Academic calendar
Fall Quarter 2026 runs Sep 23, 2026 – Dec 12, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Fall Quarter 2026Relevant now
- Winter Quarter 2027
- Spring Quarter 2027
- Summer Session 2027
- Fall Quarter 2027
- Winter Quarter 2028
- Spring Quarter 2028
- Summer Session 2028
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 22 of 22 terms
A
- A&O
- A&O Productions, the student group responsible for organizing major concerts and speakers.
- Allison
- The dining hall located within Allison Residential Community.
- ASG
- Associated Student Government, the primary undergraduate student governing body.
B
- Bobb
- Bobb-McCulloch Hall, a large residence hall known for its social atmosphere.
D
- Dillo
- Dillo Day, the university's annual large-scale music festival held on the Lakefill.
E
- Elder
- Elder Residential Community, a large residence hall on the north end of campus.
F
- Fran's
- Fran's Cafe, a popular late-night dining spot located in Willard Hall.
H
- Hinman
- The dining hall located in the 1835 Hinman residence hall.
K
- Kemper
- Kemper Hall, an upperclassman suite-style residence hall.
M
- Mayfest
- The student organization that plans and produces Dillo Day.
N
- NUDM
- Northwestern University Dance Marathon, one of the largest student-run philanthropies.
P
- Plex
- Foster-Walker Complex, a residence hall featuring single rooms and two dining halls.
- Plex East
- The traditional dining hall side of Foster-Walker Complex.
- Plex West
- The retail-style dining side of Foster-Walker Complex.
R
- RCB
- Residential College Board, the governing body for the residential college system.
- Reading Period
- The designated days before final exams when no classes are held.
S
- Sargent
- The dining hall located in Sargent Hall, primarily serving North Campus.
- Slivka
- Slivka Residential College of Science and Engineering.
T
- The Lakefill
- A man-made expansion of the campus into Lake Michigan used for recreation and events.
- The Rock
- A literal rock on campus that students paint and guard for 24 hours to promote events.
W
- Wildcat
- The official mascot and the term used to refer to any Northwestern student.
- Willard
- Willard Residential College, a historic south-campus dorm.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- 847_burger
- 847 Burger
- allison_dining_commons
- Allison Dining Commons
- CA
- Community Assistant, the student staff members living in residence halls (equivalent to an RA).
- CAESAR
- The online student portal used for class registration, grades, and financial aid.
- Deering
- Deering Library, the historic library known for its Gothic architecture.
- elder_dining_hall
- Elder Dining Hall
- foster_walker_west_dining_hall
- Foster-Walker West Dining Hall
- Intercampus
- The shuttle bus service connecting the Evanston and Chicago campuses.
- Kresge
- Kresge Centennial Hall, a major hub for humanities classes and departments.
- Main
- University Library, the primary research library on campus.
- Mudd
- Seeley G. Mudd Library, a popular study spot for STEM students.
- Norris
- Norris University Center, the campus student union.
- SafeRide
- A free university-run shuttle service providing safe transportation at night.
- sargent_dining_commons
- Sargent Dining Commons
- Tech
- The Technological Institute, the massive main building for science and engineering.
- Wildcard
- The official Northwestern University identification card used for building access and meals.
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Fall Quarter 2026 runs Sep 23, 2026 – Dec 12, 2026.
- How much campus context is included?
- 22 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.