Academic calendar
Fall Semester 2026 runs Aug 25, 2026 – Jan 4, 2027. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Summer Sessions 2026
- Summer 2026 12-Week Session
- Summer 2026 6-Week Mid Session
- Summer 2026 Session II (6 Weeks)
- Summer 2026 3-Week Post Session
- Fall Semester 2026Relevant now
- Intersession 2027
- Spring Semester 2027
- Summer Sessions 2027
- Fall Semester 2027
- Intersession 2028
- Spring Semester 2028
- Summer Sessions 2028
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 43 of 43 terms
A
- Aromas
- Aromas Cafe, a coffee shop and cafe located in Maher Hall.
- AS
- Associated Students, the primary student government body at USD.
- ASG
- Associated Student Government, the primary student representative body.
B
- Bert's
- Bert's Bistro, a dining location in Mother Rosalie Hill Hall known for its outdoor seating.
- Blue Spoon
- A frozen yogurt and smoothie shop located in the University Center.
- Bosley
- Bosley Cafe, a health-focused eatery located in the Wellness Center.
C
- Copley Beach
- The grassy lawn in front of Copley Library where students sunbathe and socialize.
- CSL
- Changemaker Student Leaders, students who promote social innovation and community engagement.
D
- Dead Week
- The week before final exams when students focus heavily on studying and campus events slow down.
E
- Equivalencies
- Often called 'meals,' these are specific meal plan credits that can be used for a full meal at retail dining locations during set times.
F
- FSL
- Fraternity and Sorority Life, referring to the Greek system on campus.
G
- Garden of the Sea
- The scenic outdoor area behind the KIPJ overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
L
- La Pal
- La Paloma, a cafe located in the Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice (KIPJ).
- La Paloma
- The cafe located in the Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice (KIPJ).
M
- Manchester
- Common reference to the Manchester Village apartments.
- Missions
- Missions A and Missions B residential halls, typically for freshmen.
P
- P-Safe
- Public Safety, the campus department responsible for security and emergency services.
- Pavilion
- The main buffet-style dining hall located on the top floor of the SLP.
- PT
- Palomar Terrace, an upperclassman housing area located within the Missions complex.
R
- RHA
- Residence Hall Association, the student organization representing those living in on-campus housing.
S
- San Buen
- Student shorthand for the San Buenaventura apartments.
- SAP
- San Antonio de Padua, an apartment-style housing complex for upperclassmen.
- SLC
- Student Leadership Center, a resource space for student organizations in the SLP.
- SLP
- The Student Life Pavilion, the main multi-level dining facility on campus.
- SOAR
- Student Organizations and Activities Resources, the office that manages campus clubs.
- SOLES
- The School of Leadership and Education Sciences, often used to refer to the building (Mother Rosalie Hill Hall) where it is housed.
T
- The Beach
- The grassy lawn area behind the KIPJ that offers views of the Pacific Ocean.
- The Hill
- The USD campus itself, which is situated on a mesa overlooking Mission Bay.
- The Mesa
- Refers to the flat-topped hill or plateau upon which the USD campus is built.
- The Valley
- The Valley A and Valley B residential areas, primarily housing first-year students.
- The Vista
- The USD Vista, the university's student-run weekly newspaper.
- The Vistas
- Refers to the Vista Alcala apartments or the specific shuttle route serving them.
- The Vistas
- Alcala Vista Apartments, a housing complex primarily for sophomore students.
- The Woods
- Manchester Village, an apartment complex often referred to by students as the Woods due to its location.
- Torero
- The official mascot and the term used to refer to any USD student.
- TPB
- Torero Program Board, the student-led organization that plans major campus events.
- Tu Merc
- Tu Mercado, the campus grocery store and deli located in the SLP.
- Tu Mercado
- The campus grocery store and deli located on the first floor of the SLP.
- Tu Merch
- Tu Mercado, the campus grocery store, deli, and coffee shop located in the SLP.
U
- UFMC
- United Front Multicultural Center, a hub for diversity and inclusion programming.
- UT
- University Terrace, an apartment complex for upperclassmen located across from the main campus entrance.
V
- Valley
- Refers collectively to the Valley A and Valley B residence halls.
- Vista
- Vista Alcala, an apartment complex located down the hill from the main campus.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- aromas
- Aromas
- bert_s_bistro
- Bert's Bistro
- Blue Light
- Emergency call boxes located throughout campus for immediate contact with Public Safety.
- Blue Lights
- Emergency phone stations located throughout campus that connect directly to Public Safety.
- blue_spoon
- Blue Spoon
- Campus Cash
- A declining-balance account linked to the ID card used for laundry, printing, and at various on- and off-campus vendors.
- Copley
- Copley Library, the main undergraduate library.
- Dining Dollars
- The currency included in meal plans used to purchase food at all campus dining locations.
- GET Food
- The mobile app used by students to order food ahead for pickup at campus dining locations.
- HUC
- Hahn University Center, the hub for student organizations, the bookstore, and dining services.
- JCP
- The Jenny Craig Pavilion, the university's arena for basketball, volleyball, and major events.
- KIPJ
- The Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, located at the west end of campus.
- Maher
- Maher Hall, a multi-purpose building containing housing, offices, and Aromas Cafe.
- Mother Rosalie
- Mother Rosalie Hill Hall, home to the School of Leadership and Education Sciences (SOLES).
- MRH
- Mother Rosalie Hill Hall, which houses the School of Leadership and Education Sciences (SOLES).
- MRHH
- Mother Rosalie Hill Hall, home to the School of Leadership and Education Sciences (SOLES).
- MySanDiego
- The official online portal where students access grades, registration, and financial information.
- Old Town
- The nearby transit hub where students catch the San Diego Trolley to reach downtown or the beach.
- Olin
- Olin Hall, the primary building for the Knauss School of Business.
- oliva
- Oliva
- Passport
- A program tracking student participation in specific campus events, often required for certain scholarships or honors.
- pavilion_dining
- Pavilion Dining
- Serra
- Saints Tekakwitha and Serra Hall, a central building for student services and classrooms (formerly just Serra Hall).
- Shiley
- The Shiley Center for Science and Technology.
- The Tram
- The free campus shuttle system that runs between the main campus and the West Marian Way parking lots.
- Torero Card
- The official university identification card used for building access, meal plans, and library services.
- Torero ID
- The mandatory student identification card used for building access, meal plans, and library services.
- Torero ID Card
- The official university identification card, which can be used physically or accessed virtually via the MyUSD app.
- Tram
- The free campus shuttle system that transports students between the West, Main, and East campus areas.
- tu_mercado
- Tu Mercado
- UC
- The University Center, which houses various student services and the bookstore.
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Fall Semester 2026 runs Aug 25, 2026 – Jan 4, 2027.
- How much campus context is included?
- 43 approved campus terms and 31 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.