Academic calendar
Summer 2026 Full Semester (SSB) runs May 18, 2026 – Aug 7, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Summer 2026 First Six Week Session (SF6)
- Summer 2026 First Eight Weeks (SS1)
- Summer 2026 Full Semester (SSB)Summer Session 2026Relevant now
- Summer 2026 Middle Four Week Session (SM4)
- Summer 2026 Second Eight Weeks (SS2)
- Summer 2026 Last Six Week Session (SL6)
- Summer 2026 Last Four Week Session (SL4)
- Fall 2026 First Half (FH)
- Fall Semester 2026
- Fall 2026 Second Half (SH)
- Winter Session 2026-2027Winter Session 2027
- Spring Semester 2027
- Summer Session 2027
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 51 of 51 terms
B
- BLF
- Barton-Lyon-Freeman, a group of residence halls located near the Memorial Union.
- BWR
- Birch-Welch-Roberts, a cluster of traditional residence halls.
C
- C-Store
- Short for Convenience Store, referring to campus shops like West Side Market or East Side Market.
- CA
- Community Adviser, the ISU equivalent of a Resident Assistant (RA).
- Campaniling
- The tradition of kissing someone under the Campanile at midnight to become a 'true Iowan'.
- Clones
- Shorthand for the Cyclones, the university's athletic teams and students.
- Clyde's
- Clyde's Grill, a popular retail dining location in the Union Drive Community Center.
- Conversations
- The dining center located in the basement of Oak-Elm Hall.
- Convos
- Conversations, the dining center located in the basement of Oak-Elm Hall.
- CPC
- Collegiate Panhellenic Council, the governing body for social sororities on campus.
- Cy
- The official cardinal mascot of Iowa State.
- Cy-Hawk
- The name of the intense athletic rivalry between Iowa State and the University of Iowa.
- Cy's Eyes
- The student-run weather and news broadcast.
- CyRide
- The city-wide bus system that is free for students to use with their ID card.
D
- Dining Dollars
- Currency included in meal plans that can be used at campus cafes and convenience stores.
- DIS
- Destination Iowa State, the multi-day orientation program for incoming freshmen.
- DM
- Dance Marathon, a major student-run philanthropy event that raises money for the Children's Miracle Network.
F
- Flex Meals
- Meal swipes that can be used for 'bundled' meals at retail locations instead of dining halls.
- Freddy
- Frederiksen Court, the on-campus apartment complex for upperclassmen.
- Friley
- One of the largest residence halls in the country, known for its complex layout and 'dungeon' basement rooms.
G
- Geoffroy
- Geoffroy Hall, a newer residence hall often referred to by its full name but distinct for its modern amenities.
- GPSS
- Graduate and Professional Student Senate, representing post-undergraduate students.
H
- Helser
- Often referred to as 'Hell-ser' by students due to its lack of air conditioning and older facilities.
- Hilton Magic
- The phenomenon of the home-court advantage and unexpected victories at Hilton Coliseum.
I
- IFC
- Interfraternity Council, the governing body for social fraternities on campus.
- IRHA
- Inter-Residence Hall Association, the governing body for students living in on-campus housing.
- ISU AfterDark
- A late-night program offering free activities and entertainment on select Friday nights.
- ISU Daily
- The Iowa State Daily, the independent student-run newspaper.
- ISU DM
- Iowa State Dance Marathon, the university's largest student-run philanthropy event.
- ISU PD
- The Iowa State University Police Department, the campus-specific law enforcement agency.
- ISUAA
- Iowa State University Alumni Association, which also hosts student-facing events and the Student Alumni Leadership Council.
- ISUCF'V'MB
- The Iowa State University Cyclone Football 'Varsity' Marching Band.
- ISUDM
- Iowa State University Dance Marathon, a large student-run philanthropy raising money for Children's Miracle Network.
- ISUPD
- Iowa State University Police Department, the campus law enforcement agency.
L
- Lancelot and Elaine
- The names of the two mute swans that live on Lake LaVerne.
M
- Meal Bundle
- A specific combination of items at retail dining locations that can be purchased using one meal swipe.
- MWL
- Maple-Willow-Larch, the trio of high-rise residence halls on the east side of campus.
S
- Seasons
- Seasons Marketplace, the dining center located in the Maple-Willow-Larch commons.
- StuGov
- Student Government, the representative body for the ISU student population.
- SUB
- Student Union Board, the student-led organization that plans concerts, movies, and events.
- SUV
- Schilletter and University Village, the university-owned apartment community for families and students.
T
- The Cy-Hawk
- The annual rivalry game/series between Iowa State and the University of Iowa.
- The Dungeon
- The lower levels of Friley Hall, known for being a maze-like basement area.
- The Fountain
- The Fountain of the Four Seasons located directly outside the Memorial Union.
- The Hub
- A central campus food court located between Parks Library and Beardshear Hall.
- The Towers
- Wallace and Wilson Halls, the two high-rise residence halls located south of the main campus area.
- The Zodiac
- The brass zodiac inlay in the Memorial Union floor; students walk around it to avoid bad luck on exams.
U
- UDCC
- Union Drive Community Center, the main dining hall and hub for the west side of campus.
V
- VEISHEA
- A historically massive spring festival that was permanently discontinued in 2014 but remains a part of campus lore.
W
- Windows
- Windows Dining Center, the dining hall located within Friley Hall.
- WiSE
- Women in Science and Engineering, a program supporting women in STEM fields.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- AccessPlus
- The legacy web portal used for viewing grades, schedules, and tax forms.
- Beardshear
- Beardshear Hall, the primary administration building housing the President's office and financial aid.
- Canvas
- The learning management system where professors post assignments, grades, and course materials.
- Coover
- Coover Hall, the primary building for the Electrical and Computer Engineering departments.
- Curtiss
- Curtiss Hall, the historic building housing the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
- CyCash
- A prepaid currency loaded onto the ISU Card for use at vending machines, laundry, and campus stores.
- CyRide
- The city bus system that is free for students to use by showing their ISU Card.
- Dining Dollars
- Currency included with meal plans that can be used at campus convenience stores and cafes.
- Flex Meals
- Meal swipes that can be used at specific retail dining locations instead of traditional dining halls.
- friley_windows
- Friley Windows
- Gerdin
- The Gerdin Business Building, home to the Ivy College of Business.
- ISU Alert
- The emergency notification system that sends texts and emails regarding campus safety or weather.
- ISU Card
- The official student identification card used for building access, meal plans, and library services.
- Lied
- Lied Recreation Athletic Center, the large gym facility on the east side of campus.
- MU
- The Memorial Union, the central building for student organizations, dining, and the bookstore.
- NetID
- The username portion of a student's university email used to log into all campus systems.
- Orange Route
- The specific CyRide bus route that shuttles students between the commuter parking lots and central campus.
- Parks
- Parks Library, the main university library.
- richardson_court_marketplace
- Richardson Court Marketplace
- SafeRide
- A service provided by ISU Police that offers safe transportation around campus at night.
- south_side_eats
- South Side Eats
- State
- State Gym, a major renovated recreation center on the west side of campus.
- State Gym
- State Gymnasium, a historic building renovated into a major student fitness and aquatic center.
- The 23 Orange
- A popular CyRide bus route that connects the stadium parking lots to central campus.
- The Armory
- A historic building used for classrooms, testing centers, and ROTC activities.
- The Hub
- A historic central building housing a coffee shop and vending, located near the Campanile.
- The MU
- The Memorial Union, the central building for student life, dining, and the bookstore.
- union_drive_marketplace
- Union Drive Marketplace
- Workday
- The current primary platform for student registration, financial aid, and personal records.
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Summer 2026 Full Semester (SSB) runs May 18, 2026 – Aug 7, 2026.
- How much campus context is included?
- 51 approved campus terms and 29 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.