University Senate of Michigan Technological University
Proposal 83 - 21
Academic Calendar Procedures
(Voting Units: All)
Submitted by: Academic and Instruction Policy Committee
I. Introduction
Currently senate procedure 101.1.1 governs how the academic calendar is set. The current procedure states that the Fall
semester starts the Tuesday after Labor day unless labor day falls on September 5th
, 6th, or 7th. However when Labor Day is on September 3rd or 4th, the resulting schedule
pushes the end of finals week to December 21 and 22nd respectively. This forces commencement
to run prior to finals week and poses several challenges for students and faculty
traveling and submitting final course grades around the holidays. It is proposed that
the Fall semester begin on the Monday before Labor Day when Labor Day falls on September
3rd and 4th as well.
II. Proposal
We propose to amend Senate Procedure 101.1.1 Guidelines for an Academic Calendar of
14 instructional Weeks as follows:
Senate Procedures 101.1.1
Fall semester classes normally will start the Tuesday after Labor Day, but when Labor
Day falls on September 3,4, 5, 6, or 7, classes will begin the Monday before Labor
Day.
Further fall semester guidelines:
- Labor Day is a holiday for those years when classes begin before Labor Day.
- Classes will be dismissed for K-Day the afternoon of the Friday following Labor Day.
- Fall break will be the week of Thanksgiving.
- The last day of classes will be the Friday that falls on December 9 through 15.
- Final Exams will be scheduled for Monday through Friday of the week following the last day of classes.
- Fall Commencement will be held on the Saturday following Final Exams
Spring semester will begin on the Monday 24 days after the last day of Final Exams of the fall semester.
Further spring semester guidelines:
- Classes will be dismissed for a full day to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr., Day. (Proposal 24-06)
- Classes will be dismissed for the Thursday and Friday of Winter Carnival, beginning 11 days before Presidents' Day.
- Spring break will be for one week following the eighth week of the semester.
- The last day of classes will be the Friday that falls on April 22 through 28.
- Final Exams will be scheduled for Monday through Friday of the week following the last day of classes.
- Spring Commencement will be held on the Saturday following Final Exams.
Summer session will consist of a fourteen-week term beginning Monday, nine days after Spring commencement.
Further summer semester guidelines:
- Courses may be offered for the full fourteen weeks, or during two sequential seven-week sessions.
- The seven-week sessions normally will have final examinations on the Friday and Saturday of the seventh week. Courses offered for the full fourteen weeks will have Final Exams scheduled simultaneously with those of the second seven-week session.
- Classes will be dismissed for Memorial Day and the Fourth of July holiday.
- In exceptional cases, some summer courses such as intensive field courses may follow alternative schedules.
Proposal 21-03:
Adopted by Senate: 21 May 2003
Approved by President: 2 June 2003
Proposal 17-12:
Adopted by Senate: 18 April 2012
Approved by Administration: 08 May 2012
April 7, 2021