Academic calendar
Continuous Enrollment Program runs Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2028. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Continuous Enrollment ProgramRelevant now
Campus language
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Showing 46 of 46 terms
A
- A-Side / B-Side
- Common designation for different wings or sections of a dormitory building.
- ACT
- Advanced Career Training; a program allowing high-performing students to attend local community colleges while living on center.
- AWOL
- Absent Without Leave; the status of a student who has left center or missed a mandatory check-in without permission.
C
- CDP
- Career Development Period; the main phase of the program where students focus on their vocational trade.
- Center
- The entire Job Corps campus; students often refer to being 'on center' or 'off center'.
- Chow
- The dining hall or the act of going to eat a meal.
- Chow Hall
- The primary cafeteria where all scheduled student meals are served; reflects the program's military-style roots.
- CPP
- Career Preparation Period; the initial orientation and assessment phase for all new students.
- CTP
- Career Transition Period; the final phase focused on job searching and transitioning out of the program.
- CTR
- Career Transition Readiness; the final stage of the program focused on job placement and independent living skills.
- CTS
- Career Transition Services; the department that assists students with job placement and housing after graduation.
H
- HBI
- Home Builders Institute; a common third-party provider for construction-related trade training on centers.
- Honor Dorm
- A high-privilege dormitory reserved for students who have reached the highest 'Phase' and maintain excellent behavior.
K
- KP Duty
- Kitchen Police duty; a mandatory rotation where students assist with cleaning and food service in the dining hall.
M
- Main Dining
- The central eating area, often used to distinguish from smaller snack bars or culinary arts cafes.
- Main Side
- The dining area or side of the cafeteria designated for the general student population.
N
- New Dorm
- A generic term used by students to distinguish recently renovated or newly built housing from older facilities.
- New Side
- Refers to the newer dormitory or facility section on campuses that have undergone recent expansions.
- Non-Res
- Short for Non-Residential; refers to the area or status of students who commute to the center rather than living in dorms.
P
- Pass
- Official authorization to leave the campus for a weekend or holiday.
- Phase
- The level of privileges a student has earned based on behavior and progress (e.g., Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3).
- Phase Up
- The process of moving to a higher privilege level (e.g., moving from Phase 1 to Phase 2) based on behavior and progress.
- Phasing Up
- The process of moving to a higher privilege level based on behavior and progress.
R
- Restriction
- A disciplinary status where a student is confined to the center or their dorm.
S
- SGA
- Student Government Association; the elected body of students that represents student interests to center leadership.
T
- TABE
- Test of Adult Basic Education; the mandatory standardized test used to determine academic placement.
- TAR
- Training Achievement Record; the official checklist used to track a student's progress and mastery of trade skills.
- Termed
- Short for terminated; when a student is expelled or removed from the program for disciplinary reasons.
- Termination
- Being expelled from the Job Corps program, often referred to as being 'sent home.'
- The Bay
- A large, open-style dormitory room shared by multiple students, typically in older facilities.
- The Bricks
- Common term for older, traditional brick dormitory buildings found on many established centers.
- The Caf
- A common shorthand used by students to refer to the dining facility.
- The Dorms
- The general term for residential housing on center.
- The Floor
- Refers to a student's specific residential level and the community/rules associated with it.
- The Gate
- The main security entrance where students must present IDs and sign in or out.
- The Line
- The meal service queue in the dining hall.
- The Mods
- Modular or newer temporary housing units often used when main dorms are at capacity.
- The Unit
- The specific residential group or wing where a student lives and performs daily chores.
- Trade
- The specific vocational program a student is enrolled in (e.g., 'What trade are you in?').
W
- WBL
- Work-Based Learning; a program allowing students to gain on-the-job experience with local employers.
- Weekend Pass
- Official permission granted to students to leave campus and stay overnight elsewhere for the weekend.
- Write-up
- A formal disciplinary report (often a Form 305) issued for violating center rules.
Z
- Z-Card
- The student ID card that also functions as a debit card for the bi-weekly student allowance.
- Z-Day
- Zero Tolerance Day; the day a student is officially terminated for a major rule violation.
- Z-out
- To be expelled immediately under the program's Zero Tolerance policy (usually for drugs or violence).
- Zinged
- A slang term for receiving a sudden or unexpected disciplinary action or write-up.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- Academic
- The building where students attend GED, high school diploma, or college prep classes.
- Admin
- The Administration building, housing the Center Director and senior staff offices.
- Allowance
- The bi-weekly stipend paid to students, which increases the longer they stay in the program.
- Center Pay
- The modest bi-weekly allowance students receive for participating in the program, loaded onto their Z-Cards.
- Chore
- A daily cleaning task (e.g., sweeping, taking out trash) assigned to every student to maintain dorm cleanliness.
- Chow Line
- The queue for meals, which often follows a strict schedule based on dorm or trade.
- Curfew
- The strictly enforced time by which all students must be inside their assigned dormitories for the night.
- Duty Officer
- The staff member (often called the 'DO') who is in charge of center operations and safety after business hours.
- gerald_r_ford_job_corps_cafeteria
- Gerald R. Ford Job Corps Cafeteria
- GSI
- General Student Information; a mandatory center-wide meeting for announcements and updates.
- ID Badge
- The mandatory identification card that must be worn visibly at all times while on center.
- Morning Cleanup
- A daily requirement where students must clean their dorm rooms and common areas before heading to trade or class.
- Morning Meeting
- A mandatory daily assembly for roll call, announcements, and center-wide updates.
- P-Card
- The debit card used by students to receive their stipend and clothing allowance payments.
- Pass
- Authorized leave that allows a student to go off-center for the day or weekend.
- Rec
- The recreation center, typically containing a gym, lounge, and activity rooms.
- Rec Hall
- The Recreation Hall, containing gyms, game rooms, and lounge areas for after-hours use.
- Roll Call
- The mandatory attendance check performed multiple times a day, usually in the dorms or trade areas.
- Sign-out
- The required process of logging your departure at the security gate or dorm office before leaving campus.
- Stipend
- The small bi-weekly allowance paid to students for personal expenses while in the program.
- TABE
- Test of Adult Basic Education; standardized tests students must pass to progress.
- The Badge
- The mandatory student ID card that must be worn visibly on the person at all times while on center.
- The Gate
- The security checkpoint and main entrance/exit of the center where all students must sign in and out.
- The Gate
- The main security checkpoint where students must show ID and sign in or out when entering or leaving.
- The Rec
- The Recreation center, which typically includes a gym, lounge, and activity rooms for after-hours use.
- The Stipend
- The modest bi-weekly allowance paid to students while they are in the program.
- The Store
- The on-campus canteen or convenience shop for snacks and basic supplies.
- The Trade
- The collective name for the buildings or areas where vocational training occurs.
- The Van
- The center-provided shuttle bus used for transporting students to appointments or weekend trips.
- Trade
- The general term for the buildings or wings where vocational and technical training classes are held.
- Trade Building
- The facility housing the workshops and classrooms for vocational training programs.
- Trade Buildings
- The specific workshops or classrooms where vocational training (e.g., welding, automotive) occurs.
- Trade Shops
- The specialized buildings or wings where vocational training (like welding or automotive) takes place.
- Weekend Pass
- Official authorization required for a student to leave campus and stay overnight elsewhere during the weekend.
- Wellness
- The on-campus medical, dental, and mental health clinic available to all students.
- Wellness Center
- The on-campus medical clinic providing healthcare, dental, and counseling services.
- Z-Day
- The day a student is terminated for a 'Zero Tolerance' policy violation, such as violence or drug use.
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Continuous Enrollment Program runs Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2028.
- How much campus context is included?
- 46 approved campus terms and 37 local details are included in full.
- Are all approved campus terms included?
- Yes. The complete approved glossary is available in the scrollable, searchable campus-language section.
- Where does this guide come from?
- Calendar dates, campus terms, and local details come from DormWay's approved campus reference library.