A Glossary of ChathamU Terms

Once you arrive on campus, you’ll quickly realize that Chatham has a LOT of lingo. Though we’re sure to have missed some insider student slang, we did our best to develop a glossary of need-to-know terms for incoming Chatham students. If you’re looking to get a head start on your Chatham education, read up on them below.

A

A Squash Court in the Athletic Fitness Center

Academic Advisor – a faculty member who teaches in your field of study that will guide you through the college process, including scheduling, major and minor selection, internship and job searches, and degree conferral.

Athletic Fitness Center (AFC) – Chatham’s Athletic Fitness Center is our campus gym and workout facility that boasts a pool, basketball/volleyball court, indoor track, hot tub, squash courts, climbing wall, full gym, and dance/yoga studio.

Anderson Dining Hall – our campus dining hall that serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and plenty of snacks; a popular study and hangout spot for students.

Alum – a popular abbreviation for an alumnae or alumnus and a graduate of one of our degree programs.

Art & Design Center (ADC) – home to our art programs and a variety of different studios where students can hone their artistic skillsets and learn new ones.

Athletics – our NCAA collegiate sports programs, including softball, baseball, basketball, volleyball, cross country, track & field, squash, soccer, hockey, lacrosse, and swimming & diving.

B

Berry Hall — this is our Office of Admissions, located near Mellon Building and the Athletic Fitness Center. It is a more common spot for prospective students to visit but if you’re seeking out a job as a Chatham Ambassador, this is where you will work.

Braun Falk Coolidge Hall — a very common academic building on our campus; this is where a wide variety of our classes and faculty offices are held. It is also home to a variety of administrative offices and is centrally located next to the JKM Library, the quad, and Cafe Rachel.

Buhl – the academic home to our science programs, classes, labs, and faculty offices.

Bookstore – our on-campus bookstore where you can purchase school supplies, books for class, Chatham gear, snacks, and more.

C 

Carson the Cougar in the Campbell Memorial Chapel

Café Rachel – on-campus coffee shop where you can get breakfast foods, lattes, frozen drinks, snacks, and more. It also makes a great study and/or hangout spot.

Candlelight – a yearly holiday tradition where the Chatham community meets in the Chapel to listen to music from the Chatham Choir, readings from different community members, and celebrate the season. At the end of each Candlelight event, the community lights a candle together and basks in the moment.

Capstone – near the conclusion of your undergraduate studies, all students complete a capstone project, which is very similar to a thesis and asks students to conduct research in their fields of study. You can explore the Capstone here.

Career Development – the Office of Career Development is a resource for all things related to your career. They facilitate networking events, help with job and internship services, provide mock interviews and resume reviews, and conduct career counseling.

Carriage House – home to the Office of Student Engagement, a student lounge, and a sizable game room.

Carson – Chatham’s Cougar Mascot, named after famous alumna, Rachel Carson.

Campbell Memorial Chapel – our Chapel is located at the top of Chapel Hill and is the site for many of our major all-campus events. The Chapel bells ring at the top of the hour every hour.

Chatham Apartments – the Chatham Apartments are home to 36 two-bedroom apartments for undergraduate students, and are located at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Maryland Avenue adjacent to campus.

Chatham Student Government (CSG) – our student-elected, student-run government. New members are elected each at the beginning of each fall term.

Chung Apartments – student apartments located on Fifth Avenue.

The Communique – Chatham’s longstanding student-operated newspaper.

Commuter – a commuter is any student who doesn’t live on one of our campuses. Typically they “commute” onto campus for their classes.

D

Dilworth Hall – a residence hall on Shadyside Campus located near the Carriage House.

E 

A Chatham Eastside classroom

Eastside – Chatham Eastside is located at the intersection of Fifth Ave and Penn Ave and is home to our interior architecture programs and a variety of health science graduate programs.

Eden Hall – our Eden Hall Campus is located in Gibsonia, PA and is home to our sustainability and food studies programs.

Eddy Theatre – our on-campus theatre where we host plays, performances, and speakers.

Eggnog – immediately following Candlelight, the Chatham community heads to Eggnog, a delightful cocktail hour that features delicious holiday food and serves as the prelude to holiday ball.

Esther Barazzone Center (EBC) – a major hub on our Eden Hall Campus that features a dining hall, classrooms, meeting spaces, and event venues.

F

FAFSA – the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. You can learn more about FAFSA here.

Family & Friends Weekend – our annual family and friends weekend welcomes students’ families and friends to campus for fall activities.

Fickes Hall – a converted mansion residence hall for undergraduate students, popular for first years.

Fifth Avenue – the Pittsburgh street where you’ll find the entrance to Chatham as well as a variety of Chatham apartment buildings.

Financial Aid – Our Financial Aid Office is where you can go for any scholarship and tuition questions.

First Year – a student who is in their first year of college at Chatham, often known as a freshman.

G

Gateway – a gateway student is any student who enrolls for an undergraduate degree at Chatham later in life from the traditional college-age student (typically 23 or older). Often, gateway students are balancing additional responsibilities, including work and family life.

GPA – grade point average.

H

Harvest Dinner

Haber Apartments – Haber Apartment Complex consists of seven furnished, one and two-bedroom apartments. These contemporary style apartments provide ample living space and are located across the street from the Shadyside Campus.

Halloween Dinner – our annual Halloween dinner located in Anderson Dining Hall features a costume contest, Halloween-themed mocktails, and decadent treats.

Handshake – our online career portal for job postings and internship opportunities. You can also make appointments with Career Development here.

Harvest Dinner – our annual campus community dinner held in the athletic fitness center gymnasium, meant to celebrate the Thanksgiving season.

Hicks Estate – Hicks is a converted mansion residence hall that consists of ten furnished one bedroom apartments.

Holiday Ball – the grand finale of our holiday extravaganza, a holiday dance following Eggnog and Candlelight.

I

IDP – an integrated degree program, often known as a 3+1 or a 3+2 program where you can earn a Bachelor’s and a Master’s in an abbreviated period of time for a reduced cost.

Information Technology – our Office of Information Technology is where you’ll receive your complimentary laptop and where you’ll go for any laptop repairs or tech questions.

International Affairs– our Office of International Affairs facilitates study abroad, international students, and English Language Programs (ELPs).

IRB – the IRB is our Internal Review Board. They verify that all institutional research is ethical and humane.

J

JKM Library – the Jennie King Mellon library on our Shadyside location, located on the quad across from Eddy Theatre.

L

Laughlin House – a converted mansion residence hall next to Berry Hall and across the street from Anderson Dining Hall.

Laughlin Music Center – home to our music programs and Welker Room, a popular event space on campus.

Linzer Apartments – Linzer Apartments are comfortable one-bedroom, furnished apartments at the intersection of Woodland Road and Fifth Avenue.

LLCs – living learning communities; these are application-based communities in the residence halls where students can live and learn with other students that have similar interests.

M

Moonlight Breakfast

Major – the subject that your degree will be in and the majority of your coursework will be structured around.

Marvelous Mondays – events that occur every Monday in the Carriage House and offer a fun opportunity for students, including delicious treats, crafts, special guests, and more.

Mellon Center – Andrew Mellon’s former home that serves as an administrative building as well as the home to Anderson Dining Hall and multiple major meeting spaces. It is a centrally located campus hub.

Minor – your secondary focus of study. You don’t need to have a minor but you can if you have a secondary interest that you’d like to include as part of your degree. 

Moonlight Breakfast – before final exams and essays each term, professors and staff make students a delicious breakfast spread to help them fuel for the studying.

My.Chatham.edu – an online hub for the Chatham community where you can find important documents, upcoming events, and key information.

O

OAAR – the Office of Academic and Accessibility Resources where students can go for test-taking assistance, supplemental instruction, writing help, and more.

ODEI – the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. ODEI works to ensure that Chatham is constantly becoming a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive place by offering workshops, trainings, events, and more.

Old Quad – the Old Quad is the green space located between Laughlin Music Hall and Braun Falk Coolidge Hall that used to serve as the main quad on campus.

Orchard Hall – a spacious residence hall located at Eden Hall Campus.

Orientation – your first week at Chatham where you’ll move in, explore campus, meet your roommate and other friends, and start settling in to what life at Chatham can be like.

P

Parking Permit – a pass you’ll need in order to park your car on campus.

PRT Bus – a public bus in Pittsburgh (formerly known as a PAT bus) that you can take for free with your student ID.

Pelletreau Apartments – Pelletreau Apartments comprises six buildings split by a courtyard. They provide residents with fully furnished two-bedroom apartments that accommodate up to three students and are just a short five-minute walk to the Upper Shadyside Campus.

Post Office – Chatham has our very own full service Post Office located in Mellon Building.

Pulse@ChathamU – this is Pulse@ChathamU, our news hub for all things new and exciting at ChathamU.

Students play with therapy puppies on the Quad

Q

Quad – the central green space on campus, located near Café Rachel, the JKM Library, Eddy Theatre, and Braun Falk Coolidge Hall. It has benches, Adirondack chairs, and plenty of spaces to tie up a hammock.  

R

Rea House – a converted mansion residence hall that is located next to Laughlin House.

Registrar – the Office of the Registrar is responsible for keeping track of all academic records for a student. This is where you can request an official transcript, cross register with the Pittsburgh Council for Higher Education (PCHE), and more.

Residence Hall — a location on campus where students live and spend their time at Chatham. Many of our residence halls are former mansions that have since been converted to accommodate our students.

S

Shadyside Campus – Shadyside Campus is Chatham’s primary campus that is centrally located in the Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Chatham Eastside is a part of the Shadyside Campus.

Shuttle – Chatham offers daily shuttles to our Eden Hall Campus that you can get on at the Chapel as well as at the entrance to Chatham at Fifth Avenue.

Spring Carnival – each year we host a Spring Carnival on the Quad that features games, delicious food, and delightful spring activities.

Spring Formal – our annual spring dance that happens at the end of each spring term. It’s a popular occasion for students and is celebrated at a different location each year.

Student Engagement – our office of Student Engagement is the perfect place to go to learn more about student organizations, leadership opportunities, and how to get more involved on campus.
Student ID – this is your Chatham student ID which will allow you to get into campus buildings, ride the PRT bus, and earn student discounts.

Student Org – a student organization or club on campus. There are a wide variety of existing student organizations or you’re welcome to start your own. View the complete list of student organizations here.

T

Students participating in the annual Talent Show

Talent Show – each year, Chatham hosts a student talent show in Eddy Theatre during Family & Friends Weekend where students can compete and showcase their various talents.

Term – every school year is divided into two separate terms, fall and spring. During each term, you register for a new set of classes.
The Minor Bird – Chatham’s longstanding literary magazine that features poems, fiction, and art. It is operated, written, and edited by students.

Transcript – your academic transcript includes all of the courses you have taken and the corresponding grade you received. You’ll need this to apply for graduate school.

Transfer – a transfer student is someone who started college at one location and has now transferred their credits to Chatham to complete their degree.

W

Woodland Hall – this sizable residence hall is located at the edge of the academic quad, and directly across from the library.

Woodland Road – Woodland Road is the street upon which Chatham’s Shadyside Campus is located.