- The following list covers the most commonly used terms and acronyms. If you can't find it below, consult the more complete glossary in the current University Catalog.
A&R -- Admissions and Records- AS -- Associated Students
- ASRS -- Automated Storage and Retrieval System, in the Oviatt Library
- Blue Book -- Administrative Manual, Section 600 : Academic Personnel Policies and Procedures.
- CalPERS -- California Public Employees Retirement System.
- CBEST -- California Basic Educational Skills Test. Required for admission to a teacher credentialing program in California.
- Faculty Development -- Faculty Development (formerly CELT)
- CFA -- California Faculty Association. The exclusive bargaining representative of the CSU Bargaining Unit 3 (Faculty).
- The Contract -- The CSU Collective Bargaining Agreement and Memoranda of Understanding ("MOUs") that sets out the agreement between the CSU Board of Trustees and the California Faculty Association. Wages, hours of employment, and other personnel issues are addressed.
- CPT -- Chemistry Placement Test, taken by current students as a prerequisite for enrolling in certain chemistry courses.
- CSL -- Community Service Learning
- CSUN -- California State University, Northridge
- DARS -- Degree Audit Report System. (DEPRECATED: See DPR) An audit of classes taken by students and requirements for graduation still to be met.
- DPR -- Degree Progress Report. An audit of classes and information regarding the progress of a student. Similar to, but replaces, DARS. DARS was a system as well as a report. The system was replaced by Solar and DPR is the nomenclature for the progress report.
- ELM -- Entry-Level Mathematics Test, taken by new undergraduates if their math SAT scores were below 550.
- EOP -- Educational Opportunity Program
- EPC -- Educational Policy Committee. A standing committee of the Faculty Senate responsible for curriculum and program review and policies.
- EPT -- English Placement Test, taken by new undergraduates if their verbal SAT scores were below 550.
- FERP -- Faculty Early Retirement Program.
- FLIC -- Film Loan InterCampus Consortium Catalog
- FMTP -- Faculty Mentor Training Program
- FTES -- Full-time equivalent student
- FTEF -- Full-time equivalent faculty
- GE -- General Education Requirements (48-54 units of GE classes must be completed for a BA or BS). See the University Catalog for a detailed breakdown. Contact Undergraduate Studies with questions.
- GRIP -- Office of Graduate Studies, Research, and International Programs
- ILL -- Inter-Library Loan
- ITR -- Information Technology Resources
- LRC -- Learning Resource Center, which includes math, science, and writing labs for students who need to develop basic skills.
- MPT -- Math Placement Test, taken by current students as a prerequisite for enrolling in certain math courses.
- NCOD -- National Center on Deafness.
- OI -- Office of Online Instruction
- OSI -- Ocean Studies Institute, research vessels and lab on Catalina Island.
- PACE -- Program for Accelerated College Education
- PAF -- Personnel Action File. A faculty file, kept by the College Dean, that is the property of the University, containing records of all personnel actions. See Section 600 of the Administrative Manual (the Blue Book).
- PIF -- Professional Information File. A faculty file, prepared and owned by the faculty member. See Section 600 of the Administrative Manual (the Blue Book).
- PPM -- Physical Plant Management
- PP&R -- Personnel, Planning and Review Committee. A standing committee of the Faculty Senate, responsible for personnel planning, review and approval of RTP policies for all campus faculty. Consists of tenured full professors from each of the colleges and from Student Affairs, and the President of the Faculty.
- RTP -- Retention, Tenure, and Promotion. Personnel review procedures for all fulltime tenure track faculty. See Section 600.
- SOC -- Schedule of Classes.
- SOLAR - Student On-Line Administrative Resources. The SOLAR system administers student and academic data and information for faculty, staff, administrators, and students.
- SPACE -- Student Productions and Campus Entertainment. Funded and provided by Associated Students.
- S.P.I.C.E. -- Student Panels for an International Curriculum and Education, composed of international students who will make presentations in classes. Sponsored by Student Development and International Programs
- SSI -- Salary Step Increase. See Section 600 or contact Faculty Affairs.
- SFR -- Student Faculty Ratio
- Solar -- The portal to the CSU student and employee administration system. It's lovely.
- TCC -- Teacher Curriculum Center is the curriculum materials library for California State University, Northridge, located in the Oviatt Library.
- TNE -- CSUN is a participant in a national initiative, Teachers for a New Era, to develop model teacher preparation programs through a five-year grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
- TOEFL -- Test of English as a Foreign Language, a qualifying exam taken by students whose prior education was not principally in English.
- WTU -- Weighted teaching units. A full time faculty load is 12 units of coursework and 3 units of advising and service.