Academic calendar
Fall Semester 2026 runs Aug 25, 2026 – Dec 10, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Fall Semester 2026Relevant now
- Spring Semester 2027
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 25 of 25 terms
A
- AAS
- Arnold Air Society; a professional service organization for Air Force ROTC cadets.
- AUP
- Coast Guard Auxiliary University Program; a leadership program for cadets interested in the Coast Guard.
B
- Breakout
- The culminating event that marks the end of the Rat Line and the transition of Rats to the 4th Class.
- Brother Rat
- A term of endearment and solidarity used between members of the same class.
C
- CEA
- Cadet Equity Association; an organization focused on promoting fairness and addressing equity issues within the Corps.
- Crozet
- Crozet Hall, the main cadet dining facility named after Colonel Claudius Crozet.
D
- Dyke
- A first-class (senior) cadet who serves as a mentor and 'big brother/sister' to a Rat.
E
- EC
- Executive Committee; a subcommittee of the GC that handles the most serious cases of cadet misconduct.
G
- GC
- General Committee; the primary cadet government body that oversees the class system and discipline.
M
- Mink
- A slang term used by cadets to refer to students at the neighboring Washington and Lee University.
N
- New Barracks
- The wing of the barracks completed in 1949 to accommodate the growing Corps of Cadets.
O
- OGA
- Officer of the Guard Association; the investigative body that handles cadet misconduct and hazing cases.
- Old Barracks
- The historic original section of the barracks, designated as a National Historic Landmark.
R
- Rat
- A first-year cadet (freshman), the lowest rank in the VMI class system.
- Rat Bible
- The Bullet; a small handbook of VMI history and facts that Rats must memorize and recite.
- Rat Line
- The rigorous six-month orientation and training period for new cadets.
- RDC
- Rat Disciplinary Committee; the cadet group responsible for enforcing standards and discipline for freshmen.
S
- Straining
- An exaggerated position of attention Rats must maintain in the barracks and mess hall.
- Sub's Mess
- A grab-and-go lunch location within Crozet Hall providing quick meal options.
T
- The Barracks
- The central five-story residential building where all cadets live, divided into Old, New, and Third sections.
- The Mess
- General shorthand for the dining hall or the act of eating in the mess hall with the Corps.
- The Post
- The VMI campus, a term reflecting the institute's military nature and structure.
- The PX
- The Post Exchange, a retail and food hub where cadets can purchase snacks, coffee, and supplies.
- The Stoop
- The porch-like walkways outside barracks rooms where cadets congregate and stand for formations.
- Third Barracks
- The newest wing of the barracks, which officially opened for cadets in 2009.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- BRC
- Breakfast Roll Call; the mandatory morning formation and accountability check before the first meal.
- Cocke Hall
- The campus gymnasium and fitness facility, also housing the swimming pool.
- Confinement
- A disciplinary penalty where a cadet is restricted to their room or the barracks for a set period.
- crozet_hall
- Crozet Hall
- FTX
- Field Training Exercise; multi-day military training maneuvers conducted off-post.
- Kilbourne Hall
- The building primarily used for ROTC offices and military science instruction.
- Lejeune Hall
- A multi-purpose building containing the bookstore, the PX, and cadet social spaces.
- Mallory Hall
- The academic building housing the departments of physics and mathematics.
- Nichols Engineering
- The academic facility dedicated to the various engineering departments.
- Permit
- An official document or authorization required for a cadet to be absent from a duty or to leave post.
- Preston Library
- The primary research and study library on the VMI post.
- px_post_exchange
- PX (Post Exchange)
- Rat Mass
- The collective term for the entire incoming freshman class before they officially become the 4th Class.
- Sallyport
- The arched entryways and staircases leading into the barracks courtyards.
- Smith Hall
- The main administrative building housing the Superintendent's office and admissions.
- SRC
- Supper Roll Call; the mandatory evening formation for the Corps of Cadets.
- STP
- Summer Transition Program; an optional summer session for incoming Rats to earn credits and acclimate to post.
- the_arsenal
- The Arsenal
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Fall Semester 2026 runs Aug 25, 2026 – Dec 10, 2026.
- How much campus context is included?
- 25 approved campus terms and 18 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.