Academic calendar
Fall Term 2026 runs Aug 25, 2026 – Dec 16, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Fall Term 2026Relevant now
- Winter Term 2027
- Summer Session I 2027
- Summer Full 2027Summer Full Term 2027
- Summer Session II 2027
- Fall Term 2027
- Winter Term 2028
- Summer Session I 2028
- Summer Full 2028Summer Full Term 2028
- Summer Session II 2028
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 16 of 16 terms
A
- AB
- Activities Board (often used interchangeably with SAB for event planning).
C
- Commuter Campus
- A common term used by students to describe the campus culture where most students live off-site and drive to class.
- Commuter Life
- A common phrase describing the dominant campus culture where most students drive to and from class daily.
N
- NSBE
- National Society of Black Engineers, a highly active professional and social organization on campus.
P
- Picasso
- The Picasso Restaurant Group, which manages the main food court and catering services on campus.
S
- SAB
- Student Activities Board, the group responsible for planning major campus events like Fall Fest.
- SG
- Student Government, the representative body for the UM-Dearborn student population.
- SWE
- Society of Women Engineers, a prominent professional organization for engineering students.
T
- The Dearborn
- A term used by students to distinguish their campus and identity from the main Ann Arbor campus.
- The Dearborn Difference
- A university marketing slogan often used by students to describe the unique, practical, and diverse nature of the campus experience.
- The Estate
- The Henry Ford Estate (Fair Lane), located on the campus grounds and often used for walks or student photography.
- The Mug
- The Coffee Mug, a popular cafe located within the Mardigian Library.
- The UC
- The University Center food court, the central hub for on-campus dining.
- The UC Food Court
- The primary dining area located within the James C. Renick University Center.
- The Union
- The Union at Dearborn, the primary off-campus but university-affiliated apartment complex where most residential students live.
W
- WUMD
- The campus radio station, providing student-led broadcasts and music.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- Blue Bus
- The shuttle service that provides transportation between the Dearborn and Ann Arbor campuses.
- Canvas
- The digital learning management system used by professors for course assignments and grades.
- CASL
- The College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters building, the largest academic unit on campus.
- ELB
- The Engineering Lab Building, a modern facility for the College of Engineering and Computer Science.
- Fairlane
- Refers to the Fairlane Center (North and South), located a short distance from the main campus loop.
- HFC
- Henry Ford College, the neighboring institution that shares some campus borders and resources.
- IAVS
- Institute for Advanced Vehicle Systems, a research-heavy building focused on automotive engineering.
- Lot E
- One of the largest and most frequently discussed parking lots on campus due to its central location and high demand.
- Mardigian
- The Mardigian Library, the primary research and study facility on campus.
- Mcard
- The official University of Michigan identification card used for building access and library services.
- PEC
- The Professional Education Center, often used for administrative offices and specific professional courses.
- The Mardigian
- The Mardigian Library, the main campus library.
- The Shuttle
- The campus bus service that transports students between the Main Campus and the Fairlane Center.
- UC
- The University Center, the main student union building containing dining, the bookstore, and student org offices.
- VictorsLink
- The online platform used to join student organizations and track campus involvement.
- Wolverine Access
- The central online portal for managing registration, financial aid, and academic records.
- Yellow Lots
- The standard student parking lots requiring a valid permit.
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Fall Term 2026 runs Aug 25, 2026 – Dec 16, 2026.
- How much campus context is included?
- 16 approved campus terms and 17 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.