Academic calendar
Fall 2026 First Half Semester runs Aug 24, 2026 – Oct 16, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Summer 2026 Virtual Regular Session
- Summer 2026Summer 2026 8-Week Session
- Summer 2026 6-Week Session
- Summer 2026 4-Week 2 SessionSummer 2026 4-Week Session 2
- Fall 2026 First Half SemesterRelevant now
- Fall Semester 2026
- Fall 2026 Second Half Semester
- Spring Semester 2027
- Summer 2027
- Fall 2027 First Half SemesterFall 2027 First Half Semester (official registrar page; drafted/unofficial per university note)
- Fall 2027Fall 2027 (official registrar page; drafted/unofficial per university note)
- Fall 2027 Second Half SemesterFall 2027 Second Half Semester (official registrar page; drafted/unofficial per university note)
- Spring 2028 First Half Semester
- Spring 2028Spring 2028 (official registrar page; drafted/unofficial per university note)
- Spring 2028 Second Half Semester
- Summer 2028 (official registrar page; drafted/unofficial per university note)
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 39 of 39 terms
C
- Case
- The common shorthand for Case Western Reserve University.
- Clarke
- Clarke Tower, a high-rise freshman residence hall known for its unique layout and views.
- CWRU EMS
- The student-run Emergency Medical Services that provides 24/7 care on campus.
E
- Elephant Stairs
- The steep set of outdoor stairs connecting the South Side (on the hill) to the main campus level.
F
- Fribley
- Fribley Commons, the primary dining hall for students living in the South Residential Village.
G
- Grab-it
- A quick-service lunch spot located in the Sears Building known for sandwiches and salads.
I
- IRC
- Inter-Residential Council, the student government specifically for the residence halls.
L
- L3
- Lower Level Leutner, a late-night dining location offering grill items and snacks.
- Leutner
- Leutner Commons, the primary dining hall for students living in the North Residential Village.
- Little Italy
- The historic neighborhood adjacent to campus known for its restaurants and student housing.
M
- Mather Quad
- The academic area primarily housing humanities, social sciences, and the law school.
- Melt
- Melt University, a campus version of the famous Cleveland grilled cheese restaurant located in the Tink.
N
- North Side
- The North Residential Village, where most first-year students live.
- NRU
- North Residential Universe, the cluster of residence halls primarily for first-year students.
- NRV
- North Residential Village, the cluster of freshman and sophomore dorms on the north end of campus.
R
- Ratio
- A term used to describe the historical gender imbalance at the university, often cited in campus jokes.
- RHA
- Residence Hall Association, the student organization representing those living in campus housing.
- Rough Rider
- The Rough Rider Rotisserie, a popular food station within the dining halls.
S
- SEC
- Student Executive Council, the umbrella organization for the major student leadership groups.
- South Side
- The South Residential Village, primarily housing second-year students and Greek life.
- SRU
- South Residential Universe, the cluster of residence halls primarily for second-year students.
- SRV
- South Residential Village, the cluster of sophomore dorms located on the hill near Fribley Commons.
- STJ
- Stephanie Tubbs Jones Hall, a popular upperclassman residence hall.
T
- The Bridge
- The footbridge over the RTA tracks that connects the North and South sides of campus.
- The Case Bubble
- The phenomenon where students rarely leave the immediate campus and University Circle area.
- The Den
- The Den by Denny's, a late-night dining spot located in the North Residential Village.
- The Elephant Stairs
- The steep set of stairs connecting the Case Quad to the South Residential Village.
- The Elephant Step
- A notoriously large or uneven step on the stairs leading to the Case Quad where students frequently trip.
- The G-Man
- The Grog Shop or local bars in the Coventry area frequented by students.
- The Jolly
- The Jolly Scholar, an on-campus brewery and restaurant located in Thwing Center.
- The Jolly
- The Jolly Scholar, an on-campus restaurant and brewery located in Thwing Center.
- The Quad
- The Case Quad, the main academic area home to engineering and science buildings.
- The Ratio
- A common student reference to the historical imbalance of male to female students, particularly in engineering.
- The Village
- The Village at 115, a suite-style apartment complex for upperclassmen located around the football field.
- The Wind Tunnel
- The notoriously windy area between the Tinkham Veale University Center and Crawford Hall.
- Tink
- The food court located inside the Tinkham Veale University Center.
U
- UPB
- University Program Board, the student-led organization that plans major campus events like Springfest.
- USG
- Undergraduate Student Government, the representative body for the undergraduate student population.
W
- WRUW
- The campus radio station, broadcasting at 91.1 FM from the basement of the Mather Memorial Building.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- Access Services
- The office located in Crawford Hall responsible for ID cards, parking permits, and building access.
- CaseCash
- A declining balance account on the student ID used for laundry, vending machines, and local restaurants.
- Greenie
- The nickname for the white and green campus shuttle buses that transport students around University Circle.
- KSL
- Kelvin Smith Library, the main campus library.
- Meal Swipes
- The primary currency of meal plans, used for entry into Fribley and Leutner dining halls.
- Nord
- Nord Hall, a central building for the Case School of Engineering containing labs and the Nord Computer Lab.
- RTA Pass
- The transit pass provided to students for unlimited use of Cleveland's public buses and trains.
- Safe Ride
- A security-escort shuttle service available to students during late-night hours.
- Sears
- The Sears Building, which houses classrooms and the Sears think[box] makerspace.
- SIS
- Student Information System, the portal used for class registration, checking grades, and financial aid.
- Spartan Ride
- The university's shuttle tracking and safe ride service accessible via app.
- Spartan Safe
- The official campus safety app for emergency alerts and safe rides.
- SpartanCard
- The official student ID card used for building access, meal plans, and campus services.
- SpartanCash
- A declining balance account on the student ID used for off-campus and on-campus retail.
- SpartanRide
- The university's safe ride service and shuttle tracking app for late-night transportation.
- The Tink
- Tinkham Veale University Center, the central hub for student life, dining, and organizations.
- Think[box]
- Sears think[box], the university's massive public-access makerspace and innovation center.
- Tink
- Tinkham Veale University Center, the central hub for student life and organizations.
- Veale
- Veale Convocation, Recreation and Athletic Center, the primary gym and indoor sports facility.
- White
- The White Building, which houses materials science and engineering labs.
- Wyant
- Wyant Athletic and Wellness Center, a fitness facility located in the Village at 115.
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Fall 2026 First Half Semester runs Aug 24, 2026 – Oct 16, 2026.
- How much campus context is included?
- 39 approved campus terms and 21 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.