TRI DUC ENGLISH ✦ ACADEMIC EDGE UNIT 19 EDITION Systems compared: the US and the UK Terminology · Educational structures · Vocabulary nuances — Navigating transatlantic differences In US universities, many of the words for people and places are the same as those used in the UK, but there are some critical differences. A. Terms with different meanings in US and UK systems US Example Meaning / Comment (US) UK Example Meaning / Comment (UK) Are you faculty or student? If you are faculty, you are a member of the academic staff. The faculty will have to come to a decision on this. Faculty refers to a group of departments 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. 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. I went to college in St Louis. I took courses at college . The word college refers broadly to the undergraduate experience, whether at a two-year or four-year institution. A specific institution can be a college or university. She went to university in Scotland. She graduated from university in 1996. In British English, university refers to the undergraduate experience. In both, no article is used before college/university in these examples. Her brother went to school at Harvard. School is often used to mean university. 'Where did you go to school' means 'Where did you go to college?'. I went to school in London, then I went to university in Bristol. Refers to primary or secondary education; or a specific university department (e.g. School of English). B. Different US terms Key vocabulary specific to the American univer...