GW Jargon
Adjusting to life at college can be challenging, especially when you don't know what everyone is talking about! To help you sort out all the GW lingo, your Colonial Cabinet has compiled this list of over a hundred GW terms, acronyms, and slang just for you!
2000 PENN: GW's very own mall, located at 2000 Pennsylvania Avenue
ABP: Au Bon Pain, the French bakery cafe in 2000 Penn
ACUS: The telephone service used by students living in the residence halls
ADVISOR: Faculty member or administrator who assists students with course selection and academic decision-making appropriate to their personal, professional, and academic needs and goals
ADD/DROP: A period at the beginning of the semester when students may add or drop classes without penalty
ALADIN: Gelman Library's computerized card catalog
ALL-NIGHTER: Staying up all night to cram, complete an assignment, or just have fun
BA: Bachelor of Arts degree
BID: A formal invitation to membership in a Greek letter organization
BIG GEORGE: GW's biggest basketball fan
BLUE BOOK: A small booklet of paper with a blue cover used for essay exams
BS: Bachelor of Science degree
BY GEORGE: The newspaper of the GW community produced by the Office of University Relations
CADE: Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Education
CAUCUS: Freshman judicial program similar to the American jury system
CBC: Community Building Community, a co-curricular program
CCAS: Columbian College of Arts and Sciences
CDs: College Democrats
CHAPTER: A membership unit of a national or international fraternal organization.
CHERRY TREE: GW's official student yearbook
CI: Colonial Inauguration
CIHQ: Colonial Inauguration Headquarters
COLONIAL ARMY: A student organization that centers around supporting GW Athletics. At basketball games, find members of the Colonial Army seated together in the best seats at the Smith Center!
COLONIAL CASH: GW's all access dining and spending system. Swipe your GWorld Card for convenient access to goods and services at a wide variety of locations, both on and off campus.
COLONIAL INVASION: GW spirit celebration during Spirit Week, marking the official start of the basketball season.
COLONIALS: The University mascot of GW
COLONIALS WEEKEND: A campus-wide homecoming celebration with current students, families and alumni
COLUMBIAN SQUARE: The main seating area in J Street
COMMENCEMENT: Graduation!
CRs: College Republicans
CRN: The five-digit number that identifies a course used in web registration
DEPT. HEADS: Full-time professors who have administrative duties beyond above their teaching responsibilities
DO THIS !: A weekly calendar of events on the GWired Student Network
DSS: Disability Support Services
EFL: English as a Foreign Language
ELP: Emerging Leaders Program, a co-curricular program
EMeRG: Emergency Medical Response Group
ESIA: Elliott School of International Affairs
FALL FEST: An outdoor festival sponsored annually by PB
FB: Foggy Bottom
FIXit: Room repair requests
FOGGY: A slang term for the Foggy Bottom campus
FSK: Francis Scott Key Hall
GEORGE: The head Colonial that serves as an institutional mascot for GW
GPA: Cumulative grade point average computed by dividing grade points by class hours attempted
GRAD WEEK: A weeklong celebration just for graduating seniors culminating with commencement
GREEK: A term applied to members affiliated with Greek letter organizations
GSEHD: Graduate School of Education and Human Development
GWEEKLY: A weekly email sent out to all students listing all the activities that student organizations are putting on for the coming week
GW HATCHET: The student newspaper
GWIRED STUDENT NETWORK: A network of Web sites that will keep you up-to-date about student services and student life on campus
GW NEWS CENTER: As new students and parents, there's a lot of information for you to know about the University community. One of the best ways to stay informed on a weekly basis is through GW News Center E-mails. Sent every Monday morning, these messages highlight upcoming events for the
week, recap notable events from the previous week and provide timely
links to other news and information you can use. Click here to subscribe and learn more about this service.
GWORLD: GW's all-access ID card
HELL WELL: The Learner Health and Wellness Center
HOVA: Hall on Virginia Avenue
HIPPO: GW's unofficial mascot
HIPPODROME: 5th floor of the MC with bowling, billiards, dine-a-vision, cyber cafe, and arcade
IAS: International Affairs Society
IFC: Interfraternity Council: a representative body of men's fraternities
INCOMPLETE: An incomplete on your transcript means that a portion of work for a class needs to be completed
INAUGURAL BALL: A ball hosted by the University every four years honoring the inauguration of the nation's President & Vice President
INTERNSHIP: Work experience, which contributes to a student's major
ISO: International Services Office
J STREET: GW's "food court" on the first floor of the MC
JBKO: Jacquline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis Hall
Key Depot: the place to go to get room and mailbox keys located at New Hall on FB and Somers Hall at MVC
KOGAN PLAZA: The outdoor plaza in the center of campus
LHWC: Lerner Health and Wellness Center
MAJOR: A specialized field of study that a student chooses to pursue
MC: Marvin Center: The student union building
MCGB: Marvin Center Governing Board: Student organization which oversees MC policy and usage
MGC: Multicultural Greek Council
MID-CAMPUS QUAD: The large outdoor space/garden adjacent to Gelman Library enclosed by the university gates
MONUMENTAL CELEBRATION: An annual ball for graduating seniors and their families held during grad week at historic Union Station
MSSC: Multicultural Student Services Center
MVC: The George Washington University at Mount Vernon Campus
MVCL: The student programming office on GW's Mount Vernon campus
MyGW: The internet hub for your life as a GW student. Look up email addresses and phone numbers, register for classes, load Colonial Cash onto your GWorld.... Take care of all GW-related business at MyGW.
NPHC: National Pan-Hellenic Council: The governing body of historically black fraternities and sororities.
OCS: Office of Community Service
SEAS: School of Engineering and Applied Science
SECTION: Multiple classes offered for the same course
SJS: Student Judicial Services
SMHS: School of Medicine and Health Sciences
SMPA: School of Media and Public Affairs
SPHHS: School of Public Health and Health Services
SPRING FLING: An outdoor festival sponsored annually by PB
SNAP: Student Network Admissions Program: a group connecting current GW students with prospective GW students
STAR: Student Admissions Representatives: GW's campus tour guides
TA: Teaching Assistant: a graduate student employed to teach courses
UCC: University Counseling Center
UNIVERSITY SEAL: The seal of GW bearing the head of George Washington
UPD: University Police Department
VC: Visitors Center
WELCOME WEEK: A weeklong series of social, recreational, cultural, and artistic programs during the first week of fall semester
WINTER WELCOME WEEK: A weeklong series of social, recreational, cultural, and artistic programs during the first week of the spring semester
WRGW: The student radio station
