Academic Year and Calendar

A. Academic Calendar

(University Senate Document 90-30, April 22, 1991, University Senate Document 12-1, November 19, 2012)

1. Courses are scheduled during the academic year and summer session. The academic year shall consist of two 16-week semesters. Summer session(s) may be one 4-week and one 8-week or two 6-week or other configurations as approved by the Provost’s Office. In each semester/session, classes shall begin with the first instructional period of the first day.

2. In each semester/session, classes shall begin with the first instructional period of the first day.

   1. The calendar for students enrolled in the fourth year of veterinary medicine will comprise 12 blocks of approximately one month duration. The starting dates for the blocks will be chosen so that the end of the 12th block coincides with the end of the second semester (University Senate Document 73-15, March 18, 1977).
   2. The second semester for fifth-year pharmacy students will begin on the first Monday in January and end the 18th following Saturday. During this semester, each of these students will be scheduled for two six-week externships and one three-week clerkship.
3. The first semester shall begin on either the third or fourth Monday of August, be in recess Monday and Tuesday of the eighth week, and Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of Thanksgiving week, and classes will end on the 17th following Saturday, which shall not occur after the 20th day of December. The second semester shall begin on either the first or second Monday of January, which shall not occur prior to the seventh day of January, be in recess during the tenth week, and end on the 17th following Saturday (University Senate Document 96-4, February 17, 1997).
4. The summer session shall begin on the next Monday following the spring commencement and will be comprised of one 4-week and one 8-week, or two 6-week module(s) or other configurations as approved by the Provost Office. Courses may be scheduled during any one or any combination of modules throughout the 12-week period. There shall be no classes on Memorial Day, the last Monday in May, or on July 4, nor on the nearest class day when July 4 is not a regular class day.(University Senate Document 96-4, February 17, 1997).
5. Faculty shall enter grades as completed, but no later than 5 p.m. on the second working day after the end of the respective academic semester/session.
6. Commencement will be held as follows: First Semester: first Sunday following the end of the first semester; Second Semester: next subsequent weekend after the end of the second semester; Summer Session: first Saturday following the end of the last summer module.
7. The faculties at regional campuses shall be free to establish their own calendar dates.

B. Final Examinations

(University Senate Document 84-12, March 25, 1985)

1. In regular semesters, the final examination period shall consist of six scheduled days comprising the 16th week of the semester. The two-hour class meetings during the six days of the final examination period will be scheduled at the discretion of the Educational Policy Committee on the advice of the Office of the Registrar as, at most, 30 two-hour periods (five periods per day, including evenings). Upon request, a single coursewide examination will be scheduled for any course. In the summer session, the final examination schedule shall be appropriately scaled to meet the demand. It shall be scheduled at the discretion of the Educational Policy Committee on the advice of the Office of the Registrar in, at most, 12 two-hour periods on the last three days of the session (four periods per day, excluding evenings).
2. Each class will be scheduled for a two-hour meeting during the final examination period. Excepted are those courses classified as individual study, clinic, student teaching, industrial experience (co-op), or research and those offered for zero credit. However, any such course will be included in the schedule upon the specific request of the appropriate schedule deputy. If no educational purpose will be served by any type of meeting during the 16th week because the educational objectives of the course have been achieved, a department may dismiss this class meeting during the 16th week.
3. Two weeks after the beginning of any regular semester and one week after the beginning of the summer session, schedule deputies shall inform the Office of the Registrar of the courses requiring coursewide examinations. It will be the responsibility of the department head or, where appropriate, the school head to inform the Office of the Registrar which courses within the department or school will not need a meeting. A schedule implementing Section B will then be developed by the Office of the Registrar in consultation with the Educational Policy Committee. Guiding principles include:
   1. Minimize the number of direct student examination conflicts.
   2. Minimize the number of students who have more than two examinations on the same day.
   3. Minimize the number of students who have consecutive (back-to-back) examinations.
4. No student shall be required to take more than two examinations on one day.
5. The Office of the Provost shall implement a procedure to inform faculty and students of the academic regulations governing end-of-semester exams and activities each semester to coincide with the release of the final examination class schedule.
6. Students scheduled for more than two examinations in one calendar day are entitled to reschedule any examinations in excess of two. Similarly, students faced with a direct exam conflict are entitled to reschedule either examination. It is the responsibility of the student to make the necessary arrangements before the last week of regularly scheduled classes. Course instructors shall not penalize a student who chooses to reschedule an examination under these options (University Senate Document 90-22, March 25, 1991).
7. Regional campuses may modify these provisions to meet local differences through established procedures of the local faculty governing bodies or, lacking these, the regional campus chancellor or designee.
8. The final examination period is intended for the end-of-semester examination. No examination or quiz may be given during the week (three days in summer session) preceding the final examination period of the semester (examinations for laboratory, intensive, or minicourses excluded). It will be the responsibility of the department head or, where appropriate, the school head to ensure that none of the departmental or school faculty use the week (three days in summer session) preceding the final examination period to administer an examination.
9. Comprehensive final examinations (examinations for laboratory, intensive or minicourses excluded) are prohibited except during the regular final examination periods of the last week of the semester.

C. Summer Sessions Work

Regular work offered in the summer sessions shall be equivalent in method, content, and credit value to the work of the academic year, regular class and laboratory periods being increased proportionately.