Central Washington UniversityStudent Guide

Academic dates, campus language, housing, and student-life references for Central Washington University. Free for students.

Public Research University in Ellensburg, WA. Operating on a semester system.

Looking for dorms? Scroll for the dorm and housing breakdown below.

Free for all Central Washington University students. No credit card required.

10K+

Total Enrollment

Research University

Institution Type

27

Housing Buildings

Student guide · Summer Session 2026 - Full Session

The semester, explained for Central Washington University

Dates from the active academic calendar, plus the campus language and local details students actually need. Every entry comes from DormWay's approved campus reference library.

Relevant term
Summer Session 2026 - Full Session
Campus terms
46
Local details
21

Academic calendar

Summer Session 2026 - Full Session runs Jun 22, 2026 – Aug 21, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.

9 entries
  1. Summer Session 2026 - Six-week Session
  2. Summer Session 2026 - Full SessionSummer Session 2026 Full SessionRelevant now
  3. Fall Quarter 2026
  4. Winter Quarter 2027
  5. Spring Quarter 2027
  6. Summer Session 2027 - Six-week Session
  7. Summer Session 2027 - Full SessionSummer Session 2027 Full Session

Add dates to DormWay

Campus language

Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.

46 terms

1

1891
1891 Bistro, a popular cafe and eatery located in Tunstall Hall.

A

ASCWU
Associated Students of Central Washington University, the student government.

B

Barto
Barto Hall, a large residence hall located near the center of campus.
Bassetti
The Bassetti Complex, which includes Beck, Hitchcock, Meisner, and Quigley halls.
Beck
Beck Hall

C

Cat's C-Store
The campus convenience store for snacks, groceries, and essentials.
CLCE
Center for Leadership and Community Engagement, which organizes volunteer opportunities.

D

Davies
Davies Hall
DEC
Diversity and Equity Center, providing programs and support for underrepresented students.
Dugmore
Dugmore Hall, the newest residence hall located on the north end of campus.

E

Eburg
Common shorthand for Ellensburg, the town where the university is located.
Ellie
A common shorthand nickname for the city of Ellensburg.
ESC
Equity and Services Council, a branch of student government representing diverse student orgs.

H

Holmes
Holmes Dining Room, the main buffet-style dining hall located in the SURC.

K

Kam
Kamola Hall, the historic residence hall located near the south edge of campus.
Kamola
Kamola Hall, one of the oldest and most historic residence halls on campus.
KCWU
The campus radio station, known on-air as 88.1 The Burg.

M

Meisner
Meisner Hall

N

North
North Dining Hall, the dining facility serving the north side of campus.
North Complex
A group of residence halls on the north end of campus, including Courson, Muzzall, Sparks, and Davies.

Q

Quigley
Quigley Hall

R

RHA
Residence Hall Association, the representative body for students living on campus.

S

Sparks
Sparks Hall
Stephens
Stephens-Whitney Hall
Sue
Sue Lombard Hall, a historic residence hall often used for honors students.
SW
Stephens-Whitney Hall, a residence hall frequently abbreviated by students.

T

The 509
The regional area code, often used to refer to the Eastern Washington culture and region
The Bassetti's
The group of residence halls comprising Beck, Davies, Hitchcock, Meisner, and Quigley.
The Bistro
Common shorthand for the 1891 Bistro.
The Burg
Ellensburg, the town where the CWU campus is located.
The Burg
Student Village apartments, often called 'The Burg' by residents (not to be confused with the town nickname).
The C-Store
Cat's Convenience Store, the on-campus shop for snacks and groceries in the SURC.
The Kam
Kamola Hall, the oldest residence hall on campus.
The Norths
The North Complex residence halls, specifically Carmody and Munro.
The Shoe Tree
A specific tree on campus where students traditionally throw pairs of shoes.
The Stack
The historic brick smokestack on campus, a major local landmark.
The Steps
Stephens-Whitney Hall, a residence hall on the west side of campus.
The Suites
Wendell Hill Hall, specifically the suite-style living units.
The SURC
The Student Union and Recreation Center, the primary hub for campus dining.
The Wind
A reference to Ellensburg's notoriously high and frequent winds.
The Windy City
A common nickname for Ellensburg due to the frequent high winds on campus.

W

Wellington
The official name of the CWU Wildcat mascot.
Wendell
Wendell Hill Hall, a suite-style residence hall often referred to by its first name.
Wildcat
The official mascot and the term used to refer to any CWU student.
Wildcat Way
The main pedestrian thoroughfare and brick path that runs through the center of campus.
Windyburg
A common local nickname for the campus and town due to the frequent high winds.

Places and practicalities

Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.

21 details
1891_cafe_market
1891 Cafe & Market
Barge
Barge Hall, the iconic administration building with the clock tower.
Brooks
James E. Brooks Library, the main campus library.
CatTrax
The degree-audit system used by students and advisors to track progress toward graduation.
Central Transit
The fare-free bus system that connects the campus to the rest of Ellensburg.
Connection Card
The official multi-purpose student ID card used for building access and meals.
el_gato_quesadilla_grill
El Gato & Quesadilla Grill
Hogue
Hogue Technology Complex, housing engineering and technology programs.
holmes_dining_room
Holmes Dining Room
Late Start
The university's policy for delayed campus opening during heavy snow or ice.
McIntyre
McIntyre Music Building, the home of the music department and performance halls.
MyCWU
The online student portal used for registration, grades, and financial aid.
Nicholson
Nicholson Pavilion, the primary athletic facility and gymnasium.
Samuelson
Samuelson Hall, the integrated STEM and IT building.
The 15
A common reference to the Central Transit bus route that loops through campus every 15 minutes.
the_bistro
The Bistro
Wildcat Dollars
A debit-style account on the Connection Card used for campus retail and dining.
Wildcat Shop
The official university bookstore located in the SURC for textbooks and CWU apparel.
Wildcat Tickets
The online portal for purchasing tickets to campus sporting events and performances
Wildcat Way
The university's set of core values and the name of the main thoroughfare through campus.
wildcat_pantry
Wildcat Pantry

Quick answers

Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.

What academic term is relevant now?
Summer Session 2026 - Full Session runs Jun 22, 2026 – Aug 21, 2026.
How much campus context is included?
46 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.

Class of 2030 · Central Washington University

You just committed to Central Washington University.

The four months ahead don’t need to be one giant open tab. Sign up and we’ll only email you when Central Washington University actually needs you to do something this summer — orientation, housing, course registration, immunization. That’s the whole product.

What we’ll email you about

  • Sep 23

    Fall tuition and fees due

    Required · source

One email per real deadline. Source link cited every time. We re-check 7 days before each one fires.

Get the Class of 2030 essentials for Central Washington University

DormWay tells you when your campus asks you to do something this summer. Then it helps you do it. That's all.

DormWay’s AI organizes your school. It doesn’t do your work. Free for students.

Get to know your university

Assisted

Find a few communities to try at Central Washington University

These are things we discovered from public campus sources. We are constantly looking for more.

Tell us what we missed
Interest filters
  • Major-aligned clubs, pre-professional groups, and research communities.
  • Performing arts, visual arts, student publications, film, and music.
  • Cultural orgs, identity communities, and faith-based groups.
  • Volunteer groups, civic engagement, mutual aid, and student government.
  • Outdoor clubs, intramural sports, club sports, and rec center programs.
  • Entrepreneurship, hackathon teams, makerspaces, and engineering project teams.
  • Casual hangouts, interest groups, and open events without applications.

DormWay is still mapping student communities at this campus.

We only show recommendations once we have enough public sources for Central Washington University.

These are things we discovered. We are constantly looking for more.

Tell us what we missed

Recommendations are based on public campus sources. We do not endorse student organizations.

Using DormWay at Central Washington University

What the product handles for students.

Syllabus to schedule

Upload any Central Washington University syllabus and get a complete semester breakdown in seconds

Workload planning

Balance your courseload with helpful workload distribution

Free student access

No premium tiers, no paywalls. Free for all Central Washington University students

Central Washington University on DormWay

Current DormWay activity for this campus

5

Active Students

1

Syllabi Analyzed

1

Courses on DormWay

Browse all courses →

Popular Courses

Browse all →
ART 470

DormWay integrates with Central Washington University's LMS

Connect your learning management system for automatic assignment syncing

Canvas

Supported

Connect your Canvas account to automatically sync assignments, grades, and course schedules.

Life in Ellensburg for Central Washington University Students

Everything you need to know about living and studying in Ellensburg.

Timezone

Pacific Time (PT)

Median Rent

$1,200

Cost of Living Index

102

Student Population

10,000

City Transportation

Walkability

55

Bikeability

60

Public Transit

Ellensburg Transit, HopeSource Bus

Nearest Airports

Bowers Field

Climate Averages

Climate

Warm-summer Mediterranean

Avg Annual Temp

48°F

Avg Snowfall

24 in

Campus Operations Snapshot

Parking and Transit

X-12

surface_lot

Free lot; No parking 2 AM to 6 AM.

X-22

surface_lot

Free lot; Overnight parking allowed.

I-15

surface_lot • Limited

Located outside the east entrance of the SURC; includes a permit kiosk.

Dorms & On-Campus Housing at Central Washington University

Various dorm and housing options are available for students.

26 known dorm and housing options. The first 24 are shown below; the rest are available in the expandable list.

Alford-Montgomery Hall

Capacity: 280

Room types: double, suite

Anderson Apartments

Room types: 2 bedroom

Barto Hall

Room types: double with communal bath, double with suite-style bath

Bassett Hall

Room types: double

Beck Hall

Room types: single, double, triple

Brooklane Village

Button Hall

Room types: single, double, triple

Carmody-Munro

Davies Hall

Room types: single

Dugmore Hall

Room types: double with shared bathroom, double with community bathroom

Hitchcock Hall

Room types: single with community bath, double with community bath, limited triple with bath

Kamola Hall

Capacity: 212

Room types: double

Meisner Hall

Room types: single, double, triple

Moore Hall

Room types: single, double, triple

North Hall

Room types: single, double, triple

Quigley Hall

Room types: single, double, triple

Short-Getz

Sparks Hall

Room types: single

Stephens-Whitney Hall

Room types: single (suite)

Student Village

Sue Lombard Hall

Room types: suite-style with shared bathrooms

Wahle

Wendell Hill Hall A

Room types: two-person rooms, four-person suites

Wendell Hill Hall B

Room types: two-person rooms, four-person suites

Show the remaining 2 housing options

Wendell Hill Halls A and B

Room types: two-person rooms, four-person suites

Wilson Hall

Room types: single

Campus Details

Academic System

Semester

Control

Public

Email Domain

@centralwashingtonu.edu

Official Website

Visit Website →

Plan your semester at Central Washington University

Upload a syllabus, collect the important dates, and build a schedule around the work ahead.