Berklee Lingo
Like many institutions, Berklee uses a variety of acronyms and other shorthand for referring to its many buildings, programs, and entities. This list may prove helpful in navigating them. To see a list of other terms that are common in higher education, check out this page.
Buildings and Locations
8TF: 8 Fenway, the Conservatory's main building
18: the classrooms at 18 St. Cecilia’s Street
24F, 26F, 32F, 40F, 54F: Fenway's brownstone residence halls
98: the residence hall at 98 Hemenway Street
150: the residence hall and classrooms at 150 Massachusetts Avenue
160: the residence and dining halls at 160 Massachusetts Avenue
921: 921 Boylston Street, the Genko Uchida building
939: Cafe 939, the Berklee-owned and student-operated performance venue
1108: the classrooms at 1108 Boylston Street
1140: the administrative building and classrooms at 1140 Boylston Street
Allston: the Boston neighborhood that’s adjacent to Fenway and encompasses the Fordham Road practice facility and some of Harvard University’s classroom buildings, and where many students live
Back Bay: the Boston neighborhood in which Berklee’s Boston campus resides, encompassing Newbury Street, the Hynes Convention Center, the Boston Public Library, and the Fens
BPC: Berklee Performance Center
BSO: Boston Symphony Orchestra
The Caf: the dining facility in the 160 Massachusetts Avenue residence hall
Comm Ave: Commonwealth Avenue
The Docks: the docks along the Esplanade
DFRH: David Friend Recital Hall
The Esplanade: the stretch of public park along the Boston side of the Charles River
The Fens: a public park near Berklee’s Boston campus, past 1140 Boylston Street
Fenway: can refer to Fenway Stadium, where Boston’s baseball team, the Red Sox, plays, or the Boston neighborhood encompassing Fenway Stadium, the Fenway MBTA station, and the Museum of Fine Arts
Fordham: the Fordham Road practice facility owned and operated by Berklee for student use, located at 25 Fordham Road
Hynes: can refer to either the Hynes Convention Center MBTA station on Massachusetts Avenue or the Hynes Convention Center located on Boylston Street
Mass Ave: Massachusetts Avenue
MFA: the Museum of Fine Arts, located in the Fenway neighborhood
The Pru: the Prudential Center, a shopping mall on Boylston Street next to the Hynes Convention Center
The Red Room: the performance venue located in Cafe 939
Departments and Programs
Berklee: comprises Berklee College of Music, Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Berklee Online, and Berklee College of Music's campus in Valencia, Spain, and refers to the overarching organization of students, faculty, and staff from all of these individual schools
Caf Shows: late-night musical performances that take place in the Berklee Dining Hall on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights during each semester, and that staff or students select, market, and produce
Campus Life: refers to the Center for Campus Life, comprising the Office of Student Involvement and the Office of New Student and Family Programs, which seeks to enhance the collegiate experience by offering an array of student resources and services, including discounts to local cultural attractions and opportunities to get involved in extracurricular activities
Five-Week: Berklee’s summer program for middle and high school students
Miscellaneous
ASB: alternative spring break
BENS: Berklee Emergency Notification System
Berklee Hub: a notifications system that alerts users about new announcements and events
The BIRN: stands for Berklee Internet Radio Network, which is Berklee’s commercial-free internet radio station with five channels: birn1, birnCORE, birn learn, birn global, and air alumni
ESPA: Entering Student Proficiency Assessment
The Groove: Berklee’s “student voice,” an online newspaper run by musicians for musicians
I-20: the certificate of eligibility issued by Berklee to international students, which consists of three pages: the student information page, the endorsement page, and the instructions page
LENS: a first-year seminar course for incoming students
OL: orientation leader
RA: resident assistant
SAFO: the student acknowledgement of financial and other obligations
SAM: student academic mentor
SGA: Student Government Association
T: Boston’s subway system, part of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, known as the MBTA
TOEFL: test of English as a foreign language