Academic calendar
School Year 2026-2027 runs Sep 8, 2026 – Jun 18, 2027. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- School Year 2025-2026
- School Year 2026-2027Relevant now
Campus language
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Showing 44 of 44 terms
1
- 1837
- A reference to the university's founding year, often used in chants or school spirit apparel.
A
- Ada's
- Ada Georges Dining Hall, the primary dining facility for students.
- AUC
- Atlanta University Center, the consortium consisting of CAU, Morehouse College, and Spelman College.
B
- Beckwith
- Beckwith Hall, a residence hall located on the CAU campus.
- bet
- An expression of agreement or confirmation; equivalent to 'yes' or 'okay'.
- Brawley
- Brawley Hall, a residence hall often associated with specific student cohorts or athletes.
- Bridges
- Bridges Cafe, a popular vegetarian and vegan-friendly dining spot on campus often frequented by students for its late-night options.
- Browne
- Browne Hall, another major residence hall on the campus.
- bull
- A term for a male peer or person.
C
- C-Card
- The official student identification card used for campus access and meal plans.
- CAB
- Campus Activities Board, the student-led group responsible for planning major campus events.
- Centro
- The main dining hall located in the Commons Building, serving as the primary food hub for students living in North Quad residences like Les Prince Hall.
- CU
- Common shorthand for Cheyney University.
D
- drawlin'
- Acting out, being annoying, or doing something that doesn't make sense.
F
- FAST
- Families and Schools Together, a program designed to build relationships between families and the school.
H
- Heritage
- Heritage Commons, a residential complex typically housing upperclassmen and transfer students.
I
- IRC
- Inter-Residence Council, the organization that represents students living in campus housing, including Les Prince Hall.
J
- jawn
- A universal term used to refer to any person, place, or thing.
- Jazzman’s
- The cafe located within the Woodruff Library, popular for coffee and snacks during study sessions.
L
- Les Prince
- Les Prince Hall, a prominent co-ed residence hall at McMaster University known for its modern facilities and central location.
M
- Mac
- The universal shorthand for McMaster University used by students, faculty, and alumni.
- Market Friday
- A weekly tradition on the Promenade featuring vendors, music, and Greek life strolls.
- MSU
- McMaster Students Union, the central student government body representing all undergraduate students.
N
- NPHC
- National Pan-Hellenic Council, representing the 'Divine Nine' historically Black fraternities and sororities.
O
- oat
- To be acting crazy or 'tripping' (derived from 'out').
P
- PHM
- Prince Hall Masons, a fraternal organization that partners with the school for community service and support.
- Prince
- Prince Hall, a prominent residence hall on campus.
- Prince
- Prince Hall, the main campus dining hall and primary social hub for meals.
- Probate
- A public unveiling ceremony for new members of Greek-letter organizations on The Yard.
S
- SAC
- School Advisory Committee, a group of parents and staff that meets monthly to discuss school programs.
- SGA
- Student Government Association, the primary student governing body.
- SRA
- Student Representative Assembly, the legislative branch of the MSU that makes decisions on student policy and funding.
T
- the caf
- The school cafeteria where students eat lunch.
- The Cafe
- General student shorthand for the main cafeteria in Ada Georges.
- The Den
- A retail dining area located in the Henderson Student Center offering late-night food options.
- The Hammer
- A common nickname for the city of Hamilton, where the campus is located, referring to its industrial history.
- The Hill
- The elevated section of campus housing the residential quad.
- The Hill
- The area of campus where several residence halls, including Prince Hall, are located.
- The Promenade
- The central pedestrian walkway on campus where students socialize and organizations host tables.
- The Suites
- The Clark Atlanta University Suites, a popular upperclassman apartment-style residence.
- The Union
- The Student Union, which houses retail dining options and social spaces.
- The Yard
- The central grassy area of campus where social events and 'probates' occur.
- Tubman
- Harriet Tubman Hall, a residence hall often mentioned alongside Prince Hall.
W
- Welcome Week
- The official orientation period for first-year students, characterized by high-energy events and faculty-specific cheers.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- Ada Georges
- The main dining hall building.
- Banner Web
- The online student portal used for course registration, checking grades, and financial aid.
- Bell Schedule
- The standard school day runs from 9:00 AM to 3:39 PM.
- Biddle Hall
- A central academic and administrative building.
- BSB
- Burke Science Building, a major academic building housing many science lectures and the campus planetarium.
- Bus Rules
- Students are expected to be at their assigned bus stop ten minutes before the scheduled arrival.
- C-Card
- The essential ID card for swiping into the dining hall and accessing Prince Hall.
- Cheyney Station
- The nearby historic train station area used for local navigation.
- Degree Works
- The academic tracking software students use to monitor their progress toward graduation.
- Harkness
- Harkness Hall, the historic administrative building housing the Office of the President.
- Henderson
- The Cornelius L. Henderson Student Center, the hub for student organizations and services.
- HSR Pass
- A transit pass included in student tuition that provides unlimited travel on Hamilton city buses during the academic year.
- Humphreys Hall
- The historic administration building and oldest structure on campus.
- JHE
- John Hodgins Engineering Building, the primary facility for the Faculty of Engineering.
- MacID
- The unique digital identity used by students to access university email, Mosaic (the student portal), and Avenue to Learn.
- McPheeters
- McPheeters-Dennis Hall, a primary academic building housing various departments and classrooms.
- MDCL
- Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Learning and Discovery, a modern building used for health sciences and medical research.
- Meal Card
- The student ID card (MacCard) which functions as a declining balance account for all on-campus dining purchases.
- MUSC
- McMaster University Student Centre, the central hub for student services, clubs, and the campus bookstore.
- P.R.I.N.E.
- The school pledge standing for Promptness, Respect, Improvement, Neatness, and Excellence.
- Panther Card
- The official student ID used for building access, meal plans, and library services.
- Presto
- The regional transit card used for the HSR (Hamilton Street Railway) and GO Transit, essential for students commuting to and from campus.
- Prince Hall
- A key residence hall and historic building on campus.
- Prince Hall School
- The main academic building located at 6101 N. Gratz St.
- prince_hall_school_cafeteria
- Prince Hall School Cafeteria
- The Auditorium
- The primary gathering space for school-wide events and SAC meetings.
- The Shuttle
- The campus transit service connecting the university to local regional rail (SEPTA) stations.
- Uniform Policy
- Students are required to wear the school colors, Blue and Green.
- Wolf Den
- The online student portal for registration, grades, and financial aid.
- Woodruff
- The Robert W. Woodruff Library, the shared library facility for all AUC institutions.
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- School Year 2026-2027 runs Sep 8, 2026 – Jun 18, 2027.
- How much campus context is included?
- 44 approved campus terms and 30 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.