1. Overview

Academic planning timelines – the official timelines and deadlines that organize the academic year. These are listed as Important Dates on the Georgian website.

Academic promotion – the process to determine if you have met the required academic performance to advance to the succeeding term.  

Academic regulations – the rules, processes and policies that guide college and student activities as they pertain to the academic year.  

Academic standing – your academic status is a mathematical calculation based on your performance in courses for the term just completed. This calculation determines academic promotion. Academic standing categories include good standing, academic probation, academic warning, academic suspension, and academic dismissal (Section 5.2.2 Definitions and actions of academic standing).  

Academic year – the academic year runs from the beginning of September to the end of August. This differs from a calendar year which runs from January to December. All official dates are outlined in the Important Dates.  

Accreditation – official certification that a school, course, or program has met standards set by external accreditation bodies.  

Advanced standing – status given to you that allows entry to a program at a level higher than semester one, based on previous documented academic work at another institution and/or work/life experience.  

Ancillary fees – fees charged to support services and activities distinct from academic programming or general overhead for the institution. Examples of ancillary fees include student activity fees, athletic fees, and health care and insurance fees.  

Academic appeal – A formal request made by a student/applicant to review an academic decision related to your current or potential future studies at the college. Please see Section 9. Academic appeals for additional information.    

Applicant – a person formally applying for admission to a Georgian College program. 

Apprenticeship program – a pathway to a career in the trades. You take classes and learn your trade by working under the direction of experienced workers – and get paid while you do it.  

Banner – the student information system used by the college for admission decisions, registration, records management, academic standing, fees, awards, and graduation.    

Blackboard Learn Ultra – the system the college uses for online teaching, learning, community building, and knowledge sharing.  

Block registration – A block of courses that has been pre-set for you. The block of courses is set based on the semester you are in within your program.   

Block transfer – advanced standing for a group of credits or courses at one institution based on their equivalence to a defined set of course or program learning outcomes at another institution. Block credit enables you to enter a program at a receiving institution at an advanced level.  

Clinical placement – typically unpaid placements in health, wellness, and sciences programs, which help you develop skills in the clinical setting relevant to your program of study. Placements can vary from one-day to a full semester.  

Credit for prior learning (CPL) – A process that allows you to identify, document, have assessed, and gain credit for prior post-secondary and non-formal/experiential learning. 

Credit program – A program composed of credit courses which leads to a formal credential such as a diploma, graduate certificate, or degree.   

Credential – earning a Georgian credential from the Office of the Registrar confirms that you have achieved a specific educational standard and have certain knowledge and skills. Georgian follows the Ontario Qualifications Framework under the auspices of the Ministry of Colleges and Universities.  

Co-op (co-operative education) – learning through work terms, which provide experience in a workplace setting related to your field of study.  

Core courses – courses in a degree that are within the main discipline of the degree; may be mandatory or elective for the program.  

Course – a subject offered either as part of a program or on a standalone basis, can be made up of modules. Courses represent the organization of learning outcomes into the smallest package of related activities for tracking and delivery purposes.  

Course code – unique identifier for courses consisting of four alpha characters followed by four numbers. The four-place alpha prefix identifies the subject area; the first place of the numeric identifier denotes level of study (e.g., semester 1, semester 2, etc.).  

Course content – a list of topics within the course that relate to the course learning outcomes. Course content appears in the course outline.  

Course description – a concise, general description of the course which can broadly include content and goals. It should be general enough to allow for changes in trends and technology over time, but specific enough to reflect content and learning outcomes. Component of both course and program outlines.  

Course outline – a contract between the college and you describing what learning you can reliably and/or consistently demonstrate by the end of a course, as well as topics covered throughout the course, and how you will be evaluated.  

Credit transfer – credit granted by one program or institution for courses taken at another program or institution. May apply to core courses deemed equivalent in content or may be used to fulfill optional elective course requirements.   

Cumulative GPA (Grade Point Average) – an overall grade calculation that includes all credit courses taken, even if you changed programs. This GPA includes all repeated courses.  

Designated Learning Institute (DLI) – a Canadian school approved by a province or territorial government to host international students. Georgian College is an approved institution with the DLI # O19395677361.  

Domestic student – A citizen of Canada within the meaning of the Citizenship Act or a person registered as an Indian within the meaning of the Indian Act.   

Equivalent course – a course completed previous that is equivalent in content to the credit work covered in the course in question; must satisfy 80 per cent of the course learning outcomes; course hours can vary. Equivalent courses can be as follows: one-way (e.g., an upper-level course equivalent to a lower-level course but not the other way around), two-way (both courses are equivalent to each other), multiple courses to one (two or more courses satisfy the outcomes of one course), one course to multiple courses (one course satisfies the outcomes of two or more courses). Differs from exemptions as it applies to internal Georgian courses only.  

Exemption – a form of transfer credit awarded following an approved petition. It is applied toward course credit within a program of study and appears as “EX” on the transcript.   

Extenuating circumstances – these are unforeseen situations involving you and/or your immediate family member. These situations include death of an immediate family member (parent, spouse, or child), serious medical trauma to you, or an immediate family member where you are deemed the primary caregiver by your regulated health professional.  

Faculty – for the purposes of this document, this term refers to the academic leader of an approved college course and includes professors, instructors, technicians, and technologists.  

Field placement – one of the several types of practical experience components in Georgian College programs; specifically, unpaid work exposure to a full range of tasks or skills expected of a competent graduate.  

General education courses (GNED) – these are courses designed to complement the vocational studies of students by addressing important issues to our lives as individuals and members of society. GNED’s fit into one of these five themes: Arts in society, Civic life, Social and cultural understanding, Personal understanding, and Science and technology.  

Institutional/semester GPA (Grade Point Average) – this GPA is what determines your promotional status each term. This GPA calculation takes all credit courses you have taken in the term, including failed courses and repeated courses.  

International student – a person holding citizenship in another country and does not have status in Canada as a citizen or permanent resident or convention refugee.  

Internship – is an extended period of work experience that is an integral part of a program of postsecondary study. Students are employed in settings which provide work experience directly related to their academic programs and career objectives.  

IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) – a government agency that develops and implements policies, programs and services that facilitates the arrival of people and their integration into Canada. This includes an application to study in Canada as an international student, maintaining your status, extending your study permit, and working during and after graduation. Information can be found on the IRCC website.  

MyCreds – this is a national credential wallet for postsecondary learners. It provides you with fast and easy access to request and send your transcripts to other institutions, employers, government offices and others.  

MyPath – this is a comprehensive academic advising, student planning, transfer articulation, and credential audit system that helps you take the right courses at the right time and navigate program requirements and prerequisites.  

Non-core courses – also referred to as breadth courses, these courses are outside of the main discipline of a degree. They are designed to give you the tools to develop interdisciplinary perspectives that inform your approach to your own discipline, your continued education, and your life outside work. May be mandatory or elective for your degree program.  

Non-credit program – A program composed of non-credit courses which typically leads to a credential such as a Recognition of Achievement. Non-credit courses cannot be directly used to meet requirements of a credit program.   

Official – this refers to something that has approval or authority. It refers to documents, transcripts, dates, procedures, and communications that have come directly from the sources like the college, partner institutions, an employer, or the ministry.      

Petition – an application where you can apply using your previous learning, work or life experience to be used towards eligible credit exemption towards your program.  

Practicum – an unpaid supervised practical experience in the workplace relevant to academic studies.  

Prerequisites – courses in a program you must complete before you can take subsequent courses.  

Prior learning assessment and recognition (PLAR) – the process which uses a variety of tools to help you reflect on, identify, articulate, and demonstrate past learning which has been acquired through study, work, and other life experiences and which is not recognized through formal transfer of credit. PLAR allows the evaluation of past learning against established academic standard so that credit can be awarded. The PLAR system evaluates prior learning and relates it to existing courses, through portfolio assessment and challenge evaluation, for the purpose of granting college credit.  

Program change – the process of moving from one program to another or a change of semesters/progression within the same program.  

Program co-ordinator – faculty, who in addition to their teaching responsibilities, provide academic leadership in the co-ordination of courses and/or programs.  

Program/graduation GPA (Grade Point Average) – includes all course grades in your program including exemptions for transfer credit and PLAR. If there are repeated courses only the highest grade is used. Failed courses and courses not applicable to your program are excluded from the calculation. Courses that do not meet the minimum required grade for the program are also excluded. This GPA is used for determining eligibility for graduation.   

Progression – how a program is sequenced at a course and semester level. Progression is stated on the program outline.   

Re-sequencing – programs are organized by semesters (i.e., 1 to 8). If you need to take semesters out of order, you should contact your program co-ordinator to discuss re-sequencing options. Often courses in higher semesters have prerequisites that need to be completed in a lower semester. Courses may not be available in future terms. If you complete semesters out of order, this results in a change in program progression and may alter your graduation completion timelines.  

Semester – the specific grouping of courses that you are recommended to take in a particular term. For example, semester one of the programs contains six specific courses, semester two contains six different specific courses. Typically, a two-year program has four semesters, and a three-year program has six semesters. The typical semester is 15 weeks including one study week.     

Student – an individual(you) who is currently registered at the college.   

Term – a portion of an academic year, the time during which Georgian holds classes. This refers to the four-month periods in fall (September to December), winter (January to April) or summer (May to August).  

Timetable – the listing of the courses you have registered for during the current / upcoming semester.    

Cumulative GPA (Grade Point Average) – is the calculation of all credit courses you have taken including repeats during your time at Georgian College. Your GPA appears on your transcript.  

Transcript – official academic record; normally includes all academic work completed at an institution.  

Transfer credit – credit granted by one program or institution for courses taken at another program or institution. May apply to core courses deemed equivalent in content or may be used to fulfill optional elective course requirements. 

Transfer Pathway – a defined route from one program or institution to another program or institution that specifies eligibility requirements. It also specifies how transfer credits will be accepted and applied at the receiving institution. Transfer pathways usually apply to multiple sending institutions and one or more receiving institutions. They do not require formal signed agreements between institutions.   

WIL (work–integrated learning) – an engaged partnership between an academic institution, a host organization/employer, and you. Examples include coop, field placements, and clinical placements.   

Withdrawal – you have chosen to either withdraw from some courses, or your entire program. Official deadlines for withdrawal are in the Important Dates. Depending on the time of the withdrawal, it can also include a financial adjustment.