Academic calendar
Undergraduate Fall 2026 runs Aug 31, 2026 – Dec 12, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Online 8-Week Modules 2025-2026
- Late Spring/Summer 2026
- Graduate Summer 2 2026
- Undergraduate Fall 2026Relevant now
- Spring 2027
Campus language
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Showing 51 of 51 terms
6
- 63's
- The main dining hall located in the Linda E. McMahon Commons, named for the university's founding year (1963).
B
- Balance
- Balance Kitchen, a dining location focused on healthy and allergen-friendly meals.
- Berg
- Bergoglio Hall, a residence hall named after Pope Francis.
- Bergoglio
- Jorge Bergoglio Hall, a sophomore residence hall named after Pope Francis, featuring pod-style living.
- Big Red
- The university's mascot (Big Red the Pioneer) and a general term for school spirit.
- BSU
- Black Student Union, a student organization focused on the interests and culture of Black students on campus.
D
- Declining
- Short for 'declining dollars,' the balance of funds on a student's meal plan used at retail dining locations.
E
- Einstein's
- The Einstein Bros. Bagels location on campus.
F
- Fairfield
- Refers to the town of Fairfield, specifically the beach area where many seniors live off-campus.
- FMA
- Financial Management Association, a popular professional organization for business students.
- FSL
- Fraternity and Sorority Life, referring to the Greek letter organizations on campus.
G
- G-Star
- Golden Star Cafe, a local favorite spot for students, particularly known for 'G-Star Tuesdays.'
- GSA
- Gender and Sexuality Alliance, a student organization supporting the LGBTQ+ community.
- GWC
- The Great Works Course, a foundational academic requirement for all students.
J
- JP's
- JP's Diner, a 1950s-style campus diner located in the Pioneer Village.
L
- Linda's
- The Linda E. McMahon Commons, often used to refer to the dining and social hub within the building.
M
- Mass on the Grass
- A signature campus tradition involving an outdoor Catholic Mass held on the campus lawn.
- Merritt
- Merritt Canteen, a nearby late-night eatery famous among students for 'drunk munchies' like mac and cheese bites.
- Mers
- Merton Hall, a freshman residence hall.
- Merton
- Thomas Merton Hall, a traditional-style freshman residence hall.
N
- NRHH
- National Residence Hall Honorary, an organization representing the top 1% of student leaders living on campus.
O
- Outtakes
- The quick-service convenience store and grab-and-go food spot on campus.
P
- Pio
- Short for Pioneer, the university mascot and the term used for any SHU student.
- Pio's
- Pio's Kitchen, a dining hall located on West Campus offering various food stations and kiosks.
- Pioneer Village
- A residential area on campus that includes several freshman and sophomore halls like Toussaint and Bergoglio.
- Pios
- Short for Pioneers, the university's mascot and the collective name for the student body.
R
- Red's
- The on-campus pub and grill located in the Linda E. McMahon Commons.
- Roncalli
- Roncalli Hall, a freshman residence hall located near the main academic buildings.
- Roncs
- Roncalli Hall, a freshman residence hall.
- RSA
- Resident Success Assistant, the SHU-specific title for a Resident Assistant (RA) who lives in and manages dorm floors.
S
- SAB
- Student Activities Board, the group responsible for planning campus events like concerts and bingo.
- Scholars
- Scholars Commons, a residential community typically for honors students.
- SET
- Student Events Team, the primary student-run organization responsible for planning major campus events and concerts.
- Seton
- Elizabeth Ann Seton Hall, a residence hall often referred to by its namesake's last name.
- SGA
- Student Government Association, the primary student representative body.
- SHU Media
- The collective term for student-run media outlets including The Spectrum (newspaper) and SHU TV.
- SHU-tle
- The campus shuttle bus system that transports students between main campus, West Campus, and off-campus housing.
- SHUdents
- A common portmanteau used by students and in campus media to refer to Sacred Heart University students.
- SNA
- Student Nurses Association, a professional organization for students in the popular nursing major.
T
- T-Town
- Toussaint Hall, part of the upperclassman housing complex.
- The Beach
- Fairfield Beach, the off-campus area where many seniors live and socialize.
- The Berg
- Bergoglio Hall, a modern residence hall often housing sophomores.
- The Bubble
- The social environment of SHU and the surrounding Fairfield area, implying a tight-knit but sometimes isolated community.
- The Heart
- A common shorthand nickname for Sacred Heart University.
- The Hill
- The main campus area, used to distinguish the central academic buildings from West Campus.
- The Market
- The Outtakes convenience store/market located within the Commons.
- The Ridge
- The Ridge Townhouses & Apartments, a housing complex primarily for junior and senior students located about 0.6 miles from campus.
- The Tews
- Toussaint Hall, part of the Upper Quad residential area.
- The Village
- The Scholars Commons residence area, commonly called the Village.
- Thea's
- Thea's Abbey, a dining location situated within Thea Bowman Hall.
W
- WSHU
- The university's public radio station, which is a prominent NPR member station.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- 63_s
- 63's
- Big Red Bucks
- A declining balance account on the SHU Card used for food at on-campus and participating off-campus vendors.
- Blackboard
- The Learning Management System (LMS) where professors post assignments and course materials.
- Campus Concierge
- The information and service desk located in the Student Union for ID replacements, shuttle info, and local discounts.
- champions_choice
- Champions Choice
- CHP
- The Center for Healthcare Education, located a short distance from the main campus.
- Dining Dollars
- Funds included with meal plans that are strictly for on-campus dining locations.
- Edgerton
- The Edgerton Center for the Performing Arts, the main theater venue on campus.
- jp_s_diner
- JP's Diner
- juniper_dining
- Juniper Dining
- Main
- The Main Academic Building, the central hub for administrative offices and many classrooms.
- Martire
- The Martire Business & Communications Center, located on the upper part of campus.
- Pioneer Dollars
- Funds loaded onto the SHU Card that can be used at the bookstore and participating off-campus vendors.
- Ryan-Matura
- The main university library.
- SHU Card
- The official student ID used for building access, meal plans, and library services.
- SHU Engage
- The online portal and app used by students to join clubs, track involvement, and find campus events.
- SHU Safe
- The official campus safety mobile app for emergency alerts and virtual walks.
- SHU Shares
- A program where students can donate unused meal swipes to help peers facing food insecurity.
- SHU Shuttle
- The bus system that transports students between the Main, West, and Healthcare campuses.
- SHUCard
- The official student ID, now primarily used as a mobile ID for building access, dining, and shuttles.
- Starfish
- The online platform used for academic advising, tutoring appointments, and faculty feedback.
- The Bobby
- The Bobby Valentine Health & Recreation Center, the main campus gym and fitness hub.
- The Chapel
- The Chapel of the Holy Spirit, the central religious building on campus.
- The Commons
- The Linda E. McMahon Student Commons, a central hub for dining, socializing, and student services.
- The Edgerton
- The Edgerton Center for the Performing Arts, the main venue for theater and concerts.
- The First 50 Days
- A series of events and programming during the start of the fall semester to help new students acclimate to campus life.
- The HC
- The Health Center, where students go for medical services.
- The Pitt
- The William H. Pitt Health and Recreation Center, the main hub for athletics and fitness.
- The Shuttle
- The university-run transportation service connecting Main Campus, West Campus, and local train stations.
- the_hub
- The Hub
- Valentine
- The Valentine Health & Recreation Center, the primary campus gym and fitness facility.
- West
- West Campus, the former GE headquarters site that now houses the College of Business and Technology.
- West Campus
- The former GE headquarters site, now housing the College of Business and Technology.
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Undergraduate Fall 2026 runs Aug 31, 2026 – Dec 12, 2026.
- How much campus context is included?
- 51 approved campus terms and 33 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.