Academic calendar
Fall 2026 First Half runs Aug 24, 2026 – Oct 16, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- 2nd Summer Block 2026Second Eight Weeks Summer 2026Summer 2026 2nd Summer BlockSummer 2026 Second Eight WeeksSummer 2026 Second Eight-Week Block
- July Block 2026Summer 2026 July Block
- Fall 2026 First HalfFall 2026 First Half 8 WeeksFall 2026 First Half 8-Week SessionRelevant now
- Fall 2026 Full Semester
- Fall 2026 Second HalfFall 2026 Second Half 8 WeeksFall 2026 Second Half 8-Week Session
- Winter Session 2026-2027
- Spring 2027 First HalfSpring 2027 First Half 8 WeeksSpring 2027 First Half 8-Week Session
- Spring 2027 Full Semester
- Spring 2027 Second HalfSpring 2027 Second Half 8 WeeksSpring 2027 Second Half 8-Week Session
- Proposed Summer 2027 May BlockSummer 2027 May Block
- May Block 2027
- First Half 6 Weeks 2027Proposed Summer 2027 First HalfProposed Summer 2027 First Half 6 WeeksSummer 2027 First HalfSummer 2027 First Half 6 WeeksSummer 2027 First Half 6-Week Session
- 1st Summer Block 2027First Eight Weeks 2027First Eight Weeks Summer 2027Proposed Summer 2027 First Eight WeeksSummer 2027 First Eight Weeks
- Proposed Summer 2027 Full SemesterSummer 2027 Full Semester
- June Block 2027Proposed Summer 2027 June BlockSummer 2027 June Block
- 2nd Summer Block 2027
- July Block 2027
- Proposed Summer 2027 Second HalfProposed Summer 2027 Second Half 6 WeeksSecond Half 6 Weeks 2027Summer 2027 Second HalfSummer 2027 Second Half 6 WeeksSummer 2027 Second Half 6-Week Session
- Fall 2027 First HalfFall 2027 First Half 8 WeeksFall 2027 First Half 8-Week SessionProposed Fall 2027 First HalfProposed Fall 2027 First Half 8 Weeks
- Fall 2027 Full SemesterProposed Fall 2027 Full Semester
- Fall 2027 Second HalfFall 2027 Second Half 8 WeeksFall 2027 Second Half 8-Week SessionProposed Fall 2027 Second HalfProposed Fall 2027 Second Half 8 Weeks
- Proposed Winter Session 2027-2028Winter Session 2027-2028
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 50 of 50 terms
B
- Big Event
- The university's largest day of community service where students volunteer across the local community.
- Boomer
- The first half of the university's call-and-response greeting; the expected response is 'Sooner'.
- Boomer Sooner
- The university's official fight song and a ubiquitous greeting or cheer used by the campus community.
C
- CAC
- Campus Activities Council, the student-led organization responsible for major campus traditions like Homecoming.
- Campus Corner
- The commercial district located directly north of campus, popular for nightlife, dining, and shopping.
- Cate
- Cate Center, a residential complex that also houses various academic offices and a food court.
- Cate
- The Cate Center food court, which houses various retail dining options like Raising Cane's.
- Couch
- The primary buffet-style dining hall located in the Couch Center, often called 'the caf' by students.
- Couch Express
- The grab-and-go window located at the Couch Restaurants for quick meals.
- Cross
- The Cross Neighborhood, a modern residential complex featuring suite-style living and retail shops.
- Crossroads
- The 24-hour restaurant located inside the Oklahoma Memorial Union.
D
- Dead Week
- The week of classes immediately preceding final exams, intended for study and review.
E
- Exchanges
- Meal plan credits that can be used at retail dining locations instead of the main dining hall.
G
- Game Day
- Refers specifically to Saturdays when the OU football team has a home game, involving massive tailgates and campus closures.
- GSS
- Graduate Student Senate, the representative body for graduate and professional students.
H
- Headington
- Headington Hall, the upscale residential facility primarily housing student-athletes and upperclassmen.
I
- IFC
- Interfraternity Council, the governing body for the university's social fraternities.
L
- Late Night
- The late-night dining service offered at Couch Restaurants, popular for after-hours meals.
M
- Meal Ex
- Meal Exchange, a program allowing students to use a dining hall swipe for a designated combo meal at retail locations.
- Meal Exchange
- A meal plan feature allowing students to swap a dining hall meal for a set combo at retail locations like Chick-fil-A.
N
- North Oval
- The historic horseshoe-shaped lawn at the north end of campus near the Union and Evans Hall.
O
- OU-TX
- The annual Red River Rivalry football game against the University of Texas, held in Dallas.
P
- PAN
- Panhellenic Association, the governing body for the traditional social sororities.
- Points
- The flexible spending currency on a student's meal plan used for purchasing items at retail dining locations.
R
- Red River
- Short for the Red River Showdown, the annual rivalry football game against the University of Texas in Dallas.
- Residential Colleges
- Dunham and Headington Colleges, the university's faculty-in-residence housing for upperclassmen and select freshmen.
S
- SGA
- Student Government Association, the official representative body for the OU student population.
- Sooner Points
- The declining balance currency included in meal plans, used at on-campus retail food outlets and convenience stores.
- Sooner Sense
- Prepaid funds loaded onto a student ID card for use at campus dining and retail locations.
- SoonerSense
- A prepaid debit account linked to the student ID card used for laundry, printing, and campus dining.
- South Oval
- The main pedestrian walkway between Bizzell Library and the Towers, often filled with student org booths.
T
- The Caf
- The main buffet-style dining hall located in the Couch Center.
- The Clock Tower
- The clock tower at Bizzell Memorial Library, a primary landmark and meeting spot for students.
- The Duck Pond
- A popular scenic area on the east side of campus used for recreation and relaxation.
- The Great Lawn
- The large open green space located within the Cross residential neighborhood.
- The Great Reading Room
- The silent, Harry Potter-esque study hall located in the historic wing of Bizzell Library.
- The Markets
- Small convenience stores located in residential areas like Adams, Couch, and Cross.
- The North Oval
- The historic, tree-lined oval near the Bizzell Library and the Oklahoma Memorial Union.
- The Pit
- The sunken lounge and seating area on the lower level of the Oklahoma Memorial Union.
- The Pit
- The lower-level food court area in the Oklahoma Memorial Union.
- The Res
- The Residential Colleges, specifically Dunham and Headington Colleges, modeled after the Oxford/Cambridge system.
- The Social
- The Social Food Hall located in the Cross Neighborhood, offering various retail-style food stations.
- The Social Club
- The dining location within the Cross Neighborhood, known for higher-end options.
- The South Oval
- The main pedestrian thoroughfare on campus, lined with academic buildings and student activity.
- The Spoonholder
- A stone structure on the North Oval where, according to campus legend, a couple who kisses is destined to marry.
- The Towers
- The collective name for the high-rise freshman residence halls: Adams, Walker, and Couch.
- The Union
- The food court and social hub located within the Oklahoma Memorial Union.
- The Union Food Court
- The collection of fast-food style restaurants located on the ground floor of the Oklahoma Memorial Union.
- Traditions
- Traditions Square East and West, the university-owned apartment complexes for upperclassmen.
U
- UPB
- Union Programming Board, a student group that organizes free movies, concerts, and events in the Union.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- Bizz
- Bizzell Memorial Library, the main campus library known for its iconic clock tower.
- Canvas
- The learning management system used by professors to post assignments, syllabi, and grades.
- CART
- Cleveland Area Rapid Transit, the bus system that provides transportation around campus and the city of Norman.
- couch_restaurants
- Couch Restaurants
- couch_restaurants_the_caf
- Couch Restaurants (The Caf)
- EMBARK
- The public transit bus system that services the campus and the broader Norman area.
- EMBARK Norman
- The public transit bus system that provides fare-free travel for students around campus and the city of Norman.
- Evans
- Evans Hall, the main administrative building housing the President's office.
- Gaylord
- Gaylord Hall, the building housing the College of Journalism and Mass Communication.
- Handshake
- The primary online platform used by the university for student job postings, internships, and career fair registrations.
- Meal Exchange
- A program allowing students to use a dining hall meal swipe for a designated 'combo' meal at retail dining locations.
- ONE
- The centralized online portal where students manage enrollment, view grades, and pay tuition.
- OU Spirit
- The campus bus system (formerly part of CART) that provides transit between the main campus, Lloyd Noble Center, and research campus.
- OU Transit
- The campus bus system (formerly CART) that provides transportation around campus and to local apartment complexes.
- Price
- Price Hall, the primary building for the Michael F. Price College of Business.
- residential_colleges_dining_hall
- Residential Colleges' Dining Hall
- SafeRide
- A university-funded program providing free taxi rides to students within Norman city limits during late-night hours.
- SafeWalk
- A student-run service providing safety escorts for individuals walking across campus at night.
- Sarkeys
- Sarkeys Energy Center, a massive academic complex housing engineering and geosciences programs.
- Sooner Card
- The official student ID card required for meal plans, building access, and campus services.
- Sooner Sense
- A prepaid account on the Sooner Card used for laundry, printing, and some off-campus merchants.
- SoonerSense
- A prepaid debit account linked to the Sooner Card used for laundry, printing, and some off-campus merchants.
- The Bizz
- Bizzell Memorial Library, the central campus library known for its historic Great Reading Room.
- The Blender
- The Physical Sciences Center, nicknamed for its unique architectural shape resembling a kitchen blender.
- The Huff
- The S.J. Sarkeys Fitness Center, the main university gym and recreation hub.
- The Link
- A 24-hour computer lab and study space located in the lower level of Bizzell Library.
- The North Oval
- Parrington Oval, the historic green space on the north end of campus surrounded by administrative and humanities buildings.
- The South Oval
- Van Vleet Oval, the main north-south walkway lined with academic buildings and the site of many student organization tables.
- The Union
- The Oklahoma Memorial Union, the central hub for student services, meeting rooms, and dining.
- wagner_dining_hall
- Wagner Dining Hall
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Fall 2026 First Half runs Aug 24, 2026 – Oct 16, 2026.
- How much campus context is included?
- 50 approved campus terms and 30 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.