"The University of Virginia is a very complex machine," said University Rector Thomas Farrell, II. While Farrell was referring to the intricacies of funding a quality education system, a research institution, a hospital and more, incoming students have their own reasons to be overwhelmed. For one thing, there is a lot of University lingo to learn ...
A-School: The School of Architecture.
Academical Village: The original University as designed by Thomas Jefferson. A World Heritage Site, as defined by UNESCO, it consists primarily of the Rotunda and 10 pavilions linked by student rooms and colonnades. The pavilions originally served as homes and classrooms for professors.
"Jefferson wrote that a university should be not one big building but a village," Pendleton Hogan said in his 1985 book, "The Lawn."
Beta Bridge: "A place for groups and organizations to get their word out about upcoming events," according to fourth-year Engineering student Thomas Meriwether. He added that students can go out in the middle of the night to paint messages on this "ever-changing billboard" where Rugby road crosses the railroad tracks. If an old message is painted over, there are no hard feelings, Meriwether explained.
Board of Visitors: The University's chief governing body.
"The easiest way to understand it is to think in terms of the board of a corporation," Vice Rector Heywood Fralin said. "While it is clearly the responsibility of the administration and faculty to provide the education, the board wants to do everything in its power to help provide the resources with which to accomplish this mission."
College: Shorthand for the College of Arts and Sciences.
The Corner: Located to the northeast of the Academical Village, this heavily-frequented commercial district along University Ave. features "just a good variety of food and different types of bars," fourth-year College student Joe Orville said. It is also home to the closest Starbucks to Central Grounds.
Dean: The administrator in charge of each school. Reporting directly to the provost, the dean serves as a link between the higher administration and the faculty and students of his or her school. This led Edward Ayers, dean of the College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, to describe the job as "the people who are in the middle of things."
Dorm Sing: A number of a cappella groups assemble near a set of dorms to present a mini-concert.
E-School: The School of Engineering and Applied Science.
Grounds: "Jefferson seems never to have used the word campus," Hogan wrote. This idiosyncrasy lives on today.
JPA: Jefferson Park Avenue, the street that runs behind New Cabell Hall.
Lawn: The traditional name for the quad in the middle of the Academical Village.
Mad Bowl: The large field between Rugby Rd. and Madison Ave. where numerous sports, including rugby, are often played.
New Dorms: The Alderman Rd. residence area, a housing option for first years.
O-Hill: Observatory Hill, a dining hall located between New Dorms and Old Dorms. The original building was demolished last year and replaced by a much larger facility. There is, in fact, an observatory at the top of the nearby hill.
Old Dorms: The McCormick Rd. residence area.
The Pav: Pavilion XI, a food court located in Newcomb Hall. The name is a reference to the 10 pavilions that make up the Academical Village.
Provost: Provost Gene Block said his title typically refers to the chief academic officer of an institution. Block said he oversees the programs and budget of the individual schools, libraries, museums and other specialized institutes and centers.
Rector: A position created by state law, "the rector, in actuality, is the head of the University of Virginia," Farrell said, adding that the state appointed Jefferson to be the first rector in 1819.
"But as a practical matter, that [power] is delegated to the president," Farrell said.
The rector serves as the chairman of the Board of Visitors.
Registrar: The University's chief record-keeper. According to information supplied by Associate Registrar Jonathan Helm, the registrar's office collects and posts grades, produces transcripts, facilitates the course enrollment process and oversees the operation of ISIS.
Rotunda: Modeled after the Roman Pantheon, the Rotunda is the central building of the Academical Village and the University's first library.
In December 1822, Jefferson wrote a letter defending the great expense of his domed library in which he said, "Our aim from the beginning has been to make the establishment the most eminent in the United States."
Jefferson doubted this could be achieved "had we built a barn for a College, and log huts for accommodations [sic]."
Rugby Road: The road most commonly known for its profusion of fraternity houses.
Runk: While located near Hereford Residential College, this dining hall is open to all students.
Rush: A process by which large groups of students come together to explore sorority and fraternity options. Second-year College student Jeannette McCarthy said prospective sorority members begin by visiting each house and narrowing their choices down over several days. Prospective fraternity members, on the other hand, are not required to visit every house.
"In the end, you either find [a group of] people you want to be part of or you don't," McCarthy said.
U-Hall: University Hall. Once home to the men's and women's basketball teams, it has been superseded by the John Paul Jones Arena.
VISTAA: Virginia Student Academic Audit, a service maintained by the Registrar's office. These reports help determine whether students have met the credit requirements of their schools and majors.
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