Audit: A course for which you pay tuition and fees but do not receive credit.

Blackboard: The learning management system you will use for online courses or courses with a web component.

Credit hours: Every class is worth a value called a credit hour, which generally equals the amount of time you spend in class per week during the semester. Every degree program requires you to take a certain number of credit hours in order to earn a degree.

Degree Plan: A list of exact courses, subject areas, and credit hours needed to obtain a specific degree.

Drop/Add: This term refers to adjusting your schedule by dropping and/or adding courses. The Drop/Add period is limited and is indicated on the academic calendar.

Financial Aid: Monies available to eligible students in the form of grants, loans, scholarships, and work study funding. The monies come through federal and state government or private donations.

First Academic Suspension: A student who is on “Academic Probation” will be placed on “First Academic Suspension” for a period of one semester at the end of a term in which the student fails to earn a GPA of 2.00 or better for that term. Also, when a student fails the same course at UWA three times, they will be placed on First Academic Suspension. The suspended student may return to UWA on “Academic Probation” after sitting out a semester.

Conditionally admitted students are considered on “Academic Probation” when admitted, and thus conditionally admitted students who fail to have the required GPA following the first two semesters enrolled will be placed on First Academic Suspension.

Full-time students: A student who is taking at least 12 credit hours in a semester.

Grade point average (GPA): The average of the student’s grades for all classes taken.

Indefinite Academic Suspension: A student returning from a “Second Academic Suspension” who again fails to earn the required 2.00 GPA for the term, will be placed on “Indefinite Academic Suspension” for a mandatory period of four semesters. Also, when a student fails the same course at UWA four times, they will be placed on Indefinite Academic Suspension. 

Official Transcript: A sealed, printed record of every course a student has taken at the University of West Alabama along with the grades earned. Official transcripts may be obtained from the Registrar.

Prerequisites: Preliminary skills, knowledge or courses required before enrollment in a particular course. Required Grade

Second Academic Suspension: A student returning from a “First Academic Suspension” will be placed on a “Second Academic Suspension” if the student fails to earn a 2.00 GPA on the work attempted during that term. The second suspension will be for a mandatory period of two semesters. The student will automatically be eligible to return after serving the two semester suspension and will be re-admitted on “Academic Probation.”

Self Service: The system that allows you to view/pay your bill, apply/accept financial aid, plan courses, and view your term grades and degree progress.

Semester: An academic term.

Transfer Credit: Credit hours taken at an institution other than the University of West Alabama that are applied toward a degree at UWA.

Unofficial Transcript: A record of every course a student has taken at the University of West Alabama including the grades earned. Unofficial transcripts can be found in Self Service.