Colonial Inauguration Spring 2010

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 or other Nationally-affiliated student 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 in 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.

COLONIALS INVASION: GW's spirit celebration during Spirit Week, marking the official start of the basketball season.

COLONIALS: The University mascot of GW

COLONIALS WEEKEND: A campus-wide celebration with current students and families

COLUMBIAN SQUARE: The main seating area in J Street

COMMENCEMENT: Graduation!

CRs: College Republicans

CRN: Course Registration Number - 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 Program Board

FB: Foggy Bottom

FIXit: Room repair requests website

FOGGY: A slang term for the Foggy Bottom campus

FOUNTAIN FLING: A Spring celebration with music and games at Mount Vernon co-sponsored by Mount Vernon Programming Council and Program Board

FSK: Francis Scott Key Hall

GEORGE: The head Colonial that serves as an institutional mascot for GW

GPA: Grade point average computed by dividing grade points by class hours attempted

GRAD WEEK: A weeklong celebration just for graduating students 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 and departments 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.

GWORLD: GW's all-access ID card

HOVA: Hall on Virginia Avenue

HIPPO: GW's unofficial mascot and also a large bronze statue in front of Lisner Auditorium

HIPPODROME: 5th floor of the Marvin Center with bowling, billiards, WOW Wingery, and more

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 Marvin Center

JBKO: Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis Residence Hall

Key Depot: the place to go to get room and mailbox keys located at New Hall on Foggy Bottom and Somers Hall at Mount Vernon Campus

KOGAN PLAZA: The outdoor plaza in the center of campus

LGBTRC: The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Resource Center; a place for resources, information, advocacy and support for members of the LGBT community and its allies

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 student organization office space, policy and usage

MGC: Multicultural Greek Council; represents all of the multicultural greek organizations on campus

MID-CAMPUS QUAD: The large outdoor space/garden adjacent to Gelman Library and Lisner Auditorium 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; this office coordinates the Cultural Heritage celebrations along with student organizations and provides resources and other programming to the entire GW community

MVC: The George Washington University at Mount Vernon Campus

MVCL: Mount Vernon Campus Life; 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.

OCS: Office of Community Service

SAC: The Student Activities Center; the hub of student life at GW - includes Greek Life, Leadership Programs, Major Events, Student Organization management, GW TRAiLS, LGBT Resource Center, Colonial Inauguration and Grad Life

SEAS: School of Engineering and Applied Science

SECTION: Multiple classes offered for the same course at different times and dates

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

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, educational, recreational, cultural, and artistic programs during the first week of fall semester

WELCOME BACK WEEK: A weeklong series of programs to welcome students back to campus for the spring semester

WRGW: The student radio station