4.B Explain the following concepts from the text.

Board of regents / trustees; alumni association; educational policy; university president; faculty; department; full professor; associate professor; assistant professor; instructor; teaching fellow; research fellow; undergraduates; freshmen, sophomore; junior; senior; co-educational; calendar; semester; commencement; summer session; quarter; the trimester system; major; liberal arts; career-oriented fields; curriculum; credit; required subjects; electives; professional school; remedial course; graduate program; discussion group; closed circuit television; self-directed courses; classroom session; assignment; lab booth; learning aids; numerical system; passing grade; letter grade; avenue of study; extracurricular activities; athletics; dramatics; student government; student council; G.O.; governing board; racial / sexual discrimination; community project.

4.C Answer the questions using the information from the text.

1. How are US universities governed?

2. What are the functions of the US university president and other members of administrative hierarchy?

3. What academic ranks establish the faculty hierarchy at a US university?

4. What types of students form the student body at a US university?

5. What are the possible options for a US academic calendar?

6. How is students' academic plan formed? Who is in charge of selecting the appropriate courses?

7. What degree programs do US universities offer?

8. What grading system variants are used at US universities and colleges?

9. What is the aim of a university instructor?

10. What do US students do in their free time?

11. How influential is student government?

4.D Discuss the following questions and issues with a partner and share your opinion with the rest of the class.

1. How efficient is the US credit system for degree programs? What are its main advantages and disadvantages?

2. Does student government play any functional role in administering a university? Use your own experience to support your conclusion.

5.A Read the following text about various us degrees and do the tasks that follow. Us academic degrees

A university or college awards a degree to a person who has completed a required course of study. The institution presents the degree in the form of a diploma, a document certifying the award. The four basic kinds of degrees are called associate, bachelor, master, and doctor. An honorary degree may be awarded for an outstanding contribution in a field.

The A.A./A.S. degree or Associate's Degree is awarded by many U.S. colleges and universities and most community, or junior, colleges. An associate degree usually indicates completion of two years of college work. The most commonly awarded associate degrees are the Associate in Arts and the Associate in Science.

In the United States, a college student normally receives a bachelor's degree after four years of study in a university or college. There are many kinds of bachelor's degrees, but the two most common are the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and the Bachelor of Science (B.S.). The B.A. usually includes majors in such subjects as history, literature, and fine arts, and, in certain cases, science and mathematics. The B.S. usually includes majors in the physical and natural sciences. Most engineering students receive B.S. degrees. Many colleges offer specialized degrees, such as the Bachelor of Education or Bachelor of Architecture. Outstanding achievement in a bachelor's degree may be designated by the Latin phrases cum laude (with praise), magna cum laude (with great praise), or summa cum laude (with the highest praise).

In the United States, students who desire a master's degree must complete one or two years of advanced study beyond the bachelor's degree. Many institutions require a thesis, a written report of a special investigation in the student's major field. The two most common master's degrees are the Master of Arts and the Master of Science.

The doctor's degree is the highest earned degree in the United States, France, Germany, and many other countries. In the United States, the research doctorate requires at least two or three additional years of study beyond the master's degree. Most doctoral students are expected to have a reading knowledge in two foreign languages. The candidate must also complete examinations and present a written thesis or dissertation. The doctoral thesis represents an original contribution to knowledge, and is a more detailed study of a research problem than that required for the master's degree.

The Doctor of Philosophy degree is the most important research doctorate and may include specialization in almost any academic subject. The Doctor of Education, Doctor of Medicine, and Doctor of Dental Surgery degrees represent advanced professional training.

Schools and colleges usually award a diploma or certificate in recognition of achievement to students who satisfactorily complete a regular course. Most institutions present their diplomas at special ceremonies, called graduation exercises.

Graduation exercises were first held by European universities of the Middle Ages. American educational institutions still have many of the European graduation customs. Usually there are two special graduation ceremonies –baccalaureate and commencement. The baccalaureate service is a religious service, usually held on the Sunday before commencement. The diplomas are given out in the commencement exercise.

In most colleges, graduates wear academic gowns and caps to the ceremonies. By tradition, gowns are long and black. The tasseled, flat black caps are called mortarboards. Both cap and gown are patterned after European academic dress. The color of the tassel shows the kind of degree the graduate is receiving. Graduates may wear colored hoods on their backs to show the highest degree they already hold, and the institution which conferred it. In some colleges, they wear colored caps and gowns as well as hoods.