Ramspeak

Cornell College prides itself in creating a unique learning environment, and this comes with it’s own unique language.  Below are commonly used terms at Cornell that will help you learn the language as you settle in here.

Accommodations – refers to the process/event where students are able to add classes to their schedule to terms they were unable to get into during the normal registration period.

BACO – Black Awareness Cultural Organization

Bidding  - using points to “bid” on courses that may fill up during registration. In general, students have a total of 10 points per number of terms for which they are registering.

Block – also known as a term. Block refers to the  3 ½ weeks scheduled for each course.

C&G – Chess and Games – a student group on campus.

The Commons – Cornell’s Student Center – the main hub of campus.

Course Catalogue – Your academic guide to degree, major, and minor requirements; course descriptions; and academic regulations that are important to know for you r success at Cornell.

CR – Cedar Rapids – located just 20 minutes away.

CUE – Cultural Understanding and Exploration.

15 Day Drop - Withdrawal from a course on the 15th day of the block.

IC – Iowa City – located just 30 minutes away.

IMs - Intramurals

Kiosk  - Three Cement pillars located outside of Bowman Carter facing the Commons.  These are painted by students to advertise for events and send messages to friends.

KRNL – Campus radio station call letters.

NSO – New Student Orientation

OC – Orange Carpet – located on the second floor of the Commons – main hub of campus.

OCAAT – One Course At A Time – The block plan

OL – Orientation Leader

OLA – Organization for Latino Awareness.

PA – Peer Advisor

PAAC – Performing Arts and Activities Council – plan activities for the entire student body.

PR – Pauley Rorem Residence Hall

RA – Resident Assistant

Rams – the campus mascot

RATT – The Rathskeller – A fast food, starbucks offering café located on the 2nd floor of the Commons.

Scramble – The area in Sodexho where food is served.

Semester – At Cornell this is broken down by Blocks 1-4 and 5-9.

Senate – Cornell’s student governing body.

Sodexho – The dining service provider at Cornell – also refers to the dining room or cafeteria.

STC – Student Theatre Council

Term – refers to the one course that you take at a time. A term is 3 ½ weeks long.

Term Table – also known as the Course Schedule.

Tri-Hall – Pfeiffer, Dows, and Tarr  Residence halls.

TWRG – Third Wave Resource Group – a student organization on campus.

Validation – All enrollment details can be handled in one place, at one time, and without long lines.  We call it validation.  It is held in the Multi-Sport Center arena.  When you arrive at the arena you will receive a checklist identifying the various campus offices represented and pointing out which of their tables you need to visit.  

WD – Withdrawal

WH – Health Withdrawal