Glossary

  • AACE: Academic Advising and Career Education center is a one-stop center for both academic advising and career development assistance.
  • Academic Calendar: The list in the of dates for the academic year, including when instruction begins and ends, finals' weeks, and University holidays. The Faculty Affairs Committee of the Academic Senate generally begins the planning for the calendar 10 years in advance.
  • Advancement: See University Advancement.
  • AE: AE One of the oldest buildings on campus, the Arts & Education building houses the CEAS Dean's Office and many departments, galleries, and classrooms and zen garden. AE sits near the ampitheater, down the steps from VBT. Look just to the left of center on the Hayward Campus Map.
  • AG: The Agora stage area, an open area near the University Union designated as a "free speech" zone. It is labelled as "AG" near the bottom right of the Hayward Campus Map.
  • ASCSU: The CSU systemwide Academic Senate. See the Academic Senate entry on the FAQ for more information.
  • ASI: The student government. 
  • AVP: Associate Vice President.
  • (Carlos) Bee: The State Assemblyman representing Hayward who proposed the establishment of a State College "for Alameda County". He later successfully fought for it to be located in Hayward. It therefore makes sense that the Hayward City Council later elected to rename the street leading to the (now) University "Carlos Bee Blvd."
  • Canvas: The web-based software through which an instructor may post class materials, announcements, grades, and the like. It is also the online home to numerous groups (e.g., all students and faculty associated with a degree program) and discussion boards. Courses and groups may be limited to members only or may be set to be viewed by others. CSUEB's Canvas is .
  • CalPERS: The is the entity that administers benfits (especially retirement, but including health insurance) to CSUEB employees.
  • CAPR: The Committee on Academic Planning and Review is the committee of the Academic Senate that reviews degree programs and academic departments and groups (such as GE). They recommend how to use academic facilities and resources on campus (including the University Library) and recommend policies to guide the University academically towards its long-term goals.
  • CaPS:Counseling and Psychological Services is a free service to students on campus.
  • Catalog: The reference that defines the courses, degree programs, grading policies, academic calendar, etc. of the University. The goes back 10 years for reference purposes, as students typically satisfy the graduation requirements for the catalog for their year of entry to the University so that rules are not changed along the way (see the "Catalog Rights" section of the corresponding catalog).
  • (The) Cave: A large room in the Science Building on the first floor with vending machines, microwave ovens, and tables for students to eat.
  • CBA: The Collective Bargaining Agreement. The current CBA between faculty (called "Unit 3") and the CSU is available through the CFA's web site and through the .
  • CBE: The College of Business and Economics, home to 4 departments and the MBA program.
  • CBEST: The California Basic Educational Skills Test, which public school (K-12) teachers must pass for accreditation.
  • CC: The (formerly "Contra Costa Campus").
  • CDC: The Career Development Center gives job and internship listings and other career-related advising.
  • CFA: The is the union representing faculty members at the CSU.
  • CEAS: The , home to 5 departments and the teaching credential program.
  • CIC: The Committee on Instruction and Curriculum is the committee of the Academic Senate that recommends curriculum, grading and academic probation policies, degree programs, general education standards and courses. The Senate has final approval rights for all committee recommendations. Each college also has a CIC. The college committees approve new courses, changes to courses, and program changes.
  • CLASS: The (used to be CALSS), home to 18 departments and the largest of the 4 colleges at CSUEB.
  • Clusters:GE Learning Clusters (or First-Year Learning Communities) are coordinated sets of courses satisfying GE requirements. Typically, new freshmen students take these courses as a group (hence, "cluster") for the entire year to be exposed to varied, but related, fields of inquiry. The intention is that these across-discipline triads of courses show how different subjects can view the same or similar topics.
  •  COBRA: The Committee on Budget and Resource Allocation is the committee of the Academic Senate that recommends budget policies to the Senate. They advise administration of faculty budget concerns and are in turn advised by administration of University budgetary matters.
  • CSCI: The (used to be SOS- School of Science), home to 9 departments.
  • CR: The Committee on Research is the committee of the Academic Senate that recommends research policies (including Institutional Review) to the Senate. They are primarily responsible for internal grants (such as new faculty research awards) and human subjects issues.
  • CSU: The is the set of 23 campuses comprising the primary access to baccalaureate education in the State of California. These schools are primarily funded by the State. The CSU is the largest university system in the USA.
  • CSUH: The acronym for "CSU Hayward", the former name of CSU Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV.
  • CV: Your curriculum vitae ( to see dictionary.com's definition), or sometimes just "vita", is akin to an academic resume, listing papers published, courses taught, service, and the like. A CV is a key part of your dossier.
  • DELO: Diversity & Equity Liaison Officer is an official of the Academic Senate. See the Senate's Staff and Officers Page.
  • Dossier: Currently, an e-dossier within Canvas Organizations contains the digital documentation of a faculty member's achievements at the University, including teaching efforts, research publications and creative activities, university service and community service activities. Probationary faculty members must submit a dossier yearly for retention, with a lighter version required of first years. Dossiers are also used for tenure and/or promotion applications. Tenured faculty members must submit e-dossiers every 5 years. Please see Retention Tenure & Promotion Policy & Procedures and Review of Tenured Faculty.
  • EOP: Educational Opportunity Program. The Educational Opportunity Program is designed to improve the access and retention of students with economically and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds. Their web page is located .
  • ESL: English as a second language.
  • EXCEL: An advising program for low-income, first-generation, and/or disabled students. Their web page is located here. Their office is LI 2450.
  • ExCom: The Executive Committee is the committee of the Academic Senate that sets the Senate agenda and sends documents to the appropriate committees. Members are elected by the Senate during its organizational meeting.
  • FAC: The Faculty Affairs Committee is the committee of the Academic Senate that handles teaching awards, the academic calendar, and tenure and promotion policies and guidelines. With such important responsibilities, committee membership is limited to tenured professors (including a librarian) and an administrative appointee.
  • FaCET: The Faculty Center for Excellence in Teaching is a part of the Office of Faculty Development. It is home to discussions regarding classroom teaching, including writing circles on pedagogy, and houses journals and other resources regarding teaching in the higher education environment.
  • Faculty: Typically, teachers (including professors and lecturers), librarians, and researchers of the CSU; occasionally, this term is meant to identify only tenured and tenure-track professors.
  • Faculty Profile: Faculty Profile Instructions for updating and editing
  • FERP: The Faculty Early Retirement Program allowed faculty members meeting certain criteria to teach half time (or less) for a short duration (about 5 years) of time after retirement.
  • Foundation: The non-profit organization that administers research contracts and grants on campus and also administers the bookstore, parking and more. .
  • FTE: Full-time equivalent.
  • FTEF: Full-time equivalent faculty.
  • FTES: Full-time equivalent student (an undergraduate taking 12 or more units in a quarter; a graduate taking 8 or more units in a quarter). Many funding decisions are made based upon FTES.
  • GE: General Education is the set of specific area requirements for all baccalaureate students (regardless of major). See the GE section of frequently asked questions.
  • Hillhopper: The archaic name for the shuttle running between the Hayward BART stationand the Hayward campus.
  • Human Subjects Committee: See Institutional Review Board.
  • ICT Review: Information Communication Technology Review: ICT Review or Information Communication Review is something all campus staff and faculty should complete prior to making a hardware, software, or app purchase for use with campus community members, including students our classrooms. ICT Form and information
  • IRB: The Institutional Review Board is responsible for ensuring the ethical conduct of research involving human subjects, in accordance with applicable federal, state, and university policies. Some universities call this a "Human Subjects Committee" (though animal research is also covered by the IRB). Policies are set by the Committee on Research.
  • LI: Home of the library and many faculty support services (including OFD, ORSP, MATS, and the Academic Senate) and other offices (including the SDRC and SCAA) on the Hayward campus. Its roof is the walkway from the top of the hill near VBT to the main lobby of Warren Hall) and is between the Bookstore and the Gym on the Hayward campus(just above West Loop Rd. on the Hayward Campus Map ).
  • Massmail: The general campus mailing list, with University-wide announcements and information. Sign-up or drop-out information and more details are at >massmail policy page.
  • MATS:The Media & Academic Technology Services is charged with assisting faculty with computer and multimedia issues on campus. Their office is located on the first floor of the  Library building. MATS supports campus multimedia technology (including the document cameras in the c
  • MB:  See Music Building.
  • Meiklejohn: One of the oldest buildings on campus, Meiklejohn Hall, named for Alexander Meiklejohn (the educator who defended free speech and academic freedom and has an institute in Berkeley named for him), houses many departments, faculty offices, and classrooms. It is located near the Harder entrance to the Hayward campus (see the lower right of the Hayward Campus Map).
  • MOU: The Memorandum of Understanding is an archaic way of describing the contract between the faculty union and the CSU. Now, it is called the CBA.
  • MI: See Meiklejohn Hall (MI).
  • MB: Music Building (MB): It houses the Music Department and the CLASS Dean's Office, as well as many recital halls, classrooms, and faculty offices. It is the circular building near the left side on the Hayward Campus Map.
  • MyCSUEB:  MyCSUEastBay.edu website has numerous functions. It has the list of courses offered each quarter. It is where faculty members record grades; faculty members may also access class rosters on the site. Advisors can access information about students (such as courses taken) through this site. Students enroll for classes through the site. The software is actually a part of PeopleSoft.
  • MyHR: Sign In
  • OFD: The Office of Faculty Development (located across from the Library in LI 2300) is the primary place to seek assistance and resources for professional advancement (especially the development of one's dossier for tenure and/or promotion) and teaching.
  • OC: Office of Online Campus 
  • ORSP:  maintains lists of organizations that provide money for University-related projects and endeavors, such as federal and state agencies that support academic research (often leading to publication). According to their web page (linked above), "The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs facilitates the submission of grant and contract proposals to external sponsors. The office reviews all proposals before they are sent to sponsors, then presents them to the Provost and Vice President, Academic Affairs for official University approval. In reviewing proposals, we balance three different interests: the needs of the faculty member(s) who will lead the project, compliance with the University's policies and procedures, and adherence to the sponsoring agency’s guidelines and regulations."
  • PACE: The Program for Accelerated College Education is an upper-division bachelor's degree program that is specially designed to meet the needs of working adults.
  • PAF: Personnel Action File. The documentation maintained by the Office of Academic Affairs about each individual in the faculty. It has hiring (and separation) dates, tables of contents to dossiers, RTP letters, and the like.  
  • PEM: Planning and Enrollment Management- the people who cover student enrollment, graduation, recruitment, etc.
  • PeopleSoft: The software that tracks budgets, administrative functions, course enrollments (through MyCSUEB), and numerous other database issues on campus.
  • Per Aspera Ad Astra: The campus motto translates to "through adversity to the stars".
  • PERS: See CalPERS.
  • (George and Miriam) Phillips Outstanding Professor Award: Selected annually by FAC, the Phillips Award (sometimes called "Professor of the Year") honors a faculty member for teaching, research and service to the University. George and Miriam Phillips were civic leaders in Hayward who helped bring the State College to their city. After they passed away, their son Jim endowed the Award in their memory and regularly attends the presentations.
  • Pioneer (Newspaper): The student newspaper. .
  • Pioneers: The nickname for CSUEB student athletic teams.
  • Provost: The chief academic officer of the University. At CSUEB, the Provost also holds the title "Vice President for ".
  • RTP: Retention, tenure, and promotion and the policies that guide the process. Within the Academic Senate FAC will appoint a subcommittee that considers changes to the document. The Retention, Tenure, and Promotion Policy & Procedures document can be found on the Senate Policies and Documents web page of the Academic senate.
  • RO (Robinson Hall): Named for Karl Robinson (the first Chair of the Department of Speech and Drama; see William Rosenthal's "Remarks on Receiving the Distinguished Lecture Series Honors"), Robinson Hall houses some faculty offices and classrooms. It is located between the Theater and Music and Business Building on the Hayward campus (near the left side on the Hayward Campus Map).
  • SCAA: See Student Center for Academic Achievement.
  • (Sue) Schaefer Faculty Service Award: The annual award given to a faculty member based on service to the University. The recipient is selected by FAC. It is named in honor of the Professor Emerita of Management who endowed it.
  • SCI: The Science Building (made up of two connected buildings) was one of the first buildings on campus. It houses the College of Science Dean's Office and many of the departments, faculty offices, labs, and classrooms used by the College. It is located on the hill above the Bookstore on the Hayward campus (just to the right of middle on the Hayward Campus Map).
  • SC-N: The North Wing of the Science Building.
  • SC-S: The South Wing of the Science Building.
  • SDRC: The Student Disability Resource Center provides academic accommodations to address the individual needs of students with disabilities. Students requiring accommodations, such as extra time on exams, must provide faculty members with a letter from the SDRC.
  • SFR: The student-to-faculty ratio.
  • SCAA: The Student Center for Academic Achievement, which specializes in writing, mathematical, and statistical tutoring for students. Their website is located here. The SCAA is in the Library.
  • UA: The Office of University Advancement strengthens the University through communications, public relations, advocacy, alumni relations, and . Division personnel also manage the Cal State Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV Educational Foundation, which accepts and manages all gifts benefitting the University and oversees the investment of the University’s $10 million endowment.
  • UWSR: The University Writing Skills Requirement. See the Writing Skills section of the frequently asked questions page.
  • VBT is one of the newest buildings on campus and home to the CBE Dean's Office and many departments, computer labs and classrooms. It is located between AE and ScN on the Hayward campus (see the middle of the Hayward Campus Map). The donated $5 million in support of the building's construction. Wayne Valley was one of the original owners of the Oakland Raiders and founded Citation Builders, one of the largest single-family home builders in California.
  • Vox Veritas Vita: The CSU system motto literally translates to "Voice Truth Life", but is often interpreted (see, for example, the ) as "Speak the truth as a way of life."
  • Warren Hall: The iconic tower that was located on the Hayward Campus was torn down in 2012 or 2013. It is located west of the library (LI) (see the bottom center of the Hayward Campus Map). It was scheduled for demolition, after the Student Services and Administration Building (SSA) was completed in 2011.  E. Guy Warren (according to the College of Science Scholarship page) was "a long-time Hayward resident and businessman who was instrumental in securing the location of Cal State [Â鶹ÃÛÌÒAV's Hayward Campus]." He owned the Warren Transportation Co. (see the ).
  • WPAF: Working Personnel Action File. A copy of the PAF used for review purposes See PAF.