Course Meeting Dates Exception (MDE) Request Procedure
All classes at Appalachian State University should have start and end dates based on the standard academic semesters (Fall, Spring, and Summer) using the first day of classes and the last day of final exams as approved and noted on the official university academic calendar. It is important for courses to meet within the standard semester dates to avoid scheduling and other issues for students. Compliance with the official academic calendar is important for many reasons, including:
- Institutional and personal liability in the cases of accident or injury that might occur when a class meeting is not officially sanctioned by the calendar or subject to an exception.
- Financial discrepancies (e.g., calculating refunds for students whose course met before the semester officially began and some of whom drop/withdraw before the semester has officially begun).
- Student access to the library and to ASULearn begins with the official start date of the semester. Deviations from the calendar require individual, repeated updates to the student access databases.
Nonetheless, there are occasions where classes need to meet outside of these dates for academic reasons. Therefore, classes that need to have meeting start and/or end dates outside the defined semester dates may be held by exception as approved through the Dean's office of the college in which the course is offered.
Guidelines for determining requirement of MDE form:
Most any section that begins prior to, or ends after, the standard semester dates, or meets on a weekend or holiday, including winter and spring breaks, is considered an exception. Study abroad courses are exempt from this requirement due to prior approvals that are completed before courses are sent to the Registrar’s Office, while study away may require the form. Exceptions need to be requested during each semester for a course that falls within these guidelines above.
In summary:
- Summer Term Courses for 5-week and 10-week sessions are only required if the course starts before or ends after the available sessions.
- Study Abroad courses are exempt from the MDE form.
- Study Away courses are not exempt, and will require the MDE form if the course meets on weekends or holidays.
All requests for an exception to the standard scheduling requirement must demonstrate the academic need for an exception. The request must be approved by the chair or program director prior to being forwarded to the relevant dean's office for approval. The faculty (and/or their Department Chair) may request exceptions for specific courses or instructional activities using the Course Meeting Dates Exception Form (MDE) available from the Office of the Registrar Forms page. Classes approved as exceptions will be built in the semester in which the majority of the classes' meeting days occur.