Academic calendar
Fall Session I 2026 runs Aug 24, 2026 – Oct 14, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Graduate Summer Session 2026
- Summer Session 2026
- Graduate Summer Session II 2026
- Summer II 2026
- Fall Session I 2026Graduate Fall Session I 2026Relevant now
- Graduate Fall Semester 2026
- Fall Session II 2026Graduate Fall Session II 2026
- Spring Session I 2027
- Spring Semester 2027
- Spring Session II 2027
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 24 of 24 terms
A
- ABP
- Au Bon Pain, the cafe located within the Oesterle Library.
B
- Boilerhouse
- The Boilerhouse Cafe, a coffee shop located in a renovated historic campus building.
- BSU
- Black Student Union, a prominent cultural and advocacy organization on campus.
C
- Cardinal
- The school mascot and the collective term for the student body ('Once a Cardinal, Always a Cardinal').
D
- D-Term
- December Term, a unique three-week intensive session between the fall and spring semesters.
- D-Town
- Downtown Naperville, the shopping and dining district immediately surrounding the campus.
E
- ECC
- Environmental Community Council, the student group focused on campus sustainability.
F
- FYE
- First-Year Experience, a program designed to help new students transition to college life.
K
- Kaufman
- The Kaufman Dining Hall, the primary 'all-you-care-to-eat' cafeteria on campus.
- Kimmel
- Kimmel Hall, a traditional-style residence hall on campus.
N
- Naper
- Naper Place, the upperclassman apartment-style housing located on the edge of campus.
O
- OSI
- Office of Student Involvement, which oversees campus clubs and activities.
P
- Patterson
- Patterson Hall, a residence hall located near the athletic facilities.
R
- Res/Rec
- The Residence Hall/Recreation Center, a combined living and athletic facility.
S
- Schneller
- Schneller Hall, a residence hall known for its suite-style living arrangements.
- Seager
- Seager Hall, a traditional-style residence hall.
- SGA
- Student Government Association, the primary representative body for the student voice.
T
- The Cage
- The snack bar and grill located in the Harold and Eva White Activities Center (WAC).
- The Cardinal
- The school mascot and the name of the student-run newspaper.
- The Naperville Bubble
- A term used by students to describe the safe, affluent, and sometimes sheltered feel of the surrounding town.
- The Res
- The Residence Hall/Recreation Center, a combined dorm and athletic facility.
- The Riverwalk
- The Naperville Riverwalk, a scenic public path adjacent to campus popular for student walks.
W
- Ward
- Ward Hall, one of the smaller, traditional residence halls.
- WONC
- The campus radio station (89.1 FM), frequently ranked among the best college stations.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- Cardinal Card
- The official student ID used for building access, meal swipes, and 'Cardinal Cash'.
- cardinal_corner
- Cardinal Corner
- Handshake
- The online portal used by students to find on-campus jobs and internships.
- kaufman_dining_hall
- Kaufman Dining Hall
- Larrance
- Larrance Academic Center, a major building for humanities and social science classes.
- Meiley-Swallow
- Meiley-Swallow Hall, a former church converted into a theater and classroom space.
- Merner
- Merner Field House, the main facility for indoor athletics and physical education.
- Merner
- Merner Field House, the main facility for indoor athletics, the pool, and fitness center.
- Oesterle
- Oesterle Library, the main campus library and study space.
- Old Main
- The iconic, historic central building housing administrative offices and classrooms.
- rolland_center_boilerhouse_caf
- Rolland Center Boilerhouse Café
- Safe Ride
- A campus security service that provides walking or vehicle escorts for students at night.
- The Hub
- The central service and information desk located within the Oesterle Library.
- the_cage
- The Cage
- WAC
- The Harold and Eva White Activities Center, the hub for student life and organizations.
- Wentz
- Wentz Concert Hall and the Fine Arts Center, the primary venue for music and theater.
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Fall Session I 2026 runs Aug 24, 2026 – Oct 14, 2026.
- How much campus context is included?
- 24 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.