Guide to Acronyms at WPI* (*We Prefer Initials)
| Governance* | |
|---|---|
| CAO | Committee on Academic Operations (undergraduate) |
| CAP | Committee on Academic Policy (undergraduate) |
| CASL | Committee on Advising and Student Life (pronounced like "castle") |
| CGSR | Committee on Graduate Studies and Research |
| CHB | Campus Hearing Board (student judicial system) |
| COAP | Committee On Appointments & Promotions (pronounced "cope") |
| COG | Committee On Governance ("committee on committees," runs elections) |
| CTAF | Committee on Tenure & Academic Freedom (pronounced "see-taff") |
| FAP | Committee on Administrative and Financial Policy |
| FBC | Fringe Benefits Committee |
| FRC | Faculty Review Committee |
| UOAC | Undergraduate Outcomes Assessment Committee (typically pronounced "you-awk") |
*For descriptions of each committee’s responsibilities, see the Faculty Handbook.
| Majors, Departments, and Programs | |
|---|---|
| AE | Aerospace Engineering (a program within the Mechanical Engineering department) |
| BB | Biology & Biotechnology (sometimes also BBT) |
| BME | BioMedical Engineering |
| CBC | Chemistry & BioChemistry (CH is also used) |
| CEE | Civil and Environmental Engineering department |
| CHE | CHemical Engineering (sometimes still referred to as CM) |
| CS | Computer Science |
| ECE | Electrical and Computer Engineering |
| EVE | EnVironmental Engineering program |
| FPE | Fire Protection Engineering |
| HUA | HUmanities & Arts |
| IE | Industrial Engineering |
| IGSD | Interdisciplinary and Global Studies Division. Administers the IQP and Global Perspective Program. |
| IMGD | Interactive Media and Game Development program |
| MA | Mathematical Sciences |
| ME | Mechanical Engineering |
| MFE | Manufacturing Engineering (graduate degree program within Mechanical Engineering) |
| MTE | Materials Science and Engineering (graduate degree program within Mechanical Engineering) |
| MG | ManaGement |
| MGE | Management Engineering |
| MIS | Management Information Systems |
| PH | PHysics |
| PW | Professional Writing (interdisciplinary program, PWR may also be used) |
| RBE | RoBotics Engineering |
| SSPS | Social Science and Policy Studies |
| Academic Program Terminology | |
| CDR | Completion of Degree Requirement form. Must be submitted for IQPs and MQPs. |
| IQP | Interactive Qualifying Project (interdisciplinary project typically completed in junior year) |
| ISP | Independent Study Project (typically a project-like academic activity conducted |
| MQP | Major Qualifying Project (senior project) |
| NR | No Record. WPI's grade that encompasses the traditional "D" and "F" grades. |
| Suff | Short for Sufficiency, the former Humanities & Arts requirement for all students. The Sufficiency was replaced in 2006-07 with a new Humanities & Arts Requirement that culminates in an Inquiry Seminar or Practicum. Time will tell whether "Suff" lives on in the student lexicon. |
| Faculty or Campus-Wide Services | |
| ATC | Academic Technology Center |
| CCAC | Center for Communication Across the Curriculum or "Writing Center". In addition to peer tutoring services, provides faculty development services. |
| CCC | Computing and Communications Center |
| CDC | Career Development Center (for students and alumni) |
| CEDA | Center for Educational Development & Assessment. Provides support for the enhancement of teaching and learning at WPI. |
| CPE | Corporate and Professional Education |
| FFT | Food For Thought (CEDA lunchtime seminar series) |
| IRB | Institutional Review Board. Provides oversight of human subjects research. |
| OSP | Office of Sponsored Programs |
| Student-Related Groups, Locations, Events, and Services** | |
| CA | Community Advisors: Upperclass students who serve as peer mentors for a group of 20-30 first year students. Previously (and still sometimes referred to as) OLs (Orientation Leaders). |
| DAKA | Pronounced "day-kuh." Former name of the campus dining service provider, which is now, properly, Chartwell's. Student lexicon continues to use DAKA, as in "Go to DAKA." |
| DSO | Disability Services Office |
| EMSEP | Excellence in Mathematics, Science and Engineering Program. Designed to increase the access to educational opportunities for underrepresented students of African, Latino, and American Indian descent. |
| GSG | Graduate Student Government or sometimes GSO (Graduate Student Organization) |
| IFC | Intrafraternity Council |
| ISO | International Student Organization |
| Insight | Fall semester transitional and community-building program for all first-year students. Insight teams live on the same floor of a residence hall and are assigned a Community Advisor (CA), Resident Advisor (RA), and Faculty academic advisor (FA) |
| MASH | MAth and Science Help ("mash" tutors), primarily used by first-year students in Calculus, Chemistry, and Physics |
| NSO | New Student Orientation |
| OASIS | Offering Acceptance, Support and Inclusion to Students. A cultural center located at 20 Schussler Road, intended to give minority/marginalized students a place to build a community and to provide a centralized location for all students to learn about culture. |
| Panhel | Panhellenic Council (sororities) |
| PLA | Peer Learning Assistant (also referred to as "senior tutors" or "senior assistants" in some departments) |
| RA | Resident Advisor in residence halls (using "dorm" is discouraged!) or Research Assistant (in reference to graduate students) |
| ROTC | Reserve Officers Training Corps (typically pronounced "rot see") |
| SGA | Student Government Association |
| SocComm | Social Committee. Funds and organizes student events. |
| TA | Teaching Assistant or Teaching Assistantship (referring to graduate students) |
** There are dozens upon dozens of student groups that use acronyms.
Maintained by webmaster@wpi.eduLast modified: August 12, 2009 16:07:37