Common Abbreviations

Departments & Roles

  • CAS = Center for Academic Success

  • CCE = Center for Community Engagement

  • CCP = Center for Career Planning

  • CHECS = Center for Honor Enrichment & Community Standards

  • Crew Leaders = Orientation Leaders

  • Facilitators = Student leaders for the PLP Leadership Adventure Program

  • FDA/FDAN/FDAC =

    • Front Desk Assistant (FDA) - undergraduate who works at the desk in the residence halls.

    • Front Desk Assistant Night Shift (FDAN) - works night shift desks 12:30 AM - 7:00 AM,

    • Front Desk Assistant Coordinator (FDAC) - coordinates the schedules for Front Desk Assistants.

  • Fellow: A recent alumni who will work on-campus for a term of 1 year (Currently in Admission, PLP, and Residence Life)

  • Navigators = Crew Leaders during fall semester (involvement outreach, engagement meetings)

  • OSA = Office of Student Activities (now OSI = Orientation and Student Involvement)

  • OSE = Orientation and Student Engagement (now OSI = Orientation and Student Involvement)

  • OCPR = Office of Communications and Public Relations

  • OURCA = Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity

  • PLP = President's Leadership Program

  • Rec Services = Recreational Services

  • Res Life = Residence Life

  • SHC = Student Honor Council

  • SRA = Senior RA, a "Head RA" -- elevated student position in Residence Life, work in the main office

  • University Transfer Ambassadors = Transfer and Spring Orientation Leaders


Buildings & Spaces

    • DSU = David Student Union

      • Bull-Pen = Open-air area in the Student Affairs Suite

      • The Crow's Nest: 2nd Floor area of DSU with pool tables, gaming area, tables and chairs

    • CNH = Christopher Newport Hall

    • CNU North = Suntrust Building off of Warwick Blvd.

      • Was the Business & Technology Center (or BTC)

      • Home to Human Resources, the Office of Communications & Public Relations (OCPR), Advancement, Procurement, and University Events

      • Bring your ID the building always needs "swipe" access to get into

    • Commons = Dining Hall adjacent to Santoro Residence Hall, meal-plan location that is all-you-can-eat on one swipe for students.

    • East Campus = across Warwick Blvd. where there are eateries, apartments, etc.

    • Ferg = Ferguson Center for the Arts

      • Peebles = Peebles Theatre in Ferguson

      • Black Box = theater to the left of Peebles, also called Studio Theater

      • Diamonstein or Concert Hall = Large theater in Ferguson, Diamonstein Concert Hall

    • Gaines = Gaines Theatre in the Freeman Center

    • JR = James River Hall (mainly Sophomores)

    • Main Campus: The side of Warwick Blvd that has MOST of our facilities, the great lawn, etc.

    • The Mansions = Greek Village

    • Rapp = Rappahannock Residence Hall, Juniors and Seniors

    • Regattas or Regs = Dining Hall within the David Student Union, meal-plan location that is all-you-can-eat on one swipe for students.

    • PONO or POSO = Potomac River North or Potomac River South, First and Second Year Residence Halls

      • PRC = Programming Resource Center. where RAs can craft and print advertisements, located in Potomac River - South.


Student Organizations

    • Anchor Organizations - 8? organizations that receive student fee money directly, advised by a CNU office/department and contribute to the office's work or integrated into it (highest level of student organization)

    • ADPi = Alpha Delta Pi

    • AKA = Alpha Kappa Alpha

    • Alphas = Alpha Phi Alpha

    • Alternative Breaks or Alt Breaks = (was REACH) service break organization

    • Anchor Organization = Fee-Funded Organizations that operate as a part of the university

    • A Phi = Alpha Phi

    • ASA = Alpha Sigma Alpha

    • CAB = Campus Activities Board (programming board)

    • Captains Log (Clog) = Student Newspaper

    • The Compass = Online tool for Registered Student Organizations and members

    • Deltas = Delta Sigma Theta

    • DG = Delta Gamma

    • DU = Delta Upsilon

    • FIJI = Phi Gamma Delta

    • G Phi = Gamma Phi Beta

    • Kappa Sig = Kappa Sigma

    • KDR = Kappa Delta Rho

    • Pike = Pi Kappa Alpha

    • Pi Lam = Pi Lambda Phi

    • PNM = Potential New Member

    • Psi U = Psi Upsilon

    • RHA = Residence Hall Association

    • RSO = Registered Student Organization (non-fee funded)

    • SDEC = Student Diversity & Equity Council

    • SGA = Student Government Association

    • Sig Ep = Sigma Phi Epsilon

    • ZTA or Zeta = Zeta Tau Alpha


Travel and Scheduling

    • Chrome River = Travel advance and prior request system

    • Prior = Approval for cash advance or reimbursement

    • VEMS = Virtual Event Management System


Campus Events/Programs

  • AFD = Admitted Freshman Day

  • Changing Tides = Transfer Orientation (and for spring freshmen)

  • LA = Leadership Adventure program hosted by PLP (you may also hear SLAP, which was the previous acronym for Summer Leadership Adventure Program - we've done away with this language)

  • PLHVD = PLP & Honors Visit Days

  • Setting Sail = Orientation for all incoming freshmen during June


Other

    • BOV = Board of Visitors

    • CNU Alert = Emergency Notifications System - opt in

    • COVA = Commonwealth of Virginia

    • FEB = front-end budgeted student groups

    • Hampton Roads= Generally consists of the metro area covered by Southside

      • (Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, etc.) and the Peninsula ( Hampton, Newport News, York County, Williamsburg, etc.)

    • VZ = VisualZen or Admitted Student System