Rio Salado CollegeStudent Guide

Academic dates, campus language, housing, and student-life references for Rio Salado College. Free for students.

College in Tempe, AZ. Operating on a semester system.

Free for all Rio Salado College students. No credit card required.

39K+

Total Enrollment

College

Institution Type

Student guide · Summer 2026

The semester, explained for Rio Salado College

Dates from the active academic calendar, plus the campus language and local details students actually need. Every entry comes from DormWay's approved campus reference library.

Relevant term
Summer 2026
Campus terms
18
Local details
32

Academic calendar

Summer 2026 runs May 4, 2026 – Oct 10, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.

56 entries
  1. Spring 2026
  2. Spring 2026 Block 14
  3. Spring 2026 Block 15
  4. Spring 2026 Block 16
  5. Summer 2026 Block 1
  6. Summer 2026Relevant now
  7. Summer 2026 Block 2
  8. Summer 2026 Block 3
  9. Summer 2026 Block 4
  10. Summer 2026 Block 5
  11. Summer 2026 Block 6
  12. Summer 2026 Block 7
  13. Summer 2026 Block 8
  14. Fall 2026 Block 1
  15. Fall 2026
  16. Fall 2026 Block 2
  17. Fall 2026 Block 3
  18. Fall 2026 Block 4
  19. Fall 2026 Block 5
  20. Fall 2026 Block 6
  21. Fall 2026 Block 7
  22. Fall 2026 Block 8
  23. Fall 2026 Block 9
  24. Fall 2026 Block 10
  25. Fall 2026 Block 11
  26. Fall 2026 Block 12
  27. Fall 2026 Block 13
  28. Fall 2026 Block 14
  29. Fall 2026 Block 15
  30. Fall 2026 Block 16
  31. Spring 2027 Block 1
  32. Spring 2027
  33. Spring 2027 Block 2
  34. Spring 2027 Block 3
  35. Spring 2027 Block 4
  36. Spring 2027 Block 5
  37. Spring 2027 Block 6
  38. Spring 2027 Block 7
  39. Spring 2027 Block 8
  40. Spring 2027 Block 9
  41. Spring 2027 Block 10
  42. Spring 2027 Block 11
  43. Spring 2027 Block 12
  44. Spring 2027 Block 13
  45. Spring 2027 Block 14
  46. Spring 2027 Block 15
  47. Spring 2027 Block 16
  48. Summer 2027 Block 1
  49. Summer 2027
  50. Summer 2027 Block 2
  51. Summer 2027 Block 3
  52. Summer 2027 Block 4
  53. Summer 2027 Block 5
  54. Summer 2027 Block 6
  55. Summer 2027 Block 7
  56. Summer 2027 Block 8

Add dates to DormWay

Campus language

Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.

18 terms

A

ASC
Academic Success Center, the primary hub for tutoring and learning support services.
ASRSC
Associated Students of Rio Salado College, the official student government body.

C

Cafe at Rio
The primary food service location situated at the Tempe headquarters.
Cafe Rio
The on-site cafe located at the Rio Salado Tempe headquarters providing food and coffee for students and staff.

D

DE
Dual Enrollment, the program for high school students earning college credit.
DECA
Collegiate DECA, an organization for students interested in business, marketing, and management.
DEI
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion council, frequently referenced in student life and programming.
DEI Council
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council which hosts student and community events.

M

Maricopa
The common term for the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD), the system Rio Salado belongs to.
Monday Starts
The college's signature flexible scheduling system where new class sessions begin nearly every Monday.

N

NSLS
National Society of Leadership and Success, a campus organization focused on leadership development.

P

PTK
Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for community college students.

R

Rio
The common shorthand name used by students and staff for Rio Salado College.
RioLearn
The college's custom-built online learning management system where students complete coursework.
RioWaves
The official student-led blog and news publication of the college.

S

SVA
Student Veterans of America, a group supporting military-affiliated students.

T

The Cafe
The Cafe at Rio, the primary food service location at the Tempe headquarters.
The District
Refers to the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD), the governing body for Rio Salado.

Places and practicalities

Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.

32 details
24/7 Support
The college's round-the-clock technical and library help desk, a critical service for online students.
Block
The specific timeframe of a course, such as an 8-week or 14-week session, rather than a standard semester.
Block Calendar
The specific academic calendar used to track the college's non-traditional, rolling start dates.
caf_rio
Café @ Rio
Communiversity
Regional centers in Queen Creek and Surprise that host Rio Salado classes alongside other partner universities.
Dual Enrollment
Programs allowing high school students to earn Rio Salado college credit while still in high school.
Late Start
Classes that begin after the traditional semester start date, a hallmark of Rio's flexible scheduling.
MEID
Maricopa Enterprise ID, the mandatory username required to access all digital student services.
Monday Start
The college's signature scheduling format where new classes begin almost every Monday throughout the year.
Monday Starts
The college's signature flexible scheduling system where new course sections begin nearly every Monday of the year.
My.Maricopa
The student portal used for managing tuition payments, transcripts, and personal records.
Rio Compass
An online orientation and planning tool designed to help new students navigate their degree paths.
Rio Downtown
The campus location situated in the downtown Phoenix core.
Rio Northern
The satellite campus location serving the North Phoenix community.
Rio Southern
The satellite campus location serving the South Phoenix and Laveen areas.
RioCompass
The online tool used by students to track degree progress and map out required courses.
RioConnect
The student portal used for social networking and joining campus organizations.
RioLearn
The college's proprietary online learning management system where students access coursework and submit assignments.
RioPACE
The automated system that tracks student progress and sends alerts regarding course completion speed.
RioWaves
The official student-led blog and news site for the Rio Salado community.
RSC Avondale
The regional location serving the West Valley community.
RSC Downtown
The Rio Salado location situated in downtown Phoenix.
RSC Northern
The satellite location serving the North Phoenix community.
RSC Southern
The satellite location serving the South Phoenix community.
RSC Tempe
The main administrative headquarters and primary physical campus located in Tempe.
SIS
Student Information System, the platform used for searching and registering for classes.
Start any Monday
The college's flexible enrollment policy allowing students to begin most classes on almost any Monday of the year.
Tempe
The main administrative headquarters and primary physical location on 14th Street.
Tempe HQ
The main administrative campus and service center located on 14th Street in Tempe.
Testing Center
Physical locations where students must go to take proctored exams for their online courses.
Testing Centers
Designated physical locations where online students must go to take proctored exams.
The Tower
The 10-story main administrative and instructional building at the Tempe headquarters.

Quick answers

Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.

What academic term is relevant now?
Summer 2026 runs May 4, 2026 – Oct 10, 2026.
How much campus context is included?
18 approved campus terms and 32 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.

Get to know your university

Assisted

Find a few communities to try at Rio Salado College

These are things we discovered from public campus sources. We are constantly looking for more.

Tell us what we missed
Interest filters
  • Major-aligned clubs, pre-professional groups, and research communities.
  • Performing arts, visual arts, student publications, film, and music.
  • Cultural orgs, identity communities, and faith-based groups.
  • Volunteer groups, civic engagement, mutual aid, and student government.
  • Outdoor clubs, intramural sports, club sports, and rec center programs.
  • Entrepreneurship, hackathon teams, makerspaces, and engineering project teams.
  • Casual hangouts, interest groups, and open events without applications.

DormWay is still mapping student communities at this campus.

We only show recommendations once we have enough public sources for Rio Salado College.

These are things we discovered. We are constantly looking for more.

Tell us what we missed

Recommendations are based on public campus sources. We do not endorse student organizations.

Using DormWay at Rio Salado College

What the product handles for students.

Syllabus to schedule

Upload any Rio Salado College syllabus and get a complete semester breakdown in seconds

Workload planning

Balance your courseload with helpful workload distribution

Free student access

No premium tiers, no paywalls. Free for all Rio Salado College students

Rio Salado College on DormWay

Current DormWay activity for this campus

1

Active Students

DormWay integrates with Rio Salado College's LMS

Connect your learning management system for automatic assignment syncing

Canvas

Supported

Connect your Canvas account to automatically sync assignments, grades, and course schedules.

Life in Tempe for Rio Salado College Students

Everything you need to know about living and studying in Tempe.

Timezone

Mountain Time (no DST)

Median Rent

$1,874

Cost of Living Index

112

Student Population

75,000

City Transportation

Walkability

89

Bikeability

72

Public Transit

Valley Metro Light Rail, Valley Metro Bus system, Tempe Streetcar

Nearest Airports

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (nearby in Phoenix), Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (regional, in Mesa)

Climate Averages

Climate

Hot desert (Köppen BWh)

Avg Annual Temp

75°F

Avg Snowfall

0 in

Campus Operations Snapshot

Parking and Transit

Idea Garage

garage

Located near the Rio Salado Park and college facilities.

West Garage

garage

Adjacent to the Rio Salado Conference Center.

East Side Parking Lot

surface_lot

Surface parking available on the east side of the main building.

Upcoming Events

What's happening at Rio Salado College

Tackle Debt Workshop

August 25, 2026

Online

A fast-paced, fun, and informative workshop hosted by Rio Salado College Student Life & Leadership to help build financial skills and create a practical plan to pay down debt.

Rio Reimagined Partnership Meeting

August 25, 2026

Virtual

Bimonthly meeting of the Rio Reimagined partnership to discuss the long-term sustainability of the Salt and Gila River corridor.

Campus Details

Academic System

Semester

Email Domain

@riosaladocollege.edu

Plan your semester at Rio Salado College

Upload a syllabus, collect the important dates, and build a schedule around the work ahead.