Academic calendar
Fall Semester 2026 runs Aug 24, 2026 – Dec 10, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Fall 2026 1st Bi-Term
- Fall Semester 2026Relevant now
- Fall 2026 5-Week Session 2
- Fall 2026 2nd Bi-Term
- Fall 2026 5-Week Session 3
- Winter 2027 3-Week Session
- Winter 2027 5-Week SessionWinter Session 2027
- Winter 2027 2-Week Session
- Spring 2027 5-Week Session 1
- Spring 2027 1st Bi-Term
- Spring Semester 2027
- Spring 2027 5-Week Session 2
- Spring 2027 2nd Bi-Term
- Spring 2027 5-Week Session 3
- Summer Session 2027
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 31 of 31 terms
B
- Barnes
- Barnes-Campbell Hall, a residence hall typically housing freshmen.
- Bemis
- Bemis Lawrence Hall, a prominent residence hall often paired with Minton.
- Big Red
- The world-famous, red, amorphous mascot of WKU.
C
- CAB
- Campus Activities Board, the student-led group that plans major events like concerts and movies.
- Climbing the Hill
- The literal act of walking from the lower campus (The Valley) to the upper campus (Cherry Hall).
D
- DSU
- Downing Student Union, the central hub for multiple retail dining options like Chick-fil-A and Steak 'n Shake.
F
- Fresh
- The Fresh Food Company, the primary all-you-care-to-eat dining hall located in DSU.
H
- Hilltopper
- The official nickname for a WKU student or athlete.
- Hilltopper
- Hilltopper Hall, the newest apartment-style residence hall on the upper part of campus.
I
- IFC
- Interfraternity Council, the governing body for men's social fraternities.
M
- Meal Swipes
- The primary currency of student meal plans used for entry into The Fresh or specific combos at retail spots.
- Minton
- Minton Hall, a central residence hall known for housing the Honors College community.
N
- NPHC
- National Pan-Hellenic Council, representing the historically Black Greek-letter organizations.
P
- P.O.D.
- Provisions on Demand, small convenience stores located in various buildings across campus.
- Panhellenic
- The governing body for the social sororities on campus.
- PC
- Panhellenic Council, the governing body for the campus sororities.
- PFT
- Pearce-Ford Tower, the largest residence hall on campus.
R
- RedZone
- A sports-themed casual dining restaurant located within the Downing Student Union.
S
- SGA
- Student Government Association, the official representative body for the student voice.
T
- The Den
- The Den by Denny's, a popular late-night dining spot located near the first-year residence halls.
- The Fresh
- The Fresh Food Company, the main all-you-care-to-eat dining hall located in DSU.
- The Hill
- The nickname for the entire WKU campus, referencing its steep topography.
- The Kissing Bridge
- A small wooden bridge on campus with local legends regarding student romance.
- The Red Towel
- The primary symbol of WKU athletic spirit, waved by fans at games.
- The Valley
- The lower-elevation area of campus near the football stadium and first-year residence halls.
- The Valley
- The lower-elevation area of campus where several residence halls like PFT and Bemis are located.
- Topper
- Short for Hilltopper, the official name for a WKU student or athlete.
- Topper Cash
- A debit-style account on the student ID used for laundry, printing, and off-campus partner merchants.
W
- White Squirrel
- A rare local squirrel variant that is a minor campus celebrity and good luck charm.
- WKU Spirit
- The student-run news organization and newspaper (The College Heights Herald).
- WPC
- Western Panhellenic Council, the governing body for the campus sororities.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- Big Red Dollars
- Flex spending money attached to the student ID card for use at campus dining and select off-campus vendors.
- Cherry
- Cherry Hall, the iconic building at the top of the hill housing many liberal arts classrooms.
- chick_fil_a
- Chick-fil-A
- FAC
- Ivan Wilson Fine Arts Center, the primary building for music, art, and theatre classes.
- fresh_food_company
- Fresh Food Company
- Grise
- Grise Hall, the main building for the Gordon Ford College of Business.
- Guthrie
- The Guthrie Bell Tower, a central campus landmark that rings on the hour.
- Helm
- Helm-Cravens Library, the main campus library complex.
- ID Center
- Located in DSU, this is where students go to get their official WKU ID card.
- M.A.S.T.E.R. Plan
- The mandatory transition program for first-year students held the week before fall classes begin.
- Meal Swipes
- The currency used for entry into 'The Fresh' or for specific meal deals at retail locations.
- NextBus
- The real-time tracking app used to see the current location of Topper Transit shuttles.
- Snell
- Snell Hall, a major science and engineering building.
- starbucks
- Starbucks
- steak_n_shake
- Steak 'n Shake
- TCCW
- Thompson Complex Center Wing, a primary building for science labs and classrooms.
- The Colonnade
- The Fine Arts Center Colonnade, a popular outdoor spot for photos and student gatherings.
- TopNet
- The online portal used by students to register for classes, check grades, and view financial aid.
- Topper Transit
- The campus shuttle bus system that moves students between the Valley and the top of the Hill.
- TPH
- Thompson Complex Central Wing, frequently used for science labs and lectures.
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- Fall Semester 2026 runs Aug 24, 2026 – Dec 10, 2026.
- How much campus context is included?
- 31 approved campus terms and 20 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.