Academic calendar
Fall 2026 runs Aug 17, 2026 – Dec 11, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Fall 2026 First Half of Term
- Fall 2026Relevant now
- Fall 2026 Second Half of Term
- Winter 2026-2027Winter 2026-2027 TermWinter 2026-27Winter Term 2026-2027
- Spring 2027 First Half of Term
- Spring 2027
- Spring 2027 Second Half of Term
- Summer 2027 Term ISummer Term I 2027
- Summer 2027 First Half
- J. B. Speed School of Engineering Summer 2027 TermJ. B. Speed School of Engineering Summer Term 2027Kent School of Social Work & Family Science Summer 2027 TermKent School of Social Work & Family Science Summer Term 2027Summer First Half 2027
- School of Nursing APRN/DNP Summer 2027 TermSchool of Nursing APRN/DNP Summer TermSchool of Nursing APRN/DNP Summer Term 2027
- School of Nursing Summer Term
- School of Nursing Summer 2027 TermSchool of Nursing Summer Term 2027
- Summer 2027 Term IISummer Term II 2027
- Summer 2027 Ten Week TermSummer Ten Week Term 2027
- Summer 2027 Second HalfSummer Second Half 2027
- Summer 2027 Term IIISummer Term III 2027
- Fall 2027Fall 2027 First Half of Term
- Fall 2027 Second Half of Term
- Winter 2027Winter 2027-2028Winter 2027-2028 TermWinter 2027-28Winter Term 2027-2028
- Spring 2028Spring 2028 First Half of Term
- Spring 2028 Second Half of Term
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 42 of 42 terms
B
- Belknap
- The name of the main university campus located south of downtown Louisville.
- Bettie
- Bettie Johnson Hall, an apartment-style residence hall located on the edge of campus.
- Bettie Johnson
- Bettie Johnson Hall, an apartment-style residence hall on the Belknap campus.
- Billy
- The Billy Minardi Hall, a residence hall primarily for student-athletes and named after Rick Pitino's brother-in-law.
- BVN / BVS
- Belknap Village North and Belknap Village South, the university's newest residence halls.
C
- Cardinal Cash
- A debit-style account on the Cardinal Card used for printing, laundry, and some off-campus dining.
- Cardinal Towne
- An affiliated apartment complex with retail shops located on the edge of campus.
- Cards
- The universal shorthand for the Louisville Cardinals mascot and the student body.
D
- Denny
- Denny Crum Hall, a newer residence hall named after the legendary basketball coach.
E
- ELSB
- Engage Lead Serve Board, an organization focused on community service and social justice.
F
- Flex
- Flex Points, tax-free funds included with meal plans used at on-campus retail dining locations.
- Flex Points
- The tax-free currency included in meal plans used at on-campus dining locations.
- FSL
- Fraternity and Sorority Life, the office overseeing Greek organizations on campus.
G
- Go Cards
- The standard greeting and cheer used by students, faculty, and alumni.
H
- HSC
- The Health Sciences Center, the university's downtown campus for medical and dental programs.
K
- Kurz
- Kurz Hall, a suite-style residence hall often housing honors students.
L
- L's Up
- The signature hand gesture (forming an 'L' with the thumb and index finger) used by students and fans to show school spirit.
- L1C4
- Louisville First, Cards Forever; the university's official athletic and spirit slogan.
- Lively Shively
- A local nickname for the Shively neighborhood located near the university.
- Louie
- The official name of the university's Cardinal mascot.
M
- Meal Swipes
- Entry credits for the Ville Grill or specific 'Meal Exchange' options at retail outlets.
P
- POD
- Provisions on Demand, small convenience stores found in various campus buildings.
R
- REACH
- Resources for Academic Achievement, the campus center for tutoring and academic support.
- RHA
- Residence Hall Association, the representative body for students living in campus housing.
- RSO
- Registered Student Organization, the official designation for any student club.
S
- SAB
- Student Activities Board, the student-led group responsible for planning major campus events.
- SGA
- Student Government Association, the primary governing body for the student population.
- SRC
- Student Recreation Center, the main campus gym and fitness facility.
- SRC Cafe
- The dining area located within the Student Recreation Center.
- Swipes
- Meal swipes used for entry to the dining hall or for specific retail meal combos.
T
- The Bird
- Refers to the Cardinal mascot or the 'L' hand gesture made with the thumb and index finger.
- The Can Opener
- A low-clearance railroad bridge on the edge of campus notorious for shearing the tops off of trucks.
- The New Dorms
- Commonly refers to the recently constructed residence halls like New Residence Hall (NRH) or Denny Crum Hall.
- The Province
- A popular off-campus student apartment complex frequently referred to by its name alone.
- The SAC
- The Student Activities Center, which houses the main food court including Chick-fil-A and Panda Express.
- The Thinker
- The original Rodin statue located in front of Grawemeyer Hall, often used as a landmark.
- The Tulip
- The Tulip Tree Cafe, a dining location situated within the Health Sciences Center (HSC) campus.
- The Ville
- A common nickname for the city of Louisville and, by extension, the university community.
- The Ville Grill
- The main all-you-care-to-eat dining hall located on the Belknap campus.
U
- ULH
- University Louisville Hall, a suite-style residence hall on the south side of campus.
- Unitas
- Unitas Tower, a traditional-style residence hall known for housing many freshmen.
- UTA
- University Tower Apartments, a high-rise residence hall on the Belknap campus.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- BAB
- Belknap Academic Building, a central facility for undergraduate classes, labs, and student support.
- Blackboard
- The online Learning Management System (LMS) where professors post syllabi, assignments, and grades.
- Cardinal Card
- The official student ID used for building access, meal plans, and library checkouts.
- Cardinal Cupboard
- A student-run food pantry located in the SAC that provides free groceries to the campus community.
- CardSmart
- The online system used to book appointments with advisors and tutors.
- Ekstrom
- Ekstrom Library, the primary research library and main study hub on campus.
- Grawemeyer
- Grawemeyer Hall, the main administration building and home to the President's office.
- Houchens
- Houchens Building, the location for essential services like the Registrar, Bursar, and Financial Aid.
- RAVE
- The campus emergency alert system that notifies students of safety issues or weather-related closures.
- REACH
- Resources for Academic Achievement, the university's central department for tutoring and academic coaching.
- Speed
- The J.B. Speed School of Engineering complex on the north side of campus.
- SRC
- The Student Recreation Center, the main campus gym and fitness facility.
- TARC
- Transit Authority of River City; students can ride these city buses for free by swiping their Cardinal Card.
- The BAB
- The Belknap Academic Building, a modern facility used for many general education classes.
- The Red Barn
- A historic multipurpose building used for student events and free breakfast programs.
- The SAC
- The Student Activities Center, the hub for student life, dining, and the campus bookstore.
- The SRC
- Student Recreation Center, the university's primary fitness and intramural sports facility.
- the_ville_grill
- The Ville Grill
- Threlkeld
- Threlkeld Hall, a building known for housing academic departments and formerly a residence hall.
- Token Transit
- The mobile app used to access and display the free student TARC bus pass.
- ULink
- The primary web portal for students to manage classes, grades, and financial information.
- ULPD
- The University of Louisville Police Department, providing 24/7 campus security.
- university_club_of_louisville
- University Club of Louisville
- UofL Today
- The daily official email newsletter sent to all students containing campus news and event announcements.
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Fall 2026 runs Aug 17, 2026 – Dec 11, 2026.
- How much campus context is included?
- 42 approved campus terms and 24 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.