Elon Lingo
We use a lot of different terms and acronyms at Elon. Here is a quick reference guide!
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
A
- Acorn Account: Your go-to account for updates about your Elon application and Elon Bound check-list from May-August.
- AER: The Advancing Equity Requirement (AER) is completed through a 4 semester hour course that asks students to reflect on systemic inequity while seeking outcomes where all people can thrive.
- All Access: All Access plans can be used for unlimited visits to “all-you-care-to-eat” facilities (upstairs Clohan, downstairs McEwen, and Lakeside Dining Hall). Multiple visits may be made throughout the day for meals or snacks. If you live in a residence hall on campus, you are required to have at least the All-Access basic meal plan.
- Alt Break: Alternative Breaks are immersive service experiences designed to introduce students to new communities while working to address pressing domestic and global social issues.
B
- Bank of America: Not just a bank, but the roadway on campus where tailgating happens before every home football game!
- Belk: There are two! Belk Library and Belk Pavilion. Make sure you know which one you are going to.
- Block Meals: Can be used at any “all-you-care-to-eat” facilities or any campus retail location (upstairs Clohan and Lakeside Dining Hall, Qdoba Mexican Grill, Winter Garden Cafe, Fountain Market, Java City at KOBC, Steepd, Acorn Coffee Shop, or Einstein Bros Bagels).
- Bursar’s Office: The Bursar’s Office helps students and families manage your bill and financial account with the university.
- Burst the Bubble: Programs are free, student-led, non-credit sessions during Winter term where students who have a talent, interest or skill share their knowledge with their peers. Typically, a Burst the Bubble program meets three times — once a week — for an hour each time. There isn’t any homework, tests, outside assignments or grades however there is a ton of fun learning (or leading others!) to knit, strum a guitar, play Dungeons and Dragons, swing dance, paint, do a standup routine or cook authentic Greek cuisine.
C
- Campus Box Number: All enrolled full-time undergraduate students are assigned a campus box number to use for their mailing address. Campus box assignments for new students will be available by the end of July and can be found by logging into your OnTrack account. Address all mail in the following way:
- Student First and Last Name
XXXXX Campus Box
Elon, NC 27244
- Student First and Last Name
- CFL: The Center for Leadership is focused on supporting students as they learn, practice, and make meaning of being a leader at Elon and beyond.
- College Coffee: This weekly campus wide event brings Elon faculty, staff and students together to build community and develop friendships. College Coffee offers conversation in a relaxed atmosphere with snacks and beverages to sustain everyone until lunch. This event is every Tuesday from 9:40 a.m. to 10:20 a.m. on Phi Beta Kappa Plaza and is one of Elon’s oldest traditions.
- Community Directors (CD): Professional staff who engage students and offer support and resources within their assigned residential neighborhood.
- Cram Jam: Late-night pancakes, bacon, eggs, and potatoes are served to you during finals week by professors and staff who (might) feel a little bit guilty for assigning you that cumulative final exam. Sponsored by the Student Union Board (SUB), come with friends to the Lakeside Dining Hall to fuel up, take a few moments to relax and then jump back into studying for your exams.
- CREDE: The Center for Race Ethnicity and Diversity Education is a physical space located on the second floor of Moseley, is a support center for Students of Color, and provides educational opportunities and resources to the campus.
D
- Dan: An abbreviation of the Danieley Center Neighborhood; it may refer to the residence halls or the entire neighborhood.
- Doba: Refers to Qdoba in the Danieley Commons.
E
- E-Alert: Elon University’s E-Alert notification system enables officials to send urgent news to your cell phone. Elon can text your cell phone and email you timely information about emergencies, class cancellations and important weather updates.
- EET: The Elon Experiences Transcript documents a student’s participation in the five program areas that make up the Elon Experiences: Global Engagement, Service, Leadership, Internships, and Undergraduate Research.
- Elon 1010: A one credit-hour seminar course that integrates academic advising with other academic orientation elements.
- Elon Day: Your opportunity to join 24 hours of giving and celebrating Elon!
- ElonTHON: This student-run, dance marathon raises money to benefit Duke Children’s Hospital in Durham, North Carolina.
- ENN: Elon News Network is Elon University’s student-run news organization.
- The Experiential Learning Requirement (ELR): Engages students in opportunities that integrate knowledge and experience, and fosters an understanding and life-long appreciation for learning. Students complete this requirement by being an intern, studying abroad, (or through Study USA) conducting independent research, taking part in a service-learning project, or holding a leadership position.
- The Elon Bubble: An invisible barrier encapsulating Elon University which separates students from the surrounding community.
F
- Fake Break: Refers to the break from classes which occurs between the end of January term and the beginning of the spring semester.
- FDOC: First day of class.
- Fellows: A highly-selective, merit-based program at Elon designed for students who are looking for additional challenge and opportunity during their college experience. Learn more about all Fellows, Honors, and Scholar opportunities.
- FERPA: The federal policy that outlines rights, protections, and privacy of your student records. For example, a FERPA release is needed to share information with parents/guardians.
- FIRE2 Toolkit: The Facilitating Integration and Reflection of the Elon Experiences FIRE2 Toolkit is intended to foster students’ self-reflection and mentoring conversations with peers, staff, and faculty in order to deepen students’ Elon Experiences.
- FixIt: Our work order system, is the place to submit work requests, inquire about an existing work order, or research information on your completed work orders. If something is broken in your room, this is where you would go to request a repair.
- Fonville Fountain: The large fountain outside Alamance Hall on Scott Plaza.
- Food Dollars: Funds added by the cardholder. They can be used at any campus dining facility and are automatically deducted with each swipe of your Phoenix Card when you specify “Food Dollars” at checkout. When using Food Dollars, you will receive a 15 percent discount at the point of sale. Although Food Dollars are not included in any meal plan, they are a great substitute if you exhaust your Meal Dollars during the semester.
- Fountain Market: A retail dining location located in Clohan Hall.
G
- GEC: The Isabella Cannon Global Education Center is a hub for global activity at Elon, providing services for international students and scholars and for all students interested in Elon’s many Global Engagement programs, both abroad and within the USA.
- GLC: The Gender & LGBTQIA Center partners across campus and community to support, advocate, and educate around gender and LGBTQIA identities to create an inclusive campus community of equity, justice, and academic excellence for students, employees, and alumni.
- The Great Hall: The large room reminiscent of Hogwarts housed in Global Commons
- Guest Meals: are a portion of the All Access meal plans that can be used to treat a guest.
H
- Harry Potter Room: Formally known as the Inman Reading Room, this room in Lindner Hall features high-back chairs and dim lighting and is always deathly quiet — reminiscent of the restricted section of the library at Hogwarts.
- HBB: Hook, Brannock, and Barney Residence Halls.
- HealthEU: The HealthEU initiative aims to empower every individual in our community to actively implement and integrate wellness values in their daily lives, with their peers and in their greater purpose by providing access to resources, educational tools and support through the six dimensions of well-being: community, emotional, financial, physical, purpose, and social.
- Honor Code: A guide of all policies and procedures that Elon students must adhere to. The honor code is broken down into 4 tenets: Honesty, Integrity, Respect and Responsibility. The Elon University honor system presents the expectations of the university that individuals will act in a manner that is respectful of the rights and privileges of others.
I
- Inman Reading Room: Informally known as the “Harry Potter Room”, this room in Lindner Hall features high-back chairs and dim lighting and is always deathly quiet — reminiscent of the restricted section of the library at Hogwarts.
- IQ: The Innovation Quad.
J
- January (J-term) Term: Also referred to as “winter term.” This refers to the shortened academic semester which occurs between the fall and spring semesters. Elon functions on a three-semester system which includes this January term.
K
- Kernodle: Refers to the Kernodle Center for Civic Life that serves as the convener of community-based engaged and experiential student learning opportunities in collaboration with faculty, staff, and community partners to address the common good.
- KLC: Koenigsberger Learning Center, connected to Belk Library, is home to Academic Advising, Disabilities Resources, and Learning Assistance. You will also find tons of study space, some classrooms and meeting spaces, and the Acorn Coffee Shop.
- KOBC: An acronym for the Koury Business Center, home of business classes and unofficial home of business students.
- Koury: There are two! Koury Athletic Center and Koury Business Center (KOBC). Make sure you know which one you are going to.
L
- Late Night: Lakeside Dining Hall hosts late night hours Thursday-Saturday throughout the academic year!
- Late Night Elon (LNE): Programming sponsored by Student Involvement that runs every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday late night providing on-campus fun!
- LDOC: Last day of class.
- Living-Learning Communities (LLC): On-campus housing geared towards a specific student interest or academic focus. Students live together within these communities and often take a class together as well. Each LLC has faculty and/or staff advisors and a peer mentor to support the academic and social activities of the community.
- Loy: The Loy Center is a residential community that connects students’ fraternity/sorority involvement with their living arrangements in a way that builds strong relationships.
- Loy Farm: The Elon Environmental Center at Loy Farm demonstrates the integration of food and natural systems with the built environment. Loy Farm plays host to a number of Environmental Studies classes. In addition, its activities and functions include food and farming systems, the Design Build Studio for Responsible Architecture, the Piedmont Prairie Ecological Restoration Project, and long-term ecological research.
- Luminaries: Formally the Festival of Lights and Luminaries; in early December the Elon community gathers together in celebration of the winter season. Stroll through this historic campus with thousands of luminaries illuminating the pathways and learn more about the shared imagery of light found in our religious, spiritual, ethical, and cultural traditions.
M
- McEwen: There are two! McEwen Dining Hall and McEwen Communications Building. Make sure you know which one you are going to.
- Meal Dollars: Are pre-set amounts you can use with each meal plan. Meal Dollars can be used at any campus dining facility and are automatically deducted with each swipe of your Phoenix Card when you specify “Meal Dollars” at checkout.
- Meal Exchanges: Are set retail combos available at all retail locations on campus. A typical meal exchange consists of an entrée, side, and drink.
- Meal Swipes: Can be used in our residential dining halls. Once you swipe in, you can enjoy an all-you-care-to-eat meal. All Access Plans come with unlimited Meal Swipes, while Block Plans come with a set amount of swipes that roll over between semesters, but drop at the end of each year.
- Media Services: Provides short-term equipment checkouts to students, staff, and faculty for a wide variety of projects. Whether you need a projector for a presentation, a video camera for a communications project, or just an HDMI adapter for your laptop, the Media Services team is here to help.
- Moodle: A secure site where students have access to the classes that they are currently enrolled in. Professors typically use Moodle as the software where work is assigned and communication can occur among students and professors.
N
- Nades: An abbreviation of Colonnades; it may refer to the dining hall, residence halls or the entire neighborhood.
- Neighborhood: Elon refers to its residence hall communities as Neighborhoods. Each community is grouped together based on its geographic location. We have eight neighborhoods on the Elon campus: Loy Center, Danieley Center, Colonnades, Global, East, Historic, Oaks, and Station at Mill Point.
- Numen Lumen: One of Elon’s oldest of traditions, serving as a weekly reminder that the purpose of an Elon education is to see each student as a whole person whose mind, body and spirit deserve respect. It is a time and space to take a break from the busyness of the week and refresh the spirit. It is not a “worship service” but a time of reflection with a speaker and a musical or artistic performance provided by students, faculty, staff or special guests. Numen Lumen is held each Thursday from 9:50 to 10:20 a.m. in the Numen Lumen Pavilion and is open to the entire Elon community. It is also found on the University seal as the official motto of Elon University, it means, “spiritual and intellectual light.”
O
- OnTrack: A secure site that provides numerous services to students, faculty, staff and alumni. OnTrack is a Web interface that allows access to a variety of information that is stored in the administrative database.
- Org Fair: Typically hosted the first week of classes in the fall and spring semesters – your opportunity to checkout all the different organizations at Elon and get involved!
- Orientation Leader (OL): Your OL is a sophomore, junior, or senior who is excited and ready to welcome you to campus! These passionate student leaders are your guides throughout New Student Orientation and beyond.
P
- PARC: The Phoenix Activities & Recreation Center features a large space outfitted for two side by side basketball courts or two side by side volleyball courts. This facility also houses a 1,300 square foot fitness center that includes cardiovascular and strength equipment in the Danieley Center Neighborhood.
- Peer Educator (PE): A sophomore, junior, or senior who serves to assist the Elon 1010 instructor during the Elon 1010 class and is an advocate for First-Year Elon students.
- Pendulum: The weekly print newspaper produced by Elon News Network.
- The Phoenix: The Phoenix became Elon’s mascot in 2000. It symbolizes Elon’s triumphant recovery from the 1923 fire and our fighting spirit.
- Phoenix Card: An all-in-one card that allows you to purchase meals at dining halls, gain access to campus buildings, check out books at the Belk Library, get into Campus RecWell, and so much more.
- Phoenix Cash: Though Phoenix Cash does not come with any of our meal plans, this Elon University tender can be used at any of our dining locations. It can also be used at several campus shops, such as the book store and the print shop, so it is best to utilize Meal Dollars at dining locations first.
- PhoenixCONNECT: An online resource where students can see all of the clubs and organizations on campus. Forms and applications related to these clubs can be completed on this site. This is also a great resource to see all the various events happening on campus!
Q
R
- Rave Guardian: We encourage all Elon University community members to download the RAVE Guardian Safety App. RAVE gives users two-way communication direct to Campus Safety & Police. Students and employees can share information anonymously (if desired) through text, photo, or video directly from their smart phones. Additionally, app users can receive important broadcast notifications sent by the Campus Safety and Police.
- Reading Day: The day immediately prior to the start of final examinations in each semester. This day is set specifically aside for academic pursuit.
- RecWell: Campus Recreation and Wellness provides a variety of recreational and educational facilities, programs, and services across five program areas: Facilities, Student Wellness Programs, Fitness Programs, Sport Programs, and Experiential Learning & Outdoor Adventures.
- Registrar: The Registrar’s Office is responsible for maintaining student records and academic policies. They oversee processes related to student registration, enrollment, grading, and graduation. Registrars typically manage course schedules, academic calendars, and official transcripts.
- Resident Assistant (RA): Student leaders who serve as a resource and mentor to residents in the neighborhoods.
S
- Safeline: Elon University provides comprehensive response to issues of sexual violence, interpersonal violence, stalking, bias, harassment and hate. A confidential advocate can listen to your experience, discuss options and resources, and help support you through processes should you choose to engage with them. If you are seeking confidential advocacy, please contact AK Krauss, Assistant Director of the GLC for Violence Response at akrauss3@elon.edu or (336)278-5009, or contact Safeline 24/7 at 336-278-3333.
- Schar: There are two! Schar the communications building and Schar Center where Elon’s basketball and volleyball teams play. Make sure you know which one you are going to.
- SGA: The Student Government Association‘s primary goal is to enhance student life and ensure that every member of our diverse student body feels valued, heard, and supported. Consider running for office!
- SIDE Swipes: The Student Initiated Dining Engagement (SIDE) program allows students to invite faculty or staff members to lunch, coffee, or a snack! Get to know your faculty and staff over a meal and engage in conversation.
- South Campus: The Elon campus that sits south of the railroad tracks. Home to Student Health Services, Counseling Series, the Psychology Building, University Advancement, University Communications, Holt Chapel, Holland House, the Driving Range, South Gym, and the intramural fields.
- SPDC: The Student Professional Development Center, the office that will assist with every step of the career development process – from self-exploration to the job or graduate school search.
- Student Planning: Allows students to build comprehensive academic plans, request reviews by their advisors, view a timeline of their academic record, and register for classes, along with many other features.
- SUB: The Student Union Board is dedicated to providing students with a variety of entertaining programs. It provides opportunities for students to get involved and participate in these events and gain experiences in responsibility, leadership, and program planning and implementation. SUB sponsors weekly events every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night.
- SURF Day: Refers to a Tuesday in April when no classes are held, and is instead, the time is used for students to present their undergraduate research.
T
- Take a Student to Lunch: The program is designed for Faculty or Staff members to invite students for a meal, coffee, or snack and use the time to get to know each other better and/or to discuss projects, events, or activities. Similar to SIDE Swipes, which is student initiated.
U
- Under the Oaks: Refers to the space by West Hall, McEwen, and the Schar Communications building which is utilized for New Student Convocation and other important events.
V
W
- Winter Garden Cafe: A retail dining location located in Lakeside Dining Hall.
- Winter Term: Also referred to as “J-Term.” This refers to the shortened academic semester which occurs between the fall and spring semesters. Elon functions on a three-semester system which includes this January term.
- Writing Center: All Elon are encouraged to visit the Writing Center with all of their writing projects, including academic writing, professional writing, personal writing, and extra-curricular writing.