Academic calendar
School Year 2026-2027 runs Aug 3, 2026 – Jun 4, 2027. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- School Year 2025-2026
- School Year 2026-2027Relevant now
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 25 of 25 terms
A
- ARHS
- Association of Residence Hall Students, the representative body for students living in on-campus housing.
C
- Canyon
- Canyon Pizza, a popular late-night downtown establishment known for inexpensive dollar slices.
E
- East
- East Halls, the largest residence hall complex on campus, exclusively housing first-year students.
F
- Findlay
- The dining commons serving the East Halls freshman population.
H
- Happy Valley
- The widely used nickname for State College and the University Park campus area.
N
- North
- North Halls, the smallest residence area, consisting primarily of suite-style buildings.
- Northside
- The dining commons and cafe area located in North Halls.
P
- Pollock
- Pollock Halls, the second-largest residence area, primarily housing freshmen and sophomores.
- Pollock
- The dining commons located between Pollock and South Halls.
R
- Redifer
- The dining commons located in South Halls, featuring various food stations and a convenience store.
S
- South
- South Halls, a residence area that houses upperclassmen and the Schreyer Honors College.
- SPA
- Student Programming Association, the student-led group that brings concerts, speakers, and comedians to campus.
- State
- Shorthand for Penn State University.
T
- The Bloop
- The Blue Loop, a free CATA bus route that circulates the campus in a clockwise direction.
- The Canyon
- Canyon Pizza, a legendary late-night pizza spot in downtown State College.
- The HUB
- The HUB-Robeson Center, which contains a large food court with various retail options.
- The Lion
- Refers to the Nittany Lion Shrine, a popular spot for student photos.
- The Phyrst
- A well-known local Irish pub and a staple of the downtown social scene.
- The Whoop
- The White Loop, a free CATA bus route that connects the campus with downtown State College.
- THON
- The Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, a year-long fundraising effort for childhood cancer.
U
- UPUA
- University Park Undergraduate Association, the primary student government body for the campus.
W
- Waring
- The dining commons in West Halls, famous among students for its 'West Cookies.'
- Warnock
- The dining commons located in North Halls.
- West
- West Halls, a residence area known for its traditional brick architecture and proximity to the library.
- White Out
- The annual football game tradition where the entire stadium wears white.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- BJC
- The Bryce Jordan Center, a multi-purpose arena used for basketball games, concerts, and THON.
- Canvas
- The learning management system where professors post course materials, assignments, and grades.
- CATA
- The Centre Area Transportation Authority, the bus system providing campus and community transit.
- id+
- The official Penn State identification card required for building access, meal plans, and library services.
- LionCash
- A prepaid debit account linked to the student ID card used for laundry and at various local vendors.
- LionPath
- The official student information system used for enrollment, checking grades, and financial aid.
- Old Main
- The iconic administrative building that serves as the symbolic center of the university.
- Paterno
- Paterno Library, the newer wing of the main library complex.
- Pattee
- Pattee Library, the main university library, often referred to in conjunction with the connected Paterno Library.
- Rec Hall
- Recreation Hall, the historic field house used for volleyball, wrestling, and gymnastics.
- The BJC
- The Bryce Jordan Center, the campus arena for basketball games and major concerts.
- The HUB
- The HUB-Robeson Center, the central student union building containing food courts, study spaces, and org offices.
- The IM
- The Intramural Building, a major fitness and recreation center on the east side of campus.
- The Loop
- The free campus bus routes (specifically the Blue Loop and White Loop) operated by CATA.
- The Nat
- McCoy Natatorium; the campus swimming and aquatic facility.
- university_park_elementary_cafeteria
- University Park Elementary Cafeteria
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- School Year 2026-2027 runs Aug 3, 2026 – Jun 4, 2027.
- How much campus context is included?
- 25 approved campus terms and 16 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.