Calendar (how dates are set)

This policy defines the academic year for all credit bearing academic programs and guides the setting of the academic calendars at Alverno College.  Responsible Administrator: Vice President for Academic Affairs

The Office of Academic Affairs, with the Registrar’s Office, drafts the detailed calendar for review three years in advance. Semester begin and end dates are provided five years in advance.  Calendars are reviewed by Student Development and Success, Financial Aid, Student Accounts, Enrollment Services, Advising, Institutional Research and Institutional Effectiveness before being brought to the Educational Policy Committee for approval.  The Educational Policy Committee approves the five year calendar every three years.

Terms/Semesters and Sessions: 

  • Fall Full-semester, Session 1 & 2
  • Spring Full-semester, Session 1 & 2
  • Winterim
  • Summer Session, Session 1 & 2
  • Graduate Weekend Programs, Fall, Spring & Summer

Length of Terms: 

  • Fall and Spring semesters are 16 weeks (including 4 days of Final Assessments).
  • Fall & Spring Sessions 1 & 2 are 8 weeks.
  • Winterim is 6 weeks.
  • Summer Term is 12 weeks.
  • Summer Sessions 1 & 2 are 6 weeks
  • Weekend classes meet every other week for 8 weeks in Fall & Spring and for Summer every other week for 6 weeks 
    • Holidays such as Thanksgiving and Easter may result in two back-to-back meeting weekends in some years but avoided when possible.

Tuition Due Dates: 

  • Fall & Spring Semester & Sessions 1 & 2 & Weekend College, tuition is due the 3rd Friday of August or January
  • Fall Session 2 tuition is due the 3rd Friday in October (regardless of whether this is a class day)
  • Spring Session 2 tuition is due the 3rd Friday of March (regardless of whether this is a class day)
  • Summer Term & Sessions 1 & 2 tuition is due the 3rd Friday of May

Start Dates:

  • Fall Semester and Session 1 begin Monday, the week before Labor Day
  • Spring Semester and Session 1 begin the Monday after the Martin Luther King Holiday
  • Fall & Spring Session 2 begin the Monday of week 9 of the Full Semester (watch Spring Break and Easter dates for conflicts)
  • Winterim begins the Monday after Fall semester Final Assessments
  • Summer Term & Session 1 begins the Tuesday after Memorial Day
  • Summer Term Session 2 begins first day of the 7th week of the full Summer Term
  • Graduate Weekend Programs begin the first Friday of the Full Term (Summer, Fall, Spring).

Last Day to Add FACULTY APPROVAL REQUIRED

  • Saturday before Census (3rd week) Fall & Spring Semesters & Session 1, Summer Term and Graduate Weekend Programs
  • Day 7 (of the Session) for Fall & Spring Sessions 2
  • Day 3 for Winterim
  • ​Day 5 (of the Session) for Summer Sessions 1 & 2

Last Day to Drop: WITHOUT FACULTY APPROVAL

  • Day before Census for Fall, Spring & Summer, Graduate Weekend Programs
  • Day 6 of the Session for Fall & Spring Sessions 1 & 2
  • Day 12 of Summer Term
  • Day 6 of Session for Summer Sessions 1 & 2
  • Day 6 of Winterim

Last Day to Withdraw:  (60% of the total class days)

  • Day 44 for Fall & Spring
  • Day 21 (of the session) for Fall & Spring Sessions 1 & 2
  • Day 33 for Summer Term
  • Day 15 (of the session) for Summer Term Sessions 1 & 2
  • Day 16 for Winterim
  • Friday of weekend 5 for Fall & Spring Graduate Weekend Programs
  • Friday of weekend 4 for Summer Graduate Weekend Programs

Roster Verification:

Faculty indicate student attendance and non-attendance by completing the Roster Verification tab in the Faculty Self-Service portal. The Registrar’s Office drops students who have not attended. 

  • Second Friday of the Term for Fall, Spring & Summer; Fall, Spring & Summer Session 1 and Graduate Weekend Programs
  • Day 8 (of the session) for Fall & Spring Session 2
  • ​​Second Business Day After Winter Break for Winterim

​Faculty verify attendance using the Department of Education requirement. “Physically attending a class where there is an opportunity for direct interaction between the instructor and students; submitting an academic assignment; taking an exam, an interactive tutorial, or computer-assisted instruction; attending a study group that is assigned by the institution; participating in an online discussion about academic matters; initiating contact with a faculty member to ask a question about the academic subject studied in the course; or other academic activity.  Simply logging into an online course environment does not count as attendance.

Faculty who must miss the first day of class must notify their Department Chair and Dean, create and communicate instructions to students noting the importance of their participation in a required online activity demonstrating academic activity.

Census (Official Enrollment)

Census is the date Alverno College confirms enrollment status for Title IV funds, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) reporting, and internal enrollment reporting. 

  • Day 12 for Fall & Summer
  • Day 13 for Spring
  • Census for Winterim is not recorded.

Progress Code Submission Deadline:

  • Due 12:00 noon 3 Business Days after the end of the term/session.  Grade Point Equivalences due by 12:00 noon 6 Business Days after the end of the term/session.

Assessments:

  • Final assessments are scheduled Monday – Thursday of the last week Fall & Spring Semesters
  • Mid-Semester Assessments are scheduled Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday of Week 8 for Fall Semester
  • ​Mid-Semester Assessments are scheduled Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday in March, avoiding Spring & Easter Breaks

Commencement:

Commencement is held the Saturday after Final Assessments for Spring semester

Degree Completion

  • The last day of Final Assessments for Fall & Spring Semesters
  • The last day of Final Assessments for Spring is used for Winterim
  • ​The last day of the term for Summer

Registration Times:

Students register according to the number of credits earned, including transfer credits.  Registration remains open through the Last Day to Add for the next term.

  • Graduate students’ Spring registration begins the first Monday of November.
  • Graduate students’ Fall & Summer registration begins the first Monday in April 
  • Undergraduate students’ Spring registration begins the second Monday in November
  • Undergraduate students’ Fall & Summer registration begins the second Monday in April 

R Weekend for Weekday College Fall Only

Third Thursday & Friday following Mid-Semester Assessment (week 8)

Spring Break

Third Full Week in March (could change based on Easter) must work around Easter & Mid-Semester Assessments so that students do not have 3 weeks in a row off.

Co/Pre- requisite Courses:

  • Winterim courses may be co-requisites for Spring courses but may not be prerequisites for Spring courses.
  • Session 1 courses may be co-requisites for Session 2 courses but may not be prerequisite courses for Session 2 courses.