Academic calendar
Fall 2026 runs Aug 24, 2026 – Dec 21, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Fall 2026Relevant now
- Winter 2026-2027
- Spring 2027
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 72 of 72 terms
A
- ABP
- Au Bon Pain, with multiple locations including Squires and Goodwin Hall.
- Aggressive Gobbling
- A humorous term for the Hokie spirit, often expressed through turkey-call sounds at sporting events.
- AJ
- Ambler Johnston Hall, divided into East and West sections.
B
- BOC
- Black Organizations Council, an umbrella group for Black student organizations.
- BSA
- Black Student Alliance, an organization dedicated to supporting and representing Black students on campus.
C
- CID
- The Creativity and Innovation District Living-Learning Community, a modern residential and academic hub.
- Civvy
- A 'civilian' student, used by members of the Corps of Cadets to refer to non-corps students.
- Cochrane
- Cochrane Hall, a residence hall known for its suite-style living.
D
- D2
- Dietrick Hall's main all-you-care-to-eat dining center, the largest on campus.
- Deet's
- Deet's Place, the campus coffee shop, bakery, and ice cream parlor located in Dietrick Hall.
- Deets
- Deet's Place, an on-campus coffee shop and ice cream parlor.
- Dick Dungeon
- A student nickname for Miles Hall, often used to describe its basement or all-male environment.
- Drillfield
- The large central lawn around which the main campus buildings are situated.
- Duck Pond
- A popular on-campus recreational area and scenic spot for students.
- DX
- Dietrick Express, a popular late-night grab-and-go dining option located in Dietrick Hall.
E
- EAJ
- East Ambler Johnston Hall, home to the Honors Residential College.
- East Egg
- East Eggleston Hall, a residential wing located near the Drillfield.
- Enter Sandman
- The tradition of jumping to the Metallica song at the start of home football games.
G
- GLC
- The Graduate Life Center at Donaldson Brown, which houses graduate students and administrative offices.
- Gobblerfest
- The massive annual involvement fair for student organizations held in the fall.
- GSA
- Graduate Student Assembly, the representative body for graduate and professional students.
H
- Hoge
- Hoge Hall, a residence hall formerly known as Lee Hall, often housing engineering students.
- Hokie
- The official nickname for Virginia Tech students, fans, and athletes.
- Hokie Bird
- The official mascot of Virginia Tech.
- Hokie Grill
- A dining area in Squires Student Center featuring Chick-fil-A and Blue Ridge BBQ.
- Hokie Stone
- The native limestone used as the signature building material for nearly all campus structures.
M
- Main Egg
- Main Eggleston Hall, one of the three sections of the Eggleston residential complex.
- Man Castle
- A common nickname for Pritchard Hall, historically known for its large male population and social atmosphere.
- Miles
- Miles Hall, a residence hall on the Upper Quad.
N
- New Hall West
- A suite-style residence hall often abbreviated as NHW by students.
- NHW
- New Hall West, a suite-style residence hall.
- Nude Men Hall
- A play on the name of Newman Hall.
O
- O-Shag-Hennessey
- A nickname for O'Shaughnessy Hall, popularized by a Key & Peele sketch.
- O'Shag
- O'Shaughnessy Hall, a residential hall often housing the Leadership and Social Change community.
- Owens
- Owens Food Court, one of the oldest dining facilities offering a wide variety of cuisines.
P
- Pritch
- Pritchard Hall, a large and historically social residence hall.
- Pritchard
- Pritchard Hall, historically the largest and most social residence hall on campus.
R
- RSO
- Registered Student Organization, the standard classification for most student-run clubs.
S
- SAA
- Student Alumni Associates, a group that bridges the gap between current students and alumni.
- Sandsman
- A student nickname for University President Tim Sands.
- SEC
- Student Engineers' Council, the representative body for students within the College of Engineering.
- SECL
- Student Engineers' Council, the representative body for students in the College of Engineering.
- Seven Layers of Players
- A rhyming nickname for Pritchard Hall, referring to its seven floors and social reputation.
- SGA
- Student Government Association, the primary advocacy body for the student population.
- Skipping the Drillfield
- The act of walking around the perimeter of the Drillfield rather than across it to avoid wind or mud.
- Skipping the Pylons
- A tradition/superstition where students avoid walking between the Pylons at the War Memorial Chapel unless they are in the Corps.
- Slush
- Slusher Hall, a prominent residence hall often divided into 'Slusher Tower' and 'Slusher Wing'.
- Slusher
- Slusher Hall, a large traditional residence hall known for its central location and lack of air conditioning.
T
- The Cage
- The basketball courts and parking area near the residental side of campus, often used for recreation.
- The Drillfield
- The large central grassy area around which the main academic buildings are situated.
- The Egg
- Eggleston Hall, divided into Main, East, and West sections.
- The Egglestons
- A collective term for East, West, and Main Eggleston Halls located near the Drillfield.
- The Eggs
- A collective nickname for the East, West, and Main Eggleston residence halls.
- The GLC
- The Graduate Life Center at Donaldson Brown, housing for graduate students.
- The Pylons
- The War Memorial structures representing the university's core values.
- The Rail
- A signature mixed drink at Top of the Stairs (TOTS), a popular local bar.
- Turner
- Turner Place at Lavery Hall, a food court featuring various national and local brands.
- Twelve Floors of Whores
- A controversial historical nickname for Slusher Hall, referring to its twelve-story height.
U
- UCSO
- University Chartered Student Organization, a high-level student group with significant university oversight.
- Ut Prosim
- The university motto, Latin for 'That I May Serve,' which defines the campus culture.
- UUSA
- University Unions and Student Activities, the department managing student organizations and campus hubs.
V
- Vawter
- Vawter Hall, a residence hall located in the 'Prairie' area of campus.
- Virgin Vault
- A nickname for East Campbell Hall (and sometimes Johnson Hall), historically referring to its status as an all-female dorm.
- VPI
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute, the historical name of the university still used in Corps and traditional contexts.
- VTCC
- Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets, the university's resident military component.
- VTM
- Virginia Tech Motorsports, a student organization focused on formula-style racing and engineering.
- VTPD
- Virginia Tech Police Department, the campus law enforcement agency.
- VTRS
- Virginia Tech Rescue Squad, the student-run volunteer emergency medical service.
- VTV
- Virginia Tech Television, the student-run television station.
W
- WAJ
- West Ambler Johnston Hall, a large residential hall on the Drillfield.
- West Egg
- West Eggleston Hall, a residential wing often housing living-learning communities.
- West End
- West End Market, a premium dining hall known for high-quality options like steak and lobster.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- Add/Drop
- The period at the start of the semester when students can change their course schedules without penalty.
- BT
- Blacksburg Transit, the bus system that provides free transportation for students around campus and town.
- Burruss
- Burruss Hall, the main administrative building and iconic centerpiece of the campus.
- Canvas
- The learning management system used for course assignments and materials.
- Cassell
- Cassell Coliseum, the arena for basketball and volleyball.
- Course Request
- The first phase of class registration where students submit their preferred schedule.
- dietrick_d2
- Dietrick - D2
- dietrick_futurebites
- Dietrick - Futurebites
- dietrick_xpress_lane_market
- Dietrick - Xpress Lane Market
- Dining Dollars
- The currency used on student meal plans, which offers a discount at most on-campus dining centers.
- Flex
- A declining balance account on the Hokie Passport used primarily for dining purchases.
- Flex Add
- The process of adding additional funds to a dining plan when the base balance runs low.
- Flex Dollars
- The currency used in the university dining plan for purchasing food at on-campus venues.
- GBJ
- G. Burke Johnston Student Center, an auxiliary student center located near the residential side of campus.
- Hokie Mart
- The university's internal procurement system, though students often use it to refer to campus convenience stores.
- Hokie P
- Common student shorthand for the Hokie Passport ID card.
- Hokie Passport
- The official university ID card used for building access, meal plans, and laundry.
- Hokie Spa
- The online student portal for registration, grades, and financial records.
- Hokie Wallet
- The digital system for managing dining dollars and 'Flex' accounts on the ID card.
- Lane
- Lane Stadium, the home of Virginia Tech Football.
- McBryde
- McBryde Hall, the primary building for Mathematics and Computer Science classes.
- Moss
- The Moss Arts Center, the university's professional performance and gallery space.
- NCB
- New Classroom Building, a major academic hub now officially named the Classroom Building.
- Newman
- Newman Library, the university's main research library.
- PID
- Personal Identification, the username used to log into university systems and access digital services.
- Reading Day
- A designated day with no classes held before final exams begin.
- SafeRide
- A university-operated transportation service providing safe rides home at night.
- Schiffert
- Schiffert Health Center, the primary on-campus medical facility for students.
- Smart Way
- A commuter bus service connecting Blacksburg to Roanoke and the regional airport.
- Squires
- Squires Student Center, the central hub for student activities, dining, and organizations.
- StarRez
- The online portal used by students to manage housing contracts and room assignments.
- The Cage
- A large, remote parking lot (Lot 2) primarily used by commuters and for overflow parking.
- The Pylons
- The War Memorial Pylons, a monument honoring alumni who died in military service, located above the Chapel.
- The Smart Way
- A commuter bus service connecting the campus to the city of Roanoke.
- Torg
- Torgersen Hall, specifically referring to the 'Torg Bridge' study area spanning Alumni Mall.
- U-Pass
- A transit pass program providing Northern Virginia students unlimited access to Metrorail and Metrobus.
- War
- War Memorial Hall, a gym and recreational facility (often distinguished from War Memorial Chapel).
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Fall 2026 runs Aug 24, 2026 – Dec 21, 2026.
- How much campus context is included?
- 72 approved campus terms and 37 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.