College Lingo

An academic advisor is a faculty or staff member in your academic area who helps you stay on track toward earning your intended degree and assists you with selecting courses for the upcoming semester.

Advisement refers to the meetings you have each semester with your academic advisor to review your progress toward earning a degree, finalize your class schedule for the upcoming semester, and discuss your plans after graduation.

The Undergraduate Bulletin is produced by the Office of the Registrar and contains important information about University academic programs, requirements, policies, and procedures.

Canvas is the web platform students use to access online classes with their SOAR ID and password.

Also known as graduation, Commencement is the ceremony that honors the completion of your degree.

A credit hour is equivalent to one hour of class time per week. Courses are usually measured in credit hours, with the average being three or four.  Students may refer to how many credit hours or credits they are carrying for a particular semester. Graduation requirements are usually measured in credit hours, e.g. “120 credit hours required for graduation.”

A dean is the administrator in charge of an academic college or other major area of student life.

Your degree plan is the list of courses that you must take to earn a degree in your academic major.

 This is a report that shows the progress a student has made toward degree completion.

When funds such as financial aid or scholarships have been applied to your account in Business Services, this is referred to as a disbursement.

The Aubrey K. Lucas Administration Building, referred to as “The Dome,” is an iconic building on the Hattiesburg campus and houses the offices of the University president and other administrators.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is required each year to receive consideration for federal student loans, grants, and some scholarships.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the confidentiality of your educational records.

The Fresh is the nickname for the Fresh Food Company, the main cafeteria-style eatery on campus, and is located on the first floor of the Thad Cochran Center.

This phrase refers to enrollment in 12 or more credit hours for the fall/spring semester and nine or more credit hours for the summer semester. However, most scholarship recipients and all Mississippi residents receiving state aid must enroll in 15 credit hours each fall/spring.

General Education Curriculum (GEC) refers to course requirements that are outside of your major area of study that will give you a general background in other important academic areas.

GEWW is an abbreviation for Golden Eagle Welcome Week, which takes place before the fall semester begins.

GPA is an abbreviation for grade point average.

Intersession is a mini-term between the traditional, standard academic semesters.

A subject or career field that serves as the focus of study in a degree plan is called a major.

Eagle Dining meal plans are prepaid meal plans that can be used in The Fresh and other campus eateries each semester. Campus residents are required to purchase a meal plan, and Eagle Dining offers meal plan options for commuter students.

A secondary concentration in a specific subject or career field is called a minor.

Prerequisites (also called “prereqs”) are courses that students are required to take prior to registering for an upper-level course.

A resident assistant (or RA) is someone who lives on your in your residence hall and is available to help you.

The Office of the Registrar is responsible for the official records of all University students.

The Rock is the nickname for M.M. Roberts Stadium.

Students who receive federal financial aid are required to adhere to academic standards that may differ from those already required by the University. This is referred to as satisfactory academic progress (SAP). When a student does not make satisfactory academic progress, they may lose their ability to continue receiving federal financial aid.

SOAR is the University’s online student portal, where students can add/drop classes, view grades, make payments, and accept/decline financial aid and scholarships.

The Student Government Association (SGA) serves as the voice for Southern Miss students and collaborates with University administration on student concerns and other issues.

The University’s motto (“Southern Miss To The Top!”) is commonly abbreviated as SMTTT.

Southern Style is a diverse group of student leaders selected to serve as the official University ambassadors and Orientation leaders. Southern Style leaders are easily identified by their iconic gold jackets, and your Southern Style leader will guide you through all Orientation activities.

All course instructors distribute an outline or overview of a course at the beginning of each semester, which is referred to as the syllabus. The syllabus typically contains course expectations, exam and project dates, and the instructor’s office hours.

Tuition is the amount of money charged for classes. (Tuition does not include residence hall costs, meal plan costs, and other major basic expenses.)

The Office of Financial Aid may require additional documentation from a student in order to evaluate their eligibility for federal financial aid, and this is referred to as verification.

Withdrawal refers to the process of formally dropping all courses to end enrollment at the University.