Academic calendar
Fall 2026 runs Aug 20, 2026 – Dec 18, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Fall 2026Relevant now
- J-Term 2027
- Spring 2027
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 35 of 35 terms
C
- C-Roads
- Crossroads, a late-night dining and convenience location found in the basement of Newcomb Hall.
- CIO
- Contracted Independent Organization, the official designation for student-run clubs and organizations.
F
- First-year
- The term for a freshman; UVA uses year-based titles (First-year through Fourth-year) instead of traditional class names.
- Flex
- Flex Dollars, a declining balance currency included in meal plans for use at retail dining locations.
G
- Gooch-Dillard
- A suite-style residence area located near the Runk Dining Hall, often housing first-years and upperclassmen.
- Grounds
- The term used by students and faculty to refer to the university campus; calling it 'campus' is a common first-year mistake.
H
- Honor
- The Honor Committee, the student-run system that investigates and adjudicates cases of lying, cheating, or stealing.
- Hoo
- Short for Wahoo, the nickname for a UVA student or sports fan.
I
- IFC
- Inter-Fraternity Council, the governing body for the university's social fraternities.
- IRC
- The International Residential College, a multi-generational housing community located near the intersection of Emmet and Ivy.
J
- JMW
- Johnson, Malone, and Weedon houses, a specific cluster of residence halls within the Alderman Road area.
- JPA
- Jefferson Park Avenue, a popular off-campus residential street for upperclassmen.
M
- Meal Exchange
- A program allowing students to use a dining hall swipe for a set meal at retail locations.
- Midsummers
- A popular social weekend in July when students return to Charlottesville to party.
N
- New Dorms
- The Alderman Road Residence Area, consisting of suite-style housing primarily for first-years.
- Newcomb
- The dining hall located within Newcomb Hall, the student union building.
O
- O-Hill
- Observatory Hill Dining Room, the main dining hall for students living in the McCormick Road area.
- Old Dorms
- The McCormick Road Residence Area, typically featuring traditional hallway-style rooms for first-years.
P
- Plus Dollars
- Declining balance funds included with meal plans for use at retail dining locations on Grounds.
R
- Rugby Road
- The primary street where many of the university's fraternity houses are located.
- Runk
- Runk Dining Hall, the dining facility located near the Gooch-Dillard residence area.
S
- Streaking
- The tradition of running naked from the Rotunda to the statue of Homer and back.
- Streaking the Lawn
- A traditional rite of passage involving running naked from the Rotunda to Old Cabell Hall and back.
- StudCo
- The UVA Student Council, the representative body for the student government.
T
- The Castle
- A late-night dining location near the McCormick Road dorms known for burgers and snacks.
- The Corner
- The commercial district on University Avenue featuring popular student bars, restaurants, and shops.
- The Lawn
- The central grassy area of the Academical Village, surrounded by Pavilions and student rooms.
- The Lawn
- The 54 prestigious rooms in the Academical Village reserved for distinguished fourth-year students.
- The Pav
- Pavilion XI, a food court in Newcomb Hall featuring various retail dining brands.
- The Range
- Housing for graduate students located in the rows behind the Lawn.
U
- U-Guides
- University Guide Service, the student organization that provides historical and admissions tours.
- UJC
- University Judiciary Committee, the student body that maintains the Standards of Conduct.
- UPC
- University Programs Council, the student-led group responsible for planning major campus events and concerts.
W
- Wahoo
- A nickname for a UVA student or athlete, often shortened to 'Hoo'.
- West Range
- The West Range Cafe, a dining location known for its historical setting and quick-service meals.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- Canvas
- The primary learning management system used by professors to post course materials and assignments.
- Cav Advantage
- A declining balance account on the Cavalier Card used for printing, laundry, and some vending machines.
- CavAdvantage
- A declining balance account on the UVA ID card used for non-dining services like laundry, printing, and vending.
- Cavalier Advantage
- A prepaid debit account on the student ID card used for laundry, printing, and vending.
- Cavalier Card
- The official student ID card used for building access, meal plans, and laundry.
- CavCard
- The official student ID card used for building access, meal plans, and laundry.
- Clark
- Clark Hall, which houses the Science and Engineering Library and the Department of Environmental Sciences.
- Clem
- Clemons Library, the university's primary undergraduate library known for its 24/7 hours and collaborative spaces.
- Meal Exchange
- A program allowing students to use a dining hall swipe for a designated 'combo meal' at retail locations.
- Nau/Gibson
- The South Lawn complex housing the History and Religious Studies departments.
- New Cabell
- New Cabell Hall, a major academic building housing many Arts & Sciences departments and classrooms.
- Old Cabell
- Old Cabell Hall, the historic building housing the Music Department and a large performance auditorium.
- Plus Dollars
- Dining-specific funds included with meal plans that can be used at retail dining locations on Grounds.
- Rice
- Rice Hall, the central building for the School of Engineering and Applied Science.
- SafeWalk
- A student-run service providing walking escorts to students traveling around Grounds at night.
- Shannon
- Shannon Library, the main research library (formerly known as Alderman Library) which reopened after major renovations in 2024.
- SIS
- Student Information System, the online portal used for course registration, checking grades, and financial accounts.
- The AFC
- The Aquatic and Fitness Center, the university's primary gym and pool facility located near first-year housing.
- The Rotunda
- The iconic centerpiece of the Academical Village, designed by Thomas Jefferson.
- Thornton
- Thornton Hall, the main building and administrative hub for the School of Engineering and Applied Science.
- TransLoc
- The mobile app used by students to track the real-time location of UTS buses.
- UTS
- University Transit Service, the bus system that provides transportation around Grounds for students and staff.
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Fall 2026 runs Aug 20, 2026 – Dec 18, 2026.
- How much campus context is included?
- 35 approved campus terms and 22 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.