What Do the Acronyms Mean?​

University documents and conversations can seem like an alphabet soup of acronyms. We have compiled a list of the most commonly used acronyms to help you learn the lingo.

What Do the acronyms mean?

I'm not sure we can do this question justice, but here are the most common acronyms you will encounter. (Thanks to Dan Cronn-Mills for the list.)

  • A&H – College of Arts & Humanities
  • ACC – Academic Computer Center
  • AFSCME – American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
  • AHN – College of Allied Health and Nursing
  • ARCH – University Archives Digital Collections
  • CCC – Common Curriculum Committee (formerly Gen Ed & Diversity Committee)
  • CDS – Curriculum Design System
  • CEI - The Center for Excellence & Innovation
  • CESR – Center for Excellence in Scholarship and Research
  • CETL – Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning
  • CIP Codes - Classification of Instructional Programs Codes
  • COB – College of Business
  • COE – College of Education
  • CSET – College of Science, Engineering and Technology
  • D2L – Desire2Learn
  • DARS – Degree Audit Reporting System (called Interactive Degree Audit in student eservices)
  • DISH – Diversity IS Happening
  • EMS – Event Management System
  • ERC – Educational Resource Center
  • FA – Faculty Association, the local branch of the Inter Faculty Organization
  • FWM – Faculty Workload Management
  • FYE – First-Year Experience
  • GCAP – Graduate Curriculum and Policy Committee
  • GRC – Graduate Research Conference
  • GSR – Graduate Studies & Research
  • HLC – Higher Learning Commission
  • IFO – Inter-Faculty Organization (statewide faculty union)
  • IRB – Institutional Research Board
  • IRPA – Institutional Research, Planning, and Assessment
  • ISRS – Integrated Statewide Record System
  • M&C – Meet and Confer
  • MAPE – Minnesota Association of Professional Employees
  • MMA - Middle Management Association
  • MnSCU – Minnesota State College and Universities
  • MnTC – Minnesota Transfer Curriculum
  • MSUAASF – MN State University Association of Administrative & Service Faculty
  • NDS – Non-Degree Seeking Student
  • NSFP – New Student and Family Programs
  • PDP – Professional Development Plan
  • PDR – Professional Development Report
  • PSEO – Post-Secondary Enrollment Option
  • RARE – REPL and Application Resource (Database)
  • RASP - Research and Sponsored Programs
  • SAP – Satisfactory Academic Progress
  • SBP - Strategic Budget Planning
  • SBS – College of Social & Behavioral Sciences
  • SOC Codes - Standard Occupational Classification
  • SRC – Student Relations Coordinator
  • TR - Technology Roundtable (formerly LTR or Learning & Technology Roundtable)
  • TSM – Transactional Service Model (regional HR centers)
  • UCAP – Undergraduate Curriculum and Policy Committee
  • URC – Undergraduate Research Center & Undergraduate Research Conference
  • VPN – Virtual Private Network
  • WAC - Writing Across the Curriculum

Each academic building is represented by an acronym. You will see these most frequently in intracampus mail and meeting requests:

  • AF = Alumni Foundation Building
  • AH = Armstrong Hall
  • CSU = Centennial Student Union
  • CSB = Clinical Sciences Building
  • FH = Ford Hall
  • HN = Highland North
  • HC = Highland Center
  • ML = Memorial Library
  • MH = Morris Hall
  • MF = Meyers Field House
  • NH = Helson Hall
  • PA = Performing Arts
  • PH = Pennington Hall
  • TC = Taylor Center
  • TC = Trafton Science Center
  • TE = Trafton East
  • TN = Trafton North
  • TS = Trafton South
  • WC = Weicking Center
  • WA = Wigley Administration Building
  • WH = Wissink Hall