Tradition : Jag Jargon

The slang you need to know to survive on the IUPUI campus

1969

You'll often see 1969, 69, or "IUPUI Football: Undefeated since 1969" on Jaguars apparel. Are IUPUI students simply obsessed with the number? The truth is that IUPUI has no football program, and hasn't since IUPUI was founded in 1969. So now you know that the shirts are an homage to campus history, and the statement about football is technically true.

38th Street Campus

Freshmen beware! If an unruly upperclassmen tells you your class is at the 38th Street campus, you'd better ask someone else! Located on 38th Street (on the North side of Indianapolis) across from the Indiana State Fairgrounds, the 38th Street Campus was home to the Purdue schools until they moved to their current homes on the IUPUI campus in the early 90s.

Acronymania

To survive long-term on the IUPUI campus, you must learn the lingo, including a long — and growing — list of acronyms about programs, people, and even the institution itself. Here's an "alphabet soup" starter kit to get the ball rolling:

CCL	Campus and Community Life
CEES	Center for Earth and Environmental Science
CFS	Campus Facility Services
CLN	Community Learning Network
CSL	Center for Service and Learning
CUPE	Center for Urban Policy and the Environment
ESL	English as a Second Language
E&T	School of Engineering and Technology
FACET	Faculty Colloquium On Excellence in Teaching
ICIC	Indiana Center for Intercultural Communication
ICTC	Informatics and Communications Technology Complex
IHETS	Indiana Higher Education Telecommunication System
IT	Information technology
IUPUI	Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
NIFS	National Institute for Fitness and Sport
SET	Science and Engineering Technology Complex
SOAR	Student Organization for Alumni Relations
SPEA	School of Public and Environmental Affairs
UITS	University Information Technology Services

The Canal

The Indianapolis Central Canal/Canal Walk. The Canal runs through White River State Park and is a popular place to jog, walk, roller skate, bike, or just hang-out. The canal begins at 10th street, and continues south to the Indiana Government Center. It then turns West, past the museum district, and eventually empties via waterfall into the White River. The River Walk, which runs along the White River, in front of the Apartments at the River Walk on campus, connects to the Canal Walk.

The Cottages

The phrase "The Cottages" has all but disappeared from IUPUI lingo, but older faculty and graduates may remember the buildings that once dotted the medical campus. They provided homes for faculty who served the medical campus during its developing years.

Gerbil Tubes

Overhead crosswalks connect several buildings at IUPUI are heavily used to A) avoid rain, snow, and cold; and B) avoid dodging traffic on busy city streets. They are affectionately known as "gerbil tubes" due to their resemblance to housing for common house pets. Except IUPUI's gerbil tubes are heated in winter. And they don't smell like your gerbil's cage.

Insite

Insite was a website that allowed students to easily look up grades, their transcript, registrar bill, etc. Insite was replaced in 2005 by OneStart. So if someone tells you to check Insite, you should probably check out OneStart instead.

JagTag

JagTag is your student (or employee) ID. In addition to proving you're a student for college night at local establishments, the JagTag is pretty useful on campus, too. For instance, you can use your JagTag as a debit card, so you can use it to pay for lunch, books, or drinks from a vending machine. Several businesses also offer discounts if you show your JagTag.

The Jungle

"The Jungle" is another name for the IUPUI Gymnasium, where the Jaguars Men's and Women's Basketball, and Women's Volleyball teams play and practice. The Jungle is located in the Natatorium, at the corner of University Blvd. and New York Street. If you're visiting campus for a game, the best place to park is in the Sports Complex Parking Garage, immediately East of the Natatorium on New York Street.

The Nat

The Natatorium at IUPUI is oft-referred-to as "The Nat". The Nat has hosted international swimming competitions, the U.S. Olympic Trials, Indiana state high school competitions, and NCAA swim meets. The Nat's olympic-sized pool is considered one of the fastest in the world, with several world records set in it. The Nat also includes the IUPUI Gymnasium (see "The Jungle", above) and is home to the School of Physical Education and Tourism Management.

Oncourse

Technically known as "course management software", Oncourse is a website that allows students to interact with faculty and other students. Generally, there is an area for each course one is enrolled in (or is teaching). A class roster, e-mail, syllabus, online quizzes, grades, and more can be found for each class. If you're learning or teaching at IUPUI, you'll use Oncourse frequently.

OneStart

The OneStart website is a essentially a portal to all things IUPUI. If you want to register for classes, access email or a calendar, search the library, or check an application status, you should be able to do it in OneStart.

The Sagamore

IUPUI's award-winning student newspaper, The Sagamore, covers IUPUI campus life. The newspaper, born in 1971, is published weekly during the academic year. In recent years, it has grown to feature an online edition and is now affiliated with JagRadio, a web-based radio station targeting IUPUI students. » More information

U.C.

On May 19, 2008, the building called University College was officially renamed Joseph Taylor Hall. However, University College still resides in this building. Confused yet? So if you hear students talking about U.C., they might be referring to either the college itself, where most undergrads begin their academic careers at IUPUI, or they might be referring to the building itself (between Cavanaugh and Business/SPEA), which is now known as Taylor Hall.

University Quarter

When early city planners were casting an eye on the future of the near west side of Indianapolis, one of the names they coined for verbal shorthand was "university quarter." Little did they know that decades later, their vision would be upheld by time, design and circumstance.