The Registration and Calendar Committee is responsible for planning the academic calendar while taking into account the various factors and concerns listed on this site. For a listing of the current members, please visit Registration and Calendar Committee Members.
The University Registration & Calendar Committee has developed the following list of factors to be considered in planning the University calendar. There are additional factors that arise (for example, schedule changes by the Office of the President) that must be taken into consideration as well. Furthermore, these factors will conflict with each other at times, and so the committee must weigh the relative costs and benefits of choosing among them.
Academics/Faculty/Students
- Try to hold a full week of classes before any University break is scheduled, including Convocation.
- Balance how breaks affect MWF and TTh classes as well as evening classes and labs that only meet one day per week.
- Try to schedule commencement after final exams are completed if possible.
- Schedule five exam days during fall and spring semesters.
- Adhere to the number of required days/contact hours per the semester.
- Allow sufficient time (generally 2 weeks) after spring semester/before the first summer session and after the last summer session/before fall semester.
- Try to avoid scheduling events during times of religious observances.
Summer Sessions
- Allow sufficient time before and between sessions.
Housing & Residence Life
- Avoid scheduling multiple "empty" days during exams, or after exams and before Commencement, as the incidence of vandalism and other inappropriate actions in the dorms increases significantly under those circumstances.
- Allow sufficient time between semesters and sessions (generally 2 weeks) for moving students out of and into the dorms and for cleaning, etc.
Student Accounts
- Time semester ending and beginning dates (especially between Fall and Spring semesters) to allow sufficient time (generally 2 weeks) to bill students and notify students who are no longer academically eligible, etc.
Student Development
- Time the end of Summer Sessions and beginning of fall semester to allow time for Phase I & Phase II Orientation.
Faculty Senate
- Avoid scheduling breaks over the second Monday of any month, as that is when Faculty Senate meets.
Staff Senate
- Avoid scheduling breaks over the second Tuesday of any month, as that is when Staff Senate meets.
Alumni Relations
- Avoid scheduling any breaks during the week preceding Homecoming.
Athletics
- Avoid scheduling fall semester break adjacent to any home football game if possible.
Miscellaneous
- Keep Chancellor's and Provost's offices apprised of the planning process.
- Provide Appalachian State University's calendar to the Office of the President to minimize the need for changes precipitated by that office.
- Holiday nomenclature-this committee voted in 2005 to use secular language to designate holidays/breaks in the Academic/Registration calendar.
- In scheduling Fall break, if a Tuesday in October is under consideration, bear in mind that local elections (in which many students participate) are scheduled according to the following stipulations: the election shall be held on the fourth Tuesday before the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, and the runoff election, if required, shall be held on Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
- In 2005, Human Resources surveyed faculty and staff about their preferences regarding the observance of the "Good Friday" and "Memorial Day" state holidays on the Monday and Tuesday following Easter, versus observing them on their actual respective dates. (Doing so supports those who have children in the public schools-Watauga County Schools typically take a 1- week break following Easter-but disadvantages those who would prefer to observe Good Friday and Memorial Day on those days and not be forced to take compensatory or vacation time if they wish to be off on those days.) Survey results indicated that, of the people who responded, 72% were satisfied with or strongly preferred the Monday/Tuesday after Easter schedule (although 61% did not object to moving the observances to the actual dates of those two holidays.) There were 509 respondents - 287 identified themselves as staff, 82 as EPA Administrative, and 128 as EPA Faculty.