Academic calendar
Fall 2026 runs Aug 20, 2026 – Dec 15, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Full Summer 2026
- Summer I 2026
- Summer II 2026
- Fall 2026Relevant now
- Fall I 2026
- Fall II 2026
- Winter Mini-session 2026-2027
- Spring 2027
- Spring I 2027
- Spring II 2027
- Maymester 2027
- Summer 2027
- Summer I 2027
- Summer II 2027
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 49 of 49 terms
1
- 1923
- Food Hall 1923, the main all-you-care-to-eat dining facility located in the Baker Pattillo Student Center.
A
- AARC
- Academic Assistance and Resource Center, the primary hub for tutoring and supplemental instruction.
- Axe 'em
- The universal greeting, cheer, and hand gesture (resembling a chopping motion) for SFA students.
- Axe 'em Jacks
- The official university motto and spirit cry used by all student organizations.
- AXEperience
- A student organization dedicated to preserving campus traditions and boosting school spirit.
C
- CAB
- Campus Activities Board, the student-led group that plans major campus events like concerts and movies.
- Culinary Café
- A student-run restaurant within the School of Human Sciences offering upscale lunch experiences.
D
- Dining Dollars
- Funds included with meal plans specifically for use at on-campus retail dining locations.
E
- Einstein's
- The Einstein Bros. Bagels location situated inside the Ralph W. Steen Library.
G
- Griff
- Griffith Hall, a traditional-style residence hall on the north side of campus.
- Griffith
- Griffith Hall, a residence hall often associated with specific student communities.
H
- Hall 14
- A common shorthand for the residence hall officially named Lumberjack Landing.
- Hall 16
- A common shorthand for the residence hall officially named Lumberjack Lodge.
J
- Jack Chat
- The retail food court area in the Student Center featuring various fast-food brands.
- Jack Xpress
- On-campus convenience stores where students can use Dining Dollars or cash.
- Jacks
- Short for Lumberjacks, the nickname for the SFA student body and athletic teams.
K
- Kerr
- Kerr Hall, one of the larger traditional-style residence halls on campus.
L
- Ladyjacks
- The specific nickname for SFA's female athletic teams and students.
- Lumberjack
- The official mascot and the term used to identify any SFA student.
- Lumberjack Bucks
- A declining balance account on the student ID used for various campus services, including laundry and printing.
- Lumberjack Express
- The university's mobile food truck operated by hospitality students.
- Lumberjack Village
- A popular apartment-style housing complex on the north side of campus, often called 'The Village'.
N
- Nac
- The common student abbreviation for Nacogdoches, the town where SFA is located.
O
- Ol' Cotton
- The World War II-era mountain howitzer fired by ROTC after every Lumberjack touchdown.
P
- Pineywoods
- The geographic region surrounding the campus, often used to describe the campus atmosphere.
- Purple Friday
- The tradition of students and faculty wearing purple every Friday to show school spirit.
- Purple Haze
- The official nickname for the high-energy student cheering section at athletic events.
- Purple Out
- The tradition of students and faculty wearing purple every Friday to show school spirit.
R
- Retail
- Non-cafeteria dining options like Chick-fil-A or Panda Express where students use Dining Dollars.
- RHA
- Residence Hall Association, the organization representing students living in on-campus housing.
S
- SAA
- Student Alumni Association, which connects current students with SFA alumni.
- SGA
- Student Government Association, the representative body for the student voice to administration.
- Steen
- Steen Hall, a high-rise residence hall centrally located near the library.
T
- The BPSC
- The Baker Pattillo Student Center, which houses the main food court and retail dining options.
- The Brick Streets
- Refers to the historic red-brick streets of downtown Nacogdoches near campus.
- The Caf
- The East College Cafeteria, one of the primary dining halls on campus.
- The Eatery
- The main dining hall located on the first floor of the Baker Pattillo Student Center.
- The Griff
- Griffith Hall, a traditional-style residence hall.
- The Jacks
- Short for Lumberjacks, referring to the student body or athletic teams.
- The Landing
- Lumberjack Landing, a large residence hall primarily for freshmen.
- The Lodge
- Lumberjack Lodge, a residence hall typically housing upperclassmen.
- The Market
- A grab-and-go convenience store and coffee shop located in the Student Center and STEM building.
- The Pineywoods
- The nickname for the heavily forested East Texas region where the campus is located.
- The Sawmill
- The designated student cheering section at SFA athletic events.
- The UC
- The food court area inside the Baker Pattillo Student Center, featuring retail brands.
- The UC Dining
- The retail food court area located on the first floor of the Baker Pattillo Student Center.
- The Village
- Lumberjack Village, a popular apartment-style housing complex on the north side of campus.
U
- UPD
- University Police Department, the campus law enforcement agency.
W
- Wisely
- Wisely Hall, the designated honors student residence hall.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- Brightspace
- The online Learning Management System (LMS) used for course materials and grades (formerly D2L).
- D2L
- Desire2Learn, the learning management system used for online course content and assignments.
- einstein_bros_bagels
- Einstein Bros. Bagels
- Ferguson
- The Ferguson Building, primarily used for liberal and applied arts classes.
- food_hall_1923
- Food Hall 1923
- Jack Card
- The official SFA student identification card used for building access, meals, and library services.
- Jack Track
- The university's shuttle bus system that provides transportation around campus.
- JackPass
- The official SFA student identification card used for building access and meal plans.
- Kennedy
- Kennedy Auditorium, a frequent site for large lectures, orientations, and performances.
- MySFA
- The central web portal where students register for classes, check financial aid, and view transcripts.
- pineywoods_dining_hall
- Pineywoods Dining Hall
- Purple Lights
- The victory lights on top of Steen Hall that are lit to celebrate Lumberjack athletic wins.
- Purple Post
- The online platform used to manage student organizations and track campus involvement.
- SFA Alert
- The emergency notification system that sends texts and emails regarding campus closures or safety issues.
- STEM
- The Ed and Gwen Cole STEM Building, housing science and engineering labs.
- The Big Dip
- A major tradition where students dip their hands in purple water during the ring ceremony.
- The BPSC
- The Baker Pattillo Student Center, the hub for student life, dining, and the bookstore.
- The ECRC
- The Early Childhood Research Center, used by the College of Education.
- The Lib
- The Ralph W. Steen Library, the main campus library.
- The Pine Log
- The student-run newspaper that serves as the primary source for campus news and events.
- The Pineywoods
- The local geographic region of East Texas that defines the campus atmosphere.
- The Purple Line
- The campus shuttle bus system that transports students around campus and to nearby apartments.
- The Rec
- The Student Recreation Center, containing the gym, pool, and fitness facilities.
- The Shuttle
- The campus bus system that transports students between parking lots and academic buildings.
- The STEM
- The Ed and Gwen Cole STEM Building, known for its planetarium and modern labs.
- The UC
- An older but still common term for the University Center (now the BPSC).
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Fall 2026 runs Aug 20, 2026 – Dec 15, 2026.
- How much campus context is included?
- 49 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.