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BACKGROUND TO

PROPOSED REVISIONS TO THE
SYNOPSIS OF POLICIES GOVERNING THE ACADEMIC CALENDAR AT UIUC

There are four basic changes to the regular semester schedule:


1. Start the Fall Semester on an actual Monday

CHANGE from the Synopsis:
2. Fall Semester
2.1 Classes shall begin on Monday 13 weeks before Thanksgiving week. If this pattern causes classes to begin before August 22, then classes shall begin on Monday 12 weeks before Thanksgiving week.

RATIONALE:
Classes starting on an actual Monday will remove the “Wednesday as Monday” confusion.


2. Codify the Earliest start of the Fall Semester

CHANGE:
2. Fall Semester
2.1 Classes shall begin on Monday 13 weeks before Thanksgiving week. If this pattern causes classes to begin before August 22, then classes shall begin on Monday 12 weeks before Thanksgiving week.

RATIONALE:
It has been the practice not to begin the fall semester before August 22. Codifying this practice indicates how we will avoid the new monthly payday (16^th) affecting the start date of the fall semester.


3. Move Fall Semester Reading Day from Saturday to Thursday

CHANGE:
1. General Policies for Fall and Spring Semesters
1.2 A reading day shall immediately precede the first day of Final Examinations.

RATIONALE:
There has been strong sentiment, especially from students, to have a Reading Day on a weekday. This can now be accomplished - with classes ending on Wednesday, Thursday will be Reading Day, and Final Examinations will be scheduled from Friday-Friday.

4. Schedule no Final Examinations on Saturday or Sunday

CHANGE:
1. General Policies for Fall and Spring Semesters
1.3 There shall be 18 3-hour Final Examination periods scheduled each semester, with 3 periods each day and none on Saturday or Sunday. There shall be 9 2-hour Final Examination periods scheduled in the Summer Session 2 with 4 periods on the last day.

RATIONALE:
These changes call for removing Saturday as a day to schedule final examinations, which necessarily reduce the number of final examination periods from 19 to 18, the same as the spring semester.