Systems compared: the US and the UK
In US universities, many of the words for people and places are the same as those used in the UK (see Unit 18), but there are some differences.
Terms with different meanings in US and UK university systems
US example	meaning!comment	UK example	meaning/comment
Are you faculty or student?	If you are faculty, you are a member of the academic staff.	The faculty wil! have to come to a decision on this.	Faculty refers to a group of departments (see Unit ! 8) with similar interests.
The grading rubric for term papers has been revised.	A rubric is a set of criteria or guidelines which tells how an assignment will be graded or scored.	Some students misread the exam rubric and didn't answer enough questions.	Instructions on an exam paper or in a textbook as to how a task must be done.
1 went to college in St Louis. 1 attended Washington University. 1 took some fascinating courses at college.	The word college in American English refers broadly to the undergraduate experience, whether it is at a two-year community college, a four-year college, or a large state university in the US. A specific institution can be a college {granting undergraduate degrees only) or a university (granting undergraduate and graduate degrees).	She went to university in Scotland. She graduated from university in 1996.	In British English, university refers to the undergraduate experience. In both American and British English, no article is used before coflege or university in these examples.
Her brother went to school at Harvard.	School is often used to mean university. A common question is 'Where did you go to school?' meaning 'Where did you go to college?'	1 went to school in London, then 1 went to university in Bristol.	Refers to primary or secondary education;school can also refer to a university department which covers several different teaching areas (e.g. School of English and journalism).
Different US terms
I wonder who should be on my PhD committee1. My advisor2 suggested Dr Fry and Dr Roe. I have a lot of studying to do. I have my comps3 in two weeks.
Let's meet in Harley Commons4 at 7.30 pm, and we can study for tomorrow's quiz5, OK? It was tough being a freshman6 because I wasn't used to such difficult finals7, but life got a bit easier when I became a sophomore8. It was easy enough as a junior5, but then it got tough again when I was a senior10.
As a graduate student", I get to attend seminars with some of the top people in my field. The fraternity12 and sorority13 houses are all round the edge of the campus.
1 a group of teachers who advise a PhD student 2 equivalent of the UK supervisor (see Unit 18) 3 short for comprehensive examinations, subject-area tests required of graduate students in some areas of studies 4 area where students can meet socially and eat in dining halls 5 short test on areas which have been taught 6 new, first-year undergraduate (also used in the UK) 7 final examinations at the end of the semester 8 second-year student, from the Greek sophos, wise, and tnoros, dull 9 third-year student 10 fourth-year student 11 student with a bachelor's degree (e.g. BA, BS) who is enrolled in a master's degree programme, equivalent of postgraduate student in the UK 12 a social organisation for male students f3 a social organisation for female students
46   Academic Vocabulary in Use