Academic calendar
Autumn Term 2026 runs Sep 2, 2026 – Dec 18, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Autumn Term 2026Relevant now
- Spring Term 2027
- Summer Term 2027
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 19 of 19 terms
B
- BSU
- Black Student Union; an active organization on campus providing advocacy and cultural programming for Black students.
C
- CAB
- Campus Activities Board; the primary student-run organization that plans social events, concerts, and trips.
- Campion
- The primary dining hall and student center on the Hawk Hill campus; the name is synonymous with the main meal-swipe location.
D
- DB
- Declining Balance; tax-free funds loaded onto the Hawk Card used for purchasing food at retail locations like Starbucks or the P.O.D.
H
- Hawk Hill
- The popular nickname for the university's main campus located on the border of Philadelphia and Lower Merion.
- HH
- Shorthand for the 'Hawk Hill' campus, used to distinguish it from the newer University City (UC) campus.
L
- LaFarge
- A traditional first-year residence hall often used for housing student-athletes and first-year residents.
M
- Manayunk
- A nearby neighborhood in Philadelphia where many upperclassmen live and frequent for its bars and restaurants.
- McShain
- A large, traditional residence hall primarily housing freshmen, located on the edge of the Hawk Hill campus.
- Merion Gardens
- Apartment-style housing for upperclassmen located near the Overbrook train station, requiring a shuttle ride or walk from the main campus.
P
- POD
- Short for 'Provisions on Demand', these are small on-campus convenience stores where students can use DB for snacks and essentials.
S
- SJU
- The standard acronym for Saint Joseph's University.
- Sourin
- A central residence hall on the Hawk Hill campus located close to the main dining facilities.
T
- The Hawk
- The university's mascot, famous for never stopping its wing-flapping from the start of a game to the end.
- The Kettle
- The newly remodeled dining hall on the Hawk Hill campus (formerly known as the Campion Dining Hall).
- The Perch
- A student lounge and dining space in the Campion Student Center that offers late-night food options.
- THWND
- The Hawk Will Never Die; the university's main motto and a common rallying cry for students and sports fans.
U
- UC
- Shorthand for the 'University City' campus, acquired during the merger with the University of the Sciences.
V
- Villiger
- A modern, high-demand freshman residence hall that serves as a social hub for first-year students.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- Barbelin
- The iconic Gothic tower building that serves as the centerpiece of the university and its most recognizable landmark.
- Hagan
- The Michael J. Hagan '85 Arena, the primary venue for Hawk basketball games and university-wide ceremonies.
- Hawk Card
- The official university identification card used for building access, meal swipes, and Declining Balance (DB) transactions.
- HawkEats
- The mobile ordering platform used by students to order food for pickup from campus dining locations.
- Mandeville
- Mandeville Hall, the main academic building for the Haub School of Business.
- Post
- The Post Learning Commons, the library's modern addition where students gather for group study and research.
- school_canteen
- School Canteen
- SJU Safe
- The official mobile safety application that provides emergency alerts, campus security contact, and a virtual walk-home feature.
- Transloc
- The mobile app used by students to track campus shuttles and 'Hawk' buses in real-time between the HH and UC campuses.
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Autumn Term 2026 runs Sep 2, 2026 – Dec 18, 2026.
- How much campus context is included?
- 19 approved campus terms and 9 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.