Academic calendar
Fall Semester 2026 runs Aug 18, 2026 – Dec 19, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Fall Semester 2026Relevant now
- Spring Semester 2027
- Fall Semester 2027
- Spring Semester 2028
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 30 of 30 terms
B
- BLSU
- Black & Latine Student Union, a prominent cultural and advocacy organization.
- Bundy
- Bundy Residence Hall, often associated with social isolation or 'Bundy depression' due to its distance from the center of campus.
C
- C&C
- Class and Charter Day, an annual end-of-year celebration featuring an awards ceremony and a campus-wide party.
- CAB
- Campus Activities Board, the student-run group that plans major social events and concerts.
- Class & Charter Day
- The final day of spring classes, celebrated with an awards ceremony followed by a campus-wide party.
- Commons
- Soper Commons, the primary dining hall on the Light Side of campus.
- Continentals
- The official nickname for Hamilton students and athletic teams.
D
- Dark Side
- The north side of campus, formerly Kirkland College, characterized by brutalist architecture and a wooded environment.
- Dirty D
- Dunham Residence Hall, the largest first-year dorm known for its social atmosphere and rowdy reputation.
F
- Feb
- A student who begins their Hamilton career in the spring semester (January) rather than the fall.
G
- Grey Side
- A collective term for residence halls located 'down the hill,' such as Wertimer and Wallace Johnson.
H
- HAVOC
- Hamilton Association for Volunteering, Outreach, and Charity, the main community service organization.
- HEAG
- Hamilton Environmental Action Group, focused on campus sustainability and environmental issues.
- HOC
- Hamilton Outing Club, which organizes hiking, camping, and other outdoor excursions.
K
- Kirkland
- A reference to the legacy of Kirkland College, the women's college that merged with Hamilton in 1978.
L
- Light Side
- The south side of campus, the original Hamilton side, characterized by traditional stone buildings and open quads.
M
- McEwen
- McEwen Dining Hall, located on the Dark Side, known for its international cuisine and sandwich station.
O
- Opus
- The student-run coffee shops, specifically Opus I (in McEwen) and Opus II (in the Taylor Science Center).
S
- SA
- Student Assembly, the college's student government body.
T
- The Dark Side
- The side of campus formerly belonging to Kirkland College, featuring modernist concrete architecture and a more 'artsy' vibe.
- The Diner
- Howard Diner, a popular late-night eatery located in the Beinecke Student Activities Village.
- The Glen
- The Root Glen, a scenic wooded area on campus with walking trails and gardens.
- The Hill
- The common term for the Hamilton College campus, which is situated on a hill overlooking Clinton.
- The Light Side
- The original Hamilton side of campus, characterized by traditional stone buildings and a more 'preppy' or athletic reputation.
- The Little Pub
- A social space and bar located in the basement of Soper Commons.
- The Pub
- The Little Pub, a campus spot for food and drinks, often used for social gatherings.
- The Rock
- A large boulder near the chapel that is frequently painted by student groups to advertise events or messages.
- The Village
- The town of Clinton, NY, located at the base of the hill from the college.
W
- Wertimer
- Wertimer House, a residence hall often referred to by its name alone rather than 'Wertimer House'.
- Woollcott
- Woollcott House, a smaller residence hall on the Light Side.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- Beinecke
- Beinecke Student Activities Village, the center for student life, containing the diner and mail center.
- Blood
- The Blood Fitness and Dance Center, the main campus gym and fitness facility.
- Handshake
- The online portal used by students to find on-campus jobs, internships, and career resources.
- Hill Card
- The multi-purpose student ID used for building access, meal swipes, and 'Hill Card' declining balance funds.
- KJ
- The Kirner-Johnson Building, a central academic hub housing social science departments and a large atrium.
- List
- The List Art Center, housing the art and art history departments.
- Open Curriculum
- Hamilton's unique academic structure that lacks distribution requirements, allowing students to design their own course of study.
- Papercut
- The campus-wide printing management system used by students at library and lab printers.
- Sadove
- Sadove Student Center, the main student hub containing the mailroom, the diner, and meeting spaces.
- Science Center
- The large, modern facility housing the college's STEM departments and laboratories.
- The Glen
- Root Glen, a 25-acre wooded area on campus with trails and gardens used for recreation and research.
- The Jitney
- The campus shuttle service that provides transportation between the college and the village of Clinton.
- The Mail Center
- Located in the basement of Sadove, where all student packages and mail are processed.
- The Red Book
- The college's official directory and guide used to find department chairs and program information.
- The Sci
- The Taylor Science Center, the main building for natural sciences and home to Opus II.
- The Well
- The Johnson Health and Wellness Center, the primary location for medical and counseling services.
- Wellin
- Refers to either the Wellin Museum of Art or Wellin Hall, the campus's primary performance space.
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Fall Semester 2026 runs Aug 18, 2026 – Dec 19, 2026.
- How much campus context is included?
- 30 approved campus terms and 17 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.