The Language Graveyard

It’s not quite Halloween, but after a trip to Spirit Halloween with my daughter, spooky season is officially in full swing in my brain. So, here’s a blog full of gravely serious wordplay.

Language is Aliveeeeee. cue Frankenstein

Did someone ever tell you that ‘sticks and stones will break your bones, but words can never hurt you’? My daughter’s 4th-grade teacher recently did an activity in class to prove just how wrong that saying is, and it stuck with her. The teacher held a piece of paper shaped like a person, and each time someone said something unkind, she would rip or crumble it a bit. After everyone had added an unkind phrase, she smoothed the paper out the best she could. Then, she asked the class, “Do you think the words didn’t hurt? Do you think the words haven’t changed who this person is?”

That day, my daughter learned what we all need to remember: the words we hear throughout our lives shape us - our feelings, our culture, our environment, our

understanding, and ultimately, our identities. 

Reflecting on this in my own professional context, it is clear that some words have overstayed their welcome. We use them out of habit, because they’re ingrained in our business, or without realizing the harm they cause. At best, we can be unclear and confusing. At worst, our words can be hurtful or harmful. And it can be embarrassing to learn that something we said has a meaning we didn’t intend to convey, and it can be even worse for us when something accidentally slips out after we DO know better. This happens to everyone.

At Student-Ready Strategies, we’ve built our own ‘language graveyard’ — a resting place for outdated, confusing, and alienating words, so better language can take their place. Our graveyard has three sections: higher-ed jargon, deficit-based words, and exclusionary language. Come, take a walk with me through the tombstones of terminology. 

Section 1. Bury the Jargon

Here lies SAP: We didn’t understand you until it was too late.

Higher ed is notorious for jargon and acronyms — almost a language unto itself. Students must learn it while they’re also adjusting to an entirely new environment. I am a first-generation college student, and when I began my first semester, words like "registrar," "placement," "office hours," and "bursar" left me confused and questioning whether I belonged. At one university where I worked, the bursar would start his presentation by sharing what the word meant - the keeper of the purse. Then, he moved on to share what his office did for students. It was such helpful information and is something I’ve never forgotten.

I also misunderstood the financial aspects of my college journey. For example, understanding the difference between ‘subsidized’ and ‘unsubsidized’ loans is crucial, but I, like many students, failed to grasp its importance. The jargon overwhelmed me, so I figured I wasn’t smart enough to understand my financial aid package and simply skipped trying to learn more. 

Acronyms can be just as troubling because they inherently obscure meaning and prevent students from intuitively understanding the phrase. Students must take at least one extra step to figure out what they need to know. Take ‘SAP.’ When we use that term, do we expect students to guess that it stands for Satisfactory Academic Progress, a performance standard that students must meet to receive federal financial aid? When students fail to meet those standards, their entire academic journey is stopped in its tracks. I’ve heard countless stories of students blindsided by this, and just as many college professionals routinely using it without explaining it, sometimes even to form phrases like “bad SAP” or “SAP’d out.”  

And for students whose first language isn’t English, it’s doubly burdensome: they’re learning two new languages at once.

My own college journey and years in higher ed have made me quick to notice when institutions use jargon without giving students the context they need to truly understand it. This happens on websites, in email communications, and in mailers all the time.

So, bury the jargon. Review your websites and communications with intention, replacing acronyms and higher ed terminology with precise, student-friendly explanations. Every word you bury makes room for greater understanding of the college experience.

Section 2: Lay Deficit Words to Rest

RIP ‘at-risk’: you blamed the student, not the system.

At-risk. Remedial. Needy. Underprepared. These words all share one thing: they frame students as problems to be fixed. Deficit-based language focuses on what students lack, rather than what institutions provide. Here are some examples of course names we’ve seen that are deficit-based:

• Language Immersion - Low Proficiency

• Pre-College Basic Math

• Remedial English I

• Academic Skill-Building for At-Risk Students

Now imagine starting college with one or more of these courses on your schedule — and being told you’re ‘conditionally admitted’ on top of it.  This language is actively harmful; it centers what the institution thinks students lack, reinforcing feelings of inadequacy and sending the message that they don’t belong.

Wouldn’t you feel better to be enrolled in Enhanced College Algebra, English Composition with Support, or an Academic Success Workshop? Same course outcomes, different message entirely.

So, lay deficit language to rest. Review course titles, admission categories, policies, and communications that may contribute to feelings of exclusion or undermine confidence. A shift from deficit-based to asset-based language can transform campus culture and foster students' sense of belonging.

Section 3: Retire Exclusionary Language

“Here lies ‘non-traditional’: you defined students by what they weren’t.”

Our language is filled with words whose harmful origins we often don’t recognize. Terms like ‘grandfathered,’ ‘stakeholder,’ ‘peanut gallery,’ ‘blacklist/whitelist,’ and ‘rule of thumb’ trace back to histories of slavery, colonialism, and violence, yet remain in everyday use. Other phrases we often use come from cultural and spiritual traditions — like ‘spirit animal,’ ‘guru,’ or ‘tribe.’ When used casually, they can trivialize sacred practices or misrepresent the cultures from which they originate. Everyday phrases like ‘you guys,’ ‘hysterical,’ or ‘that’s crazy’ may seem harmless, but they are actually reinforcing stereotypes toward women or people with mental illness.

Other words and phrases may seem more innocuous, but are harmful in different ways. Consider the higher education staple “non-traditional student.” Today’s students are incredibly diverse, and labeling some of them as “non-traditional” explicitly reinforces outdated norms of who a college should be and signals to all others that they don’t really belong. Even terms like ‘post-traditional’ may seem less exclusionary, but still reinforce the notion of tradition. However, when we know better, we can do better. 

Retire Exclusionary Language. These words wound, and it’s beyond time to lay them to rest. Review their histories, reflect on your own use, and choose words that welcome instead.

Rising From the Grave 

Every time we add a word or phrase to the Language Graveyard, we make space for language that uplifts, includes, and empowers.

What words in your own practice need to be buried — and what new language could take their place?