UC's Second Language: Learning the Lingo in One Easy Lesson Date: June 30, 2000 By: Dawn Fuller And: Marianne Kunnen-Jones Phone: (513) 556-1826 Archive: Campus News The application may not have said so, but enrolling at UC requires you to become bilingual. Not necessarily by learning the tongue of another nation, but by gaining fluency in UC-speak. Every community, and nearly every profession, has their own terminology. UC does, too. "A community, including a university, will usually use a verbal shorthand to make communication quicker and more efficient," said UC linguist Carl Mills. "It helps to unite the community and identify it as separate from the larger community." While UC's language labs may not be equipped with recordings or lessons translating from English to UC-ese or vice versa, the following guide may serve as an introduction to some of the most common words and phrases in the university's vocabulary. Unless otherwise noted, common pronunciations are used and abbreviations are pronounced by stating each letter (such as ABC, ay, bee, see). For assistance with some student-related terms, Currents turned to Arts and Sciences assistant dean Barbara Schooley. Activus (ak-tiv-us): Title for the Student Activities Handbook, which can be picked up at the Office of Student Organizations and Activities, Room 221, Tangeman University Center. Annie Laws Drawing Room: Room 410, Teacher's College. An old-fashioned looking room administered by the College of Education for meetings and social occasions. If you open the rear doors it can be combined with Annie Laws Library in Room 408. Bearcast: Bearcast will debut this fall as UC's student-run radio station on campus and on the web. Although it's based in the College-Conservatory of Music, all students are welcome to help. Find out more at bearcast.uc.edu. CAHS: Stands for College of Allied Health Sciences, UC's newest college, now housed in the Hastings L. and William A. French Building, not to be confused with French Hall. CECE (see-see OR see-ee see-ee): The College of Evening and Continuing Education. CITE (site): The Cincinnati Initiative for Teacher Education, the nationally-recognized teacher education program operated by the College of Education in partnership with Cincinnati Public Schools. CCM: The College-Conservatory of Music, home to nearly 1,000 concerts, plays, recitals and operas each year. Alumni include the late trumpeter Al Hirt, ballerina Suzanne Farrell. CWEST (quest): Shorthand for Cincinnati Women in Excellence and Spirit Together, a women's honor society that selects new members each spring. DAAP (dap or dee ay ay pee): The College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning. A few old-timers may still refer to it as DAA. Drop/Add Period: The period of time at the beginning of each quarter when students can drop courses for which they are registered or add courses, without affecting their academic record. Strict timelines for this are enforced, so students should follow the deadlines listed in Learning Opportunities (see below) each quarter for this. East Campus/West Campus: East Campus refers to the Medical Center, including the Colleges of Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing and Allied Health Sciences; Kingsgate Conference Center and Hotel; University Hall; and Hoxworth Blood Center. West Campus consists of the Clifton Avenue campus and the College of Applied Science, although Applied Science is located on Victory Parkway. Flintstone Building: A nickname for the Gehry-designed Vontz Center for Molecular Studies. The highly acclaimed building houses world-class research. GA: Short for Graduate Assistant, the preferred term for graduate students who assist in research and teaching. TA or Teaching Assistant can also be used for those who help teach. Just Community: The university's effort to strengthen the sense of community on campus by eliminating separations that lead to conflict and misunderstanding. Begun in 1996 at the urging of Mitchel Livingston, vice president for Student Affairs and Human Resources, the initiative sponsors events and awards, and recently it has worked to more explicitly define its principles by consulting with the university-wide community. Learning Opportunities: a quarterly booklet listing course offerings and other information students need to know. Matriculated: Used to describe a student accepted into a particular college and pursuing a degree. Mick and Mack: Twin lions guarding the entrance at McMicken Hall. Together, the statues remain the university's most enduring symbols. MSB: Not an academic degree, but the Medical Sciences Building, on East Campus. Non-traditional student: A student who is either returning to college or starting college at an age older than 18 or 19. OMI/OCAS (oh em eye/oke-kus): The former name of the College of Applied Science still sprouts up in speech; it is considered out of date. It stands for Ohio Mechanics Institute/Ohio College of Applied Science, which merged with UC in 1969. PAC (pack): Short for Program Advisory Council, a student organization that provides campus-wide programming, including national speakers and entertainers and concerts. Phone: 556-6102. Pedagogy Initiative: In November 1994, UC President Joseph A. Steger made pedagogy -- the art of teaching and learning -- top priority for the university's evolution into the next century. This initiative works to keep pace with the changing technology that is transforming the traditional lecture classroom and the changing needs of the student. Please: Cincinnati-speak for "What?" or "I beg your pardon" or "Excuse me," stemming from the city's German heritage. It's the English translation of the German "bitte." Says Don Heinrich Tolzmann, director of UC's German American studies program, "It has become part of the milieu that is Cincinnati. It's more polite than saying 'hey' or 'what'." Newcomers soon pick up the practice, said the native Minnesotan. Priority Registration: The two-week period about mid-way through each quarter when current students may register for the upcoming quarter. Students have a better chance of getting into courses at the times they prefer using this type of registration. RAPP (wrap): Not the music, but Racial Awareness Program. RAPP is a service organization that works to promote racial and cultural awareness. Rush: Not necessarily to be in a hurry; it's the process and period of time when sororities and fraternities woo and select new members. Sears Building: Sears vacated this facility on Reading Road long before the "softer side" ads. After the retailer moved out, UC moved in. Officially called the Campus Services Building. SIFE (sife): Students in Free Enterprise, a national organization to build relationships between students and area businesses. Members also are involved in community beautification projects in the Cincinnati area. Short Vine: Not something that Tarzan swings from, but a business district on the section of Vine Street that takes a jog to the north and is bounded by Corry and Martin Luther King Drive. SOA: Abbreviation for Office of Student Organizations and Activities. Located in Tangeman University Center, this is the place to call if you have questions about joining a student group or organization or want to know about upcoming student events. Phone: 556-6115. The web site is www.soa.uc.edu/soa/. The Shoe: Not related to boots or the old woman who lived in one. It's short for Myrl Shoemaker Center, home court for UC men's and women's basketball teams. Also the site for Commencement, some concerts, and other major events. Top of the Hill/Bottom of the Hill: Top is the area near the Clifton Avenue campus around Calhoun; bottom is the Ludlow Avenue area to the north of the campus. TUC: Shorthand for Tangeman University Center, the student union. By the way, Tangeman is pronounced with a soft "g," not like the tang in powdered orange juice. UCit (you see eye tee): The new name of the university's information technology unit. The old name was CITS (sits) and you'll probably catch more than a few still calling it that. U-College: an abridgement of University College. UC Express: An automated telephone registration and information system. Directions for using it are listed each quarter in Learning Opportunities. UCPD: UCPD, the third-largest police department in Hamilton County, provides full-time protection for the UC campus. From the Adopt-a-Dorm program to bicycle patrols, this force is with you day and night. To get help, just pick up any blue help phone and check the UCPD web site for regular safety tips . U-Hall: Not the moving trucks, but moving was involved. This name reduces the number of syllables needed to refer to University Hall, new home to many of UC's administrative offices. UniverSIS (you-nih-ver-sis): Also called SIS. It's the University Student Information System, a computerized system that aims to consolidate all UC student databases and streamline all aspects of record-keeping and student support operations.