Academic calendar
School Year 2026-2027 runs Aug 13, 2026 – May 20, 2027. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- School Year 2026-2027Relevant now
Campus language
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Showing 66 of 66 terms
A
- AD
- Alpha Delta, a prominent local fraternity (famously the inspiration for the movie Animal House).
- Aires
- The Dartmouth Aires, the college's oldest and most prominent all-male a cappella group.
B
- BDS
- Big Dartmouth Sound, a student-run radio or music-related organization (context dependent, often refers to specific campus bands).
- Billy Bob
- A popular breakfast wrap featuring steak, cheese, and egg, served at campus dining locations.
- Blitz
- The campus-specific term for sending an email, originating from the old 'BlitzMail' system.
C
- Choates
- The Choates cluster, a group of four residence halls (Bissell, Brown, Cohen, and Little) known for their distinct architecture.
- Collis
- The Collis Center for Student Involvement, specifically referring to the cafe known for smoothies, stir-fry, and pasta.
- COSO
- Council on Student Organizations, the body that recognizes and funds student groups.
D
- D-Plan
- Dartmouth's unique year-round quarter system that allows students to choose which terms they are on campus.
- DA
- Dartmouth Athletics, the department overseeing varsity, club, and intramural sports.
- DALI
- Digital Arts Leadership and Innovation Lab, a student-led technology and design hub.
- Dark Side
- The right-hand side of the Foco dining hall, traditionally considered quieter or more studious.
- DBA
- Dining Blue Apron or Dartmouth Dining Services account/dollars used for purchasing food.
- DDS
- Dartmouth Dining Services, the department managing all campus eateries.
- Diman
- A prospective student visiting during 'Dimensions of Dartmouth' (admitted students weekend).
- Dimensions
- The annual admitted students weekend, famous for the 'Dimensions Show' performed by current students.
- Dimensions Show
- A high-energy, student-run performance held during Dimensions weekend to welcome admitted students.
- Dimer
- A prospective student visiting campus during the Dimensions program.
- Dimonions
- A nickname for the student volunteers and performers who lead the Dimensions welcome activities.
- Dimonz
- Student shorthand for the 'Dimensions of Dartmouth' admitted students program and its high-energy show.
- DOC
- Dartmouth Outing Club, the oldest and largest collegiate outing club in the country.
- DPB
- Dartmouth Programming Board, the student-led group responsible for organizing major campus events like concerts and movies.
E
- East Wheelock
- A residential cluster (including McCulloch and Morton) often noted for being newer and having more amenities like a snack bar.
F
- Fa-Mac
- Shorthand for Fahey-McLane Hall, a popular residence hall located near the Tuck School of Business.
- Facetime
- The act of being seen in high-traffic areas like Collis or the library to socialize rather than study.
- Facetimey
- Describing a person who is very social or a location where one is likely to be seen by many peers.
- Fahey-McLane
- Often referred to as 'Fahey' or 'Fahey-McLane,' a popular upscale dorm cluster on the west side of campus.
- Fayerweather
- Commonly referred to as 'Fayer,' a cluster of three residence halls (North, Middle, and South).
- Flair
- Bright, mismatched, or costume-like clothing worn during special events like Dimensions or Green Key.
- Flitz
- A 'flirty blitz,' an email sent to ask someone on a date or express romantic interest.
- Foco
- The Class of 1953 Commons, the primary 'all-you-care-to-eat' dining hall on campus.
- Fracket
- A 'frat jacket,' a cheap or old jacket worn to fraternity parties that one does not mind losing or getting dirty.
- FYSEP
- First-Year Student Enrichment Program, supporting first-generation low-income students.
G
- GLO
- Greek Letter Organizations, the collective term for the campus's fraternities, sororities, and co-ed houses.
- Greek
- The collective term for the college's fraternity and sorority system.
H
- Hotel McLaughlin
- The McLaughlin Cluster, nicknamed 'Hotel' by students for its modern amenities and high quality.
K
- K-Ida
- King Arthur Flour (KAF), a popular cafe located in Baker-Berry Library (now replaced by a similar service, but the name often persists in student memory).
- KAF
- King Arthur Flour, a popular cafe located within Baker-Berry Library (now officially the 'Back of the Napkin' but still widely called KAF).
L
- Late Night
- The late-night dining hours offered at Collis or the Hop, a staple of student social life.
- Light Side
- The left-hand side of the Foco dining hall, traditionally considered more social.
- LSA/FSP
- Language Study Abroad and Foreign Study Program, Dartmouth's specific terms for study abroad opportunities.
M
- McLaughlin
- The McLaughlin Cluster, a set of modern residence halls often cited for their high-quality amenities.
N
- Novack
- The 24-hour cafe located in the Berry Library, popular for late-night study snacks.
- Novak
- The Novak Cafe, a popular study and snack spot located in the library.
O
- OPAL
- Office of Pluralism and Leadership, which supports student diversity and inclusion initiatives.
P
- Pong
- Dartmouth's specific version of beer pong played with paddles and no handles.
- Prospie
- A prospective student visiting campus, especially during the Dimensions program.
S
- S&S
- Safety and Security, the campus police and security department.
- Shmob
- A 'freshman mob,' referring to large groups of first-year students traveling together early in the fall.
T
- TDX
- Theta Delta Chi, a fraternity on campus often referred to by its Greek letters.
- The Billy
- The Billiards room or the snack bar area in the basement of Collis.
- The Choates
- The Choate Cluster, consisting of Brown and Bissell halls, known for their distinct mid-century architecture.
- The D
- The common shorthand for The Dartmouth, the daily student newspaper.
- The D
- The Dartmouth, the college's daily student newspaper and the oldest college newspaper in America.
- The Fayers
- The Fayerweather Halls, consisting of North, Middle, and South Fayerweather.
- The Fayes
- A nickname for the Fayweather residence halls, known for their central location and traditional style.
- The Ghetto
- A historical (though now discouraged) nickname for the Fayes/McLaughlin cluster due to its distance and layout.
- The Green
- The central grassy quad at the heart of the campus where major events and protests occur.
- The Hop
- The Courtyard Cafe located inside the Hopkins Center for the Arts.
- The Lodge
- Common shorthand for the McLane and Fahey residence halls, often used by residents of the West Wheelock cluster.
- The River
- The River Cluster (French, Hinman, and McLane halls), located furthest from the center of campus near the Connecticut River.
- The Wigwam
- Wigwam Circle, a residential area often used for graduate or upperclassman housing.
- The Wigwams
- Commonly called 'The Wigwams' or 'Wigs,' these are apartment-style dorms located near the athletic facilities.
W
- Wiggy
- The nickname for the Wigwam dormitories, which are part of the West Wheelock residential area.
- Winterim
- The winter break period between the fall and winter terms.
- Woccom
- A 'walk around Occom' (Occom Pond), a popular recreational activity for students.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- Add/Drop
- The initial 'shopping period' at the start of each term for adjusting course schedules.
- Advance Transit
- The free local bus system that connects the campus to West Lebanon and other nearby areas.
- Baker-Berry
- The main library complex, often shortened to 'Baker' or 'Berry' depending on which wing a student is in.
- BEMA
- The Big Empty Meeting Area, a wooded amphitheater used for events and gatherings.
- Big Weekend
- Major seasonal tradition weekends: Homecoming (Fall), Winter Carnival (Winter), and Green Key (Spring).
- Blobby
- The lobby of Baker Library (Baker + Lobby), a common meeting and study spot.
- Blue Lights
- Emergency stations located throughout campus that connect directly to Safety and Security when activated.
- BVAC
- The Black Family Visual Arts Center, housing arts and film departments.
- D-Plan
- Dartmouth's unique year-round quarter system that allows students to choose which terms they are on campus.
- DA$H
- The discretionary spending account linked to a student's ID card used for laundry, vending, and some local merchants.
- DartCard
- The official student ID used for building access, meal plans, and 'DBA' (Dining Blue Account) purchases.
- Dartmouth Card
- The official multi-purpose student ID used for building access, dining, and library services.
- Dartmouth Coach
- The bus service providing transportation between Hanover and Boston or New York City.
- DASH
- The Dartmouth Card system used for door access, laundry, and discretionary spending (DASH Discretionary).
- DBA
- Dartmouth Business Allowance, the declining balance currency used for purchasing food at non-buffet dining locations.
- Dick's House
- Dick Hall's House, the campus infirmary and primary health services center.
- Dimensions
- The official admitted students' program, often used to describe the high-energy welcome show and weekend activities.
- Drill
- A fast-paced, intensive language learning method involving rapid-fire questions and finger-snapping.
- Fahey-McLane
- A prominent residential hall often referred to as 'Fahey'.
- FSP
- Foreign Study Program, Dartmouth's term for faculty-led study abroad programs.
- Green Key
- A major spring weekend festival featuring concerts, parties, and outdoor events.
- Green Print
- The campus-wide wireless printing system that allows students to send documents to various printers from their laptops.
- GreenPrint
- The campus-wide wireless printing system that allows students to print from their laptops to various stations.
- Haldeman
- The Haldeman Center, home to various international and social science research centers.
- Kemeny
- Kemeny Hall, the home of the Mathematics Department, often used as a central meeting or study spot.
- Life Sciences
- The Class of 1978 Life Sciences Center (LSC), a major research and classroom facility.
- LSC
- The Life Sciences Center, a major research and classroom building for biological sciences.
- McNutt
- McNutt Hall, the primary building for the Office of Admissions.
- Novack
- Novack Cafe, a 24-hour study space and snack bar located on the ground floor of Berry Library.
- Robo
- Robinson Hall, the hub for many student organizations and the Dartmouth Outing Club.
- Rocky
- The Rockefeller Center for Public Policy and the Social Sciences.
- SafeRide
- A campus security service that provides safe transportation for students across campus at night.
- Safety and Security
- Often called 'S&S,' the campus department responsible for security and student safety escorts.
- Sophomore Summer
- The mandatory summer term for rising juniors, considered a major bonding experience for the class.
- Sudikoff
- The Sudikoff Center, primarily housing the Computer Science department.
- The Advance
- The student-run shuttle service that provides transportation around campus and to local areas.
- The D
- The common name for 'The Dartmouth,' the college's daily student newspaper.
- The Dickey Center
- The John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding.
- The Green
- The central grassy common area that serves as the heart of campus life.
- The Hinman Box
- A student's personal campus mailbox located in the Hopkins Center.
- The Hop
- The Hopkins Center for the Arts, the hub for drama, music, and film on campus.
- The Hop Stop
- A common meeting point or transit reference near the Hopkins Center.
- The Life Sciences
- Commonly used to refer to the Class of 1978 Life Sciences Center (LSC).
- The Life Sciences Center
- Commonly referred to as the 'LSC'.
- The Lodge
- The DOC House or similar outing club facilities used for meetings and events.
- universal_meal_program
- Universal Meal Program
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- School Year 2026-2027 runs Aug 13, 2026 – May 20, 2027.
- How much campus context is included?
- 66 approved campus terms and 46 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.