1. Overview

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 (Section 9. Academic appeals).  

Academic area – for the purpose of this document, academic area refers to the person or people within the academic program team (e.g., faculty member, program coordinator, dean/associate dean, etc.) authorized to advise, guide, or make decisions regarding their students in relation to these Academic Regulations.  

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

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 recognition that a school, course, or program has met standards set by external regulatory and/or 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, health care and insurance fees.  

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

Apprenticeship program – a pathway to a career in skilled 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 registration, records management, academic standing, fees, awards, transfer credit 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 have been pre-set for you. The block of courses is set based on the semester you're 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. 

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) – a requirement, that you must have a personal computer that meets program and college technical requirements to support learning across all programs. Consult your program webpage for the latest program-specific minimum requirements. 

Catalog term – outlines the program curriculum that’s in place when you start your first term and sets your graduation requirements. Your catalog term may change if you take a break in your studies, and you may be required to follow the program curriculum that’s in place when you return. (Section 6.3 Graduation timelines). 

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.  

Co-op (co-operative education) – learning through work terms, which provides experience in a workplace setting related to your field of study and can be paid or unpaid. 

Core courses – courses in a degree that are within the main discipline of the degree; these 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 you and the college, 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'll be evaluated.  

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 MCURES.  

Credit for prior learning (CPL) – a process that allows you to identify, document, have assessed, and gain credit for prior postsecondary 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.  

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.  

Delivery methods - the method in which programs are offered via a blend of hybrid, in-person and online learning (Program delivery methods). 

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 Indigenous within the meaning of the Indian Act.  

Equivalent course – a course completed previously that's equivalent in content to the credit work covered in the course in question; must satisfy 80 per cent of the course's 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's applied toward course credit within a program of study and appears as “EX” on transcripts.  

Extenuating circumstances – 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're deemed the primary caregiver by your regulated health professional.  

Faculty – for the purposes of this document, this term refers to the academic member who is accountable for an approved college course; this may include professors, instructors, technicians, or 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) – courses designed to complement the vocational studies of students by addressing important issues to our lives as individuals and members of society. GNEDs fit into one of these five themes: Arts in society, Civic life, Social and cultural understanding, Personal understanding, and Science and technology.  

Georgian College Program Application (GCPA) – an internal application, accessible to Georgian College students (current or previously enrolled) with active single-sign-on (SSO) login, to apply for free to Georgian programs. 

Graduation audit – process to review and assess student records against program requirements to determine eligibility to graduate. 

Institutional/semester GPA (grade point average) – 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 doesn't have status in Canada as a citizen, permanent resident or convention refugee.  

Internship – an extended period of work experience that's 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. IRCC authorizes international students to study in Canada and holds students accountable for maintaining valid immigration status via applications to extending study permits and for valid permits to work during and after graduation. Information can be found on the IRCC website.  

Letter of permission - a document issued to a student to demonstrate enrolment at another postsecondary institution; its purpose is to verify that one or more specific courses, taken at another institution, will be recognized for credit equivalency in their Georgian program. 

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

MyPath – 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 – courses 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 program. For degree programs, these are also referred to as breadth courses; these courses are outside of the main discipline of a degree. For certificates and diploma programs, these are General Education and Communication courses required for graduation as listed on your program outline. 

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 the 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 sources like the college, partner institutions, employer, or the ministry.  

Official transcript – an official document, produced by and sent directly from a college or university to Georgian, which includes key information about a student's academic record at that institution, such as: courses attempted, withdrawn, repeated, grades, GPA and transfer credit awarded. It typically bears the registrar's signature and an institutional seal. 

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 standards so that credit can be awarded. The PLAR system evaluates prior learning and relates it to existing courses, through portfolio assessment and challenge evaluation, to grant college credit.  

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

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

Program outline – an official college document containing detailed information about a program, including requirements you must meet for admission, transfer credit, graduation eligibility and program-specific information relevant to the time you start your program. It’s useful to prospective students and can be found online on the program website.  

Program/graduation GPA (grade point average) – used for determining eligibility for graduation; therefore, only includes grades for courses required in your program and includes exemptions granted 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 don't meet the minimum required grade for the program are also excluded.   

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

Re-sequencing – programs are organized by semesters (i.e., one to eight). If you need to take semesters out of order, you should contact your program coordinator 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're recommended to take in a particular term. For example, semester one of the program 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. 

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 that shows how you can move from one postsecondary program to another. It outlines the eligibility requirements you need to meet and explains how your previous credits will transfer and be applied at the new institution. Transfer pathways do not require a formal signed agreement between institutions, often require you to have completed one or more credentials, and can be used between more than one institution. For example, the same Ontario certificate offered at different Ontario colleges may be part of a transfer pathway into an Ontario diploma program offered at different Ontario colleges, without a formal signed agreement between each college. 

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

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