Academic calendar
Fall Semester 2026 runs Aug 17, 2026 – Dec 22, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Summer 2026 7.5-Week SessionSummer 2026 7.5-Week TermSummer Term 2026Summer Term 2026 7.5-Week Session
- Fall Semester 2026Relevant now
- Fall 2026 First 7.5-Week SessionFall Semester 2026 7.5-Week Session 1Fall Semester 2026 First 7.5-Week SessionFall Term 2026 First 7.5-Week Session
- Fall 2026 Second 7.5-Week SessionFall Semester 2026 7.5-Week Session 2Fall Semester 2026 Second 7.5-Week SessionFall Term 2026 Second 7.5-Week Session
- Spring Semester 2027
- Spring 2027 First 7.5-Week SessionSpring Semester 2027 7.5-Week Session 1Spring Semester 2027 First 7.5-Week SessionSpring Term 2027 First 7.5-Week Session
- Spring 2027 Second 7.5-Week SessionSpring Semester 2027 7.5-Week Session 2Spring Semester 2027 Second 7.5-Week SessionSpring Term 2027 Second 7.5-Week Session
- Summer 2027 5-Week First SessionSummer 2027 First 5-Week SessionSummer Term 2027 5-Week 1st SessionSummer Term 2027 First 5-Week Session
- Summer 2027 10-Week TermSummer Term 2027 10-Week Session
- Summer 2027 10-Week SessionSummer Term 2027
- Summer 2027 5-Week Second SessionSummer 2027 Second 5-Week SessionSummer Term 2027 5-Week 2nd SessionSummer Term 2027 Second 5-Week Session
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 59 of 59 terms
1
- 1901
- 1901 Marketplace, the renovated dining facility formerly known as Metro.
8
- 805
- 805 Kitchen, the main buffet-style dining hall on campus.
- 805 Kitchen
- The main all-you-care-to-eat dining hall located within the Vista Grande complex.
A
- Architecture Graveyard
- The Poly Canyon Design Village, an outdoor area featuring experimental structures built by students.
- Archy Graveyard
- The Poly Canyon Design Village, an outdoor area featuring experimental structures built by architecture students.
- ASI
- Associated Students, Inc., the student-led non-profit that manages the UU, Rec Center, and student government.
C
- Campus Market
- The primary on-campus convenience store and deli located near the Red Bricks.
- Canyon Post
- The mail room and convenience store located within the Poly Canyon Village complex.
- CENG
- The College of Engineering, one of the university's largest academic colleges.
- Cerro
- Cerro Vista Apartments, on-campus housing typically for first-year or transfer students.
- CP
- Common shorthand for Cal Poly used in text and informal conversation.
- CP Mustang
- Mustang News, the student-run news organization covering campus and local events.
- CP Mustang Band
- The official marching band of Cal Poly, known as 'The Pride of the Pacific'.
- CPAC
- Cal Poly Arts Council, though students more frequently use 'The PAC' to refer to the Performing Arts Center building.
- CPD
- Cal Poly Police Department, the campus-specific law enforcement agency.
- CPLO
- Cal Poly Lo-Fi, a popular student-run music and arts collective/club.
D
- Dead Week
- The week before final exams, officially known as 'Quiet Week,' where students study intensely.
E
- ESC
- Engineering Student Council, the representative body for students within the College of Engineering.
I
- IRA
- Instructionally Related Activities, a fee-funded program that supports student clubs and competitions.
L
- Learn by Doing
- The official university motto, frequently used by students to describe hands-on projects or labs.
M
- MCC
- The MultiCultural Center, a hub for diversity-related programming and student support.
- Mustang
- The official mascot of Cal Poly and the term used to refer to any student or athlete.
- Mustang Station
- A campus eatery known for serving pizza, wings, and beer (for those of age).
- Musty
- The nickname for the Mustang mascot, often used in a lighthearted or unofficial capacity.
N
- NoMo
- North Mountain, a set of residence halls known for their outdoor-entry style and proximity to the stadium.
P
- PCV
- Poly Canyon Village, the large on-campus apartment complex for continuing students.
- PluS Dollars
- The declining balance currency included in campus meal plans for food purchases.
- Poly
- The common shorthand for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
- Poly Canyon
- The 'Architecture Graveyard' area featuring experimental structures built by students over decades.
- Poly Dolly
- A slang term (sometimes controversial) referring to a specific stereotype of fashionable female students.
- Poly Reps
- The Student Alumni Council members who serve as official campus ambassadors and tour guides.
- Poly Royal
- The name for Cal Poly's annual Open House weekend in April.
- Poly Time
- The unofficial convention where events or meetings might start 5-10 minutes late, though less formal than other campuses.
- Poly Trolley
- Cal Poly's mobile food truck that serves various locations across campus.
R
- Red Bricks
- The six traditional brick residence halls: Trinity, Santa Lucia, Muir, Sequoia, Fremont, and Tenaya.
- RSA
- Resident Student Association, the representative body for students living in on-campus housing.
S
- SLO
- The common shorthand for the city of San Luis Obispo.
- SLO
- San Luis Obispo, the city where the campus is located, often used to refer to the university itself.
- SLO Days
- Student Learning & Orientation Days, the summer orientation sessions for incoming freshmen and transfers.
- St. Fratty's Day
- A notorious student-organized early morning celebration held on the Saturday of St. Patrick's Day weekend.
T
- The Architecture Graveyard
- The Poly Canyon Design Village, an outdoor area featuring experimental structures built by architecture students.
- The Ave
- The Avenue, a food court area in the University Union featuring various quick-service brands.
- The Canyon
- Poly Canyon, the area beyond the dorms known for the 'Architecture Graveyard' and hiking trails.
- The G-Spot
- A common student nickname for the Architecture Graveyard (Poly Canyon), featuring experimental structures.
- The Grade
- Cuesta Grade, the steep and winding section of Highway 101 just north of campus.
- The Graveyard
- The Poly Canyon Design Village, an outdoor area featuring large-scale architectural projects built by students.
- The Market
- Campus Market, a central grocery and deli spot popular for sandwiches and snacks.
- The North Mountain
- A set of older, single-story residence halls located near the stadium.
- The P
- The large concrete letter 'P' on the hillside above campus, a popular hiking destination.
- The Red Bricks
- The six traditional residence halls: Trinity, Santa Lucia, Muir, Sequoia, Fremont, and Tenaya.
- The Towers
- The Sierra Madre and Yosemite residence halls, known for their multi-story tower design.
- The UU
- The University Union, which houses several dining options like Starbucks and Subway.
V
- VG
- Vista Grande, the main multi-venue dining complex located near the residence halls.
- VG's
- Vista Grande, the main multi-level dining complex on the south side of campus.
- Village Market
- The grocery and deli located within the Poly Canyon Village apartment complex.
W
- Week 0
- The initial partial week of the Fall quarter, primarily consisting of WOW activities and the first few days of classes.
- WOW
- Week of Welcome, Cal Poly's intensive orientation program for new students before Fall classes start.
- WOWie
- A new student participating in the Week of Welcome orientation.
Y
- yak
- Short for yakʔitʸutʸu, the newest residence hall complex named in honor of the Northern Chumash.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- 1901_kitchen
- 1901 Kitchen
- 805_caf
- 805 Café
- 805_kitchen
- 805 Kitchen
- Baker
- The Warren J. Baker Center for Science and Mathematics (Building 180), a central campus landmark.
- Cal Poly Time
- The campus convention where classes officially begin 10 minutes after the hour (e.g., a 10:00 AM class starts at 10:10 AM).
- Canvas
- The online Learning Management System (LMS) where professors post assignments, grades, and course materials.
- canyon_caf
- Canyon Café
- chick_fil_a
- Chick-fil-A
- Dexter
- The Dexter Building (Building 34), often used to refer to the popular 'Dexter Lawn' adjacent to it.
- Dining Dollars
- The declining balance currency included in meal plans for use at campus food outlets.
- DPR
- Degree Progress Report, the online tool students use to track which graduation requirements they have completed.
- Duo
- The two-factor authentication app required to log into almost all Cal Poly digital services.
- G-Lot
- A common reference to the large parking lots (like G-1) where many students park.
- G-Lots
- General parking lots located on the outskirts of campus where most student commuters park.
- Grubhub
- The primary mobile app used for ordering food from all on-campus dining locations.
- Kennedy
- Robert E. Kennedy Library, the main campus library (Building 35).
- Mustang Express
- A campus shuttle service that provides transportation between different campus zones.
- Mustang News
- The student-run media organization providing campus news via newspaper, web, and TV.
- Mustang Shuttle
- A free shuttle service that loops the campus during evening and night hours for safety.
- Mustang Success Center
- The primary academic advising center for first-year students.
- Poly Canyon
- An area on the edge of campus used for hiking, biking, and viewing student-built architectural structures.
- Poly Profile
- The section within the Portal where students view their academic records and progress toward graduation.
- Poly Time
- The campus tradition where classes officially begin 10 minutes after the scheduled start time.
- PolyCard
- The official student ID card used for building access, meal plans, and library services.
- PolyFlow
- A popular student-made tool used to visualize and plan degree progress and course schedules.
- Quarter System
- Cal Poly's academic calendar consisting of 10-week Fall, Winter, and Spring terms.
- SLO Transit
- The city bus system which Cal Poly students can ride for free using their PolyCard.
- The Hub
- The MultiCultural Center located within the University Union.
- The Lib
- The Robert E. Kennedy Library (Building 35), the main study and research hub on campus.
- The PAC
- The Performing Arts Center, where major concerts, shows, and university ceremonies are held.
- The Portal
- The MyCalPoly web portal used for class registration, viewing grades, and accessing email.
- The Rec
- The Recreation Center, the massive gym and fitness complex managed by ASI.
- The UU
- The University Union (Building 65), containing the bookstore, food options, and student lounge spaces.
- the_avenue
- The Avenue
- Virtual Permit
- The license-plate-based parking system where your vehicle's plate acts as your permit.
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Fall Semester 2026 runs Aug 17, 2026 – Dec 22, 2026.
- How much campus context is included?
- 59 approved campus terms and 35 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.