Jargon is part of the fun of belonging to the GW community. Students, faculty, staff, neighbors and even parents, both new and seasoned, bandy about words and phrases strongly identified with our university. GW jargon is a living, evolving language and the list of terms is updated from time to time.

The nearly 100 words, phrases and acronyms that follow are arranged alphabetically.

2000 Penn: GW's very own mall, located at 2000 Pennsylvania Ave., NW

ABP: Au Bon Pain, the French bakery cafe in 2000 Penn

Advisor: Faculty member or administrator who assists a student with the course selection and academic decision-making the student needs to meet 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

B.A.: Bachelor of Arts degree

Bid: A formal invitation to membership in a Greek letter organization

Big George: GW's biggest (inflatable) basketball fan

Blue Book: A small notebook with a blue cover, used for essay exams

B.S.: Bachelor of Science degree

CADE: Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Education

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 Staff

Colonial Army: A student organization focused on supporting GW Athletics. At basketball games, Colonial Army members sit 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.

Colonials Invasion: GW spirit celebration during Spirit Week, marking the official start of the basketball season

Colonials: The name of the university’s sports teams

Colonials Weekend: GW's premier event for students, families, and friends, is an ideal opportunity for the GW community to celebrate together

Columbian Square: The main seating area in J Street

Commencement: Graduation!

CRs: College Republicans

CRN: In Web registration, the five-digit number that identifies a course

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

Foggy: A slang term for the Foggy Bottom campus

FSK: Francis Scott Key Hall

George: The head Colonial and institutional mascot for GW

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

Grad Week: A weeklong celebration 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 e-mail, sent to all students, listing activities that student organizations are putting on for the coming week

GW Hatchet: Student-run newspaper

GW Today: GW's primary source of news and information

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

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 to honor the inauguration of the nation's president and vice president

ISO: International Services Office

J Street: GW's dining options on the first floor of the Marvin Center

JBKO: Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis Hall

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, the student organization that oversees MC policy and usage

MGC: Multicultural Greek Council

Mid-Campus Quad: The large outdoor green space enclosed by the university gates and adjacent to Gelman Library

MSSC: Multicultural Student Services Center

MVC: The George Washington University at Mount Vernon campus

MyGW: The Internet hub for GW students lets you look up e-mail addresses and phone numbers, register for classes, load Colonial Cash onto your GWorld and generally take care of all GW-related business.

NPHC: National Pan-Hellenic Council, the governing body of historically black fraternities and sororities.

OCS: Office of Community Service

Program Board: Program Board

SEAS: School of Engineering and Applied Science

SJS: Student Judicial Services

SMHS: School of Medicine and Health Sciences

SMPA: School of Media and Public Affairs

SON: School of Nursing

SPHHS: School of Public Health and Health Services

SNAP: The 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 official seal of GW, displaying the head of George Washington

UPD: University Police Department

VC: Visitor Center

VSTC: Virginia Science and Technology Campus

Welcome Week: A series of social, recreational, cultural and artistic programs held the first week of fall semester

Winter Welcome Week: A series of social, recreational, cultural and artistic programs during the first week of the spring semester

WRGW: GW’s student radio station