Cornell CollegeStudent Guide

Academic dates, campus language, housing, and student-life references for Cornell College. Free for students.

Private Non-Profit Liberal Arts College in Mount Vernon, IA. Operating on a semester system.

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1K+

Total Enrollment

Liberal Arts College

Institution Type

14

Housing Buildings

310

Housing Capacity

Student guide · Block 2

The semester, explained for Cornell College

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
Block 2
Campus terms
15
Local details
11

Academic calendar

Block 2 runs Sep 21, 2026 – Oct 14, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.

16 entries
  1. Block 1
  2. Block 2Relevant now
  3. Block 3
  4. Block 4
  5. Block 5
  6. Block 6
  7. Block 7
  8. Block 8
  9. Block 1
  10. Block 2
  11. Block 3
  12. Block 4
  13. Block 5
  14. Block 6
  15. Block 7
  16. Block 8

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Campus language

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

15 terms

B

Block
A 3.5-week academic period during which students take exactly one course.
Block Break
The four-day break between blocks, typically starting on a Wednesday afternoon.

D

Dows
Dows Hall, a residence hall often paired with Tarr Hall.

K

KRNL
The student-run media organization, including radio and digital content.

N

New Hall
The Wilch Apartments, commonly referred to by students as New Hall.

O

OCAAT
One Course At A Time, the official name of Cornell's unique block-based academic calendar.

P

P-Ro
Pauley-Rorem Hall, a residence hall typically housing first-year students.
PA
Peer Advocate, a student leader trained to support and mentor fellow students.

S

SPB
Student Programming Board, the group responsible for organizing campus events and entertainment.
Student Senate
The primary student government body representing student interests to the administration.

T

Tarr
Tarr Hall, a residence hall often paired with Dows Hall.
The Hilltop
A general term used to refer to the Cornell College campus and its community.
The Hilltop
The Hilltop Cafe, the primary dining hall on campus.
The OC
The Orange Carpet, a central social and meeting space located in the Thomas Commons.

Z

Zamir's
Zamir's Market, a convenience store and late-night dining option in the Thomas Commons.

Places and practicalities

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

11 details
18-day sprint
A common student description of the intensive nature of a single academic block.
Cole
Cole Library, which serves both the college and the Mount Vernon community.
hilltop_caf
Hilltop Café
Law Hall
The building housing mathematics, computer science, and social science departments.
Old Sem
Old Seminary, the historic administrative building and the first building on campus.
RAM Card
The official student identification card used for building access, meal plans, and library services.
The Berry Center
The Berry Center for Economics, Business, and Public Policy, which provides career and internship resources.
The Commons
Thomas Commons, the student union building containing dining and student services.
The SAW
The Richard and Norma Small Athletic and Wellness Center.
Writing Studio
A resource in Cole Library where students receive peer-to-peer assistance with writing assignments.
zamora_s_market
Zamora's Market

Quick answers

Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.

What academic term is relevant now?
Block 2 runs Sep 21, 2026 – Oct 14, 2026.
How much campus context is included?
15 approved campus terms and 11 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.

Get to know your university

Assisted

Find a few communities to try at Cornell College

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 Cornell College.

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.

Recent Cornell College Syllabus Analyses

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Sociological Thinking

Life in Mount Vernon for Cornell College Students

Everything you need to know about living and studying in Mount Vernon.

Timezone

Central Time (CT)

Median Rent

$2,007

Cost of Living Index

95

Student Population

1,000

City Transportation

Walkability

60

Bikeability

45

Public Transit

Regional bus service from Cedar Rapids area

Nearest Airports

The Eastern Iowa Airport (Cedar Rapids)

Climate Averages

Climate

Humid continental

Avg Annual Temp

49.9°F

Avg Snowfall

34.3 in

Campus Operations Snapshot

Parking and Transit

Lot A

surface_lot

Designated for upper-class students (North 2 rows) and faculty/staff.

Lot C, D, E, J

surface_lot

Designated for first-year students.

Lot B, F, M, O

surface_lot

Designated for upper-class students.

Campus News

Latest updates from Cornell College

Cornell announces faculty promotions

Three faculty members—Tyler George, Melanie King, and Alex McKenzie—were granted tenure and promoted to associate professor.

Sep 14, 2026

Read More

Two Cornell alumni, one Mongolia connection

Nicholas Yelkin '25 and Julia Clark '06 share a connection through their work and experiences in Mongolia.

Sep 15, 2026

Read More

Grant advances Cornell's work on vocation, purpose

Cornell College received a $20,000 NetVUE Professional Development Award to explore vocation and purpose for students and staff.

Sep 14, 2026

Read More

R.A.M. (Rapid Alert Messaging) Emergency Notification System is used for campus-wide physical threats or emergency safety measures.

R.A.M. (Rapid Alert Messaging) Emergency Notification System is used for campus-wide physical threats or emergency safety measures.

Read More

Upcoming Events

What's happening at Cornell College

Eat Local Challenge

September 22, 2026

Hilltop Café in Cornell's Thomas Commons

A meal made entirely from ingredients harvested or raised within 150 miles of the kitchen, highlighting regional flavors and local Farm to Fork partners.

Be still, life. Homecoming Reception

October 3, 2026

Luce Gallery

A reception for the 'Be still, life' exhibition as part of the Homecoming celebrations.

October Visit Day

October 16, 2026

Mount Vernon, IA

An upcoming campus visit day for prospective students to see life on the Hilltop.

Dorms & On-Campus Housing at Cornell College

Freshmen are required to live on campus unless living with family nearby.

4 known dorm and housing options. Every known option is shown below.

Andrews Hall

Capacity: 100

Room types: single, double

Williamson Hall

Capacity: 80

Room types: single, double, suite

Main Hall

Capacity: 90

Room types: single, double

Hillside Apartments

Capacity: 40

Room types: apartment

Campus Details

Academic System

Semester

Control

Private Non-Profit

Email Domain

@cornellcollege.edu

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