HOLLIS ClassicLamont Library
Harvard Lingo
Each university has its own vernacular and Harvard is no exception. Even if English is your mother tongue, it takes a while to get used to Harvard-speak. The following is a partial list of acronyms and terms used by the Harvard community together with their definitions.
If you know of a term we’ve missed or have a suggestion, please contact Sue Gilroy, Head of Reference Services in Lamont Library, via email.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Au Bon Pain, the popular spot in Harvard Square, on the Mass. Ave. side of the Holyoke Center. Sometimes just referred to as "the Pain."
Ad Board
A committee charged with interpreting and enforcing the rules of the Faculty of Arts and Science that apply to undergraduates. The Board is composed of the Dean of Harvard College, the three Assistant Deans of Freshmen, the Allston Burr Senior Tutors of the 13 houses, and several administrative and faculty members. A student is usually "ad-boarded" for an academic misadventure or a misdeed.
Af-Am
Shorthand for African American Studies. Now part of an expanded Department of African and African American Studies.
The Ag
Nickname for a student performance space, the Agassiz Theatre in Agassiz House (10 Garden Street).
Allston Burr Resident Dean (a/k/a Allston Burr Senior Tutors)
Allston Burr Resident Deans are assigned to each of Harvard’s Houses. Resident deans are the key advising resource for upperclassmen; they represent Houses on the Administrative Board work with departments on academic issues affecting individual students, and contribute to House life as scholars-in-residence.
APO
ART
American Repertory Theatre, located at 64 Brattle St.
Arts First
An annual rite of spring at Harvard, celebrating creative activity of all kinds: dance, music, theatre, and visual arts. Most events are free. In 2010, Arts First will run from Thursday, May 4 through Sunday, May 7.
ATG
Acronym for the Academic Technology Group, which works with faculty, administrators, and TFs across FAS to enhance teaching with technology tools.
The Board of Freshman Advisers: the 300+ faculty members, administrators, and graduate and professional school students who work closely with first-year students. Freshman Advisers help new students select courses, explore concentration opportunities, and, more generally, make the transition to life as a Harvard undergraduate.
Blocking Groups
Self-selected groups of rising Harvard sophomores who ask to be assigned to the same House. Individuals who participate in such an arrangement sometimes call themselves "block mates." Also used as a verb: "to block."
The Board of Overseers consists of 30 members, who are elected at large by graduates of Harvard and Radcliffe. Its Standing and Visiting Committees keep the Board informed about educational policies and practices of the University. The Board of Overseers also provides advice to, and approves important actions of, the Corporation. Both the Corporation and Overseers must approve major teaching and administrative appointments.
Board Plus
A $65 non-refundable voucher undergraduates receive each semester to spend at campus restaurants.
BSC
Abbreviation for the Bureau of Study Counsel, located at 5 Linden Street. The BSC offers a wide variety of academic services, including a peer tutor program and a reading strategies course. It also offers personal and psychological counseling and workshops on topics of interest to the undergraduate community.
B-School
Harvard Business School (see also HBS).
Either:
- An abbreviation for Math or Applied Math "course assistants." Can be used as a verb: "to CA" a section
- In some departments (Government and Psychology, for example), used as an abbreviation for the Concentration Adviser. CAs are typically graduate students.
Cantabrigian
A resident of Cambridge (Massachusetts or elsewhere).
The Castle
The distinctively eccentric building, located at 44 Bow St. that is home to the Harvard Lampoon. The Castle was built in 1909 with funds supplied by William Randolph Hearst and Isabella Stewart Gardner; a Lampoon member, Edmund M. Wheelwright, designed it. Until quite recently, only Lampoon members were allowed inside.
CES
Abbreviation for the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, located at 27 Kirkland St.
CGIS
Shorthand for the Center for Government and International Studies, on Cambridge St. The two buildings which comprise CGIS were designed as mirror images of each other. The north building is named for donor Sidney Knafel and houses the H.C. Fung Library. CGIS is home to the Departments of Government and History and the Harvard-MIT Data Center. In addition, several important research centers, all with an international reach and focus, are housed there.
Circ or Circ Desk
In general, "circ" is shorthand for the "circulation desk" or "circulation area" in any library. At Lamont, circ is the place to check out books, borrow a laptop, and get reserve readings for classes. It's to the left of the main entrance.
CMES
The Center for Middle Eastern Studies.
Comps
Competitions held every fall and spring, during which students audition to join campus clubs and organizations. As a verb: "comping."
Concentration
The Harvard term for "major." Joint Concentrators: not equivalent to a double major, this term refers to students who combine two fields into a coherent plan of study, such that the two fields build on each other.
Conference Course
A term used by the Office of the Registrar to identify courses which have a limited enrollment (25 students), place emphasis upon discussion and student papers, and meet once each week (for two or three hours).
Contact
An undergraduate peer counseling group, Contact addresses the needs of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered students and promotes understanding and respect for different lifestyles.
Coop
The Harvard Cooperative Society, the store located in Harvard Square. Pronounced as one syllable (rhymes with "loop"). Students buy most of their textbooks there.
The Harvard Corporation—known formally as the President and Fellows of Harvard College—is the University's seven-member executive board. The first (and thus oldest) corporation in the country, it manages the University's finances and business affairs.
Crimson
The name of the student daily newspaper, the Harvard Crimson; also the nickname of any Harvard sports team.
Crimson Cash
A kind of debit account for campus purchases of several kinds: food, sundries, photocopies, and the like. Crimson Cash can be added to a valid Harvard ID online, or at one Value Transfer Stations (VTS) around campus. In the College libraries, you’ll need Crimson Cash to print out anything from one of our public computers or to make photocopies.
CUE Guide
The Harvard University Course Evaluation Guide, which is produced by the Committee on Undergraduate Education. The CUE Guide compiles statistical information on students' perceptions of courses and instructors. Still printed as a book, it is also available online to members of the Harvard community (via Harvard ID and PIN).
Harvard University Graduate School of Design. Also known as GSD.
Div or Div School
Nicknames for the Harvard Divinity School.
Dorm Crew
A student-supervised group, responsible for cleaning dormitory hallways and bathrooms during term time. A fall "clean-up" occurs two weeks before the start of term; the spring "clean-up" occurs two weeks after the academic year ends.
Dudley Coop
The Dudley Co-operative Society was founded in 1958 as an alternative, off-campus housing option for about 32 undergraduates who seek different kinds of community than the House system offers. Co-op members live in one of two Victorian-style homes located just about a half mile beyond Harvard Yard. They share cooking, cleaning, food-buying, and House decision-making and pay a reduced room and board fee. Residents refer to themselves as “Coopers.”
Dudley House
A center for students in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and for a small number of undergraduates who are members of the Dudley Co-op. Dudley House is located in Lehman Hall, in the southwest corner of Harvard Yard.
The colloquial term for Social Analysis 10, one of the largest courses taught at Harvard College.
ECHO
Eating Concerns Hotline and Outreach, (617-495-8200).
Ed School
The Harvard Graduate School of Education. Also known as GSE.
Eli
A nickname for anyone who currently attends or has attended that "other" university in New Haven.
Entryway
Also called "entry," the term describes residential units of 20 to 45 freshmen.
EPS
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences.
ESPP
Environmental Science & Public Policy.
ETOB
Acronym for "Every Tub on Its Own Bottom," a way of describing the famously decentralized method of operating at Harvard.
The Ex (a/k/a "Loeb Ex")
Nickname for the Loeb Experimental Theater, located at 64 Brattle St., a space that hosts up to sixteen theatrical productions each year (see also HRDC ,below).
Expos
Shorthand for the Expository Writing Program. Every Harvard student is required to take an Expos 20 course during the first undergraduate year.
The Expos Files
Shorthand for the small black Expository Writing File Cabinet, located directly to the right of the Reference Desk on Level B in Lamont Library. A drop off and pick up point for Expos assignments, papers, and handouts.
Before there was the ubiquitous social networking site, “Facebook” was a term for the Harvard Freshman Register, which contains photos of incoming students. There is still an internal online directory that lists basic information on all Harvard undergraduates, including, usually, a photo. Access is restricted to members of the community with valid Harvard IDs and PINs.
FAP
The Freshman Arts Program, a cross-disciplinary orientation program offered to a class of 40 incoming freshmen every fall, prior to Freshman Orientation (see Opening Days , below). FAP was established in 1995. Participants are referred to as “FAPpers.”
Acronym for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. FAS includes Harvard College, the Division of Engineering and the Applied Sciences, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS), and the Division of Continuing Education (DCE).
FDO
Acronym for the Harvard College Freshman Dean's Office, located at 6 Prescott St., right outside Harvard Yard.
Originally, a collective name for eight elite all-male associations: the Porcellian, the Phoenix, the Spee, the Delphic, the Owl, the Fly, the A.D., and the Fox. In certain ways, final clubs are Harvard's answer to fraternities. Because they exclude women from membership (among other things), Harvard severed official ties with final clubs in 1984. These off-campus clubhouses continue to be social hotspots for undergraduates, however.
Female social clubs at Harvard are also plentiful. They include the Bee, Kappa Delta Gamma (DG), Kappa Kappa Gamma (Kappa), Kappa Alpha Theta (Theta), the Isis, the Pleiades, the Sabliere Society, and the Seneca.
FIP
Acronym for the Freshman International Program, an orientation program for incoming international students who have either not attended school in the United States or have done so for a short period of time, and for U.S. citizens who have spent most of their lives abroad. FIP immediately precedes the College's orientation program for all new freshmen. FIP is sponsored by the Freshman Dean’s Office (FDO), the Harvard International Office (HIO), and the Woodbridge Society of International Students.
First-Year
Everywhere else, you'd just be a "freshman." At Harvard, you're also commonly called a "first-year."
FOP
Acronym for the First-Year Outdoor Program, which operates under the aegis of the Freshman Dean's Office. FOP sponsors a five-day wilderness trip for incoming students prior to Freshman Orientation (see Freshman Week). Participants are colloquially known as "FOPpers."
FUP
Acronym for the First-Year Urban Program, a student-run public service program that is held one week prior to Freshman Orientation (see Freshman Week, below). FUP introduces incoming first-years to the Boston-Cambridge area and the service community in and around Harvard. Participants are colloquially known as "FUPpies."
Freshman Advisers
See BFA (Board of Freshman Advisers).
See Opening Days
A way of designating a student's year in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS).
The Game
The annual Harvard-Yale football face-off.
Gov Docs
Shorthand for Government Documents and Microforms, special kinds of materials that are located on Levels B and D in Lamont Library. Gov Docs staff and collections are part of a larger Lamont unit called Research Services.
GSAS
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
GSD
Harvard Graduate School of Design (or "Design School").
GSE
Harvard Graduate School of Education (or "Ed School").
The Harvard term for a one-semester course. A "full course" runs two semesters, September through May. A full course that is "indivisible" requires a student to remain enrolled for both terms in order to receive course credit.
Acronym for Harvard University Arts and Sciences Computer Services, the group that manages student internet access, e-mail, the microcomputer labs in the Science center, House, and Freshman Dorm labs, and the computer kiosks on campus. See the HASCS web site for lots of helpful information. Sometimes referred to as FASCS (Faculty of Arts and Sciences Computer Services).
The Hasty (aka "The Pudding" or HPT)
Used to identify The Hasty Pudding Theatricals, located at 12 Holyoke St, one block east of Harvard Square, between Massachusetts Ave and Mt. Auburn St. It was founded in 1795 as a secret eating society; a pot of Hasty Pudding was provided at every meeting. Dating back to 1844, the HPT is the nation's oldest theatrical company, and is famous for its annual spring extravaganza, which feature an all-male undergraduate cast, Man and Woman of the Year ceremonies, and a show-ending kickline.
H-Bomb
One "drops the H-bomb" by admitting to being a Harvard student. While the H-bomb is sometimes used strategically to impress a person in the outside world, the phrase is more typically used to suggest the downside of a Harvard affiliation: it can sometimes be a conversation killer.
H-Bomb is also the name of an edgy student magazine about sex that debuted in spring 2005.
Harvard Business School (also the B-School).
An acronym for the Harvard College Library. HCL is not a place, but rather, a federation of several library units: a central research facility (Widener), an undergraduate library (Lamont), the Cabot Science Library, and five specialized collections (Fine Arts, Harvard-Yenching, Houghton, Loeb Music, and Tozzer). HCL services the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) at Harvard.
HCRP
The Harvard College Research Program funds student-initiated scholarly research and creative endeavors undertaken with a faculty mentor. Students apply for HCRP funding through the Student Employment Office (SEO) by submitting the Common Application for Research and Travel (CARAT), a research proposal, budget, resume, transcript, and a letter of recommendation by the faculty member who will advise the research project. Funding is available for both the summer and the academic year through three application deadlines: summer, fall and spring.
HD
Acronym for the Harvard Depository. HD is an off-site storage facility for library books and is used to solve the space problems that Harvard's vast library collections have created.
Head of the Charles
The annual October regatta held on the Charles River.
HIO
Harvard International Office. Part of Central Administration of Harvard University, HIO offers services to foreign students and scholars at Harvard University, its research centers and affiliated teaching hospitals. HIO provides information on a wide range of topics, including visas (work permits, travel), financial questions, social and cultural differences, and personal concerns.
HIRC
See entry for IRC.
The Harvard Kennedy School. Formerly, the acronym was KSG (Kennedy School of Government).
HLS
Harvard Law School
HMS
Harvard Medical School
HMUN
Acronym for Harvard Model U.N. See entry for IRC.
HoCo
Nickname for a House Committee, the group of student representatives who arrange House activities and organize various services. Each House has its own HoCo.
HOLLIS
The name of our library catalog. HOLLIS is an acronym for Harvard Online Library Information System. It is also a nod to Thomas Hollis, an 18th-century benefactor of the College and its library. (Hollis Hall is also named for him.)
As of fall 2009 HOLLIS exists in two forms: a “classic version” and a “discovery system” that aims to make the searching process simpler and more intuitive.
Hourly
Used as a noun to describe any course examination. Sometimes synonymous with "midterm," but an instructor may administer several "hourlies" throughout a term.
The residences of sophomores, juniors, and seniors. The Harvard House System was modeled on the college systems of Oxford and Cambridge Universities, in England. There are 13 Harvard Houses: Adams, Cabot, Currier, Dudley, Dunster, Eliot, Kirkland, Leverett, Lowell, Mather Pforzheimer, Quincy, and Winthrop.
Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club, an umbrella organization for campus theater.
HSA
Harvard Student Agencies. The largest student-run non-profit company in the world, founded in 1957. It offers Harvard students practical business experience by linking them to high-quality jobs. The Let's Go guides are published under its aegis.
HSPH
Harvard School of Public Health
HUAM
Harvard University Art Museums
HUCTW
Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers, located at 15 Mt. Auburn St.
HUHS
See UHS.
HUL
Acronym for the Harvard University Library. HUL includes the eight main library units of the Harvard College Library (see HCL), the Harvard Depository, the graduate and professional school libraries, and more. Think of it as the entire library system.
HUPD
Harvard University Police Department
HUNAP
Harvard University Native American Program
Shorthand for the Harvard Independent, a student weekly that has been published since 1969.
Interfaculty Initiatives
A University-wide program, overseen by the Office of the Provost, which encourages collaborative activities across the different schools ("faculties") at Harvard. Most have a three-fold mission in which education, research, and outreach are intertwined. Current interfaculty initiatives cover topics in areas such as the Environment, Health, Science, Ethics, and Human Rights. The Advanced Leadership Institute, Institute for Quantitative and Social Science (IQSS), and the Harvard University Native American Program (HUNAP) are also interfaculty initiatives.
Interhouse
Used in several senses to describe shared activities, policies, or relationships between residential units: Interhouse Dining Restrictions limit entrance to some House dining halls on certain days or at certain high-traffic times. Houses with interhouse restrictions typically limit a resident to one guest.
The Interhouse Athletic Council (IAC), which brings together appointed student "athletics secretaries" from each House, co-ordinates intramural sports among upperclassmen.
Interhouse transfer refers to a process by which upperclassmen sometimes petition for a change in House affiliation.
Intersession
Most often used to describe the break between the end of fall final exams and the spring. Also used to describe the period between the end of summer school and the beginning of the fall term. .
IOP
Acronym for the Institute of Politics, affiliated with the Harvard Kennedy School (see HKS, above). A memorial to President John F. Kennedy, the IOP sponsors activities for undergraduate students who aspire to careers in politics and public service.
The International Relations Council is one of Harvard's largest student groups, with more than 400 members. The IRC is dedicated to the promotion of international awareness and education through various student-run programs at Harvard. These programs include Model United Nations conferences (HMUN), a quarterly journal on international affairs (the Harvard International Review), an intercollegiate Model UN team (HNMUN), a program on international education (HPIE), and a Model Security Council (MSC). Sometimes also referred to as HIRC.
IQSS
Institute for Quantitative and Social Sciences
Abbreviation for Junior Common Room. Each Harvard House has its own JCR, more or less the equivalent of the House "living room." In addition to being a space for general socializing, JCRs are also used for house events, meetings, and in some instances, presentations and performances of various kinds.
J. D.
Juris Doctor degree, which is awarded to graduates of the Law School.
Shorthand for the Hong Kong Restaurant, on Massachusetts Avenue, across the street from Lamont Library. Also a verb: "to kong" is to go (and presumably, eat or drink) there.
Kroks
Nickname for the oldest and most prestigious all-male a cappella group at Harvard, the Krokodiloes. Founded in 1946 by the Hasty Pudding Club, the Kroks derive their name from the stuffed reptiles that lined the wall of the Pudding's bar.
See HKS.
The famous Harvard humor magazine, Lampoon was founded in 1876 by undergraduates. Nickname: the ‘Poon.
Let's Go is the well-known, highly-respected series of travel books written by Harvard students and updated each year.
LLM
Master of Law degree (or student pursuing it).
The Malkin Athletic Center, located at 39 Holyoke Street, just across the Charles River.
Masters
The professor or senior administrator who lives in each of the 13 Houses and is responsible for ensuring the quality of House life. He or she may be assisted by a Co-Master.
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, the agency that manages subways, buses, and the commuter rail system.
MCZ
Museum of Comparative Zoology, founded by Louis Agassiz in 1859 as a collection for teaching and research. MCZ is also home to the Ernst Mayer Library and archive.
Mem Church
Shorthand for Memorial Church in Harvard Yard, which stands opposite Widener Library "as a visible reminder of the historical and spiritual heritage that has sustained Harvard for nearly four centuries." Originally a World War I memorial, the church was dedicated on Armistice Day, 1932. Mem Church now honors all alumni who have died in wars. Its services are non-denominational.
Mem Hall
Short for Memorial Hall, located at 45 Quincy Street. Mem Hall houses Annenberg Hall (the freshman dining hall), Sanders Theatre (a lecture and performance space), and Loker Commons (an undergraduate student center of sorts).
MIT
MIT, the other university in Cambridge.
Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations. Pronounced "nelk."
'Noch's
The popular name for Pinocchio's Pizza and Subs, located on Winthrop Street. Pronounced "nokes."
Non-Res Advisers and Non-Res Tutors
Non-res advisers are individuals who belong to the BFA and work with first-year students closely, but do not live on campus or in freshman entryways. Non-Res tutors are affiliated with the Houses that upperclassmen live in but do not live on-site (compare Resident Tutors).
Office of Career Services, located at 54 Dunster St. OCS supports students and alumni of both Harvard College and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in their efforts to find jobs, explore educational opportunities (including both study and travel abroad), apply for fellowships, and so forth.
OFS
Office for Sustainability, home of the Green Campus initiatives.
OGC
Office of the General Counsel. The OGC handles legal matters for the University.
OIP
Office of International Programs
Also called "Freshman Orientation,” this is the 5 day period preceding the start of fall term. During this period, first years take required placement exams, attend informational meetings, explore extracurricular activities, get familiar with roommates, visit with their advisers, and learn their way around campus. This year Lamont Library hosts its famous "Open House" for first year students from 2-5 p.m. on Monday, August 31. For a full schedule of events, see the Calendar of Opening Days.
One-L, Two-L, Three-L
Terms used to designate first-, second-, or third-year law students.
OSL
Overseers
See Board of Overseers.
Acronyms for the Phillips Brooks House Association, a student-run, staff-supported public service organization at Harvard College that provides a variety of social services to the Greater Boston Community.
PCC
Peer Contraceptive Counselors, Harvard undergraduates who are trained to counsel students on issues of sexuality, relationships, STIs, AIDS/HIV, safe sex, and contraception.
PfoHo
Pforzheimer House, a student residence (see "House,"above). Until 1995, it was known as North House (and colloquially, as NoHo).
Pit
The area immediately surrounding the Harvard Square T stop, one of the Square's hubs of street entertainment.
Short for the Harvard Lampoon. A person who works for the Lampoon is sometimes called a "poonster" and sometimes a "phool." A person, place, or thing that comes under the satiric eye of a poonster is said to be "pooned."
Poster
Used as a verb to describe the activity of putting up flyers, announcements of campus events, and other kinds of advertisements in the Yard.
Preceptor
The Harvard name for instructors in the Expository Writing Program. Certain language instructors also have this designation.
Pre-Frosh
A prospective Harvard College student. Each April, Harvard invites new admits to tour campus, attend classes, and learn more about the College during a three-day "Pre-Frosh Weekend."
Prefects
Upperclassmen who work with Proctors to bridge the gap between the Houses and Yard. Prefects concentrate their efforts and activities on helping first-year students make the academic adjustment to Harvard; they also introduce freshmen to many aspects of undergraduate life. The Harvard College Prefect Program is overseen by the Freshman Dean's Office. Verb form: prefecting.
President and Fellows
The formal name for the University's seven-member executive board, also referred as "the Corporation" or "the Harvard Corporation."
Primal Scream
The semi-annual naked romp that Harvard undergraduates make around the Yard. Primal scream happens at midnight before the first scheduled final exam of each semester.
Graduate students or officers of the University who live among freshmen, serve as academic advisers, and direct the events and programs of an entryway.
Pudding
See Hasty.
Punch
Used as a verb (as in "to punch") or as an adjective (a "punch event"). Similar to what "rushing" is at universities that have fraternities and sororities. Students punch for Final Clubs—i.e., try out. Most clubs invite students to punch.
Quadrangle Recreational Activities Center at 66 Garden Street.
Quad
The area enclosed by Currier, Pforzheimer, and Cabot Houses, and also known as the Radcliffe Quad. Students who are "Quadded" after freshman year reside in one of these three houses. To "get Quadded" can also mean to get a raw deal (probably because the Quad is sometimes considered remote from the Yard). Students who live in the Quad are known colloquially as "Quadlings."
Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study
An interdisciplinary center where leading scholars can promote learning and scholarship across a broad array of academic and professional. The Radcliffe Institute offers nondegree instruction and executive education programs and was created when Harvard and Radcliffe formally merged in October 1999.
Radcliffe Yard
The section of campus on and around Garden and Brattle Streets. The Radcliffe Yard is the site of the Schlesinger Library, the Graduate School of Education (GSE), the Agassiz Theatre, the Admissions Office, and the Extension School.
Reading Period
A 7-day period of anxiety at the end of each term, during which one preps for exams or finishes up research papers and projects.
Resident Deans
See Allston Burr Resident Deans, above
Resident Tutors are graduate students or junior faculty members who live in the upper-class Houses and serve as advisers and intellectual role models for undergraduates. They also take initiative in organizing and participating in cultural and extracurricular activities in the House. Non-resident tutors have similar roles, but do not live on-site.
Response
Response (617-495-9600) is a confidential peer-counseling group that deals primarily with issues surrounding relationships, harassment, sexual abuse, and rape.
Room 13
Room 13 is a confidential, peer counseling service available 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. (617-495-4969).
Acronym for Senior Common Room. Following the Oxbridge tradition, the Senior Common Room is a group of people associated with a House: Masters, Tutors, House staff, faculty, honorary associates, visiting fellows, and affiliates, who serve as resources for the undergraduates living there. Something like a House "board of directors," SCR members help shape House policies and activities and contribute in other ways to House life.
SEAS
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Section and Sectioning
Used as a noun, "section" refers to a time slot for a course. Students who register for large language courses or for Expos are routinely assigned to a section. In courses with big enrollments, "section" often refers to the smaller group meetings, usually held weekly, with TFs. "Sectioning" is the process (electronic or otherwise) through which students apply for course placement.
Senior Week
The seven-day period before Commencement.
SEO
Acronym for the Student Employment Office, located at 86 Brattle St.
Shopping Period
The first five days of an academic term at Harvard, before Study Cards are submitted for formal enrollment in a course; during this period, undergraduates can sample classes, sit in on lectures, and review syllabi and readings. Also used as a verb: Harvard students "shop" courses and "go shopping."
SLAM
Student Labor Action Movement, formerly known as the PSLM (Progressive Student Labor Movement).
SOCH
An acronym for the Student Organization Center at Hilles, a site where student groups have offices and collaborative space. SOCH is housed in the Hilles building, formerly the library of Radcliffe College.
Statue of 3 Lies
The John Harvard Statue, located outside of University Hall. Lie #1: He didn't found Harvard (the Massachusetts Bay Colony government did). Lie #2: Harvard started in 1636 not 1638. Lie #3: It's not even John Harvard. No one knows what he looked like since there are no surviving portraits of the man. Daniel Chester French, the sculptor, used a 19th century undergraduate for his model.
Course enrollment forms, which students must formally submit to the Registrar's office, with signatures of their advisers and in some instances, course instructors. The deadline for doing so is referred to as "Study Card Day." Freshmen turn their Study Cards 7 days after classes begin; upperclassmen turn their study cards in 4 days into the academic term.
Short for MBTA. Usually refers to the subway.
Table
A verb that describes a particular kind of use of dining hall tables by student groups or agencies. Typically, students are permitted "to table" in order to provide information of some kind or to encourage participation (e.g., in a blood drive).
Tercentenary Theatre
The part of Harvard Yard bounded by Widener Library, University Hall, Sever Hall, and Memorial Church. It is the site for Commencement.
TF
Acronym for "Teaching Fellow" (at other institutions, sometimes called a "TA" or "Teaching Assistant"). TFs at Harvard may teach sections, conduct tutorials, grade assignments, supervise undergraduate projects, and so forth.
The Towers
The F and G towers of Leverett House.
Tutorials
Independent or small group specialized instruction of undergraduates, one of the distinctive features of a Harvard education. The tutorial system was one of the reforms President A. Lawrence Lowell instituted during his tenure (1909-1933). Most Harvard concentrations feature junior and senior tutorials.
Harvard Undergraduate Council, the elected student government of Harvard College. Composed of about 50 student representatives, the UC organizes social events, funds student groups, and advocates on behalf of the student body to the Administration.
University Health Services. Sometimes referred to as HUHS.
UIS
University Information Systems, for technology infrastructure at Harvard.
UTEP
Undergraduate Teacher Education Program. An elective program for Harvard College students who are committed to public school teaching careers. UTEP is a joint venture between FAS and the Graduate School of Education. Students who successfully complete its requirements are certified to teach middle and high school students after graduation.
The Harvard motto. Latin for "truth."
VES
Department of Visual and Environmental Studies.
The Weatherhead Center for International Affairs. WCFIA is the largest international research center within Harvard University's Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
Whispering Arches
On the outside facade of Sever Hall, there is a groove in the arch. Whisper into it at one end and you'll be heard at the other.
WHRB
Harvard's radio station. Listen to WHRB online or tune in to 95.3 FM.
Most universities have a quadrangle, but Harvard's Yard is divided into two parts. The Old Yard is bordered by the freshmen entryways (dormitories); the New Yard is bordered by Widener Library and Memorial Church.
