UVM BORED 101: UVM Definitions
Going to college requires you to learn a whole new language – with things like FASFA, Residence Halls, Learning Communities, and more. We figure if you’ve made it this far – you probably have a lot of those things down already, but maybe don’t know some more specific UVM-y things, people, places, and events! We’re here to help.
Here’s a list of quintessentially UVM definitions:
ActivitiesFest
noun
UVM’s annual club fair. Great place to chat with clubs you’re interested in – and to score some solid swag (and food).
BORED
noun
Shortened name of UVM BORED. A student-run events calendar and social media marketing team sharing events, tips, and trips with campus.
CALS
Abbreviation
An acronym for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Career Interest Groups
noun
Themed groups used by the career center to help you find jobs, clubs, events, and networking opportunities relating to your major/minor and interests.
CAS
Abbreviation
An acronym for the College of Arts and Sciences.
Cats at the Movies
noun
A program run by the Department of Student Life that gives students movie tickets to the Roxy Theater to see a movie any Thursday, Friday, or Saturday after 6PM.
CESS
Abbreviation
An acronym for the College of Education and Social Services.
CEMS
Abbreviation
An acronym for the College of Engineering and Math Sciences.
Class Sticker Day
Abbreviation
A giveaway run by First Year Experience that gives prizes to students who take photos (and tag) their class of stickers on social media.
CNHS
Abbreviation
An acronym for the College of Nursing and Health Sciences.
The DC
noun
A nickname for the Dudley H. Davis Center – aka The Davis Center.
The Den
noun
The name of the student section at UVM athletic games.
The Dementors
noun
The nickname for UVM’s Lamentation statues on Central Campus – named in part for their eerie similarity to Dementors from Harry Potter.
The ‘Doval’
noun
A nickname for the Davis Center Oval that UVM BORED’s supervisor has been trying to make happen for 4-5 years. Stop trying to make ‘fetch’ happen!
Exploration Week
noun
A week of programming in October / November dedicated to exploring, choosing, or changing your majors or minors across all UVM colleges and schools.
FallFest
noun
UVM’s HUGE annual fall concert, programmed by UVM Program Board. Occurs every October in the Patrick Gym.
The Flying Diaper
noun
A nickname for a hypar sculpture on Redstone campus – named for its visual similarity to an upside-down diaper that is…well…flying.
Fresh Check Day
noun
A day in October sponsored by the Center for Health and Wellbeing that focuses on health, wellness, and your overall mental health with a variety of entertainment, prizes, and giveaways.
Fright Week
noun
A week of Halloween-themed events put on by UVM Program Board at the end of October.
FYE
Abbreviation
An acronym for First Year Experience, an office who’s tasked with helping first years navigating their first year at UVM.
Gary Derr
noun
The coolest of the cool people at UVM. E-mails campus frequently to let them know what’s going on.
GSB
Abbreviation
An acronym for the Grossman School of Business.
“The Grundle”
noun
A nickname for Harris / Millis dining as a result of its location between the Harris and Millis complexes.
The Gut
noun
The nickname for the Gutterson Field House where hockey games occur.
#instauvm
noun
The official hashtag of beautiful UVM instagrams. Official UVM accounts often repost photos that use this hashtag.
MOSAIC
noun
The name of the UVM student center that supports the development of self-identified students of color throughout their journey at UVM
Navigate
noun
A UVM app that acts as your personal academic advisor – helping you explore majors and careers, discover resources, book study groups, and remember tasks and deadlines.
OLs
Abbreviation.
An acronym for Orientation Leaders – upperclassmen and women who help orient folks during UVM’s orientation program and beyond.
Our Common Ground
noun
A core group of themes that represent the values the UVM community aspires to have. They are Respect, Integrity, Innovation, Openness, Justice, and Responsibility.
PRISM
noun
The name of UVM’s LGBTQA+ Center which supports and empowers diverse queer and trans communities at UVM.
Rallycat
noun
UVM’s Catamount mascot. Frequently seen at sporting events and giving away prizes on VCat Friday.
RAs
Abbreviation
An acronym for Residential Advisors – upperclassmen and women in residence halls who help build hall community, act as a mentor, and help their residence with questions, concerns, and problems throughout the academic year.
RSENR
Abbreviation
An acronym for the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources.
SGA
Abbreviation
An acronym for Student Government Association – a student-run governing body that houses all of the UVM Clubs and Organizations and advocates for policies and decisions that can enhance the student experience.
SpringFest
noun
One of the biggest UVM events of the year; a huge block party / concert planned by UVM Program Board that happens at the end of every April.
Transloc
noun
An app that displays the routes and locations of the UVM CAT Shuttles in real-time, along with their stops.
TrinCity
noun
A nickname for the residence halls that make up Trinity Campus.
Twilight Induction
noun
A candlelight ceremony that serves as your official induction into the University of Vermont.
UVM Compass
noun
An events app at uvm that has a number of guides you can download to help you along at UVM. Frequently used for Orientation, UVM BORED, UVM Dining, and Commencement information.
UVM Program Board
noun
A student-run organization that plans and produces events for campus to attend throughout the academic year.
UVM WOW
noun
An acronym for UVM’s ‘Week of Welcome’; a week of events that happen every year during the first week of classes (and a little beyond). Lots of free stuff and free food.
VCat Friday
noun
A UVM Athletics program that rewards students, faculty, and staff with prizes for wearing UVM gear on Fridays.
Did we miss something? Give us a shout and we’ll add it to the list!
