 credits during a semester, additional tuition is charged. The full WSU tuition table is published on the Bursar’s website and payment plans are also available.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

Is an overall measurement of your academic achievement in college and is calculated as the total number of grade points received over a given period divided by the total number of credits awarded.

Grants

Are similar to scholarships in that you don’t need to pay them back if you abide by their conditions. Grants are often awarded based on financial need or in support of research and other projects.

Hold

Is something placed against your account that can prevent you from registering for classes. There are three types of holds including financial, academic, and administrative. These can be placed for things like student conduct violations or failure to pay tuition and fees or other outstanding debts.

Hybrid Courses

Hybrid Courses at WSU are taught through a combination of in-class and online instruction. Most WSU hybrids are accelerated, meaning that students complete courses in half of a semester.

Instruction Types

• Face to Face: All instruction is in-person in a classroom. Assignments and homework may be required in Canvas.
• Face to Face Hybrid: Instruction is both in-person and asynchronous online via Canvas and other technology. Asynchronous means instruction is not delivered at set meeting times/days. Technology portion is at least 20% of class time or replaces one or more in-person meetings per week.
• Online: All instruction is asynchronous online. Asynchronous means instruction is not delivered at set meeting times/days. Work must be completed in Canvas by assigned deadlines. Distance students may register for these classes.
• Virtual: All instruction is in synchronous virtual format such as Zoom. Synchronous means students will meet at set times/days to receive instruction via videoconferencing. Assignments and homework may be required via Canvas, email, or other technology.
• Virtual Hybrid: Instruction uses both synchronous and asynchronous technology. Synchronous means students will meet at set times/days to receive instruction via videoconferencing such as Zoom. Asynchronous means instruction and assignments will also be delivered via Canvas or other technology not tied to set meeting times/days. At least 20% of course content will be asynchronous.
• Flex: Instruction is a mix of in-person and technology-assisted, which may include synchronous virtual and/or asynchronous online instruction. Synchronous means students will meet at set times/days to receive instruction via videoconferencing such as Zoom. Asynchronous means students will use Canvas or other technology not tied to set meeting times/days.

Internship

Is an experience that complements your academic learning by gaining work experience or satisfy requirements for a qualification.

Major

Refers to the main focus of your studies and will appear on your diploma. Up to half of your courses will be in your major.

Master’s Degree

Is awarded by a graduate school or department, usually to a person who has completed at least one year of graduate study.

Minor

Refers to the secondary focus of your studies, and usually requires fewer courses than your major. Some majors require a minor.

New/First Time Student

Students who have never attended any college or university will be classified as new freshmen. Included are students enrolled full-time in the fall term who attended college for the first time in the prior summer term, AND full-time or part-time students who entered with advanced standing (college credits earned before graduation from high school). Credit earned before graduation from high school includes Advanced Placement credit, CLEP credit, Early College credit and Concurrent credit. (PPM 6-2)

Office Hours

Are set regular times each week where professors meet with students and/or walk-in appointments throughout each semester they are teaching. Often, if you can’t make it to an instructor’s office hours, you can arrange to meet with him/her to schedule an alternative time.

Part-time Status

Means you are an associate and/or bachelor degree student registered for fewer than 12 credits during a semester. Note that for tuition purposes, part-time is defined as 10 or fewer credits. View WSU’s tuition table on the Bursar’s website for information on part-time versus full-time tuition costs.

Pre-requisite

Refers to a required course that you must successfully complete prior to being eligible to take another course or program.

Provost

Is the senior academic officer on campus

Registration

Refers to the process of signing up for your courses.

Residency Hours

Are credit hours taken through WSU. For a WSU associate degree, you must complete a minimum of 20 credits through WSU. For a WSU bachelor degree, the requirement is 30 credits.

Starfish

Provides you with a central online location to connect you to the people and services that can help you to be successful at WSU.

Student Loans

Are funds your school (or a bank, or even a relative) provides to you with the understanding that you will pay it back. For some loans, you don’t pay interest, for some, there is no interest until you graduate, and for some there are terms connected to post-graduation plans (e.g., some loans are forgiven over time for some teachers and doctors in some financing arrangements).

Supplemental Instruction (SI)

Is a type of group tutoring provided for some courses. SI’s are optional outside-of-class study sessions led by a student who previously succeeded in that course and is trained to lead study groups.

Syllabus

Is a written course outline provided by faculty to students in individual courses during the first week of the semester. It contains important course information including instructor contact information, course policies, learning outcomes, and schedule.

Transcript

Refers to your WSU student academic record that is updated after your final course grades are posted each semester. You can print an unofficial transcript through your eWeber Student portal or order an official transcript from the Records Office.

Transfer Student

Applicants who have attended another college or university, including former Weber State students who have since attended another college or university. (per PPM 6-2)

Tuition

Is the cost of your classes. Tuition is based on the number of credits for which you are registered. There is a per-credit cost for part-time studies (1-10 credits), a full-time tuition cost (11 to 18 credits), and overload tuition (19 and more). Student fees are charged in addition to tuition to support student support services and student government.

Utah HB 144

Is a State law that passed in 2002. HB 144 allows qualifying undocumented and DACAmented students to pay in-state tuition, the same rate as Utah residents if they attend a Utah college or university.

Wildcard

Is your Weber State ID card. It allows you access to services such as the library and gym. It also allows you access and discounts to special events.

Work Study

Is part of Federal financial aid, and you may secure an on-campus position (a small number are off-campus) specifically designated as work study. Your earnings and number of work hours are determined by your specific award.