English Words You Need to Know:

Attendance
It is the expectation of all your professors and teaching assistants that you will attend all
class sessions: lectures, discussion groups or labs. If you cannot be present because of
serious illness be sure to let your professor know as soon as possible.

Blackboard
Blackboard is a Web-based learning management system (LMS) designed to support
academic courses or provide an on-line space for interaction with faculty and other students
in the course. You can explore Blackboard now by logging in using your Pods username
and password: https://guestblackboard.binghamton.edu/

Syllabus
Provided by your professor, this is the outline of the course and will tell you what the
professor expects from you as a student. It will include the schedule for the reading
assignments, presentations, and the schedule for tests or exams. Be sure to ask your
professor if you do not understand any of the course requirements.

Teaching
Assistant (TA)
A student who assists the professor to administer the course and supervises discussion
sessions.

Office hours
Time set aside by the professor during the semester to meet with students and to answer
questions regarding the course. If you have questions or are struggling with the course, your
professor expects you to come to Office Hours and meet with him/her.

Tutoring
An instructor or senior student who helps a student understand the course material and
assignments and helps the student prepare for exams.

Mid-term
An exam or evaluation conducted in the middle of the semester. The mid-term is an
important part of the student’s final grade.

Mentoring
A professor or experienced student who acts as an advisor to the student.

Deadline
A specified date or time limit for projects, assignments and homework to be handed in.

Incomplete (I)
An “I” is not a grade. It indicates that a student has not completed the course work within
the specified time. The student has a signed contract with the instructor to complete the
work by a specific date. If you do not complete a grade for an “incomplete” it will change
to a “W”, indicating “course withdrawal” (for graduate students) or to an “F”, indicating
“failure” (for undergraduate students). This may cause you to be registered for less than full
-time course load which would then be a visa status issue.

Plagiarism
Copying or using the writings and views of others as your own without proper citation.

Carrel
A small enclosure or space in a library, designed for privacy in studying or reading. Carrels
are reserved for graduate students at Binghamton University.

Writing Class
It emphasizes all aspects of writing skill-structure, form, substance of writing and how to
document via writing bibliography and references. Grading in a writing class is based on
those academic skills in short, long essays and examination.

Discussion
Class
Based on assigned reading texts for the class, a discussion class emphasizes your reading
comprehension skills and your ability to analyze and discuss the texts. Grading in a
discussion class is based on reading the reading material and actively participating based on
the assigned readings, relevant experiences and connecting the material with outside
readings.

University
Counseling
Center
An office on campus where you can meet privately and confidentially with a professional
helper. This helper, whose job title is "counselor", will assist you in figuring out how to
deal with any personal issues you may find troubling. Counselors help with stress
management and can also give you guidance on other problems that interfere with good
grades.