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Academic Advisers: Responsible for helping Apprentices choose and plan for their academic goals; such as selecting a Major and Minor, and the Classes needed to fulfill them.

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Administration Council: The body of people charged with the overall operations and decision-making of the School; its policies, precepts, and practices. The administration includes the Headmaster, The Provost,  The Dean of Curriculum, The Dean of Faculty -and the Dean of Students. Each position may have an assistant position if desired. Assistants are appointed by their Admin Deans and ratified by the rest of the Administration Council. 

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Assistant Dean: A faculty member who helps a full Dean with their duties. This position may be a trial period for someone desiring to become a full Dean or a way to avoid overworking a full Dean, or a combination of both. Assistant Deans are proposed by their supervising Dean and approved by the Dean of Faculty and the Headmaster.

 

Assistant Dean of Students: Handles prospective Apprentice & parent inquiries; votes proxy for Office in the absence of DoS at monthly Admin meetings; advises Admin with DoS office perspective in Apprentice concerns.

Apprentice: Someone Enrolled in the Apprenticeship Program undertaking study to ascertain their Letter of Journeymanship.

Apprentice Leader: An Apprentice leader is any Apprentice who takes on the responsibility of spreading knowledge through inspiration, tutoring, and guidance for their peers by running for, and ascertaining the post of, Prefect, Vice-Captain or Captain. 

Apprentice Leadership: The governing council of Apprentice Leaders, made up of the Five Lodge Prefects, the Vice-Captain and the Captain. The Apprentice Leadership is in charge of organizing Vgsw Moots, and Lodge Operations. They also see to resolving minor and moderate disturbances among the Apprentices, with Major grievances being forwarded to the Office of the Dean of Students.

 

Board of Directors: The legal governing body recognized by the State and Federal Government to bear ultimate responsibility to ensure that all operations of the School are in accord with applicable laws and the school’s Mission Statement, Articles of Incorporation, and By-Laws. The BoD ratifies all appointments to Administrative Dean positions as well as faculty dismissals. The BoD is also the “Court of Last Resort” for personnel disputes that cannot be resolved at a lower level. See also discussion under “Headmaster.”

 

BoD: Board of Directors abbreviation.

 

Bursar: Establish operational budget subject to approval by the Board of Directors. Manage daily financial transactions, bookkeeping, bank reconciliation, quarterly financial reporting. Calculate and disburse stipends.

 

Captain: While the Prefect leads one Lodge, the Captain is responsible for all of  the Lodges. Captains are chosen from the Scabbards of Prefects, Apprentices who have previously served as Prefect of an individual Lodge. The position of Captain is the highest position for an Apprentice in the GSW. The Captain is also responsible for awarding Prefects any Merits they should earn during their term. 

 

Counsel: Establishes and maintains the legal identity with the State of California and IRS including incorporation, tax filing, annual reports to State, etc. Establishes legal relationship/agreements between the GSW and the faculty, including but not limited to faculty contracts, copyright issues, and compensation of faculty and administration.

 

Class: Each coherent set of lessons, exams, assignments, etc. taught by a teacher and labeled as a “class” in our catalog and department listings.

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Club: A non-academic Apprentice group, led by one or more faculty advisers and organized around a topic of common interest.

 

Dean of Faculty: The administrative member in charge of faculty-related concerns within the GSW, i.e., the hiring and firing of faculty members, their training, and their supervision. The Dean of Faculty works with the Dean of Curriculum to cooperatively supervise the GSW teaching faculty. They can be reached at DoF@GreySchool.com

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College of Deans: A collective term for the Deans of all sixteen GSW departments. 

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Commencement: When an Apprentice has completed all of the graduation requirements for the Journeyman Letter, he or she is eligible for commencement. Commencement is the ceremony honoring graduation. It is during commencement that honors and regalia are bestowed. If possible, commencement ceremonies should be done in person, e.g., at GSW Moots, Gatherings or Conclaves.

 

Commencement Coordinators: Those faculty, administration, and/or staff in charge of planning and orchestrating commencement ceremonies for new Journeyman Wizards (a.k.a. Master/Mistress of Commencement).

 

Conclave: A structured, planned, overnight or multi-day event typically planned months in advance and involving Grey School apprentices, faculty, staff, and families. Conclaves are designed for the purpose of meeting each other, sharing fellowship, and expanding magickal knowledge under the auspices of the Grey School curriculum. Activities may include classes, rituals, and more.

 

Course: A sequence of related classes, as in “course of study.” Examples are such as “Green Magick 101, 201, 301…” “Alchemy 101, 202, 303…” etc. Or “Magickal Poetry 301, 302, 303…” etc. A “course of study” may also refer to a series of classes required for a Major or Minor; or all the classes in a certain department (as say, “a course in Alchemy”). Our general Catalog is called our “Course Catalog.”

 

Dean of Curriculum: Oversees academic matters pertaining to courses, classes, majors, minors, and academic advisors. The Dean of Curriculum assists the department Deans in reviewing and approving new classes and class texts, manages the Dean’s List, and manages the department Deans. The Dean of Curriculum sets and approves graduation requirements. They can be reached here at DoC@GreySchool.com.

 

VGSW Groundskeeper: The person tasked with assisting in the upkeep of the Virtual Campus on Second Life. Working under the Dean of Students, they  
assist in keeping  the virtual space an appropriate learning atmosphere. This entails a weekly check-in on the Campus, helping newcomers to get their bearings,
and assisting in the returning of Items as the need arises (End of Term for Lodges, inappropriate scripts in furniture, ect).  

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Dean of Students: The administrative member in charge of all Apprentice transcripts and enrollment concerns, including, (but not limited to) handling prospective & parent inquiries, new apprentice enrollment, acceptance & welcome, tuition payment tracking, returning apprentice welcome backs, donation & tuition payment thank you’s, annual & level-up mailings, Journeymen exit interviews, and handling apprentice grievances. This includes supervision of clubs, challenges and merits, apprentice forums, GSW Social Media, the Head of Lodges, Conclaves, non-academic awards, and the Lodge systems. They can be reached here at DoS@GreySchool.com

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Department Dean: The head of an academic department, in charge of that department’s administration and organization. They are an interface between Administration and that Department’s faculty. They have initial approval, and right of veto over classes, curriculum, majors and minors, and required texts within their own Department. Department Deans develop class lists, organize majors and minors, create department awards, and set department goals. They work with faculty members to have classes written, train new faculty working in their departments, as well as check and approve new class offerings. They assign classes to faculty in their Department. They may also appoint and work with assistant Deans. 

 

Department: One of the 16 color-coded divisions of studies in the GSW, each with its own Dean.

 

Faculty: The group of people teaching classes at the Grey School, including professors, instructors, and teaching assistants. 

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Forum: The GSW has a set of School Forums, providing a place for Apprentices, staff, and faculty to study, relax, and communicate. The forums have both academic and social purposes.

 

Forum Magus: The member of the Grey School tech team with ultimate responsibility for maintaining and improving the school forums and school handbooks. They can be reached here  at Forums@GreySchool.com
 

Graduation: When an Apprentice has completed all of the requirements for the Journeyman Letter, he or she is said to have “graduated.” The requirements include:

   (1) completion of 7 levels of study (with 24 credits at each Level);

   (2) successful completion of an academic Major;

   (3) successful completion of all required classes at each level; and

   (4) successful completion of a Practicum. An Apprentice who has met the graduation              requirements qualifies for commencement.

 

Grey School: The correct, two-word spelling for our school of magick and wizardry (i.e., not “Greyschool.”)

 

GSW: The correct abbreviation for our school of Wizardry

 

Guest Lecturer: Someone who offers their materials for use in the Grey School, but does not teach classes personally. A “Guest Lecture” may be an article posted on-site to be read by Apprentices, but having no exams and conferring no credits.

 

Head of Lodges: The faculty member who has responsibility for overseeing the School’s Apprentice Lodges Activity and overall well-being. The Head of Lodges manage the Lodges by working with the Captain, supporting Apprentice Leaders in their personal growth and development by offering insight and constructive feedback, and assisting the Apprentice Leadership in the managing and creation of Conclaves. The Head of Lodges is also responsible for awarding the Captain and Vice-Captain any Merits they should earn while serving in those roles.

 

Headmaster: Head of GSW and final arbiter of all GSW matters. The Headmaster is a member of the GSW Board of Directors and of the Administration. They have final approval for all school policies, organization, promotional materials, website design, general class structure, etc. The Headmaster also has oversight of all membership applications and renewals. When it becomes necessary to install succeeding Headmasters, the process of selection requires three votes: one from the previous Headmaster’s recommendation; one from the Board of Directors (consensus); and one from the Administrative Deans (majority). At least two out of three must agree. The Headmaster can be reached here" HM@GreySchool.com

 

Lodge : One of the School’s Five key social groups. Apprentices are sorted into a Lodge based on age and sun sign.

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Instructor: A Teacher familiar with the basics of a Department, enough to teach at least one basic or intermediate Class there; typically has a lower degree of involvement in Grey School activities than a Professor. Instructors often teach Class materials created by someone else, but they may compose their own Classes if they wish.

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Lector: A published author who is invited to teach material from one of their books as a class in the Grey School.

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Lesson: Each of the segmented units of study within a Class.

 

Level: The Grey School is organized into 7 levels of study. 24 credits are required to complete each level. The Levels are referred to as Level One (1), Level Two (2), and so forth. The term “Level” has nothing to do with time or with chronological years. Some apprentices complete a Level in two or three months, while others may take more than a year.

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Leveling Up: When an Apprentice completes the 24 credits required at one level, he or she moves to the next level. This is known as “leveling up.”

 

Librarian: A faculty or Staff member responsible for the GSW Library and such things as composing, selecting, and maintaining or uploading materials in the forums. The librarian may be assisted by an Apprentice volunteer if the need arises and Awards a Working Scholarship.

 

Major: A focused course of study in a subject offered by one department in which the Apprentice demonstrates mastery of or expertise in that subject. Majors are in process for all departments; eventually, each department will offer one or more Majors. A Major requires 45-55 credits of focused work and completion of a 6-credit lab and lecture Practicum. Every Apprentice must complete at least one Major in order to graduate.

 

Minor: A course of study in a subject offered by one department in which the Apprentice demonstrates introductory knowledge in that subject. Majors are in process for all departments; eventually, each department will offer one or more Majors. A Minor generally requires 30-35 credits of focused work. Apprentices are encouraged to complete at least one Minor prior to graduation; however, this is not required.

 

Moot: An organized event that involves Grey School Apprentices, faculty, and/or staff, and is primarily for the purpose of getting together for learning purposes, workshops, etc. Moots are one day or less in length and are also known as "Grey Gatherings"

VGSW Moots:
Events organized by GSW Apprentice leadership held on the Virtual Grey School Grounds in Second Life. These events are open to Apprentices, Magisters, Faculty, and/or staff. VGSW Moots are primarily for the purpose of getting together to celebrate the end of a term of study at GSW and often have workshops, discussions, debates and other events. 

 

Original materials: Materials (classes and lessons) written, compiled, researched independently by the teacher; these are original works and/or materials correctly sourced from primary sources other than the writings of Oberon Zell (published and unpublished). These remain the property of the person who created them; however, all faculty members give the GSW permission to use all course materials in perpetuity. A teacher who writes, or significantly rewrites a class enough to get a full class stipend for it, will have first choice to teach that class. If that teacher leaves the school, and later comes back, they will be offered the chance to take the class back. This section supersedes the right of the Department Dean to assign classes in their department.

 

Office: Each of the 16 departments has its own “Office” on the school forums. Each Office provides a place for the department Dean to post relevant materials, outlines for Majors and Minors, department awards, resources, and more.  All sixteen offices are available to all registered members of the GSW.

 

Penkhaduce: The penkhaduce is the Grey School symbol, and is formed by the merging of three other symbols: PENtacle + aNKH + cADUCEus.

 

Prefect: An Apprentice who has chosen to lead his or her  Lodge. The Apprentice is chosen for qualities that include attitude, example, and scholarship. Prefects are generally at Level 2 or above and show a strong record of GSW involvement and academic advancement. They are selected by their Lodge at each Equinox. Prefects are responsible for awarding merits earned by Apprentices in their lodge, as well as serve as the first authority on disputes which may arise among Apprentice Wizards with-in their Lodge. A prefect’s lodge mates should think of their Prefect as someone in whom they can confide or come to with questions about their schoolwork or lives. The Prefects are also responsible for awarding their Lodge mates any Merits they should earn during the term. In addition to this, Prefects are responsible for their VGSW Lodge, and it's furnishings.

 

Practicum: A final set of classes taken by a L7 Apprentice who has completed all other requirements for an academic Major. The Practicum consists of a 3-credit lab and a 3-credit lecture class, taken simultaneously. In the Practicum, the Apprentice conceives and carries out an independent project designed to show his or her expertise and mastery in a subject area.

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Professor: A Faculty member experienced enough in a Department to consider its topic a personal specialty, and to teach at least one advanced class or several intermediate classes there; typically has a higher degree of involvement in Grey School activities than an Instructor. Professors must compose and teach at least two classes consisting of their own original materials.

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Provost: The Administrative member with penultimate authority on all matters relating to the Grey School of Wizardry, second to the Headmaster. They are the head of the administration team, and chair the administration meetings. They also help manage the Daily operations of GSW, and may participate in the all School meetings.

 

Regalia: A system of garb and insignia that provides a group identification for the GSW, as well as a way to display accomplishments earned within the school. Our GSW Regalia has three divisions: casual, public, and formal. The GSW Regalia is determined by the Provost.
 

Registrar: The Staff member handling Apprentice  and Magister tuition tracking and other Apprentice and Magister concerns with the payment management service, PayPal. Responsible to send Tuition Reports to the DoS and Bursar, monthly.

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Required Class: A class with specific content that the faculty has agreed should be mastered by all Apprentices, regardless of their magickal expertise or past experience. An Apprentice must successfully complete all required classes at one Level before beginning to take classes at the next level. As the curriculum continues to develop, there will be required classes at all Levels. If required classes are numbered, the number ends with 00.

 

Staff: Non-faculty positions, e.g., manager of Magick Alley, public relations people, etc.

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Teacher: any member of the Faculty involved in the actual teaching of one or more Classes.

 

Teaching assistant (TA): Someone who has been hired by the Grey School to assist a faculty member with grading classes. TAs may instruct Classes created by others, and learn to create and teach Classes with the help of a Supervisor (generally the Dean of their Department). 
 

Technomage: A member of the Grey School technical team. They are responsible for maintenance and improvements to the Grey School site and forums. They can be reached here at Techo@GreySchool.con

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Term: In terms of  Lodges, Prefects, and Captains, a “term” is the six-month period that runs from one equinox to the next. In accordance with the school clock tower and the school’s “location” in the western US, these two terms are known as “fall term” (September to March) and “spring term” (March to September).

 

Transcript: Each Apprentice has a transcript on his or her own school main page. The transcript can be viewed by clicking “Student Information” on the GSW main page and then clicking “View a Complete List.” The transcript is a record of each Apprentice’s academic record in the GSW.

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Tutor: A tutor is an Apprentice  or Magister volunteer who is skilled in one or more academic areas and who agrees, upon Approval of the Dean of Curriculum, to coach GSW Apprentices in that academic area.

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Volunteer: In GSW context, this refers to an apprentice who takes on a “helper” role in the GSW. The Apprentice does not receive free tuition. In creating apprentice volunteer positions, every effort is used to ensure that the role doesn’t interfere with the individual’s academics. Apprentice volunteers are directly supervised by a designated staff or faculty member. Examples of Apprentice volunteers: tutors, Apprentice librarians, ect.

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Wizard-in-Charge (WiC): A staff or faculty member who agrees to take responsibility for and supervise a Conclave or Moot.

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Year: Apprentices may choose to refer to themselves by using a “Year designation,” via boarding school tradition. For example, new Apprentices could call themselves “First Years,” while an Apprentice who completed Level 3 of their studies could proclaim themselves a “Fourth Year.” Note that the term “Level” is still always used when talking about classes, Majors, advancement, etc., while “Year” is only used by Apprentices and faculty casually.

Magister:  The Magister program is designed to allow adults to take an unlimited number of classes at the Grey School from all levels without the constraints of the structured Apprenticeship program. Magisters are not eligible to receive a Journeyman Letter, receive scholarships, or participate in Apprentice Leadership  but will be able to enjoy most aspects of  life at the Grey School including Vgsw, the forums and the Facebook group. Magisters, just like Apprentices, may take up to six classes simultaneously, with an unlimited total number in a calendar year. That said, Magister students will not be tracked by level and will not have to take the required classes for the respective levels. However, any prerequisites for specific classes will still have to be met, and Magisters will be required to submit class assignments for grading in the same manner as Apprentices. Sometimes an Apprentice and decide they would prefer to be a Magister. It is possible for adults to do a ONE TIME change between programs. To switch from Magister to Apprentice or Apprentice to Magister contact the Dean of Curriculum and the Dean of Students . If you wish to change programs we recommend waiting until your tuition comes due for ease of bookkeeping.

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Other Positions: In addition to the above, various other positions will be designated and appointed by Administration as needed, such as: Web Wizard: Responsible for all coding and other computer work needed for the Grey School's online presence. School

 

Counselors: Assists Apprentices in making social decisions, provide Apprentices and Faculty with moral support, and help Faculty understand Apprentice needs. Faculty may refer Apprentices and certain problems to Counselors.

Newsletter Editors: Editor-in-Chief is responsible for designing, editing, and publishing the School Newsletter; and for appointing whatever additional staff are needed for this process.

Mentors: Faculty may volunteer to serve as Mentors to advanced Apprentices who share a Teacher's specialty, helping the Apprentice develop those magical skills to a higher degree. Mentors work closely with the Apprentices and provide continuity of guidance beyond the confines of any one specific Class. Mentors must be approved by the DoS and DoC.

Academic Advisors: Responsible for helping Apprentices choose and plan for their academic goals; such as selecting a Major and Minor, and the Classes needed to fulfill them.