This page includes many of the acronyms you may encounter during your time at RPI. The majority of these acronyms are specific to RPI.
Are we missing an acronym you think should be included on this list? Email fye@rpi.edu
RPI Acronyms Defined by Category
ALAC - Advising & Learning Assistance Center (Now the Student Success Center)
Arch - Summer Semester on Campus and Semester Away Experience
BCBP - Biochemistry & Biophysics
BFMB - Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology
BIAM - Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology (Accelerated Albany Med Program)
BME/BMED - Biomedical Engineering
CBIS - Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies
CEE - Civil & Environmental Engineering
CEPM - Center for Engineering Precision Medicine
CMDIS - Center for Materials, Devices, and Integrated Systems
COMM+D - Center for Global Communication and Design (Now the Student Success Center)
COP - Continued on Probation
DAIC - Digital, Artificial Intelligence, and Computing
DCC - Darrin Communications Center
DSIS - Design, Innovation, and Society
EBESS - Institute for Energy, the Built Environment, and Smart Systems
ECSE - Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering
EMAC - Electronic Media, Arts, and Communication
EMPAC - Experimental Media & Performing Arts Center
FYIP/FIP - First-Year Intervention Program
GFI - Global Freshwater Institute
GSAS - Games Simulation Arts and Sciences
HASS - Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences
IEA - Introduction to Engineering Analysis
IHSS - Interdisciplinary HASS Course identifier
I-PERSIST - Integrative Program for Education, Research, and Support Involving Science and Technology (Chemistry I and Physics I Mentors)
ISE/ISYE - Industrial and Systems Engineering
ITWS - Information Technology and Web Science
J-ROWL - Jonsson-Rowland
MANE - Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering
MRC - Materials Research Center
MSE - Materials Science and Engineering
Pass/No Credit - Grading option
POP - Placed on Probation
RARE Center - Rensselaer Astrobiology Research and Education Center
RICKTTS- Ricketts
SAP - Satisfactory Academic Progress
SoE - School of Engineering
SoS - School of Science
STSH - Science and Technology Studies, Humanities
STSO - Science, Technology, and Society
STSS - Science and Technology Studies, Social Science
UPIP - Undergraduate Probation Intervention Program
VCC - Vorhees Computing Center
C+CC - Chapel + Culture Center
CCPD - Center for Career and Professional Development
DEI - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
DOD - Dean on Duty
DotCIO - Division of the Chief Information Officer
DPS - Department of Public Safety (see also Pub Safe)
DSS - Disability Services for Students
EWS - Electronic Warning System
FYE - First-Year Experience
Garnet Baltimore - Garnet Baltimore Research and Entrepreneurial Scholars
IPAC - Located in archway entering Quad from 15th Street (I-PERSIST)
ISSS - International Services for Students and Scholars
ITSSC - Information Technology Services and Support Center
LA - Learning Assistants
LOA - Leave of Absence
OGE - Office of Graduate Education
Pub Safe - Public Safety (see also DPS)
RA - Resident Assistant
RCS ID - Rensselaer Computing System ID (e.g. smithj or smithj4)
SARP - Student Activities Resource Person
SIS - Self-Service Information System
STRIVE - Connects underrepresented first-year students with upper-class mentors
’86 Field - Location of many large, outdoor events
ACM-W - Association for Computing Machinery – Women in Computing
ACSLD - Archer Center for Student Leadership Development
AS&RC - Alumni Sports & Recreation Center (Armory)
BARH - Burdett Avenue Residence Hall
COG - Center of Gravity (Office of Student Success program)
ECAV - East Campus Athletic Village
E-Complex - Residential Area consisting of the following buildings:
Cassatt, Clement, Hearne, Hirai, Voorhees, Waite
ESW - Engineers for a Sustainable World
EWB - Engineers without Borders
Freshman Hill - Residential Area consisting of the following buildings:
Bray, Cary, Crockett, Davison, Hall, Nason, Nugent, Sharp, Warren
GradISA - Graduate Indian Students Association
LEAP - Leadership Educators Advising Peers (Archer Center)
NRB - Navigating Rensselaer and Beyond
NSBE - National Society of Black Engineers
PLP - Professional Leadership Program (Archer Center)
PLS - Professional Leadership Series (Archer Center)
Quad - Residential Area consisting of the following buildings:
Buck, Caldwell, Church (I-VI), Cooper, Hunt (I-III), MacDonald, Pardee, Roebling, White (I-IV)
RAHP A/B - Rensselaer Apartment Housing Project A&B
RSDH - Russell Sage Dining Hall
SHPE - Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
SWE - Society of Women Engineers
Box - File Sharing and Collaboration Platform
Canva - Online design program for creating signs, fliers, social media, etc.
Carousel - Rensselaer’s digital signage software
Handshake - Online job posting site (Work Study and CCPD)
LMS - Learning Management System
Percipio - Online Training Module Platform
WebEx - Meeting, Messaging, and Webinar Platform
RPI Acronyms Defined A-Z
’86 Field - Location of many large, outdoor events
ACM-W - Association for Computing Machinery – Women in Computing
ACSLD - Archer Center for Student Leadership Development
ALAC - Advising & Learning Assistance Center (Now the Student Success Center)
Arch - Summer Semester on Campus and Semester Away Experience
AS&RC - Alumni Sports & Recreation Center (Armory)
BARH - Burdett Avenue Residence Hall
BCBP - Biochemistry & Biophysics
BFMB - Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology
BIAM - Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology (Accelerated Albany Med Program)
BME/BMED - Biomedical Engineering
Box - File Sharing and Collaboration Platform
Bridge - Bridge Scholars Program; Summer academic program
C+CC - Chapel + Culture Center
Canva - Online design program for creating signs, fliers, social media, etc.
Carousel - Rensselaer’s digital signage software
CBIS - Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies
CCPD - Center for Career and Professional Development
CEE - Civil & Environmental Engineering
CEPM - Center for Engineering Precision Medicine
CMDIS - Center for Materials, Devices, and Integrated Systems
COG - Center of Gravity (Office of Student Success program)
COMM+D - Center for Global Communication and Design (Now the Student Success Center)
COP - Continued on Probation
DAIC - Digital, Artificial Intelligence, and Computing
DCC - Darrin Communications Center
DEI - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
DOD - Dean on Duty
DotCIO - Division of the Chief Information Officer
DPS - Department of Public Safety (see also Pub Safe)
DSIS - Design, Innovation, and Society
DSS - Disability Services for Students
EBESS - Institute for Energy, the Built Environment, and Smart Systems
ECAV - East Campus Athletic Village
E-Complex - Residential Area consisting of the following buildings:
Cassatt, Clement, Hearne, Hirai, Voorhees, Waite
ECSC - Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering
EMAC - Electronic Media, Arts, and Communication
EMPAC - Experimental Media & Performing Arts Center
ESW- Engineers for a Sustainable World
EWB - Engineers without Borders
EWS - Electronic Warning System
Freshman Hill - Residential Area consisting of the following buildings:
Bray, Cary, Crockett, Davison, Hall, Nason, Nugent, Sharp, Warren
FYE - First-Year Experience
FYIP - First-Year Intervention Program
Garnet Baltimore - Garnet Baltimore Research and Entrepreneurial Scholars
GFI - Global Freshwater Institute
GradISA - Graduate Indian Students Association
GSAS - Games Simulation Arts and Sciences
Handshake - Online job posting site (Work Study and CCPD)
HASS - Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences
IEA - Introduction to Engineering Analysis
IHSS - Interdisciplinary HASS Course identifier
I-PERSIST - Integrative Program for Education, Research, and Support Involving Science and Technology (Mentors for students in Chemistry I and Physics I)
IPAC - Located in archway entering Quad from 15th Street (I-PERSIST)
ISE/ISYE - Industrial and Systems Engineering
ISSS - International Services for Students and Scholars
ITSSC - Information Technology Services and Support Center
ITWS - Information Technology and Web Science
J-ROWL - Jonsson-Rowland
LA - Learning Assistants
LEAP - Leadership Educators Advising Peers (Archer Center)
LMS - Learning Management System
LOA - Leave of Absence
MANE - Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering
MRC - Materials Research Center
MSE - Materials Science and Engineering
NRB - Navigating Rensselaer and Beyond
NSBE - National Society of Black Engineers
OGE - Office of Graduate Education
Pass/No Credit - Grading option
Percipio - Online Training Module Platform
PLP - Professional Leadership Program (Archer Center)
PLS - Professional Leadership Series (Archer Center)
POP - Placed on Probation
Pub Safe - Public Safety (see also DPS)
Quad - Residential Area consisting of the following buildings:
Buck, Caldwell, Church (I-VI), Cooper, Hunt (I-III), MacDonald, Pardee, Roebling, White (I-IV)
RA - Resident Assistant OR Research Assistant
RAHP A/B - Rensselaer Apartment Housing Project A&B
RARE Center - Rensselaer Astrobiology Research and Education Center
RCS ID - Rensselaer Computing System ID (e.g. smithj or smithj4)
RSDH - Russell Sage Dining Hall
SAP - Satisfactory Academic Progress
SARP - Student Activities Resource Person
SHPE - Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
SIS - Self-Service Information System
SLL - Student Living and Learning (i.e. Residence Life)
SO Advisor - Student Orientation Advisor
SoE - School of Engineering
SoS - School of Science
STRIVE - Connects underrepresented first-year students with upper-class mentors
STSH - Science and Technology Studies, Humanities
STSO - Science, Technology, and Society
STSS - Science and Technology Studies, Social Science
SWE - Society of Women Engineers
TA- Teaching Assistant
UPIP - Undergraduate Probation Intervention Program
WebEx - Meeting, Messaging, and Webinar Platform
VCC - Vorhees Computing Center
