Academic calendar
Fall 2026 runs Aug 26, 2026 – Dec 18, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Fall 2026 First Half Short Courses
- Fall 2026Relevant now
- Fall 2026 Second Half Short Courses
- Spring 2027 First Half Short Courses
- Spring 2027
- Spring 2027 Second Half Short Courses
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 15 of 15 terms
A
- APO
- Alpha Phi Omega, a national co-educational service fraternity active on campus.
B
- Beacon
- Beacon Hall, a suite-style residence hall for upperclassmen.
F
- Founders
- Founders Table, the primary dining hall located within the Harre Union.
G
- G/M
- Guild and Memorial Halls, two connected residence halls often referred to as a single unit.
- Grinders
- Grinders Coffee Cafe, a coffee shop located on the lower level of the Christopher Center library.
L
- Lank
- Lankenau Hall, a residence hall primarily for first-year students.
T
- The Berg
- Wehrenberg Hall, a residence hall typically housing upperclassmen.
- The Bubble
- The phenomenon of students feeling isolated from the surrounding Valparaiso community while on campus.
- The Cafe
- The Campus Cafe, a retail dining location in the Harre Union offering quick-service food.
- The Shield
- The official student yearbook of the university.
- The Torch
- The independent student-run newspaper of Valparaiso University.
U
- UPC
- University Programming Council, the student organization responsible for planning major campus events.
V
- Valpo
- The ubiquitous shorthand name for Valparaiso University used by students and faculty.
- VUDU
- Valparaiso University Drama Underground, the campus improv comedy troupe.
- VUSC
- Valparaiso University Student Council, the primary student government body.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- founders_table
- Founders Table
- Gellersen
- Gellersen Engineering and Mathematics Center, the primary building for engineering students.
- grinders_caf
- Grinders Café
- Neils
- Neils Science Center, which houses the physics, chemistry, and biology departments.
- OneCard
- The official student ID card used for building access, meal plans, and 'Crusader Cash' transactions.
- Starfish
- The online platform used for academic advising, scheduling appointments with professors, and tracking course progress.
- The CCLIR
- The Christopher Center Library and Information Resources, the main campus library (often pronounced 'see-clear').
- The Union
- The Harre Union, the central hub for student activities, dining, and the bookstore.
- the_bell_and_beacon_caf
- The Bell and Beacon Café
- V-Alert
- The emergency notification system that sends text and email alerts regarding campus safety or weather closures.
- V-Line
- The Valparaiso city bus system that students can ride for free by showing their university ID.
- VUCA
- Valparaiso University Center for the Arts, which houses the Brauer Museum of Art and performance spaces.
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Fall 2026 runs Aug 26, 2026 – Dec 18, 2026.
- How much campus context is included?
- 15 approved campus terms and 12 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.