VWU First - Glossary of Terms

Academic Adviser - a staff or faculty member who provides guidance and advice to students in the area of academics but more specifically on course selection so that they can complete their academic program. (US News and World Report)

Academic Catalog - a catalog published each year that details the academic programs at the university and the requirements for majors, minors, and certificates along with faculty on the campus.

Academic Probation - possible consequence for having a GPA below 2.0.  It is a severe warning that failure to raise the cumulative GPA to a 2.0 in next semester after being placed on academic.

Academic Year - annual period during which a student attends and receives formal instruction at a college or university, typically from July to June.  The academic year at VWU is divided into a fall semester, January term, spring semester, and summer session.  (US News and World Report)

Accommodations - academic "adjustments" for students to their learning and/or physical environment that have a documented situation in accordance with section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990.  The accommodations could include extended time to complete a test or exam, which are designed to ensure equal opportunity for the student with such accommodations.

Add/Drop - at the beginning of the semester students may add and/or drop a course for a specific time period, which is laid out in the academic calendar.

Advising Week - time during the fall and spring semester when students meet with their academic advisor to plan out classes for the next semester.

Airband - VWU tradition where teams compete in lip-sync performances that often include dancing, skits, and costumes. (VWU Specific Term)

Attempted Credits - the number of credits a student has tried to complete without withdrawing.  Any grade from an A to a D-, and grades of P, are included in this number.  Any course that the student fails, withdraws, or takes an incomplete will also be counted as part of the student's attempted credit.

Award Letter - students who complete the FAFSA will receive a letter that details the financial package from the university for that student to attend.

Bachelor's Degree - an undergraduate degree awarded by a college or university upon successful completion of a program of study, typically requiring at least four years (or the equivalent) of full-time study.  A bachelor's degree is required before starting graduate studies. (US News and World Report)

Batten - refers to the Jane P. Batten Student Center where most activities on-campus take place.  (VWU Specific Term)

Batten Honors College -  the Batten Honors College (BHC) is a highly selective program for individuals who have achieved high academic levels in high school and have been selected through a competition to be part of the program at VWU. The BHC offers small classes, personalized instruction, and purposeful faculty-student interaction. (VWU Specific Term)

Beacon - the Beacon not only symbolizes Virginia Wesleyan's United Methodist heritage, but for many, it visually represents the passion of those who laid the University's foundation. It lights up with school colors after Marlin athletics wins and plays the VWU fight song, "On, Virginia Wesleyan!" at noon, followed by the Alma Mater at 5 p.m. The Beacon invokes a strong sense of pride and belonging for all who visit campus. (VWU Specific Term)

Big Chair - term that refers to the Big Blue Adirondack chair on campus. A first day picture on the chair is a Wesleyan Tradition. (VWU Specific Term)

Boyd/Cafe - term that refers to the Dining Center that is contained within the Batten Student Center.  It is referred to as either Boyd or the Cafe. (VWU Specific Term)

Campus Cooperative - similar to the Federal Work-Study Program, students with proven financial need are eligible to apply for positions through the Campus Cooperative Program. Positions available through the Campus Cooperative Program are supported through institutional funding. Student positions will assist with institutional operations. (VWU Specific Term)

Certificate Program - in addition to majors and minors, students and those outside the VWU community have the option of completing one or more certificate programs. Certificate programs provide certification of a knowledge base in a specialized area, but do not offer a transcript or degree. (VWU Specific Term)

Chronicle - refers to the Marlin Chronicle, which is VWU's student newspaper. (VWU Specific Term)

CMAC - refers to the Cunningham Multi-Activity Center that is in the Batten Student Center.  It is used for classes, events like the Blood Drive, intramural recreation games, and athletic practices. (VWU Specific Term)

Coastal Market - refers to the convenience store located in Batten.  It is also known as the Market. (VWU Specific Term)

Coed - open to both men and women (often used to describe a school that admits both sexes and a dormitory that houses both genders). (US News and World Report)

Commencement - a graduation ceremony where students officially receive their degrees, typically held in May. (US News and World Report)

Concentration - allows students to gain knowledge and expertise in a specific topic of interest.  Students must complete a specific number of credits on the 300/400 level from certain courses to obtain a concentration within your major.

Cost of Attendance - the total amount a student will pay to attend the institution and includes tuition, feeds, room and board, and estimates for other expenses like books, fees, and supplies. 

Course - scheduled class during a semester that has a specific subject area and certain number of credits attached to the course.  The course may be part of a degree program's course of study or an elective course.

Course Load - the total number of credits you take during a semester.

Credits - units that a school uses to indicate that a student has completed and passed courses that are required for a degree. Each school defines the total number and types of credits necessary for degree completion, with every course being assigned a value in terms of "credits," "credit hours," or "units."  (US News and World Report)

Culture Shock - feelings of uncertainty, confusion or anxiety that can occur when adjusting to a new country and culture that may be very different from your own. International students and students studying abroad may also experience "reverse culture shock" upon returning to their home country, after they have become accustomed to the new country and culture. (US News and World Report)

Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) - the grade point average calculated at VWU from all credits taken. Coursework transferred from other institutions are included in the total number of credits attempted and completed but are not factored into the cumulative GPA.

Curriculum - a program of study made up of a set of courses offered by a school. (US News and World Report)

Dean - head of a division of a college or university. At VWU, a dean is the head of a college or school within the University.  (US News and World Report)

Dean's List - students who achieve a grade point average of 3.50-3.99 during a given semester are named to the Dean's List for that semester.  To qualify for these honors, students must have full-time status, have taken at least 9 semester hours of traditionally graded courses, and have no grades of F or incomplete for the semester.

Deferment - students may receive a postponement on a loan during which interest does not accrue on Direct Subsidized Loans, Subsidized Federal Stafford Loans, and Federal Perkins Loans. Any other federal loans that the student has will accrue interest.

Degree - a diploma or title awarded to students by a college or university after successful completion of a program of study. (US News and World Report)

Department - a division of a school, made up of faculty and support staff, that gives instruction in a particular field of study.  (US News and World Report)

Department Chair - within an academic department a faculty member who has been assigned by the institution to oversee that academic department.

Double Major - a program of study that allows a student to complete the course requirements for two majors at the same time.  (US News and World Report)

Earned Credits - credits that have been successfully completed by the student.

Electives - courses that students can choose to take for credit toward a degree, but are not required.  (US News and World Report)

Entrance Counseling - if you accept the subsidized and/or unsubsidized loans on your award letter, you are required to complete entrance counseling online at studentloans.gov. Entrance counseling will introduce you to the many aspects of Direct Loans, including interest rates, repayment plans, loan eligibility, etc. Until entrance counseling is completed, the government will not disburse your subsidized and/or unsubsidized loan money. If you have borrowed subsidized and/or unsubsidized loans in the past, you are not required to complete entrance counseling again.

Extracurricular Activities - optional activities, such as sports or student groups, that students can participate in outside of academic classes.  (US News and World Report)

Faculty - a school's teaching and administrative staff who is responsible for designing programs of study and for teaching.  (US News and World Report)

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) - Federal law that all students control over their school records, even if they are under 18 years of age.  Per the law, parents cannot access the student's grades and any other information deemed as educational in nature without consent from the student.

Federal Direct PLUS Loan - a federal loan available to the credit-worthy parents of a VWU student. The loan has a fixed interest rate and payment can be deferred until after the student graduates. For more information and to apply for the Direct PLUS Loan, visit studentloans.gov

Federal Direct Subsidized Loan - low interest rate student loan. The federal government pays the interest on the loan while the student is enrolled at least half-time.

Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan - low interest rate student loan. The student is responsible to pay the interest while in school but can opt for the interest to accrue. At repayment, the accrued interest is added to the principal balance.

Federal Pell Grant - need-based grant funded by the federal government. The amount is determined by government calculation. Please visit the Federal Student Aid Website

Federal PLUS Loan - federal loan available to the credit-worthy parents of a VWU student. The loan has a fixed interest rate and payment can be deferred until after the student graduates.

Federal School Code - number assigned to VWU by the Federal Government that is entered by the student on their FAFSA so that institutions receive a copy of your FAFSA from the Federal Government.  VWU's school code is 003767.

Federal Work Study - students with proven financial need are eligible for the Federal Work-Study Program. The amount of the award depends on when the student applies, financial need and the institution's funding level. Students will be paid the federal minimum wage for the number of hours worked at jobs on campus.

FERPA Waiver/Authorization Form - waiver form a student can sign that allows people designated on the form to have access to that student's educational records.

Financial Aid - all types of money offered to a student to help pay tuition, fees, and other educational expenses. This can include loans, grants, scholarships, and work-study jobs.  (U.S. News and World Report)

Financial Aid Package - an offer from the institution that has the total amount of federal and nonfederal financial aid that could include loans, grants, and scholarships.

Financial Need - the difference between the cost of attendance (COA) as established by the institution and the expected family contribution of that student (EFC).  Though the cost of attending institutions does change between institutions, the expected family contribution will not change based on the school the student wishes to attend.

First-Generation - a domestic student whom neither parent or guardian has graduated with a four-year college or university degree. Students who have siblings attending or who have graduated from college are still considered first-generation.

Fish Tank - refers to the large aquarium in the Batten Center behind the Hub. (VWU Specific Term)

Founders Day - Virginia Wesleyan held its inaugural Founders Day Convocation on September 8, 2016, celebrating 55 years since its chartering and 50 years since the first class of students began their studies. Trustee Emeritus George Birdsong H'16 served as Keynote speaker at the event held in the Convocation Center inside the Jane P. Batten Student Center. This tradition, to be held on the first or second Thursday of September, gives students, faculty, staff and special guests an opportunity to honor the institution's founding and recognize important individuals in its history. Chartered in 1961, Virginia Wesleyan University first opened its doors to students on September 14, 1966. (VWU Specific Term)

Fraternity - a student organization, typically for men, formed for social, academic, community service or professional purposes. A fraternity is part of a college or university's Greek system. Some fraternities, such as those with an academic or community service focus, may be coed. (US News and World Report)

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) - application used by U.S. Citizens and permanent residents to apply for financial aid from U.S. federal and state governments. International students are not eligible for U.S. government aid, but schools may ask international students to submit a FAFSA to determine financial need.  (Note: A social security number is required to complete the FAFSA.) (US News and World Report)

Full-Time Student - a student who is enrolled at a college or university and is taking at least the minimum number of credits required by the school for a full course load. (US News and World Report)

Fun Zone - a team-up between Off the Hook and UREC that hosts weekly events, fitness classes, pop-ups, and tournaments to get the VWU Marlins moving! Continued participation and enthusiasm in the Fun Zone events will earn points towards prizes and two titles: Marlin Master and the Marlin Spirit Award. (VWU Specific Term)

Grade Point Average (GPA) - a student's overall academic performance, which is calculated as a numerical average of grades earned in all courses. The GPA is determined after each term, typically on a 4.0 scale, and upon graduation, students receive an overall GPA for their studies. (US News and World Report)

Graduation - the awarding of a degree by VWU that entails the successful completion of all requirements for any majors/minors/certificates. Advisers aid in helping students complete their academic requirements so that they can successfully progress towards graduation.

Greek Life - a college or university's collection of fraternities and sororities on campus, whose names originate from letters in the ancient Greek alphabet. (US News and World Report)

Greek Surfboard - the surfboard mounted on a pedestal along the walkway between Brock Village (V3) and Monumental Chapel wears its many stories in the form of paint layers. Virginia Wesleyan's Greek organizations "tag" the surfboard—a vintage "twinfin" designed by California surf icon Doug Haut and donated by Recreation and Leisure Studies Professor Doug Kennedy—with their colors, letters, messages, designs and even tributes to students or special occurrences. According to tradition, the surfboard is to be tagged only between sun-down and sun-up, making the origins of each tag a mystery to be discovered by the campus community.  (VWU Specific Term)

Holiday Tree Lighting - the annual Holiday Tree Lighting, sponsored by the Office of Student Activities, celebrates the beginning of the holiday season with the official illumination of a tree on campus. The event is held at 5 p.m. on the last day of fall semester classes in early December. In addition to the grand illumination of the tree, students come dressed in festive garb as the campus community gathers to sing carols, which include a spirited version of "The 12 Days of Christmas" performed by members of various campus organizations. The tree lighting is typically followed by a holiday feast in Boyd Dining Center. (VWU Specific Term)

Homecoming - the largest annual gathering of alumni, Homecoming is also a celebration for faculty, staff and current students and their families. Typically held the first or second weekend in October, Homecoming includes a variety of events and traditions such as the Homecoming Parade, tailgate activities, children's activities, alumni socials and class reunions, alumni and conference athletic games, theater performances and arts events, Homecoming Dance, Oktoberfest Dinner, worship services and Sunday brunch. The Homecoming Parade typically takes place on Friday afternoon and is focused on a theme chosen by the students who garner prizes for costumes and routines. The entire Virginia Wesleyan family is invited to "come home" for this very special weekend-long occasion.

Honor Code - the Honor Code, available on the University's website, offers guidelines for academic conduct and disciplinary procedures for infractions of the code. (VWU Specific Term)

Honors College - see Batten Honors College.

Internship - an experience that allows students to work in a professional environment to gain training and skills. Internships may be paid or unpaid and can be of varying lengths during or after the academic year. (US News and World Report)

Involvement Fair - refers to the student involvement fair, which is held each semester where Marlins can join different clubs and organizations. (VWU Specific Term)

January Term (J-Term) - refers to the special three-week academic term during which students concentrate their studies on one intensive course. (VWU Specific Term)

John Wesley - John Wesley is the founder of Methodism and the namesake of Virginia Wesleyan University. A life-sized statue of Wesley is located on campus in front of Monumental Chapel.

Late Night Breakfast - longstanding Virginia Wesleyan tradition where students enjoying bacon, eggs, biscuits and more as a final treat before fall and spring semester exams begin. At one time called Midnight Breakfast, the event takes place on the night of Reading Day, a break day when no classes are held. Faculty and staff help cook and serve the food. There is also music, games, activities and fun stress-relievers for students to relax before they head into exam week. (VWU Specific Term)

Learning Center - VWU office that coordinates tutorial and student academic support services on the campus.  It is located on the second floor of Clarke Hall.  The Learning Center has such services as study and testing areas, subject tutoring, tutoring computers/Assistive Technology, and Disability Support Services.  (VWU Specific Term)

Liberal Arts - academic education that helps one's intellectual ability through providing general knowledge across a breadth of subjects. At VWU, a liberal arts education embraces the values inherent in a liberal education, an education dedicated to developing the open-minded, disciplined reflection necessary not only to professional success, but also to. Life of personal accomplishment and social commitment.

Lighthouse - office located in Clarke Hall, it houses career development/internships, community engagement, student research, and global engagement. (VWU Specific Term)

LiveSafe - mobile app that is a powerful safety tool that can send information about crimes or ongoing incidents and can even include photo or video evidence of occurrences.  The app also includes emergency contact, crime map, and "Safe Walk" location features.  It also serves as VWU's Emergency Notification System. (VWU Specific Term)

Loan - a type of financial aid that consists of an amount of money that is given to someone for a period of time, with an agreement that it will be repaid later. International students are generally not eligible for U.S. federal government loans and will typically require an American cosigner to apply for a private bank loan. (US News and World Report)

Major - the academic subject area that a student chooses to focus on during his or her undergraduate studies. Students typically must officially choose their major by the end of their sophomore year, allowing them to take a number of courses in the chosen area during their junior and senior years. (US News and World Report)

Matriculated - to enroll in a program of study at a college or university, with the intention of earning a degree. (US News and World Report)

Meal Plan - are utilized by students to eat in Boyd Dining, Coastal Marketplace, or at the Harbor Grill.  Meal plans may be upgraded but not decreased by filling out the Meal Plan Increase Request and are available to on-campus students, commuter students, and faculty/staff.

Merit Aid/Merit Scholarship - a type of financial aid awarded by a college or university to students who have demonstrated special academic ability or talents, regardless of their financial need. Most merit aid has specific requirements if students want to continue to receive it, such as maintaining a certain GPA. (US News and World Report)

Midterm Early Alerts - alert through the Learning Center at VWU submitted by professors for students who have a grade of C- below sent to the students in order to make them aware of the resources available to them in order to aid them in raising their course grade. (VWU Specific Term)

Midterm Exams - an exam given after half of the academic term has passed and that covers all material studied in a particular course until that point. Not all courses have midterm exams. (US News and World Report)

Minor - an academic subject area that a student chooses to have a secondary focus on during their undergraduate studies. Unlike a major, a minor is typically not required, but it allows a student to take a few additional courses in a subject different from their major. (US News and World Report)

Mud Games - "Rain turned the fall 1995 'Outrageous Olympics' to mud and inspired the first Mud Olympics the following year," writes University Archivist Dr. Stephen Mansfield in his book, Wisdom Lights the Way: Virginia Wesleyan University's First Half Century. "The 'Mud Games' became an annual tradition for teams of students, staff, and faculty members." There have been obstacle courses, tug-of-war battles, treasure hunts, dizzy bat contests, and all manner of silly relay races using everything from sacks to sit-and-bounce balls. But the games themselves are perhaps less important than the key ingredient: mud, created by hosing down a large rectangular patch of earth. Fraternities and sororities, athletic teams, groups of friends, residence halls and even faculty and staff groups have competed over the years. (VWU Specific Term)

Need-Based Financial Aid - financial aid that is awarded to students due to their financial inability to pay the full cost of attending a specific college or university, rather than specifically because of their grades or other merit. (US News and World Report)

Office Hours - often found in the faculty member's syllabus it is the time that the faculty member is available in their office to meet with students either face-to-face or via Zoom. For most office hours, no appointment is necessary; however, it is up to the faculty member.

Off the Hook - provides social, educational, and community-building activities on campus, with a primary focus on weekend events. Off The Hook is the primary programming arm of the Office of Student Activities, thus it supports the mission of that office. (VWU Specific Term)

Opus Program - program that was developed to assist students wishing to continue their academic pursuits while satisfying their financial obligations to the University by assisting operational areas of the University.  Students in the Opus program work side-by-side with full-time staff completing various projects throughout campus and in-turn receive a reduction of their account balance. (VWU Specific Term)

Orientation - program held during summer where students and parents are able to attend sessions, either face-to-face or virtual, where they attend meetings focusing on various aspects of attending the institution like financial aid, registration, student involvement, career services, student employment, etc.

Part-Time Student - a student who is enrolled at a college or university but is not taking the minimum number of credits required for a full course load. (US News and World Report)

Pass/Fail - a grading system in which students receive either a "pass" or "fail" grade, rather than a specific score or letter grade. Certain college or university courses can be taken pass-fail, but these typically don't include ones taken to fulfill major or minor requirements. (US News and World Report)

Plagiarism - the use of another person's words or ideas as your own, without acknowledging that person. Schools have different policies and punishments for students caught plagiarizing, which tends to occur with research papers and other written assignments. (US News and World Report)

Port Day - held at the end of each semester, Port Day is designed to demonstrate and promote the academic achievements of Virginia Wesleyan students completing capstone research, internship and semester global engagement experiences. Port Day is a campus-wide, conference style event with concurrent sessions in multiple locations throughout the day. Student presentations have included posters, speeches, PowerPoints, special panels and more. Port Day is organized by Virginia Wesleyan's Lighthouse and a special committee. (VWU Specific Term)

Preferred Name Policy - through the Chief Diversity Officer, students are asked what the preferred name, other than their legal name, that they wish to go by within the classroom.  That information is shared with the faculty of the student's courses.  Campus IDs, by law, must reflect the student's legal name. (VWU Specific Term)

Prerequisite - a course that must be completed prior to taking another course (often of a higher level).  ENG 105 is a prerequisite for ENG 222 at VWU.

Program - course of study a student has chosen to major in at VWU.

Refund - students receive a refund if your account balance is more than the balance due.

Registrar - the college or university official who is responsible for registering students and keeping their academic records, such as transcripts. (US News and World Report)

Registration - the process in which students choose and enroll in courses to be taken during the academic year or in summer sessions. (US News and World Report)

Resident Assistant (RA) - a student leader who works in campus residence halls and supervises issues and activities related to living on-campus. (US News and World Report)

Room and Board - housing and meals. "Room and board" is typically one of the costs that colleges and universities will list in their annual estimated cost of attendance, in addition to tuition, fees, and textbooks and supplies. If students choose to live in dormitories, they may be required to buy into a meal plan to use on-campus dining facilities. (US News and World Report)

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) - all recipients of federal financial aid must maintain a satisfactory rate of progress toward the completion of a degree (i.e. pace) and must be in good standing based on a cumulative grade point average (GPA), regardless of whether financial aid was received previously. Progress will be measured at the end of each semester attended (fall, spring and summer semesters).  Satisfactory Academic Progress uses credit hours to measure both the Pace and Maximum Timeframe requirements. It is important to understand the difference between the two types of credit hours. Credit hours "earned" are courses in which the student receives a letter grade of "D" or "S" in a Pass/Fail course. "Attempted" credits are all courses in which the student enrolls and remains enrolled in after the add/drop period of each semester even if the student withdraws later or fails the course at the end.  Pace requirement:  Students must earn at least 70% (no rounding up) of the credits attempted each semester. A full-time student who attempts 16 credits in a semester must successfully complete 11.2 credits to maintain their pace requirement (16 credits x .7 = 11.2 credits).

Scholarship - a type of financial aid that consists of an amount of free money given to a student by a school, individual, organization, company, charity, or federal or state government. "Scholarship" is often used interchangeably with "grant." (US News and World Report)

Schools - VWU has four schools (Birdsong School of Social Science, Joan P. Brock School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Susan S. Goode School of Arts and Humanities, and the D. Henry Watts School of Professional Studies) under which all academic departments are found. (VWU Specific Term)

Semester - periods of study that divide the academic year into two equal segments of approximately 15 to 18 weeks each. Some schools also offer a shorter summer semester, beyond the traditional academic year.  (US News and World Report)

Semester Hour - also known as credits. It indicates the number of credits that have been completed successfully for the student's degree. 

Sorority - a student organization for women formed for social, academic, community service or professional purposes. A sorority is part of a college or university's Greek system. (US News and World Report)

StarRez - computer system used by Housing by students for their housing application, room sign-ups, roommate matching, etc. (VWU Specific Term)

STEM - the collective subjects of science, technology, engineering and math. (US News and World Report)

Student Athletic Advisory Council (SAAC) - student representative group where members of each athletic team on campus come together to enhance the student-athlete experience by promoting opportunity, protecting student-athlete welfare, and fostering a positive student-athlete image. (VWU Specific Term)

Student Government Association - the liaison between the student body and the University administration, which hosts activities that benefit the entire campus community.  It has an Executive Board elected by the student body and then representatives from each class elected by that class. (VWU Specific Term)

Study Away - housed in the Lighthouse, it is a program that offers VWU students the ability to study internationally or domestically.  The Lighthouse offers the Global Scholars Program, Summery Study Abroad, and Study Away Courses.  Study away may be short-term or long-term in duration. (VWU Specific Term)
Financial aid is available.

Summer Session - courses held during the summer either face-to-face or virtually that students may take in order to graduate either early or on-time. (VWU Specific Term)

Syllabus - faculty prepared summary of their course given to students at the beginning of the semester, which details course specific information including assignments, tests, office hours, contact information for the faculty, etc.

Tenure - a status offered to high-level faculty members at a college or university that allows them to stay permanently in their positions, after demonstrating a strong record of teaching and published research. (US News and World Report)

Transcript - an official record of a student's coursework and grades at a high school, college or university. A high school transcript is usually one of the required components of the college application process. (US News and World Report)

Transfer Student - a student who comes to VWU after starting their college education at a different institution.

Tuition - an amount of money charged by a school per term, per course or per credit, in exchange for instruction and training. Tuition generally does not include the cost of textbooks, room and board, and other fees. (US News and World Report)

Tutoring Services - within the Learning Center, tutoring services provides subject tutors in most disciplines, including writing. (VWU Specific Term)

Undergraduate Student - a student enrolled in a two-year or four-year study program at a college or university after graduation from high school, leading to an associate or bachelor's degree. (US News and World Report)

UREC - strives to provide quality recreational opportunities to the campus community regardless of skill or experience. The primary mission is to promote personal growth, social fellowship, and healthy lifestyle choices through participation in challenging and fun activities. All programs emphasize student involvement and leadership.  Students can get involved through participation in one of many on and off-campus recreational events or adventures. (VWU Specific Term)

VWU Global Campus - serves online, evening and weekend, international, early enrollment/advanced scholars, and non-credit learners. (VWU Specific Term)

Web Advisor - website located under MyBeacon, where students can register for their courses, look at their Financial Aid information, email their adviser, update personal information, do a degree audit, check your grades, apply for graduation, register your vehicle, etc. (VWU Specific Term)

Wesleyan Seminar - courses at VWU that bring students from across the university together in three seminar-style courses in which the process of liberal education is begun (Seminar I) and developed (Seminars II and III).  Seminars focus on topics chosen by the faculty and represent a wide variety of interests each semester. The Wesleyan Seminar sequence provides a common educational experience that fosters intellectual curiosity while also developing academic skills. WES courses have two interconnected goals: generating intellectual excitement and engagement in scholarly and academic work, and developing essential academic skills of reading, writing, and oral communication. (VWU Specific Term)

Withdraw - to formally stop participating in a course or attending a university. (US News and World Report)

Work-Study - a financial aid program funded by the U.S. federal government that allows undergraduate or graduate students to work part time on campus or with approved off-campus employers. To participate in work-study, students must complete the FAFSA. In general, international students are not eligible for work-study positions. (US News and World Report)