Academic calendar
Fall Semester 2026 runs Oct 1, 2026 – Mar 31, 2027. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Spring Semester 2026
- Fall Semester 2026Relevant now
Campus language
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Showing 60 of 60 terms
3
- 3WD
- The 3rd Women's Dormitory (第三女子寮).
4
- 4WD
- The 4th Women's Dormitory (第四女子寮).
A
- Aca-Pla
- Academic Planning Support; the office that assists students with course selection.
- April Student
- Domestic Japanese students who begin the academic year in the spring.
- April-sei
- Students who enter the university in April, typically local Japanese students.
- Aprilian
- Students who enter the university in April (the traditional Japanese academic start).
- Aprilie
- A student who enters the university in the April term (mostly Japanese).
- Aprilies
- Students who enter the university in April (typically domestic Japanese students).
B
- Bakayama
- Literally 'Stupid Mountain'; the large grassy hill in front of the Honkan where students lounge and socialize.
C
- Canada
- Shorthand for Canada House, one of the older on-campus dormitories.
- CGS
- Center for Gender Studies; a major academic and social hub on campus.
- CLA
- College of Liberal Arts, the single undergraduate faculty at the university.
D
- D-Kan
- The Dining Hall building, a central hub for student meals and socializing.
- D-kan Cafe
- The cafeteria located in the Diffendorfer Memorial Hall, a popular spot for light meals and coffee.
- Daily
- The Daily Yamazaki convenience store located on campus for snacks and supplies.
E
- ELA
- English Language Arts; the core curriculum for students who entered in April (mostly local students).
- ELP
- English Language Program, the core curriculum for Japanese students to master English.
F
- Fourth
- Refers to the Fourth Men's Dormitory (Dai-yon), known for its specific social culture.
G
- Gakki
- The academic term or semester (e.g., Autumn Gakki).
- Gakki
- The university cafeteria (Gakushoku), the primary dining hub for students.
- Gakki-meshi
- General term for food served at the campus dining hall.
- Gakushoku
- The main university cafeteria (Gakusei Shokudo) where students eat daily meals.
- Gink
- Ginkgo House, a dormitory known for its advanced facilities and large communal kitchen.
- Ginkgo
- Ginkgo House, a dormitory typically housing a mix of Japanese and international students.
- Global
- Shorthand for Global House, a prominent international dormitory.
- Glober
- A resident of Global House, one of the on-campus dormitories.
- Gonior
- A 5th-year student (a play on 'Senior' for those who don't graduate in 4 years).
- Gorochi
- A portmanteau for classes held during the 5th, 6th, and 7th periods, often considered a grueling schedule.
I
- ICU Festival
- The annual university festival organized by the student body, featuring performances and food stalls.
- ICU-go
- The unique 'ICU-speak' involving a mix of Japanese and English (code-switching).
- ICUDS
- International Christian University Debate Society, a prominent and competitive student club.
J
- J-ers
- Students enrolled in the Japanese Language Program (JLP).
- JLP
- Japanese Language Program, the intensive track for international students learning Japanese.
- JLP-er
- A student currently enrolled in the intensive Japanese Language Program.
K
- Kitchen Wagon
- Food trucks that park near the cafeteria or Bakayama during lunch hours.
M
- Maple
- Maple House, part of the newer dormitory complex on the Mitaka campus.
- MCC
- Media, Communication and Culture, a popular major within the College of Liberal Arts.
- MDS
- Modern Dance Society; a popular student dance organization on campus.
O
- Oak
- Oak House, an on-campus residence often associated with a close-knit community.
R
- Ronfo
- A 4th-period class that is exceptionally long or cuts into the standard lunch break.
S
- SEA
- Service Learning Center, which coordinates volunteer and community service projects.
- Seccon
- Section Compa; a party or social gathering for members of an academic section.
- Seclun
- Section Lunch; a tradition where 'section mates' eat together in the dining hall.
- Section
- The core group of ~20 students that a student takes all their language (JLP or ELA) classes with for the first two years.
- Sekhmae
- Section mate; a classmate within one's assigned academic 'section' (similar to a cohort).
- Sekume
- Short for 'Section Member,' referring to a student's close-knit group of classmates.
- September-sei
- Students who enter the university in September, typically international or returnee students.
- Septemberian
- Students who enter the university in September (typically international or returnee students).
- Septie
- A student who enters the university in the September term (mostly international).
- Septs
- Students who enter the university in September (typically international or returnee students).
- SSRI
- Social Science Research Institute, a prominent research body on campus.
- Subway
- The on-campus Subway outlet, a popular alternative to the main cafeteria.
T
- The Gazebo
- An outdoor seating area near the dining hall often used for quick lunches and socializing.
- The Shop
- The convenience store located in the basement of the dining hall building.
V
- V-Campus
- The virtual campus portal used for course registration and academic resources.
- VMC
- Visual Media Council; a student organization involved in campus media and filming.
W
- Weejan
- The Weekly Giant; the student-run campus newspaper.
Z
- Zel
- Zelkova House, one of the newer and more strictly managed dormitories on campus.
- Zelkova
- Zelkova House, one of the newer on-campus dormitories known for its international mix.
- ZGO
- A collective nickname for the three newest dormitories: Zelkova, Ginkgo, and Oak.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- 8:50 Start
- The standard start time for '1st Period' classes, a common reference point for morning commutes.
- 91 Bus
- The Odakyu bus route from Musashisakai Station to the ICU campus.
- 93 Bus
- The Odakyu bus route from Mitaka Station to the ICU campus; the most common commute method.
- Bakayama
- The 'Stupid Hill,' a grassy slope where students lounge, study, and socialize.
- Bus 93
- The specific bus route from Mitaka Station that most students use to commute to the campus.
- Bus to Mitaka
- The primary transit link connecting the secluded campus to Mitaka Station on the Chuo Line.
- D-kan
- Diffendorfer Memorial Hall; the student union building, split into East (Higashi) and West (Nishi) wings.
- Diffendorfer
- The student union building, often called 'D-kan' by students.
- Ene-mon
- The South Gate (Minami-mon), nicknamed because there is an Eneos gas station right outside.
- ERB
- Education and Research Building, used for various academic departments.
- G-kan
- The Gymnasium; used for physical education classes and sports clubs.
- Goro-chi
- A 'marathon' class schedule where a student has classes during the 5th, 6th, and 7th periods consecutively.
- H-kan
- Honkan (Main Building), the historic central building housing administration and classrooms.
- Hanamichi
- The 'Flower Road'; a scenic path on campus often used for walks.
- Honkan
- The Main Building, housing administrative offices and many classrooms.
- ICU Card
- The multi-purpose student ID card used for library access, printing, and as a debit card for the cafeteria.
- ICU Portal
- The internal online system used for course registration, checking grades, and campus announcements.
- Initiation
- A week-long event where new dorm residents wear costumes, culminating in a dance performance on Bakayama.
- J1/J2/J3
- The specific levels of the intensive Japanese Language Program, ranging from absolute beginner (J1) to intermediate.
- Jaenade
- General Education (Gen Ed) courses required for graduation.
- JLP Levels
- The numbering system (1 through 7) used to categorize Japanese language proficiency.
- JLP Placement
- The rigorous testing process at the start of the term to determine a student's Japanese language level.
- Kassōro
- The 'Runway,' referring to the long, straight main driveway leading from the front gate.
- Kiri-guy
- Slang for 'Introduction to Christianity' (Kirisutokyo Gairon), a mandatory course for all students.
- Late Start
- The convention where classes may begin 10-15 minutes after the hour to allow for transit.
- Mildred Topp Othmer Library
- The main campus library, often referred to simply as 'the library' or 'Othmer'.
- Mitaka Bus
- The bus line connecting the campus to Mitaka Station, a major transit hub.
- Mitaka City Pass
- Local registration required for students living in the Mitaka area.
- Othmer
- The Mildred Topp Othmer Library, the primary campus library.
- Sakai Bus
- The Odakyu bus line (No. 51) connecting the campus directly to Musashi-Sakai Station.
- Science Hall
- The Science Building (Rika-kan), located at the end of the main campus road.
- Sea-Prow
- The Study English Abroad (SEA) Program, a popular summer study abroad option.
- The Pledge
- The commitment students make to speak only their target language (common in intensive programs).
- University Hall
- The main administrative and academic building, often used interchangeably with Honkan.
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Fall Semester 2026 runs Oct 1, 2026 – Mar 31, 2027.
- How much campus context is included?
- 60 approved campus terms and 34 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.