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An Assortment of Acronyms and Abbreviations at Penn

Below is an admittedly partial list of some of the many Penn acronyms and abbreviations; some have been around for decades and others are relatively new to the University. There are some that were on the first such list that Almanac published a dozen years ago, “A Primer of the Plethora of Penn Acronyms” (Almanac October 14, 2003), and others that came along by the time the second such list appeared (Almanac October 14, 2008). Many others now exist that were not yet around then.

An Assortment of Acronyms and Abbreviations at Penn

AARC logoAARC: African-American Resource Center, provides counseling, information, referral, workshops and advocacy to any member of the Penn community, with a particular focus on those of African descent.

ABA: Association of Business Administrators, promotes the exchange of information as well as communication among administrators of the University’s business and members of the association.

ACASA: Ackoff Collaboratory for Advancement of the Systems Approach, a think-tank created in 2000 by SEAS.

ARCH: Arts, Research and Culture House, home to three of Penn’s cultural resource centers: La Casa Latina, Makuu and PAACH, in addition to CURF and an eatery.

ASEF-PSOM: Association of Senior and Emeritus Faculty of the Perelman School of Medicine.

BBB: Biological Basis of Behavior, interdisciplinary major taught by faculty and staff in SAS, PSOM and Veterinary Medicine, created in 1978, one of the first neuroscience undergraduate programs in the country.

BEN: Business Enterprise Network, the suite of web-based applications that supports University-wide financial functions, released in 2000.

CAPS: Counseling and Psychological Services, provides free professional services to students who are having personal, social, academic and career issues.

CAROT: Center for Advanced Retinal and Ophthalmic Therapeutics, advancing the development of novel biologic and small molecule therapeutics for retinal and ocular diseases.

CASI logoCASI: Center for the Advanced Study of India, the first research institute in the US focused on contemporary India, founded in 1992.

CCN: Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, established in 1999.

CHOP: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, established in 1855, the first hospital in the US dedicated solely to the care of children, moved to this location in 1974, home to Penn’s pediatric department.

CIS: Center for Italian Studies, fosters the study of Italian language and culture from an interdisciplinary perspective, created in 1978, the first such center in the country.

CIS: Department of Computer and Information Science in SEAS.

CPCW logoCPCW: The Center for Programs in Contemporary Writing, formed in 2013 to bring together Penn’s writing programs, entities and projects into a collaborative whole.

CREF: China Research and Engagement Fund, five-year competitive matching program designed to stimulate and support activity in China and engagement with the PWCC, established in 2015.

CRESP: Center for Research and Evaluation in Social Policy, focuses on reviewing, generating and analyzing quality evidence relevant to policy in education and related social services fields.

CRRUCS: Center for Research on Religion and Urban Civil Society.

CRRWH: Center for Research on Reproduction and Women’s Health, a biomedical research enterprise that aims to increase the understanding of human reproduction and promote the wellbeing of women.

C-SAIL: Center on Standards, Alignment, Instruction and Learning, examines and evaluates how different college- and career-ready standards are implemented.

CSCC: Center for the Study of Contemporary China, established in 2012 to advance Penn’s leadership in programs, research and scholarship about the various factors shaping China and its role in the world today.

CURF logoCURF: Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships, supports and endorses students applying for the major, international, post-graduate and other competitive fellowships.

CWiC: Communication Within the Curriculum, launched as a pilot project, Speaking Across the University (SATU). In 2002 it became CWiC; it supports speaking as a means of communication and learning.

DAR: Development and Alumni Relations, manages programming of activities, communications outreach, and services designed to attract, inform and involve Penn’s alumni.

DMD: Digital Media Design, multidisciplinary undergraduate program, based in SEAS, with curriculum from the School of Design and the Annenberg School, created in 1998.

DPS: Division of Public Safety, collaborative effort between sworn University of Pennsylvania Police Officers, other personnel and several safety, security and law enforcement agencies.

DRIA: Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics.

DRL: David Rittenhouse Laboratory building, home to departments of mathematics and physics & astronomy, built in 1954, enlarged in 1967.

EHRS logoEHRS: Environmental Health & Radiation Safety, ensures compliance with government regulations regarding hazards, provides safety-related support services to Penn.

GEMS: Girls in Engineering, Math and Science Camp, launched in 2008, an opportunity for Philadelphia area middle school girls to spend a week participating in hands-on engineering activities at Penn.

GIC: Greenfield Intercultural Center, established in 1984 to address the needs of Penn’s increasingly diverse community.

GRASP: General Robotics, Automation, Sensing and Perception lab, a multi-disciplinary research lab housed in SEAS, established in 1979.

GSE: Graduate School of Education.

HR: Human Resources, the division dedicated to the recruitment, employment, development and retention of faculty and staff.

HUP: Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

IAST: Institute for Advanced Science and Technology.

IBI: Penn Institute for Biomedical Informatics, formerly PCBI.

ICA: Institute of Contemporary Art, founded in 1963 at Penn by former dean to expose students to what was “new and happening” in art and culture, in its own building since 1990.

ILI: International Literacy Institute, established in 1994 by UNESCO and Penn’s GSE.

IME: Institute for Medicine and Engineering, founded in 1996.

IOA: Institute on Aging, increases the quality and quantity of clinical and basic research as well as educational programs that focus on normal aging and aging-related diseases, founded in 1979.

IRCS: Institute for Research in Cognitive Science, fosters collaboration among departments in linguistics, mathematical logic, philosophy, psychology, computer science and neuroscience, established in 1990.

IRM: Institute for Regenerative Medicine, creates new cells and tissues for research, diagnostics and organ repair and replacement therapies.

ISAC: Integrating Sustainability Across the Curriculum, program established in 2012 to help Penn faculty introduce environmental sustainability into existing and new courses.

ISC: Information Systems and Computing, Penn’s central information technology organization, which provides infrastructure, services and support.

ISTAR: Institute for Strategic Threat Analysis and Response, created as a reaction to 9/11 attacks in the US, conducts research and analysis in the fields of risk assessment and strategic threat response.

ITMAT: Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, founded in 2005.

IUR logoIUR: Penn Institute for Urban Research, interested in global effects of growing urban populations and implications for public policy, founded in 2004.

JWS: Joseph Wharton Scholars, program founded in 1988 to emphasize the importance of scholarly research and the liberal arts and sciences within the framework of a business education.

KWH: Kelly Writers House, provides a supportive and accessible atmosphere where Penn writers of all kinds can share their works and ideas and enhance their writing skills together, founded in 1995.

LDI: Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, established in 1967, a cooperative venture among Penn’s schools of dentistry, medicine, nursing, law, Annenberg and Wharton; a center for health services research, health policy analysis and health care management executive education.

LGBT Center logoLGBT 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, established in 1998 by the SON.

LPS: College of Liberal and Professional Studies, the continuing studies and lifelong learning division of SAS, formerly College of General Studies (CGS).

LRSM: Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter, the center for materials research created in 1960 to foster collaborative, interdisciplinary research.

LUCY: Loop through University City, SEPTA circulator bus, started in 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, resource for students in the College to sample other majors.

MMS: Multi-Media Services, an instructional technology group that is part of SAS Computing and provides audio/visual support for academic and campus events.

MUSA: Master of Urban Spatial Analytics, interdisciplinary master’s program coupling spatial analysis skills and knowledge in an urban content area, jointly administered by IUR and PennDesign, launched in 2005.

NBC: New Bolton Center, a 700-acre campus located in Kennett Square, Chester County—home of the School of Veterinary Medicine’s George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals, as well as a swine center, working dairy and poultry unit that provide research for agricultural industry.

NCAL: National Center on Adult Literacy, established at GSE in 1990.

NCOFF: National Center on Fathers and Families, an interdisciplinary policy research center established in 1994 at GSE to improve the wellbeing of children.

NELC: Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations, department that engages in interdisciplinary humanistic study and teaching of culture of the Near East.

NGSS: Next Generation Student Systems, developing the Pennant suite of systems including the first of three advancements, Pennant Accounts, which comprises the core student-profile and accounts-receivable application.

NSO: New Student Orientation, held at the beginning of the fall semester for incoming undergrads.

OCR: On Campus Recruiting, service that enables organizations to come to campus to interview students for post-graduate jobs and summer internships, managed by Career Services.

OID: Operations, Information and Decisions, Wharton department that trains students on business decision making. Formerly Operations and Information Management.

PACE: Programs for Awareness in Cultural Education, established in 1993 to facilitate dialogues across dimensions at GIC.

PASEF: Penn Association of Senior and Emeritus Faculty, organizes activities that encourage retired faculty members to continue to be active at Penn.

PASS: Program for Advanced Standing Students, two-year program designed for graduates of foreign dental schools who want to practice dentistry in the US, established in 1986.

PCAM: Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine.

PCC: Penn Children’s Center, provides child care for children ages three months to five years, administered by Business Services.

PCI logoPCI: Penn Center for Innovation, formerly the Center for Technology Transfer (CTT), helps to translate Penn discoveries and ideas into new products and businesses for the benefit of society and facilitates technology development connections between Penn and the private sector.

PENNCAP: College Achievement Program, established in 1971 through the Higher Education Equal Opportunity Program, works closely with academically talented students, many from low-income or first generation backgrounds, to support their success at Penn.

PennFLL: Penn FIRST LEGO League, team-based robotics competition for middle school students hosted by Penn in partnership with GRASP Lab and the School District of Philadelphia’s Secondary Robotics Initiative.

PennSTAR: Penn Specialized Tertiary Aeromedical Response, provides air and ground medical transportation within a 100-mile radius of Penn Med, provides transport of critical care patients between medical centers, as well as “on-scene” services at the site of accidents and trauma-related incidents. Helicopters and critical care ambulance operate 24/7.

TEM logoPennTEM: Penn Travel & Expense Management, the central travel department for University faculty, staff, students and guests, began in 2011 with the introduction of the online booking tool, Concur.

PHF: Penn Humanities Forum, runs annual topic-based programs and broader initiatives to invite those on and off campus to consider their common stake in the “thinking arts” since 1999.

PIER logoPIER: Penn Institute for Economic Research, founded in 1993.

PMI: Pennsylvania Muscle Institute, interdisciplinary group of research investigators with a mission to discover the mechanisms of muscle function, muscle disease and motile biological systems, develop technologies for the study of muscle and motile systems, and provide education and training.

PPE: Philosophy, Politics and Economics, cross-disciplinary undergraduate major in SAS.

PPSA: Penn Professional Staff Assembly, a network to serve monthly paid staff members at Penn.

PRECISE: Penn Research in Embedded Computing and Integrated Systems Engineering, founded in 2008.

PRP: Penn Reading Project, first started in 1991 with the book The Bacchae, PRP was created as an introduction for incoming freshmen to academic life at the University, part of NSO.

PSA: Penn Student Agencies, uses experiential learning model to provide students with a chance to live and learn entrepreneurship and business management, encompasses 10 agencies, first established in 1993 as “Self-Supporting Students,” adopted the PSA name in 1975 after other name changes.

PSOM: Perelman School of Medicine.

PVI logoPVN: Penn Video Network, closed-circuit campus cable television service and special video event network, first established in 1991 as the “Academic Video Network.”

PWC: Penn Women’s Center, founded in 1973, promotes gender justice at Penn and beyond.

PWCC: Penn Wharton China Center, opened in 2015, provides support for programs and collaborations between Penn’s 12 schools and academic, government and business partners in China.

RAD: Rape Aggression Defense, course for women about awareness, prevention, risk reduction and avoidance, and basics of hands-on defense training.

RAP-Line: Reach-A-Peer Helpline/Online, peer listener and reader program supported by the Office of Health Education, provides peer support, information and referrals.

SALT: Student Affairs Leadership Team, campus-wide collaboration of student affairs professionals, affiliated faculty, graduate students and other campus stakeholders, hosts open quarterly meetings on topics in student affairs and an annual conference. SAS: School of Arts & Sciences.

SAVA: Student Anti-Violence Advocate training, an interactive 6-hour training that educates students about the prevalence and impact of sexual violence, relationship violence and stalking.

SDM: School of Dental Medicine.

SEAS: School of Engineering & 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 founded in 1987 by three Wharton MBA students; the largest student-run credit union in the nation, the first and only student-run one in the Ivy League. 

SHS: Student Health Service, a full-service primary care center providing care designed to meet student needs.

SON: School of Nursing.

SP2: School of Social Policy & Practice.

SRFS: Office of Student Registration and Financial Services, provides financial services, products, counseling resources and information to meet the needs of students and their families, provides means for students to register for courses, maintains accurate records of academic achievement and student data, provides transcripts and schedules use of classrooms.

STAAR: Students Together Against Acquaintance Rape, a peer health program founded in the late 1980s, part of Office of Health Education.

TAP: Thrive at Penn, an online pre-orientation program that prepares students to make healthy choices as they begin their University experience, covers wellness and health, sexual violence prevention, risks associated with alcohol and drugs and other areas.

TPACE: Teaching Performing Art for Cross-Cultural Education, partnership between GIC and GSE, trains students to increase cross-cultural awareness.

UC: University Council, the University-wide advisory body, with representatives from all of the major constituencies.

UCD logoUCD: University City District, established by a partnership of University City institutions, businesses and community organizations in 1997, has worked to make the area cleaner and safer, and has also revitalized neighborhoods and been a partner in city-wide events.

ULAR: University Laboratory Animal Resources, provides veterinary care, animal husbandry and regulatory support for biomedical research schools at Penn and contributes to the animal care program.

UPHS: University of Pennsylvania Health System.

UPPD: University of Pennsylvania Police Department, part of DPS.

VPUL: Vice Provost for University Life, a division that nurtures the interests and aspirations of Penn students through activities, resources & service centers.

WIC: Weigle Information Commons, on the first floor of Van Pelt-Dietrich Library, supports collaborative learning using the latest technology.

WOCAP: Women of Color at Penn, committee organizes the annual Women of Color at Penn Day to award members of the Penn community who have made a difference in the lives of women of color.

WPPSA: Weekly-paid Professional Staff Assembly, formerly the A-3 Assembly, representing non-exempt and non-union employees.

WPTP: West Philadelphia Tutoring Project, program of Civic House, engages over 300 Penn student volunteers tutoring students aged 7-19 at local schools and on Penn’s campus.

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