Academic calendar
First Semester 2026 runs Aug 3, 2026 – Dec 18, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- First Semester 2026Relevant now
- Second Semester 2027
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 25 of 25 terms
1
- 1st-5th Lunch
- The five 25-minute lunch segments students are assigned to throughout the midday period.
A
- ARA
- Alabama Rocketry Association, a student engineering team based in Hardaway Hall.
B
- Bama Cash
- A debit-like account on the student ID used for laundry, vending, and off-campus partners.
D
- DAC
- Dean's Advisory Council, a student leadership group within the College of Engineering.
- Dining Dollars
- Funds included with meal plans that can be used at various on-campus retail food locations.
F
- FBLA
- Future Business Leaders of America, a club for students interested in business careers.
- Finimus Coepturi
- The school's Latin motto, 'We finish to begin,' frequently cited during graduation and official events.
- Fresh Food
- The Fresh Food Company, a major dining hall located adjacent to Hardaway Hall.
G
- Golden Hawks
- The official mascot and the name used to refer to the student body.
H
- Hawk Talk
- The name of the student-run newspaper and media platform.
- HOSA
- Future Health Professionals, the organization for students in the healthcare academic pathway.
I
- IB
- International Baccalaureate, the school's rigorous magnet diploma program.
J
- JROTC
- Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps, a leadership and military science program.
L
- Lakeside
- Lakeside Residential Community, located near the Student Recreation Center.
- Lakeside Dining
- The dining facility serving the Lakeside and Ridgecrest residential areas.
P
- Paty
- Paty Hall, a prominent residence hall located near the engineering complex.
- Pres
- Presidential Village, a modern residential community on the north side of campus.
R
- Roll Tide
- The universal campus greeting, cheer, and parting phrase.
S
- SGA
- Student Government Association, the primary student leadership body.
T
- The Capstone
- A nickname for the university, referring to it as the 'capstone' of the state's public education.
- The Commons
- The central dining and social area where students gather during lunch and before or after school.
- The Magnet
- Shorthand for the International Baccalaureate or other specialized academic programs at the school.
- The Quad
- The central open green space of the campus, used for tailgating and recreation.
- The Strip
- A popular area of shops and restaurants located just off-campus on University Blvd.
- Tut
- Tutwiler Hall, a large traditional-style residence hall.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- ACT Card
- The official student ID card used for building access, meal swipes, and library services.
- Action Card Office
- The service center for managing ID cards and account balances.
- Canvas
- The online learning management system used for submitting assignments and accessing course materials.
- Chromebooks
- The school-issued laptops that students are required to bring to every class for instructional use.
- Crimson Ride
- The campus shuttle bus system providing transit between residential and academic areas.
- Dual Enrollment
- The program allowing students to earn college credit at Columbus State University while still in high school.
- H.M. Comer
- The main administrative and student services hub for the College of Engineering.
- Hardaway
- Hardaway Hall, the primary building for Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering.
- Hardaway Annex
- Bureau of Mines 2, an extension facility used for engineering projects.
- Hawk Country
- A collective term used by students and staff to refer to the entire Hardaway campus and its athletic facilities.
- Infinite Campus
- The digital portal, commonly called 'IC,' where students and parents track grades, attendance, and schedules.
- myBama
- The central web portal for students to access email, registration, and grades.
- NERC
- North Engineering Research Center, focused on advanced engineering research.
- One-way hallways
- The two main long corridors in the school where student traffic must flow in a single designated direction.
- One-way rule
- The strict traffic convention requiring students to walk in one direction in the school's two longest hallways.
- SERC
- South Engineering Research Center, a major research and classroom facility.
- The Cube
- A collaborative student workspace and lab formerly located in Hardaway Hall.
- The Gym
- The primary indoor athletic facility, often the site of pep rallies and basketball games.
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- First Semester 2026 runs Aug 3, 2026 – Dec 18, 2026.
- How much campus context is included?
- 25 approved campus terms and 18 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.