Academic calendar
Fall 2026 First Half Term runs Aug 24, 2026 – Oct 16, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Fall 2026 First Half TermFall First Half 2026First Half Fall Term 2026Relevant now
- Fall 2026
- Fall 2026 Second Half TermFall Second Half 2026Second Half Fall Term 2026
- Winter Intersession 2026-2027
- First Half Spring Term 2027Spring 2027 First Half TermSpring First Half 2027
- Spring 2027
- Second Half Spring Term 2027Spring 2027 Second Half Term
- May Interim 2027
- Summer Full-Term 2027Summer Term 2027
- Summer First Five-Week Session 2027
- 10-Week Academic Summer Session 2027Summer 10-Week Academic Session 2027Summer 10-Week Session 2027Summer 2027 10-Week Academic Summer SessionSummer 2027 10-Week SessionSummer 2027 Ten-Week Academic Summer SessionSummer 2027 Ten-Week SessionSummer Ten-Week Session 2027
- Summer Second Five-Week Session 2027
- August Interim 2027
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 40 of 40 terms
B
- Binnewies
- Binnewies Hall, one of the larger traditional-style residence halls on campus.
- Binny
- Binnewies Hall, a large traditional-style residence hall.
- Bum-a-Meal
- A Hobo Day tradition where local Brookings residents host students for a home-cooked meal.
C
- CAFES
- College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
- Caldwell
- Caldwell Hall, often referred to by its full name but known for being the honors-focused residence.
E
- Einstein's
- The Einstein Bros. Bagels location in the Student Union, a common morning meeting spot.
F
- Flex
- Dining dollars included with meal plans specifically for on-campus food purchases
G
- Go Jacks
- The universal greeting, cheer, and sign-off used by students and alumni.
- GSA
- Gender and Sexualities Alliance, a student organization for LGBTQ+ support
H
- HDC
- Hobo Day Committee, the group responsible for planning the university's unique homecoming week.
- Hobo Day
- SDSU's homecoming celebration, considered the 'Biggest One-Day Event in the Dakotas.'
- Hobo Day Committee
- The student group responsible for organizing the annual Hobo Day homecoming festivities.
- Hobo Dough
- Discretionary funds on the student ID card used at on-campus and select off-campus vendors
J
- Jacks
- Short for Jackrabbits, the official mascot and the collective name for the student body.
- JV
- Jackrabbit Village, a popular residential complex consisting of Spencer, Thorne, and Abbott halls.
L
- Larson's
- The SDSU Dairy Bar (located in the Alfred Dairy Science Hall), famous for student-made ice cream.
M
- Market 66
- A convenience store and grill located in the lower level of the Student Union.
- Medary Commons
- A primary dining hub on the north side of campus serving students in nearby residence halls.
P
- Pierson
- Pierson Hall, a large residence hall located centrally on campus near the Student Union.
R
- RHA
- Residence Hall Association, the representative body for students living on campus.
- RSO
- Registered Student Organization, the official designation for any of the 200+ student clubs on campus.
S
- SA
- Students' Association, the SDSU student government body.
- Southeast
- Southeast Apartments, on-campus apartment-style housing for upperclassmen.
- Starship
- The autonomous robotic delivery fleet used to transport food from the Union to campus buildings.
- State
- Common shorthand used by students and locals to refer to South Dakota State University.
T
- The Bubble
- A term used to describe the self-contained nature of the Brookings campus community
- The Campanile
- The Coughlin Campanile, a landmark chimes tower that is a symbol of the university
- The Dairy Bar
- The SDSU Dairy Bar, a campus staple famous for ice cream and cheese produced by the dairy science department.
- The Hill
- The historic, elevated section of campus near the Campanile where many original university buildings are located.
- The Jack
- Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, the home of Jackrabbit Football.
- The Jack
- Jackrabbit Village, a residential complex consisting of Jackrabbit, Thorne, and Abbott Halls.
- The Market
- The C-store located in the Student Union for quick snacks and groceries.
- The Meadows
- Meadows North and Meadows South, the apartment-style housing complex on the north side of campus.
- The Med
- Medary Hall, a residence hall often associated with the nearby Medary Commons dining area.
- The Rabbit Den
- A common reference to the lower level of the Student Union.
- The Union
- The University Student Union, the primary hub for retail dining options like Chick-fil-A and Panda Express.
U
- UPC
- University Program Council, the student-led group that plans major campus entertainment and events.
W
- Wear Blue
- The campus-wide Friday tradition of wearing school colors to show Jackrabbit pride.
- Weary Wil’s
- A sports-themed dining location in the Student Union named after the university's mascot.
Y
- Young
- Young Hall, a residence hall located on the south side of campus.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- ADM
- The Administration Building, housing the registrar, financial aid, and executive offices.
- Avera
- The Avera Health and Science Center, which houses pharmacy and chemistry laboratories.
- BATA
- Brookings Area Transit Authority, the bus service that provides transportation around campus and the city.
- chick_fil_a
- Chick-fil-A
- D2L
- Desire2Learn, the learning management system used for course materials, assignments, and online classes.
- Dana J.
- Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, the home field for Jackrabbit football.
- einstein_bros_bagels
- Einstein Bros. Bagels
- Flex
- Declining balance dollars included in meal plans that can be used at any campus dining location.
- GAF
- General Activity Fee, a per-credit fee that funds student organizations, the Union, and the Wellness Center.
- HPER
- The Health, Physical Education, and Recreation building, used for athletic training and classes.
- Jack's Pass
- The official student ID card used for building access, meal plans, and library services.
- Jackrabbit Card
- The multi-purpose student ID card used for building access, meal plans, and library checkouts.
- Jackrabbit Central
- The official campus bookstore located in the Student Union
- larson_commons
- Larson Commons
- MyState
- The official university mobile app and web portal for checking grades, schedules, and campus news.
- Starfish
- The student success platform used for scheduling advising appointments and receiving academic alerts.
- Starship
- The autonomous robotic delivery fleet used for on-campus food delivery
- SWC
- Student Wellness Center, the main campus gym and recreation facility.
- The Campanile
- Coughlin Campanile, the iconic 165-foot chimes tower and campus landmark.
- The HPER
- The Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Center, the main campus gym and fitness facility (pronounced 'hyper').
- The Medary
- Medary Commons, a building housing various student services and dining
- The PAC
- The Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center, the venue for university theater and musical performances.
- The Rotunda
- A central classroom building known for its distinctive circular architecture and large lecture halls.
- The Union
- The University Student Union, the central hub for dining and student services
- The Wellness
- The Miller Wellness Center, the campus gym and recreation facility.
- the_dairy_bar
- The Dairy Bar
- Yellow Lot
- The designated parking lots for students holding commuter parking permits.
- Yellow Lots
- Specific parking lots designated for student commuters and residents with the corresponding permit.
- Yellow Medary
- A common reference to the large commuter parking lots located along Medary Avenue
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Fall 2026 First Half Term runs Aug 24, 2026 – Oct 16, 2026.
- How much campus context is included?
- 40 approved campus terms and 29 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.