USA Education Reader. High School and college culture. Книга для чтения

GLOSSARY

A: the highest grade in the U.S. grading system meaning excellence, correlating to a five-point numerical scale as 4.0 and 80–100% in grade percentage system. It may have three variations:A+,A,A–, althoughA+ is very seldom used.Variants represented by + and – are most commonly quantified as x.3 and y.7, e.g.A=4.0,A– = 3.7

See: Grading system.

ACCEPTANCE LETTER: a letter granting admission to students who have applied to college or university. Those students who are not accepted receive rejection letters.The acceptance letters can be also sent to people who were accepted into any special program such as the Peace Corps

ACCOUNTINGCLASS:asubjectatschoolthatteachestheskill of keeping financial accounts of a firm and of analyzing its financial status and operation: bookkeeping, cash flow management, etc.

AMERICAN COLLEGETEST(ACT): standardized examination required by many colleges and universities in the United States for admission to undergraduate degree programs. Widely known by its formal name, the American College Test, the ACT is a multiplechoice exam that measures English, math, reading, and science skills. Nearly 1.7 million ACT tests are administered each year to prospective college students. The ACT offers an alternative to the Scholastic Achievement Test (SAT). The ACT is scored on a scale of 1 to 36. In 2005 the composite score of college-bound students was 21.0 in comparison with 18.6 in 1990. College financial aid offices can also use the scores to determine eligibility for scholarships and financial aid

Reference: The American College Testing Program. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009

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ADMISSION BOARD: a committee of persons selected by a college or university to review applications for admittance to the college or university and either approve or reject the applications

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS: necessities which can vary from one institution to another, but almost all colleges require students to submit transcripts of grades from high school scored on standardized tests, a completed applicant’s academic application form, written application essays, and often letters of recommendation from teachers who are familiar with the applicant’s academic background. Some colleges require an interview either on campus or by telephone

Source: University of Illinois Office of Admission and Records. FreshmenAdmission Requirements. 2005–2006

ADVISOR (ACADEMIC): a member of the faculty or another professional who provides academic advice and guidance to students.

AFRICANAMERICAN(AFRO-AMERICAN):atermdescrib- ing an American of African descent, or adj. having to do with black Americans or their characteristics or culture. It is a preferable term to use when speaking about black Americans instead of the words black or negro due to political correctness. The word nigger is inadmissible

AFTERNOON CLASSES: lessons at school that start at 1 p.m. after the lunch break

ALUMNUS, ALUMNI (pl.): a graduate, former student, ex-stu- dent of school, college, university or any other educational program, for example Fulbright

ALUMNIASSOCIATION:an organization of persons who have graduated from a particular college or university who participate in special activities related to their former school. These activities may be held on the campus or anywhere the group decides to meet. The purpose is to keep the friendships made and to return to their school

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for special events, such as sports events or concerts or other planned events

AMTRAK (AMERICAN TRAVELTRACK): national govern- ment-owned railway system, provider of United States intercity passenger train service

APPLICATIONESSAY(PERSONALSTATEMENT):requirement of most colleges especially competitive ones, is that applicants write an essay as part of the application process.Applicants are encouraged to write on a particular topic, such as (1) evaluate a significant experience or achievement that has some special meaning for the applicant; (2) discuss some issue of personal, local or national concern and its importance to the applicant; or (3) indicate a person who has had a significant influence onthestudent’sselectionoftheuniversity.Admission officials use the essay to assess the applicants’abilities which cannot be measured by high school grades or by standardized test scores. When writing essays students try to demonstrate their creativity, maturity and different abilities; they typically highlight academic, extracurricular and other achievements and interests. They also indicate why they are applying to this particular college or university

Reference: Gerald L. Gutek. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009

ASSOCIATE’S DEGREE: a two-year college degree which is awarded on completion of full-time study programs on the level of the first two years of higher education by community colleges and other postsecondary institutions. Names of different types of associate degrees are parallel to those of Bachelor’s degrees. Popular types of associate degrees are Associate of Arts (A.A.), Associate of Science (A.S.), Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.), and Associate of Occupational studies (A.O.S.). Although Associate Degree has considerable value and may be required in vocations not requiring conventional four-year degrees, in academic terms the A.A., A.S., A in journalism and other associate degrees don’t serve as academic credentials to continue into higher education. Individual courses in

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associate programs, however, may be credited towards the work for a Bachelor’s or Master’s degrees

Reference: Robert Palinchak (1973). The Evolution of the Community college

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR: an assistant professor who has acquired some teaching experience, conducted research, published articles or books, in most cases has a Ph.D. degree and has served on institutional and departmental committees, is usually promoted to associate professor. Faculty members generally remain at the assistant professor level for approximately five years before being promoted to associate professor.At many institutions, the rank of associate professor carries tenure, meaning that the person cannot be dismissed from his or her teaching position unless there is a very serious reason. Colleges and universities established tenure to assure professors that they have the academic freedom to teach their ideas without interference or fear of losing their jobs

Reference: Gerald L. Gutek. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009

В: good grade, 80–89 points according to the 100 percent scale of student achievement evaluation, 3.0 points according to the GPA system of grade calculation

(See: GPA, Grading system)

BACHELOR’S DEGREE: the second academic degree that can be awarded in U.S. postsecondary education, and is one of two such undergraduate degrees that qualify a student to apply to programs of advanced (graduate) study. Programs of study for this degree are designed to take between 4 and 5 years of study, depending on the field of study and whether the degree is pursued on a full or a part-time basis. The degrees are usually known as Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science

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BACHELOR OR ARTS (B.A.): an academic degree received when one completes the required university or college course for a liberal arts degree. (general intellectual development, such as literature, philosophy, mathematics, and social and physical sciences, as distinct from professional and technical subjects)

BACHELOR OFSCIENCE (B.S.): a college or a university degree awarded to one who has successfully completed an undergraduate course in an aspect of the sciences or technology

BRAINS: colloquial expression used for a high school individual or social group of very intelligent persons, especially the most intelligent students in a class, school

BROTHERS: term used to designate members of a particular social group in high school or a college fraternity, or informally used by Afro-American men or boys, and also the male members of some religious organizations

C: an acceptable grade of a student’s achievements, 50-64 points according to the 100 percent scale, 2.0 points according to the GPA system of grade calculation

(See: Grading system)

CAMPUS: the location of a university, college or school’s buildings and facilities. College campus buildings include college and department buildings, laboratories, administrative offices, residence halls, experimental crop fields, cultural centers, a stadium, recreation centers and swimming pools , museums, performing arts theatres, cafes, shops and whatever else students and faculty need for learning, teaching, research and recreation. U.S. college campuses are known for their ample size, architecture, and landscaping

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CAFETERIA, SCHOOL: a self-service restaurant where students and faculty buy food and beverages at a central counter and carry meal selections on trays to tables

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS: schools operated by or affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church or its representatives.There are four types of Catholic schools: parochial (usually elementary) neighborhood schoolsrunbythelocalparishpriest;interparishschoolscooperatively run by several parishes; diocesan schools (usually high school) run by a school board appointed by the diocese; and private schools (usually college preparatory, academy-type schools) run independently of the church by a devoutly Catholic board of trustees. In almost every category of achievement, students in Catholic schools outperform their counterparts in public schools, although costs per pupil are about the same. Catholic high school drop-out rates average on 4%, compared to 11.1% for public schools.About 83% of Catholic school children go on to college, compared to only 57% of public school children. Catholic school students traditionally score about 20% higher than public school students on College Entrance Examination Board Tests

Source: Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009

CHALLENGE: problem, hardship, trial, obstacle. It is a key word forunderstandingtheAmericannationalcharacter.Itexpressescourage, readiness to risk, to test oneself, the competitiveness that characterizes Americans as a nation. The word is often used in regard to school and studies, e.g. challenging task, challenging project, paper etc.

CHARLIE BROWN: a character of the world-famous “Peanuts” comic strip. He wins the hearts of the readers with his losing way. Even though he will never win a baseball game or the heart of a redhaired girl Lucy, kick the ball or fly a kite successfully his politeness and friendliness, despite the fact he is often called “wishy-washy” (undecided and weak), and at times even “blockhead” (stupid), brings the special soft humor to the strip that people enjoy. The strip and the character are greatly enjoyed by school students

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CHEERLEADING: an organized student activity originally designed to rally vocal spectator support for secondary school and college sports teams at football games, basketball matches, or wrestling meets. The first cheer was created in 1865 at Princeton University:

Rah, rah, rah; Tiger, Tiger, Tiger; Sis, Sis, Sis; Boom, Boom, Boom Aaaahhhhh!

Princeton! Princeton! Princeton!

There are two major types of cheerleading: spirit squads and competitive teams. Spirit squads are typically limited to cheering for sports teams. Competitive teams (sometimes called drill teams) primarily focus on competing, although they also perform at athletic events and can function as spirit squads as well. Originally an all-male activity, it became virtually all-female during World War 11. By the end of the 20th century, cheerleading had evolved into complex gymnastic performances, which, in turn, initiated state and nationwide competitions by cheerleading squads. It is considered now a girl’s sport, which requires as much strength as any other sport. Some squads train 11 months a year. Participation in competitive squads had more than doubled by the 1998–1999 school year. Several state high school associations now recognize cheerleading as a sport. In 2003 the University of Maryland became the first Division I college to sanction competitive cheerleading as a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) varsity sport. In professional sports, many teams employ cheerleaders to enhance their image and marketing

Reference: Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009

CITY TEEN CURFEW: an official restriction on teenager’s movements in some cities, requiring them to remain indoors after a specific time, in most cases 10 p.m. It developed with the aim of avoiding street fights or any other unrest

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CLASS: (1) a group of students at high schools or elsewhere who do the required (compulsory) subjects such as English, math, science, history. But many subjects in high schools are electives that is why these classes are not fixed or set. Students from one group may sometimes meet only in this or that class and might scarcely know each other; (2) students of a certain year (e.g. Freshmen class, Junior Class, etc.); (3) students of the same graduation year (e.g. the class of 1998, the class of 2009, etc.)

CLIQUE: a group of friends with similar interests and goals. In U.S. high schools the most typical cliques are the jocks, the rednecks, the brothers, the surfers, the nerds and brains, the druggies, the socialites. Students belonging to different cliques usually don’t mix with each other not only at school but also outside school because of peer pressure

COLLEGE: word used to denote three different educational institutions: (1)An independent institution of higher learning that provides education to undergraduates; (2) University school or division that usually has its dean and other administrators and whose faculty teaches and confers degrees in specific academic fields; (3) A two-year educational institution (a community college, a two-year college) granting Associate ofArts and Science degrees and professional certificates

COLLEGE ADMISSIONS: for almost all two-year colleges and the majority of four-year colleges, admission is all but automatic for students with high school diplomas. The process requires filling out a simple application form. All but about 150 of America’s more than 2000 four-year colleges accept 50% to 100% of their applicants. Although the United States college-entry rates are the highest in the world — about 65% of all high school graduates go to college — the drop-out rate at 4-year colleges is about 50% and it’s been rising in recent years. 150 academically selective colleges which base their admission on talent and special interest as well as the student’s previous academic record have stringent admissions requirement that require

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auditions, portfolio presentation or some other demonstration of evidence of exceptional competence for admission

COLLEGE CAFETERIA: a term in the United States that denotes a place designed to serve meals to college students. The cafeteria canbeapartofaresidencehall(dorm)oraseparatebuilding.Manycolleges and universities employ their own students to work in the cafeteria.Thenumberofmealsservedtostudentsvariesfromschooltoschool but is normally about 20 per week. As in normal cafeterias, a student will select food that he or she wants but instead of paying by cash or by card, he pays at the beginning of the school year by purchasing a meal plan. Many colleges and universities offer several different options for using their meal plans. The cafeteria in the dormitory where the student lives is usually the main place where most of the meal plan is used but smaller cafeterias, cafés, restaurants, bars, or even fast food chains located on campus may accept meal plans.Acollege cafeteria system has a monopoly on freshmen and sophomores because residence contracts typically include a full meal plan, which is to some extent a good thing. But junior and senior students prefer to rent housing on campus, which gives them more freedom either to cook their own meals or eat out

COLLEGE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE: organizational structures of colleges and universities differ from university to university, from state to state, from public to private schools, but they also have much in common.All public and private universities include a governing board, a president or chancellor, a number of administrative leaders and an academic senate. The legal authority over the university belongs to the governing board known as the Board ofTrustees, Regents or Board ofAdvisors. The president is the highest ranking executiveofficerwhoisthelinkbetweentheinstitutionandthegoverning board.The formal governing body of the faculty at the institutional level is the academic senate. Each school or college within a university is under the direction of a dean.Achairperson of a department supervises individual departments of instruction. Faculty members are ranked, in descending order, as professor, associate professor, assistant professor,

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and instructor. As for student involvement in the university governance, many colleges and universities include a student representative in either an advisory or voting position. Students have their own network of undergraduate and graduate governance organizations headed by a student body president and student senate

COLLEGE PRESIDENT: a university or college chief executive officer. If it is a state run institution, the president is chosen by the state, and if it is a private institution, its own Board of Directors selects its president. Presidents are usually prominent scholars or administrators, while occasionally they may be people of notable achievement outside of academic life. For example, General Dwight D. Eisenhower served as president of Columbia University in New York City from 1948 to 1950, after commanding the Allied forces in Europe during World War II (1939–1945). He was later elected the 34th President of the United States, in 1952

COLLEGE RECRUITER: a person who attends high school sport events and recruits the most talented students in a particular sport who are offered a sports scholarship to go to a certain college or university

COMPETITIVE COLLEGE: an institution of higher education on the list of top-ranking colleges or universities.There is a special list of top 50 universities that are qualified as the best in the USA

COMMUNITY COLLEGE (JUNIOR COLLEGE): a twoyear, degree granting public institution of post-secondary education designed to serve the needs of the local area or community.

Community colleges have grown rapidly sinceWorldWar 11 to encompass more than 10 million students (about half part-time) in 1,100 institutions — about 44% of American undergraduates. They offer one or more of four broad curricula: academic curricula leading to an associate degree in arts and sciences, that serve the bridge between high school and four-year colleges; vocational and occupational education

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