Academic calendar
Autumn Quarter 2026 runs Sep 22, 2026 – Dec 11, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Autumn Quarter 2026Relevant now
- Winter Quarter 2027
- Spring Quarter 2027
- Summer Quarter 2027
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 46 of 46 terms
A
- Arrillaga
- The Arrillaga Family Dining Commons, a major dining hall on the east side of campus known for its performance dining.
- ASSU
- Associated Students of Stanford University, the primary student government body.
B
- BASES
- Business Association of Stanford Entrepreneurial Students, a large student-run entrepreneurship organization.
- BEAM
- Bridging Education, Ambition & Meaningful Work, the campus career services center (now officially CareerEd).
C
- Camp Stanford
- A term used to describe the relaxed atmosphere of campus during the summer or easy quarters.
- CoHo
- The Coffee House, a popular student-run cafe and performance space located in Tressider Union.
- Coupa
- Coupa Café, a frequent meeting spot with multiple locations including Green Library and the Engineering Quad.
D
- Dead Week
- The week before final exams when no new assignments are supposed to be given.
- Duck Syndrome
- The phenomenon where students appear to be gliding calmly while paddling frantically under the surface to keep up.
E
- E-Quad
- The Science and Engineering Quad, often used to refer to the surrounding residential and academic area.
- EV
- Escondido Village, the broader graduate student housing area.
- EVGR
- Escondido Village Graduate Residences, the high-rise apartment complex for graduate students.
- EWC
- Enchanted Broccoli Forest, a co-op house on the Row known for its alternative culture.
F
- FloMo
- Florence Moore Hall, a large residential complex known for its dining hall and housing students in the SLE program.
- Fountain Hopping
- The tradition of jumping into and running through the various fountains across campus.
- FroSoCo
- Freshman-Sophomore College, a residential community located in the West Lagunita area for underclassmen.
- Full Moon on the Quad
- A traditional social event held on the first full moon of the autumn quarter.
G
- GovCo
- Governor's Corner, a residential area on the west side of campus containing several dorms and independent houses.
L
- Lakeside
- Lakeside Dining, the dining hall serving the west side of campus near Lake Lagunita.
- Late Night
- Designated late-night dining hours and menus offered at specific dining halls like Lakeside or Arrillaga.
- Loro
- Loro Hall, one of the houses within the Lagunita Court complex.
- LSJUMB
- Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band, the university's scatter band.
O
- OAE
- Office of Accessible Education, which provides support for students with disabilities.
- Okada
- The Asian American ethnic theme dorm located within the Wilbur Hall complex.
P
- P-set
- A problem set, the standard term for homework assignments in STEM classes.
- ProFro
- A prospective freshman, typically used during Admit Weekend.
- PWR
- Program in Writing and Rhetoric, the university's required writing course sequence.
R
- RCC
- Residential Computer Consultant, a student staff member providing technical support within dorms.
S
- SARA
- Sexual Assault Support & Resources, the office dedicated to prevention and response.
- SCA
- Stanford Concert Assembly, the student group that organizes major campus concerts.
- SLE
- Structured Liberal Education, an intensive freshman residential humanities program.
- SloMo
- Florence Moore Hall, a large residential complex known for its dining hall and proximity to the hills.
- SSE
- Stanford Student Enterprises, the financial branch of the student government.
- Stanford 5-0
- A slang term for the Stanford Department of Public Safety (campus police).
- Stanford Time
- The unofficial 10-minute grace period between the scheduled start of a class and when instruction actually begins.
- Stern
- Stern Dining, famous among students for its daily burrito bar.
T
- TAP
- The Axe and Palm, a retail eatery in Old Union popular for late-night burgers and snacks.
- The Bubble
- The perceived isolation of the Stanford campus from the surrounding world and local community.
- The Farm
- A common nickname for the Stanford campus, referencing its history as Leland Stanford's stock farm.
- The Row
- A collection of student-run and Greek houses located primarily along Mayfield Avenue and Lomita Drive.
U
- Uj
- Short for Ujamaa, the Black theme house located in Lagunita Court.
- Ujamaa
- The Black theme house located in Lagunita Court, often referred to simply as 'Uj'.
V
- Vaden
- Vaden Health Center, the primary campus medical and mental health facility.
- VPSA
- Vice Provost for Student Affairs, the administrative office overseeing student life and services.
W
- Wilbur
- The dining hall serving the Wilbur Hall residential complex, famous for its international food stations.
Z
- ZAP
- Zeta Alpha Pi, a self-operated house on the Row.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- arrillaga_family_dining_commons_afdc
- Arrillaga Family Dining Commons (AFDC)
- Axess
- The online portal used for course registration, checking grades, and managing student financial accounts.
- Caltrain
- The commuter rail system with a nearby station (Palo Alto) used by students to travel to San Francisco or San Jose.
- Canvas
- The web-based learning management system used for course materials, syllabi, and assignments.
- Cardinal Dollars
- A debit-like system on the SUID card used for purchasing food at campus retail locations.
- evgr_dining
- EVGR Dining
- Green
- Green Library, the main research library and largest library on the Stanford campus.
- Huang
- The Huang Engineering Center, which serves as the hub for the School of Engineering.
- lakeside_dining
- Lakeside Dining
- Main Quad
- The historic heart of campus featuring the oldest buildings and the arcade walkways.
- Marguerite
- The free campus shuttle bus system that circulates throughout the campus and to nearby transit hubs.
- MemChu
- Memorial Church, the historic church located at the center of the Main Quad.
- Old Union
- A building complex housing student organizations, the Axe and Palm, and the Student Services Center.
- Stanford 10
- The unofficial rule where classes and meetings start exactly 10 minutes after the scheduled time.
- Stanford Time
- The unofficial rule where classes and meetings begin exactly 10 minutes after the posted time.
- stern_dining
- Stern Dining
- SUID
- The Stanford University Identification card used for building access, meal plans, and library services.
- The Oval
- The large sunken lawn at the main entrance of the university, used for recreation.
- The Quad
- The Main Quad, the architectural heart of the campus featuring the oldest sandstone buildings.
- Tresidder
- Tresidder Memorial Union, the central student union building housing the bookstore and food court.
- Tressider
- Tressider Memorial Union, the central student hub containing shops, eateries, and meeting rooms.
- Vaden
- Vaden Health Center, the primary medical and counseling facility for students.
- VTA
- Valley Transportation Authority, the local bus and light rail system for Santa Clara County.
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Autumn Quarter 2026 runs Sep 22, 2026 – Dec 11, 2026.
- How much campus context is included?
- 46 approved campus terms and 23 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.