Academic Calendars

Academic Calendar and Regular Coursework

The academic year is divided into two 15-week semesters (fall and spring) in accordance with our accrediting body, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). SACSCOC requires each course to assign approximately twelve hours of work per week for each of the 15 weeks. The fifteenth week is the assessment period.

Special programs (i.e. study abroad or summer contract courses) are held over the summer.

All work, except that which is part of the final assessment, shall be due no later than the end of the last official class hour, the day before Reading and Reflection Day.

Final Assessments and Examinations

Prior to the assessment period, there is a Reading and Reflection Day designed to provide time for students to reflect upon and consolidate their learning. There should be no for-credit assessment, exercise, or activity (e.g., juries, thesis defenses, oral exams) on Reading and Reflection Day(s), unless requested by the student and approved by the instructor.

Apart from the exceptions noted above, examinations and final assessments are to be given only during the assessment period, which must have either a single major assessment (such as an oral final examination, a written examination, a paper, research project, a performance or showing of creative work); or a cohesive set of smaller assessments (such as a portfolio of the semester’s work, self-reflections on learning, or revisions of previous assignments).

The due date for any final assessment must be the final day of the assessment period. The instructor of the course may authorize a student to postpone an assessment for a valid reason, such as a serious health, family, or personal problem arising late in the semester in accordance with the Incomplete Policy.