SYNOPSIS OF POLICIES GOVERNING THE ACADEMIC CALENDAR AT UIUC
(Approved on May 3, 1999)

These revised policies will go into effect for the calendars beginning with the 2000-2001 academic year.

The calendar is designed such that Fall Semester classes always begin on the Wednesday 13 weeks before Thanksgiving week, Spring Semester classes always begin on Monday 8 weeks after Thanksgiving week, Summer Term 1 classes begin on Monday 25 weeks after Thanksgiving, and Summer Term 2 classes begin on Monday 29 weeks after Thanksgiving week. The first day of class, a Wednesday, shall be defined as a Monday.

As long as the current pattern of academic holidays continues, calendars following the current policies will have, in each regular semester, at least 72 instructional weekdays plus at least 13 Saturdays on which classes may be scheduled. In each semester classes are to meet on at least 14 Mondays (or days defined as Mondays),Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. There are to be at least 13 unbroken instructional weeks (i.e., M-F).

1. Fall Semester

   • 1.1 Classes shall begin on Wednesday 13 weeks before Thanksgiving week.

   • 1.2 Final examinations shall end on Saturday 3 weeks after Thanksgiving week.

2. Spring Semester

   • 2.1 Classes shall begin on the Monday 8 weeks after Thanksgiving week. If Monday 8 weeks after Thanksgiving week is a holiday, classes will begin on the Tuesday 8 weeks after Thanksgiving week.

   • 2.2 Final examinations shall end on Friday of the 24th week after Thanksgiving week.

3. Summer Term 1

   • 3.1 Classes shall begin on the Monday 25 weeks after Thanksgiving week.

   • 3.2 Final examinations for Term 1 shall end on or before Saturday of the 28th week after Thanksgiving week.

4. Summer Term 2

   • 4.1 Classes shall begin on the Monday 29 weeks after Thanksgiving week.

   • 4.2 Final examinations for Term 2 shall end on Saturday of the 36th week after Thanksgiving week.

5. Instructional days

   • 5.1 There shall be no fewer than 14 of each instructional day per semester nor fewer than 28 days in the MW sequence, 28 days in the TuTh sequence, 42 days in the MWF sequence, and 13 weeks that have five full days of instruction (M-F).

6. Reading Day and Final Examinations

   • 6.1 A reading day, not a Sunday, shall immediately precede the first day of Final Examinations.

   • 6.2 There shall be no more than 19 3-hour Final Examination periods scheduled each semester, with 3 periods each day and none on Sunday. There shall be 9 2-hour Final Examination periods scheduled in the Summer Session 2 with 4 periods on the last day.

   • 6.3 Final examinations for Summer Term 1 shall be held during the final meeting of the class or on the day immediately following the final class meeting at the scheduled meeting time for the class. There is not a designated reading day for Summer Term 1.

7. Holidays and Vacations

   • 7.1 Classes shall not be held on Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Martin Luther King Day, Memorial Day or Independence Day.

   • 7.2 A one-week Spring Vacation shall be scheduled during the ninth or tenth week of the Spring semester and if possible shall not include a local or State election day.

   • 7.3 A one-week Thanksgiving Vacation shall be scheduled for the week in which Thanksgiving occurs.