Academic calendar
Fall Semester 2026 - Full 15 Week Semester runs Sep 8, 2026 – Dec 19, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Fall 2026 - First 5 Weeks
- Fall 2026 - 8 Week Session
- Fall Semester 2026 - Full 15 Week SemesterRelevant now
- Fall 2026 - Second 5 Weeks
- Fall 2026 - 7 Week Session
- Fall 2026 - Third 5 Weeks
- January Session 2027
- Spring 2027 - January Session
- Spring 2027 - First 5 Week Session
- Spring 2027 - 8 Week Session
- Spring Semester 2027 - Full 15 Week Semester
- Spring 2027 - Second 5 Week Session
- Spring 2027 - 7 Week Session
- Spring 2027 - Third 5 Week Session
- Summer 2027 - Full 12 Week Semester
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 37 of 37 terms
2
- 2nd Floor Cafe
- The dining area located on the second floor of the Student Center.
3
- 30 East
- 30 East Balbo, a student residence building located near the main campus hub.
- 33 Cafe
- The grab-and-go cafe located in the 33 E. Ida B. Wells building.
A
- Arc
- Arc at Old Colony, a student housing option located in a historic building on Van Buren.
B
- Big Chicago
- The required first-semester experience course that explores the city's history and culture.
C
- Colum
- A common shorthand name for Columbia College Chicago.
- Columbia Cash
- A declining balance account on the student ID used for campus dining and printing.
D
- Dining Dollars
- Funds included in meal plans for use at on-campus retail dining locations.
E
- Echo
- The student-produced magazine showcasing campus culture and arts.
J
- J-Term
- The intensive three-week session held in January between the fall and spring semesters.
M
- Manifest
- The massive annual urban arts festival held in May to celebrate graduating students' work.
- Manny's
- Manny's Coffee Shop & Deli, a historic local deli frequently visited by the campus community.
- Meal Swipes
- The currency used to access the all-you-care-to-eat dining hall.
- MoCP
- Museum of Contemporary Photography, a world-renowned museum hosted by the college.
S
- SGA
- Student Government Association, the representative body for the student voice.
- ShopCheckout
- The centralized system and physical location for students to rent professional film, photo, and audio gear.
- ShopColumbia
- The student-run boutique and gallery that sells student and alumni art.
- ShopShare
- The online system used by students to reserve and check out production equipment.
- SOC
- Student Organization Council, the governing body for all recognized student clubs.
- SPB
- Student Programming Board, the group responsible for organizing campus events.
- Student Center Cafe
- The food service area located in the 754 S. Wabash building.
T
- The Arc
- The Arc at Old Colony, a student residence building at 37 W. Van Buren St.
- The Caf
- General student shorthand for the University Center dining hall.
- The Cage
- The equipment checkout center where students rent cameras, lights, and audio gear.
- The Chronicle
- The Columbia Chronicle, the college's award-winning student-led news publication.
- The Dwight
- The Dwight Lofts, a student residence located at 642 S. Clark St.
- The Flats
- The Flats on LaSalle, a residence hall located slightly further north in the Loop.
- The Loop
- The downtown Chicago neighborhood where the entire campus is integrated.
- The Market
- A grab-and-go convenience store located within the University Center.
- The Shop
- The Central Equipment Checkout where students rent cameras, lighting, and audio gear for projects.
- The Student Center Cafe
- The dining area located within the 754 S. Wabash building.
- The UC
- The University Center, a large multi-school residence hall at 525 S. State St.
- The UC
- The main dining center located within the University Center residence hall.
- The UC Dining Hall
- The main cafeteria located in the University Center shared with other schools.
U
- UC
- University Center, the large multi-college residence hall at 525 S State St.
W
- WCRX
- The student-run radio station (88.1 FM).
- Wicked Week
- A week of campus-wide Halloween-themed programming and events.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- 1104
- 1104 S. Wabash Ave, the primary building for film, television, and animation students.
- 33
- 33 E. Ida B. Wells Dr (formerly Congress), a major classroom and lab building.
- 600
- 600 S. Michigan Ave, the Alexandroff Campus Center and main administrative hub.
- 618
- 618 S. Michigan Ave, which houses the library and various student service offices.
- 623
- 623 S. Wabash Ave, a primary building for classrooms and faculty offices.
- Canvas
- The learning management system where professors post syllabi, assignments, and grades.
- Columbia Central
- The one-stop office for financial aid, student accounts, and registrar services.
- frannie_s_cafe
- Frannie's Cafe
- frannie_s_student_center_food_court
- Frannie's (Student Center Food Court)
- Handshake
- The official platform used by the college for student job listings and internships.
- MPC
- The Media Production Center, a professional-grade film and television facility at 1600 S. State St.
- MyColumbia
- The central online portal for students to access grades, registration, and financial info.
- Oasis
- The online student portal used for registration, grades, and academic records.
- SafeRide
- The college's point-to-point transportation service for students traveling between campus buildings at night.
- The 'L'
- The CTA elevated train system used by students to navigate the city.
- The 1104
- 1104 S. Wabash Ave, home to the Film and Television department and the DEPS gallery.
- The 33
- The 33 E Ida B. Wells Dr building (formerly 33 E Congress).
- The 600
- 600 S. Michigan Ave, the main administrative building housing the library and admissions.
- The 618
- 618 S. Michigan Ave, a building primarily used for dance and music programs.
- The 623
- 623 S. Wabash Ave, a primary classroom building housing many art and design spaces.
- The Haus
- The student center and lounge space located at 623 S. Wabash Ave.
- The Link
- The college's internal news site and resource directory for students and faculty.
- The Loft
- A dedicated student lounge and hangout space located in the 916 S. Wabash building.
- The MPC
- The Media Production Center, a professional-grade film and TV facility at 1600 S. State St.
- The SC
- The Student Center, a hub for student life located at 754 S. Wabash Ave.
- The Shop
- The Central Equipment Checkout where students rent cameras, lighting, and gear.
- The Student Center
- The central campus hub located at 754 S. Wabash Ave.
- the_caf
- The Caf
- the_caf_university_center
- The Caf (University Center)
- the_market
- The Market
- the_market_university_center
- The Market (University Center)
- U-Pass
- The Ventra card provided to full-time students for unlimited rides on CTA buses and trains.
- Workday
- The administrative system used for student employment, payroll, and official records.
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Fall Semester 2026 - Full 15 Week Semester runs Sep 8, 2026 – Dec 19, 2026.
- How much campus context is included?
- 37 approved campus terms and 33 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.