Academic calendar
Fall 2026 runs Aug 24, 2026 – Dec 17, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Summer 2026 Session I - 12 Week
- Summer 2026 Session II - 4 Week
- Summer 2026 Session II - 6 Week
- Summer Session II-D 2026
- Fall 2026Relevant now
- Winter 2027
- Spring 2027
- Summer 2027
- Fall 2027
- Winter 2028
- Spring 2028
- Summer 2028
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 44 of 44 terms
2
- 2mato
- A retail dining location in The Commons specializing in pizza and pasta.
C
- Chick-fil-A
- The Chick-fil-A express location found in the University Center (UC).
- Copperhead Jacks
- A retail dining location in The Commons serving Southwestern-style food.
- CWIT
- Center for Women in Technology, a community supporting women and underrepresented groups in tech fields.
D
- D-Hall
- True Grit's Dining Hall, the main all-you-care-to-eat facility on campus.
E
- Einstein's
- Einstein Bros. Bagels, located in the Albin O. Kuhn Library.
- Erickson
- Erickson Hall, a residential hall often housing first-year students.
F
- Flex
- Flex Dollars, a declining balance currency included in meal plans for use at retail dining locations.
G
- GSA
- Graduate Student Association, the representative body for graduate students.
H
- Halal Shack
- A popular Mediterranean-style dining option located in The Commons.
- Harbor
- Harbor Hall, a residential hall typically housing upperclassmen.
- Hillside
- Hillside Apartments, an upperclassman apartment community located near the residence halls.
I
- ISCOM
- Information Systems Council of Majors, a student group for Information Systems students.
L
- Late Night
- The late-evening dining service at True Grit's, known for being a social hub for students.
M
- Meal Exchange
- A program allowing students to use a dining hall swipe for a designated meal at retail locations like Chick-fil-A or Starbucks.
O
- OCA Mocha
- A student-founded coffee shop and community space located nearby in Arbutus.
- OCSS
- Off-Campus Student Services, a department providing resources and programming for commuter and transfer students.
- oSTEM
- Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, a professional society for LGBTQ+ students.
P
- Patapsco
- Patapsco Hall, a residential hall known for its central location.
- Potap
- A common student shorthand for Patapsco Hall.
Q
- Quadmania
- The university's large annual spring festival featuring rides, food, and a headline concert.
R
- Retriever
- The nickname for any UMBC student or athlete.
- Retriever Fever
- A term used to describe school spirit, particularly during athletic events or homecoming.
- Retrievers
- The collective name for UMBC students, alumni, and athletic teams.
- RSA
- Resident Student Association, the governing body for students living in on-campus housing.
S
- seb
- Student Events Board, the primary organization responsible for planning campus-wide social events.
- SGA
- Student Government Association, the representative body for undergraduate students.
- STRiVE
- A popular multi-day leadership retreat and program hosted by the Center for Democracy and Civic Life.
- Susquehanna
- Susquehanna Hall, a residential hall located near the dining hall.
T
- The Apartments
- Refers to the upperclassman apartment communities: Hillside, Terrace, and West Hill.
- The Bridge
- The elevated outdoor walkway connecting the Commons to the Library, often used for student organization flyering.
- The Commons
- The main student center housing various retail dining options like 2mato and Wild Greens.
- The Hill
- Hillside Apartments, a residential community on the campus perimeter.
- The Hillside
- Hillside Apartments, typically housing upperclassmen.
- The Loop
- Hilltop Circle, the 2-mile road that encircles the entire main campus.
- The Statue
- The bronze True Grit statue located in front of the RAC, often rubbed for good luck before exams.
- The Terrace
- Terrace Apartments, a residential community for upperclassmen.
- True Grit
- The name of the university's Chesapeake Bay Retriever mascot.
U
- UCLA
- University of Catonsville Left of Arbutus; a humorous local nickname for UMBC.
- UMBC
- Occasionally used as a backronym for 'You Must Be Crazy' in a self-deprecating student context.
- UMBC-ing
- A student-coined term referring to the culture of intense studying and academic focus.
W
- Walker
- Walker Avenue Apartments, a privately managed apartment complex on campus.
- West Hill
- West Hill Apartments, one of the three main apartment communities on campus.
- Wild Greens
- A retail dining location in The Commons offering salads and wraps.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- Blackboard
- The Learning Management System (LMS) used for course materials and online assignments.
- Campus Card
- The official student ID used for building access, meal plans, and library services.
- Flex
- Flex Dollars; a declining balance account included in meal plans for retail dining purchases.
- ILSB
- The Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Building, a modern facility for research and lab-based classes.
- ITE
- Information Technology and Engineering Building, housing the CSEE and Engineering departments.
- Late Start
- A campus-wide delay (typically to 10:00 AM) due to snow or inclement weather.
- Meal Swipes
- Credits used for entry to the dining hall or for specific 'meal deals' at retail locations.
- Meyerhoff
- Meyerhoff Chemistry Building, home to the chemistry and biochemistry departments.
- myUMBC
- The central web portal for students to access grades, registration, and campus news.
- PAHB
- Performing Arts and Humanities Building, home to music, theatre, and dance programs.
- Public Policy
- The Public Policy Building, housing the School of Public Policy.
- RAC
- Retriever Activities Center, the main campus gym and recreation facility.
- Red Line
- A specific UMBC Transit route that connects the campus to the local Arbutus area and MARC station.
- Red/Yellow/Green Lines
- The specific color-coded routes of the UMBC Transit shuttle system.
- Redcard
- The common student term for the older version of the campus ID card.
- Retriever Card
- The official UMBC student ID card used for building access, meal swipes, and transit.
- Sondheim
- Sondheim Hall, an academic building housing social science departments.
- The Bridge
- The elevated pedestrian walkway connecting The Commons to the Albin O. Kuhn Library.
- The Library
- Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery, the primary academic library on campus.
- The RAC
- The Retriever Activities Center, the campus gym, pool, and arena.
- The Tunnel
- The underground service and pedestrian passage connecting the Administration building and the Library.
- The UC
- The University Center, which houses the bookstore, Chick-fil-A, and various administrative offices.
- UC
- University Center, a hub for student services, the bookstore, and retail dining.
- UMBC Transit
- The university-operated bus system providing free transportation for students with ID.
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Fall 2026 runs Aug 24, 2026 – Dec 17, 2026.
- How much campus context is included?
- 44 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.