A-Z index

A

Academic:

Pertaining or belonging to a college or university. Generally refers to the formal teaching-learning functions of a college/university rather than the business operations or student social life.

Academic Advising:

Academic Advising is an integral part of undergraduate education. Academic advisors are here to provide the student with resources, guidance and support to achieve their academic, career and personal goals.

Accreditation:

The certification that a school or program meets a set of quality standards. In the United States schools of higher education are accredited by one of six regional accreditation associations. Programs are accredited by professional organizations.

Academic Advising:

Faculty/Advisor Information Site

AP or Advanced Placement:

A program of college-level courses offered to advanced high school students. Colleges/universities often grant credit to students who achieve specific scores on the culminating exams. The exams are administered by the College Board.

Articulation:

Describes the process of equating courses of one institution to another and the way the classes will be used at the receiving institution. The Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI) assists the student in this process. If students complete the IAI general education core requirements, they know that, if they transfer to a participating institution, one of the requirements for graduation has been completed.

Articulation Tables:

List of transfer agreements between various schools in Illinois

Articulation Advocate:

Transfer policies can change from year to year and may have small-print details that are easily overlooked. These resources are targeted for the Advisors and transfer coordinators to keep them up to date with what it takes to successfully transfer and help students. Use this resource to help navigate the transfer process.

Associate Degree:

A type of undergraduate degree. Associate degrees require a minimum of 60 semester credit hours and consist of three parts: general education requirements, major requirements, and electives. Some specific associate degrees which are designed to transfer are : Associate in Arts (A.A.), Associate in Science (A.S.). A student attending full time each semester (15 semester credit hours) could complete an associate degree in four semesters or two years.

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B

Baccalaureate or Bachelor's Degree:

A type of undergraduate degree. Bachelor's degrees require a minimum of 120 semester credits. Some specific degrees are: Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.), and Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) A student attending full time each semester (a minimum of 15 semester credit hours) could complete a bachelor's degree in eight semesters or four years.

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C

Career Services:

Career services can assist students in deciding on a major, assist students in exploration of satisfying career opportunities that match their goals, talents, and interests.

CLEP or College Level Examination Program:

A series of exams administered by the College Board. Exams are of two types: General and Course Specific.

College:

An institution of higher education that grants degrees. May be a stand-alone institution or a part of a university.

CollegeZone:

College Zone is a centralized website that can provide you with a wide variety of information on financial aid, planning for college, college preparation services, among other topics. College Zone set up in different zones, including zones for students and parents.

Community College:

An associate degree-granting institution that is established by local communities and governed by a locally elected Board. Also, primarily funded through public tax dollars.

IAI Course Management:

Information on the Course submission process, Course descriptions, Course searches, as well as access to database history.

IAI Course Descriptions :

Provides access to the IAI course descriptions, a list of all IAI courses and a quick guide to understanding the IAI course numbering system.

Course Submissions:

Provides access to both the procedures and relevant forms for submission, change, or appeals of a existing or new course.

Course Searches:

Provides the ability to search for Gen Ed and major courses by school, by major,as well as the ability to search for course-to-course matches

Course Database History:

Information on the changes made to the IAI database

Credit Hours:

A measure of value of individual courses expressed according to the type of calendar under which the school operates - e.g. semesters, quarters, or other.

Critical Thinking:

The ability to reason, to use logic, to analyze or synthesize information.

Curricula (plural) or Curriculum (singular):

A program of study offered at a college or university.

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D

Degree:

A rank that is achieved through completion of requirements at a college or university.

Disciplines:

Areas or fields of study.

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E

Educational Links:

Selected Websites for Students

F

Four-Year School:

An institution legally authorized to award a student a bachelor's degree.

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G

General Education:

The goal of a general education is to develop individuals with sensitivity to and a comprehensive understanding of the world in which they live. A general education helps students develop moral values, habits of critical thinking and introspection, intellectual sophistication, and an orientation to learning and investigation that will become life long. Generally educated individuals are conversant with scientific inquiry, appreciate the insights into the human character and culture provided by literature and the arts, understand human behavior and social institutions, are aware of history, respect human diversity, and act both ethically and responsibly as members of society.

The general education curriculum constitutes that part of an undergraduate education that develops breadth of knowledge and the expressive skills essential to more complex and in-depth learning throughout life. To develop a breadth of knowledge, general education courses acquaint students with the methods of inquiry of the various academic disciplines and the different ways these disciplines view the world. The academic disciplines comprising the general education curriculum are the physical and life sciences, the humanities and fine arts, the social and behavioral sciences, and interdisciplinary combinations of these as well as communication and mathematics. To develop expressive skills, the general education curriculum requires courses that enhance written and oral communication and quantitative reasoning skills.

GenEd Single School Worksheet:

GenEd worksheet for students who attended single school

GenEd Multiple School Worksheet:

GenEd Worksheet for schools who attended multiple schools

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I

Independent Institution:

A college or university governed by an independently chosen board. Sometimes referred to as a private school.

Interdisciplinary:

A term used to describe classes that include more than one discipline or field of study.

Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI):

The Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI) is a statewide transfer agreement, which is transferable among more than 100 participating college or universities in Illinois

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L

Lower Division:

Adjective collectively describing college freshmen & sophomores or the curriculum of courses designed for or generally taken by freshmen and sophomores.

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M

Multiple School GECC Worksheet :

IAI worksheet for students attending multiple schools in Illinois

Major Recommendations:

These IAI Baccalaureate Majors' Recommendations (IAI Majors) describe courses typically taken by freshmen and sophomores for a specific major. These course recommendations are meant for students who are undecided about a transfer school

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N

Native Student:

A "native student" is a degree-seeking student who enters a college or university as a first-time freshman (subsequent to the summer following high school graduation). Thus, a fall-term freshman who earned college credit prior to and/or during the summer immediately after high school graduation at another institution is still considered a native student at the institution in which he/she enrolls in the fall. Likewise, a student who enrolls in another institution as an occasional student while simultaneously enrolling in the initial college/university, or enrolling as a non-degree seeking "summer guest", continues to be a native student at the home institution.

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P

Panel Minutes:

Provides access to the minutes for all of the panel meetings that have taken place. It includes any decisions that were made during the meetings

Panel Member Orientation and Tutorial:

Helpful checklist, guide and other information for the new panel members

Panel Member List:

List of members in each panel

Panel Membership on Illinois Map:

Panel membership information displayed on Illinois Map

Panel Membership by School/Organization:

Faculty/Staff from each school participating in each panel

Panel Membership Policies:

Steering Panel endorsed membership guidelines aimed at fostering the broadest possible participation from institutions and among individual panel members.

Panel Vacancies:

Vacancies available in various IAI Panels

Panel Membership Information:

Provides access to the minutes for all of the panel meetings that have taken place. It includes any decisions that were made during the meetings

Panel Related Documents:

Provides sample syllabi, course outlines, decision rules, and and other criteria information set by panels

Participating schools in IAI:

Schools participating in the IAI General Education Core Curriculum

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Q

Quarter Credit:

Unit of measure of academic credit based on length of instructional term, generally consisting of four terms per year of a minimum of ten weeks each.

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R

[R]:

iTransfer web site symbol for Receiving Only institutions.

Receiving Institution:

The college or university to which a student transfers; not the student's first institution of enrollment.

Receiving Only Institution:

An participating institution that will grant credit to incoming transfer students who completed the transferable Illinois General Education Core Curriculum, but that does not itself offer the courses in the Illinois General Education Core Curriculum.

Requirements for Graduation:

A set of requirements that must be accomplished before a degree is awarded. These requirements may be specific to a degree program (such as a certain number of credits in particular courses), or specific to the institution. Both the associate and the bachelor's degrees usually consist of three parts: general education requirements, major requirements, and general graduation requirements unique to the institution. Also include stipulations regarding grades, residency, or competency.

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S

Semester Credit:

Unit of measure of academic credit based on length of instructional term, generally consisting of 2 terms at least fifteen weeks per year (plus a summer program).

School Management:

Provides information to both panel members and participating institutions' staff regarding the function, requirements and access to panel minutes, meetings, deadlines, recommendations and decisions.

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T

Teacher Certification:

In order to teach in Illinois public elementary and secondary schools the teacher must be certified by the state of Illinois. See the recommendations for the following baccalaureate majors: Early Childhood, Elementary, Secondary and Special Education.

Transcript:

The transcript is an official document that is a record of a student's academic work. To request a copy of the transcript or to have it sent to another party a student would need to contact each institution that was attended for information.

Transfer Checklist:

Find out what is required for admission. Review academic calendars, check out institution Web sites, talk with people who have attended the institutions or know about the programs.

Transfer Seminars:

A transfer student seminar is a small group of students who interact with each other and a seminar leader.

Transfer Information:

For students transferring between participating Illinois institutions

Transfer Student:

A transfer student is a person who begins an academic career at one institution, but leaves that institution and enrolls in another institution.

Transfer Process:

Important information that will assist you in the transfer process

Types of Transfer:

Different types of transfers

Two plus two articulation agreements:

A list of four-year public and private schools that offer inter-institutional articulation information in addition to IAI.

Two-Year School:

An institution that awards a student an associate degree.

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U

Undergraduate:

A college or university student who has not yet earned a bachelor's degree.

University:

An institution of higher education comprised of one or more undergraduate colleges, a graduate program, and one or more professional schools. Authorized to offer degrees at several levels including bachelor's, master's, doctoral and the first professional.

Upper Division:

Adjective collectively describing college juniors and seniors, or the curricula and courses designed for, or generally taken by, juniors and seniors.

u.select:

u.select is a nation-wide, web-based transfer information system that provides you with fast and accurate course and transfer information. Many Illinois institutions participate in u.select, and it is free for anyone to use.

User Guides:

To assist you in navigating u.select, we have created user guides to walk you through each u.select feature. Please contact us (link to contact us page) with any questions or requests for additional user guides.

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