Academic calendar
Summer 2026 runs Apr 27, 2026 – Aug 9, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Summer 2026Relevant now
- Fall 2026
- Winter 2027
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 20 of 20 terms
1
- 1:1
- The personalized one-on-one feedback students receive from their industry-professional instructors.
A
- ADAA
- Adobe Design Achievement Awards, a major annual competition that students are encouraged to enter.
- AIGA
- The Sessions College student chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Arts, the professional association for design.
- AOS
- Associate of Occupational Studies, the intensive two-year online degree program for design and digital media.
- Async
- Short for asynchronous, referring to the flexible, self-paced nature of the online course delivery.
B
- BFA
- Bachelor of Fine Arts, the professional degree program for Graphic Design, Illustration, and Digital Photography.
C
- Color Calculator
- A popular proprietary online tool provided by the school for creating and testing design color schemes.
- Crit
- Short for critique; the formal process of receiving professional feedback on design assignments from instructors.
D
- DEAC
- The Distance Education Accrediting Commission, the national accrediting agency that oversees the college.
G
- GDUSA
- Graphic Design USA, an industry publication that frequently ranks the school as a top design institution.
M
- Mastery
- The highest level of achievement in the school's competency-based grading system.
P
- Project-based
- The school's core instructional model focused on hands-on creative work rather than traditional testing.
S
- Sessions
- The common shorthand name used by students and faculty to refer to the college.
- Student Guild
- The primary student organization that represents the student body and facilitates community events.
- SVA
- Student Veterans of America, the campus chapter supporting military-affiliated students.
T
- The Gallery
- The Sessions College Student Gallery, an online showcase where the best student work is curated and displayed.
- The Lounge
- The digital community forum and social space for student networking and interaction.
U
- USDLA
- United States Distance Learning Association, which has recognized the school with multiple distance education awards.
V
- VA
- Veterans Affairs; frequently used in reference to the school's military-friendly benefits and yellow ribbon program.
W
- WIP
- Work in Progress; a common shorthand used by students when posting unfinished designs for peer feedback in community forums.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- Adobe CC
- Adobe Creative Cloud; the mandatory suite of design software required for most degree and certificate programs.
- Advisor
- The Student Services staff member assigned to guide students through academic planning and course access.
- AOS
- Associate of Occupational Studies; the two-year degree track offered for various design majors.
- BFA
- Bachelor of Fine Arts; the four-year professional degree track for advanced design studies.
- Bursar
- The administrative contact (bursar@sessions.edu) responsible for tuition payments and financial aid disbursements.
- Canvas
- The virtual campus and Learning Management System (LMS) where all classes, assignments, and lectures are hosted.
- Canvas
- The Learning Management System (LMS) where students log in to access classes, submit work, and communicate with faculty.
- Career Center
- The online resource area providing job templates, career guides, and professional development tools.
- Course Extension
- A formal administrative request to extend a course deadline, typically involving a specific fee and approval process.
- FSA
- Federal Student Aid; the common shorthand for the financial aid office and funding processes.
- Learning Hub
- The central online portal where students access their courses, assignments, and learning materials.
- LiveSync
- Optional, scheduled live video sessions with instructors for real-time help and demonstrations.
- LMS
- Learning Management System; the technical term for the Canvas platform used to deliver all educational content.
- Main Campus
- The physical administrative headquarters located at 398 S. Mill Avenue in Tempe, Arizona.
- Message System
- The internal communication tool within the online learning environment used to contact instructors and staff.
- Mid-term start
- Flexible enrollment windows in February, June, and September that allow students to begin classes between major semesters.
- Monthly Starts
- The flexible enrollment system where new course sessions begin at the start of every month rather than traditional semesters.
- Online Campus
- The collective term for the digital infrastructure (Canvas, SIS, and student forums) where all learning occurs.
- Online Library
- The digital resource center providing students access to design databases, e-books, and research tools.
- PLA
- Prior Learning Assessment; the process for students to earn college credit for documented professional experience.
- Portfolio Review
- A critical milestone and graduation requirement where a student's body of work is formally evaluated.
- Priority Deadline
- The early application cutoff date used to ensure placement and timely processing for upcoming terms.
- SAP
- Satisfactory Academic Progress; the academic standing required to remain eligible for Federal Student Aid.
- Sessions Live
- The platform used for synchronous webinars and live presentations by faculty and industry guests.
- SIS
- The Student Information System, used for administrative tasks like checking grades, requesting transcripts, and managing tuition.
- Student Email
- The official school-provided email account required for all academic and administrative communication.
- Student Gallery
- The virtual exhibition space used to showcase outstanding student portfolios and creative projects.
- Student ID
- A physical identification card that online students can request to access local and digital discounts.
- Student Portal
- The administrative interface used for managing financial aid, tuition payments, and official transcripts.
- Student Services
- The department responsible for academic advising, transcript requests, and administrative support.
- Student Success Advisor
- The designated staff member assigned to help students navigate their degree plan and technical issues.
- Tempe HQ
- The physical administrative headquarters and main office located in Tempe, Arizona.
- The Gallery
- The online exhibition space where curated student projects and award-winning designs are showcased.
- The Help Desk
- The technical support team available to assist students with login issues or software troubleshooting.
- The Lounge
- The internal social networking platform and discussion forum where students interact outside of formal coursework.
- The Lounge
- The virtual student community space or forums where students interact outside of formal coursework.
- The Student Center
- The central digital hub providing links to all student resources, forms, and support services.
- The Virtual Campus
- The collective term for the online ecosystem where all academic instruction and student life occurs.
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Summer 2026 runs Apr 27, 2026 – Aug 9, 2026.
- How much campus context is included?
- 20 approved campus terms and 38 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.