Academic calendar
Fall 2026 runs Aug 31, 2026 – Jan 7, 2027. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Fall 2026Relevant now
- Spring 2027
- Fall 2027
- Spring 2028
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 17 of 17 terms
3
- 30 Mac
- 30 Macalester Street, a residence hall typically housing upper-division students.
B
- Bon App
- Short for Bon Appétit, the company that provides the college's dining services.
C
- Cafe Mac
- The main student dining hall located in the Ruth Stricker Dayton Campus Center.
D
- DML
- Department of Multicultural Life, which supports students of color and historically marginalized groups.
- Dupre
- Dupre Hall, the largest residence hall on campus, primarily housing first-year and sophomore students.
G
- GDD
- George Draper Dayton Hall, a suite-style residence hall.
- Grand
- Grand Avenue, the major commercial street bordering the campus known for shops and restaurants.
K
- Kirk
- Kirk Hall, a residence hall known for its unique architecture and suite-style living.
M
- Macalester Hello
- The awkward social phenomenon of acknowledging someone you recognize but don't know well with a brief nod or smile.
- MCSG
- Macalester College Student Government, the primary student governing body.
- MPIRG
- Minnesota Public Interest Research Group, a student-directed non-profit active on campus.
N
- Nessie's
- A late-night dining option located within the Campus Center.
P
- PB
- Program Board, the student organization responsible for planning major campus events like Springfest.
T
- The Grille
- A casual dining spot in the Campus Center offering made-to-order items and snacks.
- The Mac Bubble
- The feeling of social and cultural isolation from the world outside the Macalester campus.
- The Weekly
- The Mac Weekly, the long-running student-operated newspaper.
W
- WMCN
- The student-run freeform radio station of Macalester College.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- caf_mac
- Café Mac
- CC
- The Ruth Stricker Dayton Campus Center, the hub of student life and dining.
- J-Wall
- The Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center, housing music, theater, and art departments.
- MacPass
- The official student ID card used for building access, meal plans, and library checkouts.
- Markim
- Markim Hall, the home of the Institute for Global Citizenship.
- Metro Transit
- The public transportation system in the Twin Cities, frequently used by students via the A Line or Route 63.
- Moodle
- The learning management system used by professors to distribute course materials and collect assignments.
- Neill
- Neill Hall, the primary building for humanities and social science departments.
- nessie_s
- Nessie's
- Olin-Rice
- The Olin-Rice Science Center, which houses the natural science departments and labs.
- open_pantry
- Open Pantry
- scotty_s
- Scotty's
- The Link
- The online library search tool used to find books, articles, and digital resources.
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Fall 2026 runs Aug 31, 2026 – Jan 7, 2027.
- How much campus context is included?
- 17 approved campus terms and 13 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.