Glossary

Some of the words and phrases used in this catalog may be unfamiliar. The following definitions are provided to help students comprehend the material contained in this document. Any questions concerning the content of this catalog or of any other University publication should be directed to the Office of the Provost.

Academic year, a period running approximately from late August through May, including fall, winter, spring and summer term.
Accredited, approved by an accrediting agency recognized by the US Department of Education and deemed acceptable to Moravian University.
Certificate, graduate, an organized and approved program of study leading to a stand-alone certificate; graduate certificates are composed of a minimum of 12 graduate credits and normally can be completed in a year or less.
Certificate, post-secondary, an organized and approved program of study at the baccalaureate level, leading to a stand-alone certificate; post-secondary are composed of a minimum of 3.75 course units and a maximum of 7.50 course units; certificates can normally be completed in a year or less.
Certification, teacher, public-school teacher certification for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and those states having reciprocity agreements with Pennsylvania.
Course, an organized series of lessons focused on a particular subject.
Course unit, a measure of academic credit equivalent to four semester hours of credit. Full-time students normally enroll in four course units (16 credit hours) in a single fall or spring term. Three units (12 credit hours) are the minimum to be considered a full-time student. Full unit courses generally meet for 50 hours during a normal fall or spring term, and require at least 8 hours of work per week outside class (including but not limited to reading, research, music practice time, field reports, writing assignments, journals, etc.). Hours in and out of class may vary based on disciplinary differences. See the institution’s credit hour policy for more information.
Credit Hour, a measure of academic credit for graduate programs. A minimum of 44 hours in and out of class is required for each graduate credit hour, though this may vary based on disciplinary differences. See the institution’s credit hour policy for more information.
Cross-listed course, a course that fulfills requirements in more than one discipline or subject area and is listed under both. Students register using the discipline listing relevant to their requirements.
Elective, a course chosen for a student's program of study that is not required for the major or minor or in fulfillment of the requirements of Learning in Common. In certain majors or in certain categories of liberal education, a student may choose a restricted elective from a limited array of courses that satisfy a requirement or may choose a general elective from among all courses offered in a discipline.
First-year student, a student enrolled in university for the first time.
Freshman, a student who has completed fewer than 6.75 course units, regardless of the number of years enrolled.
GPA, quality-point average. Note that the institution does not round GPAs, but rather truncates GPAs after the hundredths place in all case (term, cumulative, major, and minor)
GPA, term, the average of quality points for all course units scheduled in a given term.
GPA, cumulative, the average of quality points for all course units scheduled to date.
GPA, major, the average of quality points for all course units taken in the major department, numbered 110-199, 210-299, and 310-401, both required and elective.
GPA, minor, the average of quality points for all course units taken in the minor department, program or field, both required and elective. A minimum of five courses is required for the minor. A minor typically excludes the courses excluded for a major in the same field (see above).
Half-course unit, a measure of academic credit equivalent to two semester hours of credit.
Junior, a student who has completed 14.75-22.74 course units.
Modality, the mode of delivery of a class (ex., online, in-person, hybrid). For more information, see Course Modalities below.
Overload, any course unit or fraction of a course unit scheduled beyond the maximum full-time load during a single term; Course Overload.
Quality points, numerical points assigned to letter grades, e.g., A = 4, A– = 3.67, etc. A complete list is given in the section on academic regulations.
Scheduled course, any course which appears on the student's transcript, including any course from which the student has withdrawn with a grade of W or WF.
Senior, a student who has completed 22.75 or more course units.
Sophomore, a student who has completed 6.75-14.74 course units.
Student, full-time, graduate, a student enrolled in nine or more graduate credits during a term.
Student, full-time, undergraduate, a student enrolled in three or more course units during a term.
Student, part-time, graduate, a student enrolled in fewer than nine graduate credits during a term.
Student, part-time, undergraduate, a student enrolled in fewer than three course units during a term.
Student, post-baccalaureate, a student possessing a bachelor's degree who is enrolled in a program of study leading to a post-secondary certificate, teacher certification, or additional bachelor's degree, but not in a graduate degree or certificate program. Definitions of full-time and part-time status for post-baccalaureate are the same as for undergraduate students.
Summer sessions, periods of three, four, six, or eight weeks in May, June, July, and August, during which a student can earn academic credit in intensive courses. Study in one or more summer sessions (including May Term) may be combined for financial aid eligibility.
Term, fall or spring, a period of approximately 15 weeks, during which students take courses and earn academic credit. Summer sessions are defined above.
Writing-intensive indicates a course in which at least half the grade comes from informal and exploratory writing assignments, for a minimum of 25 pages of writing. A writing-intensive course in the major is a graduation requirement for all Moravian degree candidates.

Course Modalities

Moravian University offers courses in a variety of modalities, which express the degree to which the course is offered in-person (face-to-face) vs. online, as well as whether the course follows a normal 15-week semester calendar or is accelerated in some way. The following are some of the terms and definitions used:

In-Person – A course that is taken through face-to-face meetings on campus. Students will be expected to attend all in-person sessions on campus.
In-Person with Classroom Connect – A course that is taken through face-to-face meetings on campus but that allows some exceptions for students who cannot attend in person to attend through video conferencing (Zoom). Permission to attend through Zoom is required from the professor.
Online Synchronous – A course that is taken through an internet platform such as Moravian's LMS, Canvas, with live, real-time video conferencing sessions on specific days and times. There are no in-person sessions. Faculty will organize live, online sessions that students are expected to attend.
Online Asynchronous – A course delivered through an internet platform such as Moravian's LMS, Canvas, with no live, real-time video conferencing sessions.
Hybrid – A course that is taken through both online and in-person sessions. Faculty will expect students to attend a mix of live online and in-person sessions, and the specific schedule of these will vary by course.
Accelerated - a course which is offered in fewer weeks than a normal 15-week semester.

Changes in modality of any course can occur, based on content, andragogy/pedagogy, health and safety, or other needs as determined by the instructor, department or institution. Changes in modality can occur with less than 24 hours’ notice. Such changes may be temporary (e.g.: for a few days or weeks) or may carry for the remainder of the term.

Credit Hour Policy

Moravian University: Policy and Practice Related to the Credit Hour Provisions in the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008

The Policy

Moravian University uses a course unit system intended to emphasize the mastery of subject matter, in contrast to the semester credit hour system, which measures achievement in terms of class time. A unit of instruction includes a combination of lecture, discussion, recitation, group and individual projects, and studio/laboratory work. Moravian undergraduate courses vary in the number of scheduled meeting hours, often based on disciplinary differences. Courses scheduled for three hours of classroom/other instruction per week also include additional instructional activity, e.g. discussion sessions, workshops, attendance at lectures and performances, service learning, final examinations, fieldwork, etc.

Graduate-level courses in the University use credit-hours; over the semester, students will have at least 44 contact hours with the course material for each credit hour earned (for example, a minimum of 88 contact hours, including all in-class meeting and out-of-class work for 2 graduate credit hours).

The Practice

Over the semester, course activities for a full-unit undergraduate course will include:
- At least 50 hours of classroom activities and/or labs for 15 weeks (including final exams) AND At least 124 additional hours of course work (approximately 8 hours/week) OUTSIDE of regular class meetings, including: preparation for classes in the form of assigned reading and writing; and/or problem solving homework exercises; and/or conducting research; and/or additional academic activities listed below*.

-OR-

Over the semester, course activities for a full-unit undergraduate course will include:
- At least 36 hours of classroom activities and/or labs (i.e. 3 hours/week for 14 weeks, excluding exams or presentations during final exam week), AND
- At least 14 hours of additional classroom activities or academic activities such as those listed below*, AND
- At least 124 additional hours of course work (approximately 8 hours/week) OUTSIDE of regular class meetings, including: preparation for classes in the form of assigned reading and writing; and/or problem solving homework exercises; and/or conducting research; and/or additional academic activities listed below*.

-OR-

(for full-unit Independent Studies, Honors Projects, Internships)
Over the semester, the successful student will complete at least 140 hours of course work, the nature of which will be determined by the student and the instructor/supervisor. Such work will include a combination of the following:
- Meeting with the instructor (including labs, and/or studios, and/or lectures, and/or conferences, and/or rehearsals, and/or coaching sessions etc.);
- Honor thesis reviews, presentations and defenses;
- Agreed upon reading and writing; o Problem solving homework exercises;
- Conducting research; o Editing and revision of written work;
- Rehearsals, and/or performances;
- Private practice time (for ensembles and private lessons);
- Field trips;
- Attending required performances or talks.

N.B. Meeting times and out-of-class expectations will be adjusted accordingly for half-unit and quarter-unit courses.

*Examples of Additional Academic Activities

service learning
field work or clinical hours
attendance at concerts, dramatic performances, poetry readings, lectures
viewing of films outside of class time
attendance at departmental colloquia
supervised problem solving sessions, e.g., supplemental instruction meetings
weekly group tutoring sessions or study/review sessions organized by the course instructor
writing conferences with faculty or a Writing Center tutor
advising sessions related to First-Year Seminar
participation in outside of class experiments
conducting science labs or experiments outside of class
group project meetings and/or group work outside of class
attendance at departmental student research presentations
participation in local or regional conferences
participation in community projects
field trips
organizing campus events as part of course requirements
library instruction outside of class
participation in electronic discussion boards, chat rooms, blogs, wikis, or other online assignments
participation in weekly conversation sessions in foreign languages outside of class time, including participation at meetings of the Spanish, French or German Clubs
participation in weekly discipline-based organizations or clubs, such as History Club or Tri-Beta
individual meetings with the instructor