Academic calendar
Summer Quarter 2026 runs Jul 7, 2026 – Aug 28, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Spring Quarter 2026
- Summer Quarter 2026Relevant now
- Fall Quarter 2026
- Winter Quarter 2027
- Spring Quarter 2027
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 37 of 37 terms
A
- A.L.A.S.
- Association of Latin American Scholars, a student club celebrating Latin American heritage.
- AANAPISI
- Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions, a program providing specific student support services.
- ASB
- Associated Student Body, the student government and representative body.
B
- Brutalist
- A term frequently used by students and staff to describe the concrete, neo-brutalist architectural style of the main campus.
E
- EDI
- Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, referring to the campus office and its related student initiatives.
- EDIC
- Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Community, the department focused on campus equity initiatives.
- Espresso Bar
- The coffee shop located in the College Center building, often the primary spot for snacks and caffeine.
F
- Food Trucks
- Weekly dining event held on Tuesdays on the west side of campus near the library.
- Frogs
- A common shorthand for the school's mascot and community, the Pacific Tree Frogs.
L
- Lily Pad
- The Lily Pad Café, a coffee shop and lounge located on the first floor of the College Center (CC).
- LSAMP
- Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation; a program supporting underrepresented students in STEM fields.
M
- Micro Market
- The self-service grab-and-go food station located within The Grove for snacks and pre-packaged meals.
N
- North
- The common shorthand name used by students and staff to refer to North Seattle College.
- North Star
- The North Star Student Food Pantry (CC1452), providing free groceries to enrolled students.
O
- OCE
- Office of Community & Engagement; the department managing student clubs and leadership opportunities.
- On the Lily Pad
- A common phrase used in campus bulletins and newsletters to denote current campus news and events.
P
- P-Patch
- The campus community garden where students and neighbors grow produce.
- PTK
- Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges.
R
- RISE
- Rocketry, Instrumentation, and Solar Energy, a popular student learning community and research club.
- Running Start
- A term used to refer to high school students enrolled in college courses; often used as a noun for the student demographic itself.
S
- SAC
- Student Administrative Council, the student-led group that handles campus programming and budget allocations.
- SOEE
- Student Organizations & Engagement Board, which supports and funds campus clubs.
- Star
- The official name of the Pacific Tree Frog mascot (uses they/them pronouns).
T
- The 40
- Refers to the King County Metro Route 40 bus, a primary transit line for students commuting from downtown or Ballard.
- The Ave
- University Way NE in the nearby U-District, a popular off-campus social and dining hub for students.
- The Bridge
- Specifically used to refer to the pedestrian connection to the light rail station, a major campus landmark.
- The Courtyard
- The central concrete plaza between the IB, AS, and CC buildings where most outdoor events occur.
- The Espresso Bar
- The campus coffee shop located in the College Center, often used as a student meeting spot.
- The Grove
- The Grove Dining Room and Micro Market, located on the first floor of the HSSR building.
- The Licton
- The student-run news and arts publication of North Seattle College.
- The North
- A common shorthand name used by students and staff to refer to North Seattle College specifically.
- The Springs
- Licton Springs Park; the public park immediately adjacent to campus where students often congregate between classes.
- The Wellness
- Shorthand for the Roy Flores Wellness Center.
- The Wetlands
- The 11-acre protected natural area on the west side of campus, often used for biology labs or quiet walks.
- Tree Frogs
- The official mascot and collective nickname for North Seattle College students, inspired by the Pacific Tree Frogs in the wetlands.
- TRiO
- A student support services program for first-generation and low-income students.
U
- U-Dub
- The University of Washington, located just south of the NSC campus.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- AS
- Arts and Sciences Building, located on the west side of the main campus complex.
- campus_food_trucks
- Campus Food Trucks
- Canvas
- The Learning Management System where all course materials, assignments, and online discussions are hosted.
- Cashier's
- The office in the College Center where students pay all fees, buy parking permits, and get their student ID cards.
- CC
- College Center, the main hub containing the cafeteria, bookstore, and student services.
- ctcLink
- The 9-digit student ID number and online portal used for registration, grades, and tuition payments.
- ED
- Dr. Peter C. Ku Education Building, used for various instructional programs.
- HEC
- Health Education Center; the building dedicated to nursing and health-related programs.
- HSSR
- Health Sciences & Student Resources Building, home to the Student Learning Center and The Grove.
- IB
- Instruction Building, a primary academic building housing classrooms and the open computer lab.
- Late Start
- A category of classes that begin several weeks into the quarter, typically offered in 8-week or 5-week formats.
- LB
- Library Building, which houses the library and the Student Media Center.
- Licton Springs
- The culturally significant natural springs and park area located on the north end of campus
- lily_pad_caf
- Lily Pad Café
- micro_market_at_the_grove
- Micro Market at the Grove
- north_star_student_food_pantry
- North Star Student Food Pantry
- Northgate Station
- The primary transit hub for the college, connected to campus via the John Lewis Memorial Bridge.
- OC
- Opportunity Center for Employment & Education, located on the east side of campus.
- OCEE
- Opportunity Center for Employment and Education, located on the south end of campus.
- One-Stop
- The integrated service desk in the College Center (CC) for admissions, registration, and financial aid help.
- ORCA
- The regional transit pass that students can get at a subsidized rate for bus and light rail travel.
- ORCA Card
- A subsidized regional transit pass available for purchase at the Cashier's Office.
- Skybridge
- The essential walkway connecting the Instruction Building (IB) to the 3rd floor of the Library; the only way to access certain 3rd-floor rooms.
- Starfish
- The online platform used to schedule advising appointments and receive academic 'kudos' or 'flags' from instructors.
- T2 Portal
- The online system where students must register their vehicles and purchase quarterly parking permits.
- The 40
- The King County Metro bus route that is the primary transit link for students traveling from Ballard or Fremont.
- The Bridge
- The John Lewis Memorial Bridge, the pedestrian bridge connecting the campus to the Northgate light rail station.
- The Bridge
- The John Lewis Memorial Bridge, the pedestrian and bike bridge connecting the campus directly to the Northgate Light Rail station.
- The Loft
- The Learning Center located in the top floor of the Library (LB), providing tutoring and writing support.
- TMP Fee
- The Transportation Management Plan fee, a mandatory quarterly charge for students purchasing an ORCA card.
- WC
- Wellness Center, the campus fitness and gym facility.
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Summer Quarter 2026 runs Jul 7, 2026 – Aug 28, 2026.
- How much campus context is included?
- 37 approved campus terms and 31 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.