Academic calendar
Fall semester 2026 runs Sep 5, 2026 – Jan 6, 2027. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- 12-week summer semester 2026
- Six-week summer session 2026
- Fall semester 2026Relevant now
- Winter semester 2027
- Six-week spring session 2027
- 12-week summer semester 2027
- Six-week summer session 2027
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 38 of 38 terms
A
- ACE
- Automotive Centre of Excellence, a world-class testing facility often used for engineering research.
C
- CRWC
- Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre, the main gym and fitness facility shared with Durham College.
D
- DC
- Durham College, the institution that shares the North Oshawa campus and facilities with Ontario Tech.
- DC Cafe
- The dining area in the Gordon Willey building, shared with Durham College students.
- DC Side
- The portion of the shared North campus that belongs to Durham College.
- Downtown
- Refers to the university's secondary campus buildings located in the heart of Oshawa.
E
- EngSoc
- The Engineering Society, representing students within the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science.
F
- FBIT
- Faculty of Business and Information Technology.
- FEAS
- Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science.
- FESNS
- Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science.
- FSSH
- Faculty of Social Science and Humanities, primarily based at the downtown campus.
M
- Marketplace
- The main all-you-care-to-eat dining hall located in the South Village residence.
N
- North
- The main campus location situated at Simcoe St. and Conlin Rd.
O
- OT Crew
- The student ambassador team responsible for orientation and campus tours.
- OTSA
- Ontario Tech Student Association, often used interchangeably with the union in older contexts.
- OTSU
- Ontario Tech Student Union, the official student government body.
P
- Polonsky
- Polonsky Commons, the central grassy quad where major outdoor events and graduation take place.
R
- Ridgeback
- The official mascot and the collective term for all Ontario Tech students and athletes.
- Ridgebacks
- The official mascot and name for all university varsity athletic teams.
- Ridgebacks
- The collective name for the university's varsity athletic teams.
S
- SA
- Student Association, the former name for the student union, still occasionally used by upper-year students.
- Shag
- A common shorthand for the Shagwell's on-campus pub (historically associated with the Student Association).
- Shagwell's
- A popular off-campus pub and grill frequently visited by students for social gatherings.
- Simcoe
- Simcoe Village Residence, the oldest residence complex on the North campus.
- South
- South Village Residence, the dorm known for having the main dining hall attached.
T
- The Bistro
- A dining location in the Shawenjigewining Hall (SHA) offering fresh food options.
- The Bridge
- The glass-enclosed elevated walkway connecting the Science (UA) and Business (UB) buildings.
- The Commons
- Polonsky Commons, the central outdoor grassy quad used for events and graduation.
- The Downtown Campus
- The collection of university buildings located in the heart of Oshawa, separate from the main North campus.
- The Marketplace
- The primary all-you-care-to-eat dining hall located in the South Village residence.
- The North
- Refers to the main campus location at Simcoe St. and Conlin Rd.
- The Pit
- The large, open seating and food service area in the Gordon Willey building, shared with Durham College.
- The Ridge
- Refers to the main North Oshawa campus location (derived from the street name Conlin Road/Simcoe St N area).
- The Shag
- A common shorthand for the Shagwell's on-campus pub/eatery (historically associated with the shared campus).
U
- UB Cafe
- The food court area located within the Business and Information Technology building.
- UOIT
- The university's former name (University of Ontario Institute of Technology), still frequently used by upper-year students and locals.
W
- West
- West Village Residence, the apartment-style dorms located slightly further from the main academic buildings.
- WIE
- Women in Engineering, a student-led organization focused on supporting female engineering students.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- 10-minute rule
- The convention where classes typically start at 10 minutes past the hour to allow for travel between buildings.
- 61 Charles
- The Charles Hall building, a major hub for the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities in downtown Oshawa.
- ACE
- Automotive Center of Excellence, featuring the world-class wind tunnel.
- aisle_24
- Aisle 24
- Banner
- The specific administrative system used for course registration and timetable viewing.
- Bordessa
- Bordessa Hall, one of the primary buildings for the Downtown Oshawa campus location.
- Canvas
- The Learning Management System (LMS) where professors post course materials and assignments.
- DC/OT
- A term describing the shared campus relationship and facilities between Durham College and Ontario Tech.
- Digital ID
- The mobile-based student identification used for library services and gym access via the Ontario Tech app.
- ERC
- Energy Systems and Nuclear Science Research Centre.
- hunter_s_kitchen
- Hunter's Kitchen
- Laptop Program
- The university's mandatory technology program where students are required to have a laptop meeting specific faculty hardware standards.
- Laptop Standards
- The university's mandatory program-specific hardware and software requirements for all students.
- MyCampus
- The central web portal used by students to access grades, financial accounts, and personal info.
- Presto
- The physical or digital card used to tap for transit, which must be linked to the student's U-Pass.
- Ridgeback Card
- The official student identification card required for exams, library services, and building access.
- SHA
- Shawenjigewining Hall, the student services and indigenous center building.
- SHAW
- Shawenjigewining Hall, the hub for student services, health, and the OTSU.
- SIRC
- Software and Informatics Research Centre.
- south_village_dining_hall
- South Village Dining Hall
- subway
- Subway
- TELE
- Technology-Enriched Learning Environment; the mandatory program where students receive a standardized laptop and software.
- The Shaw
- Shawenjigewining Hall, the student services building and home to the OTSU and Indigenous centre.
- The Shuttle
- The dedicated bus service that transports students between the North and Downtown campus locations.
- U-Pass
- The universal transit pass integrated into student IDs for unlimited Durham Region Transit use.
- UA
- Science Building, the primary hub for science labs and lectures.
- UB
- Business and Information Technology Building.
- UL
- The Campus Library building.
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Fall semester 2026 runs Sep 5, 2026 – Jan 6, 2027.
- How much campus context is included?
- 38 approved campus terms and 28 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.