Admissions @ Park University

Park Glossary
Below are some common terms that new Freshmen may find confusing when coming to campus. New Freshmen will want to learn these terms because they will be using them throughout their college careers.

Academic Advisor
Once a major has been declared each student is assigned a faculty member as an academic advisor. Before the semester each student is required to meet with their advisor to enroll in classes for the next semester. This advisor essentially acts as a mentor for your academic journey here at Park.

Account Hold
When a student has a hold of their account it is not possible to enroll in classes, access grades from the semester or get transcripts. A hold can be placed on your account through any type of misconduct, but most commonly through unpaid parking tickets.

Adjunct Faculty
Adjunct faculty teach many classes at Park University. They do not have offices on campus and may or may not have office hours, however, they are readily available to students. Each faculty member sets their communication times based on the course and student need.

Catalog
The course catalog outlines all the courses required before graduation for each respective major and minor. It is a great tool when considering what classes to take and whether it would be useful to add a minor to improve your degree.

CLEP (College Level Examination Program) Tests
These tests give you the opportunity to receive credit for things that you already know. The Testing Center, which is located in the Underground, offers many different CLEP tests that can be taken to contribute credit towards receiving your bachelor's degree. A maximum of 27 credit hours may be accepted towards the completion of a degree at Park through these CLEP tests.

COMPASS Student
This is the group of around 10 students who work with Admissions here at Park to make the process of becoming a Park student as easy as possible. They give tours and talk with students to help with the transition to life at Park.

Confirming Classes
Confirming classes is the last step to take before the beginning of the semester. This is where classes are paid for, meaning that your inclusion in the class is confirmed. The confirmation deadline is always one week before the start of classes. Students can confirm in person at the SAC, or online. Failing to confirm by this date will mean that you are dropped from your classes, and will have to meet with your academic advisor to get into classes for the semester.

Credit Hours
At Park, each class is worth a certain number of credit hours. Typically a class is 3 credit hours, but the addition of a lab, for example, will make the class 4 credit hours. In order to graduate in 4 years the average student is enrolled in 15 credit hours (typically 5 classes) per semester.

Degree Audit
The degree audit is a listing of all the requirements needed to complete your degree. It is a good tool to advise you on the requirements that you have already completed, and those that you have left to complete, as well as the prerequisites for those classes. Your personal degree audit can be accessed through logging into MyPark using your student ID number and password.

eCompanion
Otherwise known as parkonline.org, this is the online teaching community at Park. Each semester you can access your classroom online through here. It is a place to submit assignments electronically, as well as to share resources and discussions with classmates and the professor.

FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
The FAFSA must be completed by all students at Park each year in order to apply for financial aid. This consists of many questions about a student's (and their family's) assets, income, and dependency. This should be submitted alongside the RFA to begin the financial aid process here at Park.

Independent Study
When a class is not offered at a time when you need it, with the permission with your academic advisor, it is sometimes possible to set up an independent study program, where you do a series of coursework without attending class. This is only possible in special circumstances, and will be set up by the Registrar.

Liberal Arts Education
Park University offers a liberal arts education. This requires a broad range of courses to be taken before graduation, as opposed to specific professional training, focusing on the experience of learning. At the heart of this liberal arts education is Park's mission statement, which reads that:
"The mission of Park University, an entrepreneurial institution of learning, is to provide access to academic excellence which will prepare learners to think critically, communicate effectively and engage in lifelong learning while serving a global community."

MyPark
MyPark is your online access "portal" to everything at Park University, including your degree audit, grades and transcripts. It can be accessed by logging in with your student ID and password, using the MyPark link located around the Park official Web site.

Payment Plan
A payment plan can be set up in the SAC at confirmation for a $25 fee. This will split payments for classes and room and board up across the semester to make it more manageable.

Prerequisites
Prerequisites are the classes or tests that must be taken and passed before enrolling in a certain class. These are noted on your personal degree audit.

RA (Resident Assistant)
There is one RA living on each floor of the 2 dorms here at Park. They are the main contact for everyone who lives on that floor, and are available to help with any problems that may arise. RA's also promote community on campus through organizing really great events in the dorms!

Registrar
The Registrar's office is available to help all students by providing a wide range of skills, resources and abilities. These include setting up independent study classes, changing personal information, and dealing with transcript requests and inquiries. The Registrar's office is located on the third floor of McKay Hall.

Resident Halls
There are two different residential halls here at Park University. Copley Quad is a suite-style hall. This res hall has co-ed floors, but single-sex rooms, with 4 roommates sharing a living room and kitchenette, and 2 students sharing a bedroom and bathroom. Chestnut is a semi-suite-style hall. Like Copley Quad, this res hall has co-ed floors, but single-sex rooms. Here, 2 students live in one room, and are connected to their suitemates through a bathroom that consists of a shower and toilet. There are also single rooms available in this building.

RFA (Request for Financial Aid)
This application is unique to Park and must be submitted alongside the FAFSA when applying for financial aid. This gives our financial aid specialist additional profile information needed to initiate and complete the financial aid process.

Student Assistant Center (SAC)
The SAC is located in the Norrington Building on campus. You come to the SAC for many of your student needs including: confirming classes, setting up payment plans, registering for classes and getting your student ID printed.

Student ID
Every Park student is issued with a student ID number as soon as they apply, or we receive any form of transcript from them. This number is used by administration to identify you throughout your time at Park. Once registered in classes you then get a student ID card with your student ID number.

Syllabus
Every class at Park has its own unique syllabus written by the professor. This outlines the important assignments, readings, and due dates, as well as the class outcomes and contact information for the professor. Syllabi can be found in individual classrooms on eCompanion, as well as through MyPark.

Transcript
A transcript is an official record of the courses taken and grades achieved from an institution. When applying and getting admitted to Park, all official high school and other college transcripts are required. You can get your high school transcripts by talking to your counselor. Once at Park, you can request your Park transcripts through the Registrar's office.

Tuition
Tuition is the cost of classes. At Park University, tuition is paid for per credit hour.

WCT (Writing Competency Test)
The WCT is an essay test that must be taken following the completion of EN106 and before enrollment in EN306 or other equivalent courses. There are several test dates across the course of the year. A test packet can be collected from the SAC up to ten days before the test date for a $25 fee.

Work Study
Work study is a type of financial aid that pays students to work part-time in different departments on campus. Federal work-study is available to eligible students who have completed the FAFSA and have requested it on the RFA. There are also some institutional positions available that can be applied for through completion of the RFA.