This section covers the various colleges and departments in which students can carry out their studies; the faculty of these departments; information about course offerings; and aids to study offered by the Academy.
Undergraduate study generally lasts four years, for those who survive it. The first year students have a status described as "slave", and they are obliged to take care of all the manual labor around the Campus, which does not leave much time for actual studies, apart from some obedience and brainpurging lessons.
The second year, or "serf", students already have more time to learn the basic knowledge of Tolkien and BUQ, when they are not polishing the Faculty shoes or serving them tea and biscuits. And the third year, "minion", students have hardly any obligations outside their studies, " exept of course the military training and an ocassional crusade. :-)" as MORAMBAR so memorably put it. The fourth-year "lackey" students prepare for the next stage of their careers, whether it be paramilitary activities, dezinformatsiya, or teaching, or a pleasant mixture of the three.
The FATS grading system, in ascending order, is as follows:
Failing grades:
P (Pullman/Potter)
D (Dyson)
CN (Christopherite/Carpenterist/Noellist)
Passing grades:
H (Horus)
S (PSeudo)
M (MORAMBAR)
T (TOLKIEN)
FATS is all about open and indiscriminating discussion between differing viewpoints and opinnions, and none should fear to speak up their mind openly and without restrictions or reprecussions, although faculty disagreeing with MORAMBAR may find that, for their own good, their lectures are cancelled, while their students report to exercises of penance and obedience; or alternatively, they may be fired or liquidated if circumstances require. Tolerance, Humanism and Overall Niceness - these are the Foundation Bricks of FATS.