UC idioms and jargon

This stylesheet is intended for UC employees, particularly new ones who are unfamiliar with university terms, names and idioms.

The guide is revised periodically. If you have questions or comments, please e-mail Deb Rieselman.

For additional guidelines on spelling, grammar and the names of UC facilities, visit the University Stylebook.

Unless otherwise noted, the following words are pronounced as words, and letters as individual letters.

A114 (A-1-14): A Request for Payment form used to reimburse individuals for expenses paid, or to pay for freelance or personal services contract work

A123 (A-1-23): A budget request form

AAPW: The Association for Administrative and Professional Women - a nonprofit organization that provides a forum for sharing and discussing issues concerning UC women, professional development, networking and community service

AAUP: American Association of University Professors - a collective bargaining unit representing UC faculty

Academic Health Center: Preferred usage for the university's medical center.

AFSCME (afs-mee): American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees - a collective bargaining unit representing facilities, parking, maintenance and related employees

A&S: The McMicken College of Arts and Sciences

ARP: Alternative Retirement Plan - one of the state retirement systems available for employees hired after a certain date

AWF: Association for Women Faculty - works to promote the professional development and welfare of women faculty by facilitating communication, providing programs for development and acting as an advocate on matters of Affirmative Action, reappointment, tenure and promotion

AY: Academic year

Bearcats: The name of UC's athletic teams and the team mascot

Bearcat Campus Card (BCC): A UC debit card available to students, faculty and staff for a variety of on-campus and off-campus purchases

Blackboard: A Web-based portal for that allows teachers and students to communicate outside the classroom and that provides miscellaneous services to faculty and staff, too

CAHS: College of Allied Health Sciences

Campus Green: Grassy area bordered by Martin Luther King Blvd., Lindner Hall, the Alumni Center, the dorms along Jefferson Ave., and Sigma Sigma Commons

CAS: The College of Applied Science. Sometimes mistakenly referred to by an old acronyn -OCAS.

CAT: The Center for Access and Transition

CCM: College-Conservatory of Music

CECH: College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services

Clifton Campus: A common, but erroneous, name for West Campus. Technically, Clifton is a community located one-half mile north of campus. The preferred term is Uptown Campus West.

COB: College of Business (formerly CBA)

COM: College of Medicine

CRC: Used to describe both the Curriculum Resources Center in Blegen Library as well as the Campus Recreation Center. It usually means the latter, but be careful in using the initials.

CUFS (cuffs): The UC accounting system no longer exists. It was replaced by UCFlex in 2005.

DAAP (dap or D-A-A-P): College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning

East Campus/West Campus: These are common terms, but not preferred ones. East Campus refers to the Academic Health Center, or the medical center, including the colleges of medicine, pharmacy, nursing and allied health sciences; Marriott Kingsgate Conference Hotel; University Hall; and Hoxworth Blood Center. The proper term is Uptown East Campus. West Campus is a shortened name for Uptown Campus West and is used both an organizational term for non-medical units and a geographical term that refers to the superblock campus bounded by Clifton Avenue, Calhoun Street, Martin Luther King Drive and Jefferson Avenue.

Edwards I, II, III, IV: The Edwards Center on W. Corry Blvd. consists of four separate sections, each with its own individually numbered entrance.

East Campus: Officially called Uptown Campus East or the Academic Health Center. It comprises all academic colleges and university offices in the area bounded by Martin Luther King Drive, Vine Street and Burnet Avenue.

ERC: The Engineering Research Center

ESS (Employee Self Service) - A Web-based tool for employees to manage their benefits

Fifth Third Arena: the preferred reference for the location of basketball games within in the Shoemaker Center. Fifth Third Arena consists of Ed Jucker Court, 13,176 seats, private suites and a restaurant that overlook the court. The facility also accommodates commencement and some concerts.

French buildings: Two buildings are named French. The Hastings L. and William A. French Building, usually shortened to the French East and sometimes called the French Building, houses the College of Allied Health Sciences on the Academic Health Center Campus, and French Hall is located on Uptown Campus West across from the Jefferson Residence Hall Complex.

FY: Fiscal Year (begins July 1 and ends June 30)

GETit (get-I-T): the online ordering system for UCit products and services

Gettler Stadium: The soccer field and track

Great Hall: The large meeting room on the fourth floor of Tangeman University Center

GRI: Genome Research Institute – generic research facility located at Galbraith and Reading Roads

Help Desk: 556-HELP, support for all phone, computing, e-mail and server concerns, for both on-campus and remote access (M-F, 7 a.m.-9 p.m.; S-S, 8 a.m.-9 p.m.)

HPB: Health Professions Building

HR: Human Resources

Human Resources Service Center (or HRSC): Includes business services, consulting services, data operations, program administration services, records/system administrative services and internal office management.

IUOE: International Union of Operating Engineers - a collective bargaining unit representing power plant and trades employees

Kronos: Online system used to record time for hourly paid employees

Lindner Hall/Center: There are two of them. Carl H. Lindner Hall, usually shortened to Lindner Hall, houses the College of Business, and the Richard E. Lindner Center is the athletics center in Varsity Village.

MainStreet: A corridor that stretches from University Pavilion, past Tangeman University Center and the Student Recreation Center, ending at Sigma Sigma Commons. Serves as a hub for student services, including academic services, shopping, dining, recreational and social needs.

Marge Schott Stadium: The baseball stadium

McMicken Commons: The grassy area between McMicken Hall and Tangeman University Center

Mick and Mack: Twin lions guarding the entrance at McMicken Hall

Mick and Mack's: The name of a restaurant in Tangeman University Center

MSB: Not an academic degree, but the Medical Sciences Building

Nippert: The football stadium

NIU: "Non-cash Intra-University" form used to charge another department within the university

Non-traditional student: A student who is either returning to college or starting college at an age older than typical freshmen

ONA: Ohio Nurses Association - a collective bargaining unit representing nurses

One Stop Service: Simply called One Stop most of the time. Located in University Pavilion. Allows students to register for classes, check financial aid status, view bills, check grades and request transcript in "one stop." (www.onestop.uc.edu/)

OPERS (O-purz): Ohio Public Employees Retirement System - one of the state retirement systems

P-Card: Purchase Card - a university credit card used to make purchases directly from vendors

EPDQ: Electronic Position Description Questionnaire - used to describe the duties and responsibilities of a position for Human Resources' review

PeopleAdmin: The online employment application and hiring system.

please?: Cincinnati-speak for "What?" or "I beg your pardon?" - stemming from the city's German heritage. It's the English translation of the German bitte.

Quad: Engineering Quadrangle, bordered by Swift, Old Chem and Baldwin halls

REACH: Responsive Employee Assistance Can Help - employee assistance program offering counseling services and support groups for emotional stress, mental illness, financial problems, alcoholism and drug abuse

RWC: Raymond Walters College - a branch campus of UC in Blue Ash

RX: Purchase Requisition

SAP (S-A-P): Software used in the UCFlex system.

SDI: Small dollar invoice

Sears building: Officially named the Campus Services Building, yet often called "Sears" because the building at the corner of Reading and University once housed a Sears store

SEIU/1199: Service Employees International Union - a collective bargaining unit representing office employees

Shoe: "The Shoe" is short for the Myrl Shoemaker Center, which houses the Fifth Third Arena and support services for the Bearcat sports teams, including the women's basketball offices, meeting rooms, locker rooms and related facilities.

Short Vine: The business district on the section of Vine Street that takes a jog to the east and is bounded by Corry Boulevard and M.L. King Drive

Sigma Sigma Commons: Light tower and grassy amphitheater near French Hall, a gift of Sigma Sigma fraternity

signature architect buildings: UC has gained international acclaim for its buildings designed by these renowned architects, known as "signature architects." Those buildings are the Aronoff Center for Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning; the Campus Recreation Center; the College-Conservatory of Music; the Edwards Center; the Engineering Research Center; the Jefferson Residence Complex; the Richard Lindner Center; the Steger Student Life Center; the Tangeman University Center renovation; and the Vontz Center for Molecular Studies.

STRS (sturz): State Teachers Retirement System - one of the state retirement systems

TA: Travel Authorization form (not a teaching assistant) - needs to be authorized before you go anywhere.

TUC: Tangeman University Center - the student union

Two Sisters: The two high-rise residential halls along Jefferson Avenue (Morgens and Scioto)

UC|21: Shorthand for "UC|21: Defining the new Urban Research University," the university's strategic plan for charting its academic course

UCAAMP (U-kamp): University of Cincinnati Association of Administrators, Managers and Professionals - a networking and professional development group for unclassified, unrepresented staff

UCATS (U-cats): University of Cincinnati Athletic Teams Scholarships - donors who contribute at least $50 to fund UC student-athletes may purchase priority seating tickets to Bearcat games

UCFlex (UC-flex): The university's new integrated business system. UC Flex Financials replaced the College and University Financial System (CUFS), and UC Flex Human Resources replaced the Human Resources Management System (HRMS) and Benefits Management System (BMS).

UC is Listening: Online feedback forum for compliments, complaints, questions, suggestions and surveys. (www.feedback.uc.edu)

UCit (UC-I-T or UC-it): UC Information Technologies - provides computer and telephone services, previously called CITS (sits)

U-Hall: University Hall - location of many administrative offices

UniverSIS (univer-sis): University Student Information System (also called SIS) - a computerized system that consolidates all UC student databases and streamlines record-keeping and student-support operations

University Hospital: Not technically part of the university, although medical faculty teach there.

Uptown Campus: East Campus, West Campus and the College of Applied Science campus combined

USAs: University Service Associates - cross-trained staff who provide admissions, financial aid and other services to current and prospective students in the One Stop Services Center

Varsity Village: Officially named the Richard E. Lindner Varsity Village, this is the area that comprises all the athletics facilities, including the Lindner Center, Fifth Third Arena for basketball, Nippert Stadium for football, Gettler Stadium for soccer and track, Marge Schott Stadium for baseball and the Trabert-Talbert Tennis Center

West Campus: Officially called Uptown Campus West. All academic colleges and university offices in the area bounded by Martin Luther King Drive, Jefferson Avenue, Calhoun Street and Clifton Avenue.

WIN (win): Women's Initiatives Network - serves as an umbrella group for faculty, staff, student and alumni organizations on campus that are dedicated to serving women

Work Control: The department that handles facilities services, such as maintenance and HV/AC

Compliments of Human Resources – Organization Development & Training and the Division of University Relations