Actually, at Boise State, it’s called “Last Week of Classes and Final Exams”. Yup, that’s a thing. You can see for yourself in University Policy 3080.
Traditionally, dead week (or hell week) on university campuses is the week before final exams. It’s meant to give you a break from tests and assignments so you can study and prepare for finals the following week. But it doesn’t always work that way if projects are due, there’s a pop quiz, or you still have a class presentation to make.
Dead week could refer to how dead and exhausted you feel. It’s probably not the best week to kick back and coast. Your course syllabus should have a clear statement about what the professor expects of you during the last week of class. Keep that in mind throughout the semester so you’re not caught by surprise.
Albertsons Library has extended hours during dead week, and is open 24 hours/day during finals week, if you need a quiet place to get away and study. Never mind those crazy traditions on other campuses where students open their doors and windows and scream as loudly as they can (usually at midnight) on one or all nights of dead week. Or run naked through the library.