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There has been a national conversation about the limits of free speech on college campuses and what faculty can say on their personal social media accounts.

July 13, 2017

Academic Calendar Changes Approved by Provost

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Provost Michael Kotlikoff announced that the modified calendar proposed by the Academic Calendar Committee has been approved, in an email sent to students Thursday.

Notably, the modified calendar will extend summer break by altering current breaks in the calendar and adjusting the start dates of both the fall and spring semesters. The changes to the calendar will go into effect in the 2018 to 2019 academic year.

The committee has collaborated on this proposal for the past year gathering research from students and professors. The committee issued a final report for consideration by the provost in May.

Students were invited to share feedback on proposed calendar changes in a survey sent in March. In April, the Senate, Student Assembly, University Assembly, Employee Assembly and Graduate and Professional Student Assembly voted on ranking three different proposals: the current calendar, the modified calendar and the early commencement calendar. Results indicate that the majority of votes were cast for rankings that placed the modified calendar as first choice.

In comparison to the current calendar, the modified calendar starts the fall semester two days earlier and the spring semester one day earlier.

For the fall semester, new student orientation will be extended to five days rather than three. In delaying the start date of this semester, two class days will be added following Thanksgiving break, thus ending the semester two days later.

In accordance with resolutions by both Student Assembly and the Faculty Senate, the calendar will recognize the second Monday in October as Indigenous People’s Day, coinciding with Fall break.

The spring semester, beginning a day earlier than the current calendar — decreasing winter break by three days with the changes to the fall semester — will still include two breaks, but with adjusted dates.

Rather than eliminating February break in favor of an earlier commencement, the modified calendar maintains this first break, aligning it after 24 class days, rather than 13 or 18 as the current calendar does.

Compared to peer schools, only Cornell and Brown maintain a two-break spring semester. The modified calendar positions spring break 23 class days after February break.

While commencement remains on Memorial Day weekend, the exam schedule will shorten from thirteen days to eleven days, extending summer break by five days.