Academic calendar
Fall Term 2026 runs Aug 24, 2026 – Dec 19, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Fall Term 2026Relevant now
- Dallas January Online Session 2027January Term 2027
- January Term 2027
- Dallas January Session 2027SMU-in-Taos January Session 2027
- Spring Term 2027
- Dallas May Session 2027May Term 2027
- SMU-in-Taos May Session 2027
- SMU-in-Taos May Session 2027
- SMU-in-Taos June A Session 2027
- Dallas June A (11-day June Session) 2027Dallas June A 2027 (11-day June Session, S1A)Taos June A Session 2027
- Dallas First Session (June) 2027Dallas First Session (June) 2027 (S1 / Summer 1)
- Dallas Full Session 2027Dallas Full Session 2027 (S3 / Combined Session / Summer 3)Summer Term 2027
- Dallas June B (11-day June Session) 2027Dallas June B 2027 (11-day June Session, S1B)
- SMU-in-Taos June B Session 2027
- SMU-in-Taos Summer Session 2027
- Taos June B Session 2027
- SMU-in-Taos July Session 2027
- Dallas July A (11-day July Session) 2027Dallas July A 2027 (11-day July Session, S2A)
- Dallas Second Session (July) 2027Dallas Second Session (July) 2027 (S2 / Summer 2)
- Taos July Session 2027
- Dallas July B (11-day July Session) 2027Dallas July B 2027 (11-day July Session, S2B)
- August Term 2027SMU-in-Taos August Session 2027
- Fall Term 2027
- Dallas January Online Session 2028January Term 2028
- January Term 2028
- Dallas January Session 2028SMU-in-Taos January Session 2028
- Spring Term 2028
- Dallas May Session 2028May Term 2028
- SMU-in-Taos May Session 2028
- SMU-in-Taos May Session 2028
- SMU-in-Taos June A Session 2028
- Dallas June A (11-day June Session) 2028Dallas June A 2028 (11-day June Session, S1A)Taos June A Session 2028
- Dallas First Session (June) 2028Dallas First Session (June) 2028 (S1)
- Dallas Full Session 2028Dallas Full Session 2028 (S3)Summer Term 2028
- Dallas June B (11-day June Session) 2028
- SMU-in-Taos June B Session 2028
- Taos June B Session 2028
- SMU-in-Taos July Session 2028
- Dallas July A (11-day July Session) 2028
- Dallas Second Session (July) 2028
- Dallas July B (11-day July Session) 2028
- August Term 2028
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 41 of 41 terms
A
- AARO
- Academic Advising, Registration and Orientation, the program for incoming new students.
- Armstrong
- Armstrong Commons, a residential community located on the south side of campus.
- Arnold
- Arnold Dining Commons, the dining hall serving the south side of campus.
B
- Boaz
- Boaz Commons, a residential community located near the student center.
- Boulevarding
- SMU's specific style of tailgating on Bishop Boulevard prior to home football games.
C
- Crow
- Kathy Crow Commons, one of the newer residential buildings on the southeast side.
- Crum
- Crum Residential Commons.
F
- Flex
- Dining dollars attached to a meal plan used for retail food locations on campus.
H
- Hegi
- The Hegi Family Career Development Center, the primary resource for student internships and job placement.
- Homecoming Mum
- An oversized, elaborate decorative corsage worn during homecoming, a major Texas and SMU tradition.
I
- IFC
- Interfraternity Council, the governing body for the university's social fraternities.
K
- Kathy
- Kathy Crow Residential Commons.
- Kathy Jack
- Kathleen Jack Commons, one of the residential commons located in the southeast area of campus.
L
- Loyd
- Loyd Commons, a residential community known for its central location near the dining halls.
M
- Mac
- McElvaney Commons, a residential hall that also houses a popular late-night eatery.
- Mac's Place
- A late-night dining spot and convenience store located in McElvaney Commons.
- MH
- Mary Hay Commons, often referred to by its initials, part of the Mary Hay-Peyton-Shuttles complex.
- MHPS
- Mary Hay, Peyton, Shuttles Commons, a combined residential community on the south side of campus.
- MOB
- Mustang Outreach Board, a student organization focused on community service.
O
- OIT
- Office of Information Technology, the department students contact for Wi-Fi, email, and software issues.
P
- PC
- Program Council, the student organization responsible for planning campus-wide entertainment.
- Peruna
- The name of the live Shetland pony mascot and the university's fight song.
- PHC
- Panhellenic Council, the governing body for social sororities on campus.
- Pony
- Pony Account, a debit-like system on the SMU ID used for laundry, printing, and some off-campus vendors.
- Pony Account
- A debit-like account on the student ID used for laundry, printing, and off-campus partner merchants.
- Pony Dollars
- A debit-like account on the student ID used for both on-campus and select off-campus merchants.
- Pony Up
- The university's motto and hand gesture (making a 'pony' with the fingers).
R
- RLC
- Residential Learning Community, the formal name for the faculty-led housing system.
- RLSH
- Residence Life and Student Housing, the department managing on-campus living.
S
- SF
- Student Foundation, the group that organizes major traditions like Homecoming and Family Weekend.
- SFB
- Student Finance Board, the entity that allocates funds to student organizations.
- SGA
- Student Government Association, the official representative body for the student voice.
T
- The Boulevard
- The grassy stretch of Bishop Boulevard where the university hosts its famous pre-game tailgating.
- The Bubble
- The social and geographic atmosphere of SMU and the surrounding Highland Park/University Park area.
- The Hilltop
- The common nickname for the SMU campus and its community.
- The Mac
- Mac's Place, a late-night dining and convenience store spot in McElvaney Commons.
- The Market
- The convenience store located within the Hughes-Trigg Student Center.
- The Seal
- The university seal in Dallas Hall which students avoid stepping on to prevent bad luck (not graduating on time).
U
- Umph
- Umphrey Lee Dining Hall, the primary dining facility on the north side of campus.
V
- VS
- Virginia-Snider Residential Commons, often used in student shorthand.
W
- Ware
- Ware Residential Commons.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- arnold_dining_commons
- Arnold Dining Commons
- Canvas
- The learning management system used for course assignments, syllabi, and grades.
- Cox
- The Cox School of Business building complex.
- Dallas Hall
- The oldest and most iconic building on campus, featuring the university seal.
- DART
- Dallas Area Rapid Transit, the light rail and bus system used by students to travel into downtown Dallas.
- Dedman
- The Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports, the university's main gym and recreation facility.
- Flex
- Flex Dollars, a tax-free declining balance account on the Pony Card used for on-campus dining and retail.
- Fondy
- Fondren Library, the main campus library.
- Giddy Up
- A safety-oriented late-night shuttle service providing rides to students on and around campus.
- HT
- Hughes-Trigg Student Center, the hub for student organizations, dining, and the post office.
- Hughes-Trigg
- The Hughes-Trigg Student Center, the central hub for student life and dining.
- Lyle
- The Lyle School of Engineering buildings.
- mac_s_place
- Mac's Place
- Meadows
- The Meadows School of the Arts building and museum area.
- Meal Exchange
- A feature of meal plans allowing students to trade a dining hall 'swipe' for a set combo meal at retail locations like Chick-fil-A.
- Mustang Express
- The shuttle bus (Route 768) connecting the campus to the Mockingbird DART station.
- my.SMU
- The primary web portal for academic records, course registration, and financial aid.
- Park 'N Pony
- The campus office responsible for parking permits, citations, and ID card services.
- Park Cities
- The affluent neighborhood (University Park and Highland Park) surrounding the SMU campus.
- ParkMobile
- The mobile app required for paying for visitor parking and certain student parking zones.
- Pony Card
- The multi-purpose student ID card required for building access and meal plans.
- Pony Express
- The campus shuttle system that provides transportation around campus and to nearby transit stations.
- PonyCard
- The official SMU student identification card used for building access and payments.
- Safe Ride
- A free late-night transportation service provided by SMU PD for students within a designated radius.
- STABLE
- The online portal used by students to submit facility maintenance and repair requests.
- umphrey_lee_center
- Umphrey Lee Center
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Fall Term 2026 runs Aug 24, 2026 – Dec 19, 2026.
- How much campus context is included?
- 41 approved campus terms and 26 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.