Academic calendar
Fall Quarter 2026 runs Sep 21, 2026 – Dec 11, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Fall Quarter 2026Relevant now
- Winter Quarter 2027
- Spring Quarter 2027
- Summer Session 2027
- Fall Quarter 2027
- Winter Quarter 2028
- Spring Quarter 2028
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 66 of 66 terms
A
- APB
- Activities Programming Board, responsible for planning major campus events like concerts and speakers.
- APSU
- Asian Pacific Student Union, a major cultural organization on campus.
- ASG
- Associated Student Government, the primary student representative body.
- ASSCU
- Associated Students of Santa Clara University, the student government body.
B
- Bellomy
- Bellomy Street, the primary off-campus residential street where many student houses and parties are located.
- Benson
- Benson Memorial Center, the primary hub for dining and student activities on campus.
- Bronco
- The official mascot of SCU and the term used to refer to any Santa Clara student.
- Bronco Bucks
- Declining balance funds loaded onto a student ID for use at campus dining locations.
C
- Cadence
- Cadence Cafe, a dining location situated within Lucas Hall (the business school).
- Campisi
- Campisi Hall, a residence hall located near the Malley Fitness Center.
- Casa
- Casa Italiana, a residence hall focused on Italian language and culture.
D
- Darty
- A daytime party, a common weekend social occurrence in the off-campus neighborhood.
- Dead Day
- The Friday of Week 10, designated as a non-instructional day for final exam preparation.
- Dead Week
- The week before final exams, officially known as the Reading Period, when no new assignments are typically given.
- Dining Dollars
- The currency loaded onto student ID cards for use at on-campus dining locations.
- Dining Plus
- Additional dining funds that can be used at specific on-campus retail locations.
- Dunne
- Dunne Hall, a residence hall known for its strong community and central location.
F
- Finn
- Finn Hall, one of the newer residence halls on campus.
- Flex
- Flex points, the declining balance currency used on student ID cards for dining.
G
- Graham
- Graham Residence Hall, featuring suite-style living arrangements.
K
- KSCU
- The student-run non-commercial radio station of Santa Clara University.
M
- Marketplace
- The main food court area within Benson featuring various food stations.
- MCC
- Multicultural Center, an organization that supports and celebrates diverse student identities.
- MEChA
- El Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán, a student group focused on Chicano identity and social justice.
- Mission Bakery
- The campus cafe and bakery located within the Benson Memorial Center.
- Mission Stacks
- The deli and sandwich station located within the Marketplace.
O
- Off-campus
- Refers to the residential neighborhood immediately surrounding the university where many upperclassmen live.
P
- Palm Drive
- The iconic palm-tree-lined entrance to the university campus.
- Pony Express
- A grab-and-go dining location on campus for quick meals between classes.
R
- Reading Period
- The designated days before finals week with no classes, intended for intensive studying.
- RHA
- Residence Hall Association, the student organization representing those living on campus.
- RLC
- Residential Learning Community; the system where dorms are organized by academic or social themes.
- RLC
- Residential Learning Community, the system that links student housing with specific academic themes.
S
- Sanf
- Sanfilippo Hall, a residence hall often associated with the Loyola RLC.
- Sanfilippo
- Sanfilippo Residence Hall, often shortened to 'Sanfil' by residents.
- SCCAP
- Santa Clara Community Action Program, a student-led volunteer service organization.
- Sidekick
- A coffee and pastry shop located within the Benson Memorial Center.
- Sip
- The campus coffee shop located within the Benson Memorial Center.
- SMC
- Student Media Center, the umbrella organization for the newspaper, yearbook, and radio station.
- Sobrato
- Sobrato Hall, a residence hall typically housing upperclassmen and featuring suite-style living.
- Sun
- Sun Cafe, a dining location offering healthy options and smoothies.
- Sun Deli
- The dedicated sandwich and deli station inside the main dining area.
- Sun Market
- An on-campus convenience store located near the Sobrato Residence Hall.
- Sunbar
- A dining station in Benson specializing in smoothies, acai bowls, and fresh juices.
- Sunberry
- The frozen yogurt and smoothie station located in the Marketplace.
- Sunken Garden
- The grassy tiered area outside Benson often used for outdoor dining and events.
- Swig
- Swig Residence Hall, known for its high-energy social atmosphere and being the tallest building on campus.
- Swig 11
- The 11th floor of Swig Hall, famous for its panoramic views and reputation as a social landmark.
- Swig Life
- A colloquial term referring to the high-energy, social lifestyle associated with living in Swig Hall.
T
- The Alameda
- The main thoroughfare bordering campus, often used to refer to the off-campus housing and shops nearby.
- The Ave
- Refers to Bellomy Street and the surrounding off-campus residential area where many students live and socialize.
- The Bronco
- While the mascot, it is also used to refer to the specific dining venue in Benson.
- The Bronco
- A late-night dining spot and gastropub located in the basement of Benson.
- The Bubble
- A term used to describe the insular nature of the SCU campus environment relative to the surrounding city.
- The Cellar
- A dining area located in the lower level of Benson, popular for late-night food options.
- The Forge
- The Forge Garden, SCU’s half-acre sustainable campus garden and hub for environmental education.
- The Fountain
- The fountain in front of the Mission, a ubiquitous landmark for meeting up with friends.
- The Hub
- The Locatelli Student Activity Center, often used for large events and club meetings.
- The Hut
- The Hut, a historic local dive bar near campus popular with seniors.
- The Market
- The Marketplace, the main food court area on the first floor of Benson.
- The Marketplace
- The main dining hall located inside the Benson Memorial Center.
- The Mission
- Mission Santa Clara de Asís, the historic church located at the heart of the campus.
- The Palm
- Palm Drive, the iconic palm-tree-lined entrance to the university.
- The Villas
- University Villas, apartment-style housing located across the street from the main campus for upperclassmen.
V
- VSA
- Vietnamese Student Association, a prominent cultural club under the MCC.
W
- Week 10
- The final week of the quarter before finals, characterized by high academic intensity.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- ACCESS
- The multi-purpose student ID card used for meal plans, building entry, and library services.
- ACCESS Card
- The official student ID card used for building entry, meal plans, and library services.
- benson_memorial_center
- Benson Memorial Center
- benson_memorial_center_marketplace_mission_bakery
- Benson Memorial Center (Marketplace & Mission Bakery)
- cadence
- Cadence
- cadence_cyber_caf
- Cadence Cyber Café
- caf_455
- Café 455
- Caltrain
- The commuter rail service with a station adjacent to campus, connecting students to San Francisco and San Jose.
- Camino
- The university's online learning management system (based on Canvas).
- Charney
- Charney Hall, the home of the Santa Clara University School of Law.
- Dining Plus
- Declining balance funds included in meal plans specifically for on-campus food.
- Dowd
- The Dowd Art and Art History Building.
- eCampus
- The student portal used for class registration, checking grades, and financial aid information.
- Flex
- Flex account dollars used for non-food expenses like laundry, printing, and bookstore purchases.
- fresh_bytes
- Fresh Bytes
- Handshake
- The online platform used by students to find jobs, internships, and career events.
- Harrington
- Harrington Learning Commons, Sobrato Technology Center, and Orradre Library (the main library).
- Heafey
- Heafey Law Library, serving the Santa Clara University School of Law.
- Kenna
- Kenna Hall, a historic building used for various academic departments and administrative offices.
- Learning Commons
- The Harrington Learning Commons, Sobrato Technology Center, and Orradre Library.
- Leavey
- Leavey Center, the arena used for basketball games and large university events.
- Lucas
- Lucas Hall, the main building for the Leavey School of Business.
- Malley
- Malley Fitness and Recreation Center, the primary gym for students.
- marketplace_benson_memorial_center
- Marketplace (Benson Memorial Center)
- mission_bakery_and_caf
- Mission Bakery and Café
- RLC
- Residential Learning Community; the system where dorms are organized by academic or social themes.
- SafeRide
- A university-provided transportation service that offers safe rides to students around the campus perimeter at night.
- SafeWalk
- A campus safety service where students can request an escort to walk them across campus at night.
- SCDI
- Sobrato Campus for Discovery and Innovation, the university's flagship STEM and interdisciplinary research building.
- sidebar_caf
- Sidebar Café
- sunstream_caf
- Sunstream Café
- The Bronco Shuttle
- A campus-operated shuttle service providing transportation to local transit hubs and shopping areas.
- The Commons
- The Harrington Learning Commons and Orradre Library, the main university library.
- The LC
- The Harrington Learning Commons, Sobrato Technology Center, and Orradre Library building.
- The Learning Commons
- The main campus library, officially the Harrington Learning Commons.
- The Library
- Common shorthand for the Harrington Learning Commons and Sobrato Technology Center.
- The Mission
- Mission Santa Clara de Asís, the historic church at the heart of the campus.
- the_bronco
- The Bronco
- the_cellar_market
- The Cellar Market
- Vari
- Vari Hall, which houses many Arts and Sciences classrooms and offices.
- VTA
- Valley Transportation Authority, the local bus and light rail system frequently used by students to travel around San Jose.
- Workday
- The administrative platform used for class registration, student employment, and payroll.
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Fall Quarter 2026 runs Sep 21, 2026 – Dec 11, 2026.
- How much campus context is included?
- 66 approved campus terms and 42 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.