COMMON ACRONYMS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

Business & Administrative

Abbreviation Stands For Definition
AP Appointed Personnel Collectively refers to faculty members, academic professionals, and administrators who are employed under a notice of appointment
ASC Administrative Service Charge A percentage fee used to recover overhead costs incurred by the University of Arizona for accounts that are not directly funded by either state appropriations or sponsored grants and contracts
ERE Employee Related Expense The additional expenses the University incurs on behalf of an employee on top of salary expenses. ERE is comprised of FICA, Retirement, Unemployment Compensation, Workers’ Compensation, Liability Insurance, Health/Dental/Life Insurance, and Wellness Services 
ETE Extended Temporary Employment Positions with an end date 6 to 24 months in the future. ETE employees are benefits-eligible, but are not placed in layoff status at the completion of their assignment.
FTE Full-Time Equivalent A numerical designator for the hours per week a position is assigned. It is  based on 100% (1.0 FTE) for full-time employment, or 40 hours per week. (If you regularly work 20 hours per week, you are employed at .50 FTE.)
GA Graduate Assistant/Graduate Associate Graduate students who are employed to conduct research and perform assigned related activities
GAT (in common
use, TA or GTA)
Graduate Assistant, Teaching Graduate students who teach or perform other assigned related activities
ICON Independent Contractor Form The form independent contractors (freelance) personnel must complete before doing work for the University of Arizona
ITQ International Tax Questionnaire Form used for an employee who is not a U.S. citizen to determine eligibility for federal, state, and Social Security tax exemptions, or to prove the employee is a resident alien, for tax purposes, based on substantial presence in the United States
LTA Limited-Term Adjunct Describes a non-benefits-eligible (adjunct) faculty member hired for 18 weeks or less
PCard Purchasing Card A University credit card issued to a University of Arizona unit or employee that can be used for small-dollar purchases, avoiding the need for a purchase order
PCN Position Control Number The line number to which the position is assigned in the operating budget for the department and the name of the person filling the position
PI Principal Investigator The person assigned responsibility for program and budgetary management of a grant or contract
RA Research Assistant A research position for graduate student employment
RBC Request for Budget Change (form) A form for requesting budget changes on state and local accounts
RFP Request for Proposals A formal bid process managed through Procurement & Contracting Services that enables a set of vendors to be approved to provide a specific product or service to the University of Arizona

Committees, Boards, and Organizations

Abbreviation Stands For Definition
ABOR Arizona Board of Regents The governing body for the State of Arizona’s public university system which includes the University of Arizona, Arizona State University, and Northern Arizona University
ADOA Arizona Department of Administration Administrators benefits for Arizona University System and other State of Arizona employees
APAC Appointed Professionals Advisory Council The formal, elected, representative body for appointed professionals
ASRS Arizona State Retirement System The retirement system for State of Arizona employees. New University employees have a choice between ASRS and the Optional Retirement Plan (ORP).
CABO Council of Academic Business Officers A shared governance committee of mostly college-level business officers
CSC Classified Staff Council Exists to serve as an advocate and resource to all staff
CSW Commission on the Status of Women Work to strengthen the University of Arizona by advocating an inclusive and just campus community by overcoming impediments to the full participation and achievement of women and other underrepresented groups
NIH National Institutes of Health One of the world’s foremost medical research centers and the federal focal point for medical research in the United States

NSF

National Science Foundation An independent agency of the U.S. government that exists to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; and to secure the national defense

UFO

University Financial Officers A shared governance committee of division-level business officers of non-academic units.

University Departments and Units

Abbreviation Stands For Definition
CALS College of Agriculture and Life Sciences One of the colleges into which the University of Arizona is organized
CAPLA College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture One of the colleges into which University of Arizona is organized
COM Phoenix College of Medicine, Phoenix A component of the Phoenix Biomedical Campus
FM Facilities Management The department responsible for maintenance, custodial and building service needs at the University
HR Division of Human Resources Assists employees and departments with employment, benefits, employee relations, compensation, training and development and organizational effectiveness needs
LWC Life & Work Connections A unit within HR that focuses on employee assistance and employee wellness
OGC Office of the General Counsel In-house counsel providing legal advice, education and representation for the University
OIA Office of Instruction and Assessment Offers support to the University of Arizona teaching community in course and curriculum design, online course development, program and classroom assessment 
OIE Office of Institutional Equity Upholds the University’s policies against discrimination and harassment and to provide equal opportunity in employment
RII

Research, Innovation & Impact

The unit that enables the research success of our faculty through supporting university research centers, institutes, museums, and core facilities; providing research development, stewardship, compliance and safety services; and securing strategic external partnerships.
SBS College of Social and Behavioral Sciences One of the colleges into which the University of Arizona is organized
SUMC  Student Union Memorial Center The Student Union Complex at Mountain Ave. & Second St.
TLA Tech Launch Arizona The technology transfer office of the University of Arizona, working to commercialize research generated at the University
TRI-U University of Arizona, Arizona State University,
Northern Arizona University
The three Arizona universities that form the Arizona University System and are governed by the Arizona Board of Regents
UAHS University of Arizona Health Sciences Includes the University of Arizona Colleges of Medicine (Tucson and Phoenix campuses), Nursing, and Pharmacy; the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, the University of Arizona Cancer Center; and its affiliated teaching hospitals with Banner–University Medicine
UITS University Information Technology Services Assists departments, employees, and students with technology 

Your Benefits

Abbreviation Stands For Definition
CTL Compassionate Transfer of Leave A process that allows employees who are unable to work due to long-term illness or injury and have exhausted all paid time off to receive paid  hours from vacation hours other employees have forfeited.
ORP Optional Retirement Plan

An ABOR-administered retirement plan that is available as an option

QLE Qualified Life Event A life change that allows you to make changes to your benefits elections outside of open enrollment. Common examples are marriage or divorce, birth or adoption of a child, or spouse’s/partner’s loss of health insurance.
QTR Qualified Tuition Reduction The name used at the University of Arizona at for ABOR’s educational assistance benefits. University employees, their spouses, and their qualified dependents are eligible for substantial tuition reductions at the Arizona University System universities. The Domestic Partner Tuition Reduction Program offers tuition reductions to employees’ domestic partners at the University of Arizona only
RASL Retiree Accumulated Sick Leave A benefit of ADOA that allows state employees who retire with 500 or more hours of accumulated sick leave to receive a cash payout for a portion of the value of those hours
UHAP University Handbook for Appointed Personnel The (online) collection of policies applying to faculty and appointed professionals at the University of Arizona. The counterpart for classified staff is the Classified Staff Human Resources Policy Manual, and for university staff is the University Staff Manual.