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All
across America academicians and athletes
alike are accustomed
to an
array of acronyms--BA, BS, JD, MBA, MD, MSW, Ph.D., RN, AAUP,
ACE, NCAA, NBA, NLF, NHL USTA--and at Penn an
abundance of acronyms abounds and confounds. For instance
there is PennSTAR, ISTAR and STAAR.
Below
is an admittedly partial list of some of the many Penn acronyms,
some
have been around for decades and others are relatively new to
the
University.
A Primer of the Plethora
of Penn Acronyms--From A to Z
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AARC: African
American Resource Center, provides services, counseling,
mediation, advocacy and debriefings to any member of the
Penn community, with a particular focus on those of African
descent.
ACASA: Ackoff Center
for Advancement of Systems Approaches, a think-tank created
in 2000 by SEAS.
ACELA: La Asociacion
Cultural de Estudiantes Latino Americanos, a student run
organization, established in 1947, based in La Casa Latina.
ARCH: Arts,
Research and Culture House, located at 3601 Locust Walk,
formerly known as the Christian Association before Penn
purchased the
building in 1999; the name was selected by a contest which
attracted 250 entries. |
AWFA: Association of
Women Faculty & Administrators, founded in the
early 1960s to provide opportunities for women faculty and administrators
to meet for intellectual exchange, information sharing and mutual
support.
BEN:
Business Enterprise Network, the suite of web-based applications
that support University-wide financial functions.
CAPS:
Counseling and Psychological Services, provides professional services
including individual, group and couples counseling/psychotherapy
to students who are having personal, social, academic and career
issues.
CASI:
Center for the Advanced Study of India, the only research institute
in the U.S. focused on contemporary India.
CCPPR: Center for Children's Policy, Practice
and Research, brings together scholars and professionals in
law, medicine, and social work to protect children's rights.
CGS: College
of General Studies, the continuing studies and lifelong learning
division of SAS.
CHANGES: Center for Health Achievement
Neighborhood Growth & Ethnic Studies, established at GSE
in 1994. |
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CHOP:
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the first hospital in
the US dedicated solely to the care of children, home to Penn's
pediatric department.
CTT:
Center for Technology Transfer, obtains and manages patents, copyrights
and trademarks derived from academic research.
CWiC: Communication Within the Curriculum,
a program that supports student speaking as a means of both
communicating and learning. |
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DMD:
Digital Media Design, a multifaceted/multidisciplinary undergraduate
program, based in SEAS, but with curriculum also from School of
Design and Annenberg School.
DP:
The Daily Pennsylvanian, the independent student newspaper,
founded in 1885.
DRIA:
Division of Recreation and
Intercollegiate Athletics.
ENIAC: Electronic
Numerical Integrator and Computer, gave birth to the Information
Age in 1946, is
worth a walk to the Moore Building for a glimpse of the computer
that is over 50 years old and still a tourist attraction. |
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FLASH: Facilitating Learning About Sexual
Health, a student organization.
GAASAM: Graduate Association
for Asian American Students & Studies.
GAPSA: Graduate and Professional
Student Assembly, the University-wide student government
for graduate and professional students.
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GET-UP: Graduate Employees Together-University
of Pennsylvania, a group in support of graduate employee unionization. |
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GIC: Greenfield Intercultural Center,
an intercultural resource center established in 1984 to address
the needs of Penn's increasingly diverse community. |
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GRASP
Lab: General Robotics, Automation,
Sensing and Perception lab, a multi-disciplinary research lab, founded
in 1979 and housed in SEAS.
GSAC: Graduate Student Associations Council,
represents students pursuing Ph.D. degrees and other graduate
students in SAS. |
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GSE:
Graduate School of Education.
GSFA:
Graduate School of Fine Arts, now known as School of Design.
HR:
Human Resources, the division dedicated to the recruitment, employment,
development and retention of faculty and staff.
HUP:
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
IAA: International Affairs Association,
organizes two annual conferences: ILMUNC, (Ivy League Model
United Nations Conference) the premier model UN for high school
students, hosted by Penn, celebrating its 20th anniversary
January 29-February 1, 2004; and UPMUNC (University of Pennsylvania
Model United Nations Conference) for college students, founded
in 1967. |
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IAST:
Institute for Advanced Science and Technology.
ICA:
Institute of Contemporary Art, founded in 1963 at Penn, in its own
building designed by Adele Naude Santos since 1990.
ILI:
International Literacy Institute, established in 1994 by UNESCO
and Penn's GSE.
IME: Institute for Medicine and Engineering,
established in 1996, with a focus on interdisciplinary research
and education to advance the treatment of disease. |
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IRCS:
Institute for Research in Cognitive Science, founded in 1990, fosters
collaboration among departments in linguistics, mathematical logic,
philosophy, psychology, computer science and neuroscience.
ISC:
Information Systems and Computing, Penn's central computing
organization, which provides leadership, infrastructure, standards
and services.
ISTAR: Institute for Strategic Threat
Analysis and Response, created as a reaction to 9/11, to examine
acute threats. |
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LDI:
Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, a cooperative venture
among Penn's schools of dentistry, medicine, nursing and Wharton;
a center for health services research, health policy analysis and
health care management executive education.
LGBT Center: Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender
Center, established in 1982, one of the oldest such centers
in the country.
LIFE: Living Independently For Elders,
a program of all-inclusive care to foster independence and
health, a healthcare service of the School of Nursing.
LRSM: Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter,
the center for materials research created to foster collaborative,
interdisciplinary research. |
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LUCY:
Loop through University City, SEPTA circulator bus, started in summer
of 1999 in conjunction with UCD to provide free transit service
to/from 30th Street Station for those affiliated with the local
institutions.
MAP:
Major Advising Program, a new resource for students in the College
to sample other majors.
MASCA:
Museum Applied Science Center for Archaeology, part of the University
of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.
MMETS:
Multi-Media and Educational Technology Services, an instructional
technology group that is part of SAS Computing and provides audio/visual
support for academic and campus events.
NBC:
New Bolton Center, a 680-acre campus located in Kennett Square,
in Chester County--home of the School of Veterinary Medicine's
George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals, a working dairy, swine
facility, chicken coops, research labs and a farm.
NCAL:
National Center on Adult Literacy, established at GSE in 1990 with
a major grant from the US Department of Education.
NCOFF: National
Center on Fathers and Families, an interdisciplinary policy
research center established in 1994 at GSE to improve the
well-being of children.
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NSO:
New Student Orientation, held at the beginning of the fall semester.
OCP:
Orthodox Community at Penn, provides information for the Orthodox
Jewish community.
OCP: Orthodox
Community at Penn, provides information for the Orthodox
Jewish community.
OPIM: Operations & Information
Management, a department in the Wharton School.
PACE: Programs for Awareness in Cultural
Education, established in 1993 to facilitate dialogues across
dimensions, at the Greenfield Intercultural Center. |
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PCC: Penn
Children's Center, provides child care for children ages
three months to five years, administered by Business Services,
accredited by NAEYC.
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PENNCAP:
Pennsylvania College Achievement Program, works closely with academically
talented students, many from low-income or educationally disadvantaged
backgrounds.
PennSTAR: Penn
Specialized Tertiary Aeromedical Response, the Penn Med helicopters
that go to accident scenes to rescue trauma victims and transport
them to trauma centers, such as HUP, for specialized care; the service
began in June 1988.
PFP:
Pre-Freshman Program, a four-week academic experience prior to matriculation,
primarily for PENNCAP participants.
PFSNI: Penn
Faculty and Staff for Neighborhood Issues, an organization
established in 1993, drawn from Penn people who reside in
the neighborhoods near campus.
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PPSA: Penn
Professional Staff Assembly, a network to serve administrative/technical
staff.
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PVN: Penn
Video Network, closed-circuit cable television and special
video event network.
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PWC:
Penn Women's Center, founded in 1973.
SAC:
Student Activities Council, recognizes, supervises and funds undergraduate
activities, funded through the UA.
SAS:
School of Arts and Sciences.
SCUE:
Student Committee on Undergraduate Education, the oldest existing
branch of student government, founded in 1965, works to enhance
and expand curricular opportunities and quality of academic experience.
SEAS:
School of Engineering and Applied Science.
SEC:
Senate Executive Committee, the elected leadership of the Faculty
Senate, representing faculty interests to the administration.
SEI:
Scheie Eye Institute, serves as the department of ophthalmology
of UPHS.
SFCU: Student
Federal Credit Union, a non-profit organization founded in
1987 by three Wharton MBA students; the largest student-run
credit union in the nation.
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SNAP:
Student Nurses at Penn, promotes participation in community service
activities in the area of health care and serves as the Penn chapter
of the Student Nurses Association of Pennsylvania (SNAP).
SPEC:
Social Planning and Events Committee, part of Connaissance.
STAAR: Students
Together Against Acquaintance Rape, a peer health program
founded in the late 1980s, part of Office of Health Education.
STAB: Student
Theatre Arts Board, the student-elected representatives
that serves as a link between the theatre arts students and
the
faculty. |
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UA:
Undergraduate Assembly, responsible for advocacy of undergraduate
issues to the administration, consists of elected student officers.
UC:
University Council, the University-wide advisory body, wtih representatives
from all of the major constituencies.
UCD: University
City District, established by a partnership of University
City institutions, businesses and community organizations
in August 1997, has worked to make the area cleaner and safer
and has also revitalized neighborhoods and been a partner
in city-wide events.
UMC: United Minorities Council,
an interracial student alliance which sponsors cultural
and educational programs to promote cross-cultural awareness. |
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UPHS:
University of Pennsylvania Health System.
UPM:
University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.
UPPD:
University of Pennsylvania Police Department, part of the Division
of Public Safety.
UPS:
Undergraduate Psychology Society, an organization of Penn students
interested in exploring the field, sponsors events and publishes
a journal, Perspectives in Psychology.
UTV-13:
University Television, the student-run station.
VPUL: Vice
Provost for University Life, a division that nurtures the
interests and aspirations of Penn students through activities,
resource and service centers.
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VSA:
Vietnamese Students Association, to promote an appreciation for
Vietnamese culture.
WGA: Wharton
Graduate Association, the primary vehicle for coordinating
and managing student activities and initiatives, both academic
and extracurricular.
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WPSA:
Weekly-paid Professional Staff Assembly, formerly the A-3 Assembly,
representing non-exempt and non-union employees.
ZBT:
Zeta Beta Tau, fraternity founded in 1898 at Columbia, Penn's
chapter was founded in 1907 and is the fourth oldest active chapter.
Almanac, Vol. 50, No. 8,
October14, 2003
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