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Academic and Registration Calendar : 2.04.00.00 (previously Guideline A-019)

Policy/Guideline Area

Academic Policies

Applicable Divisions

Community Colleges

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to provide a common academic calendar among community colleges to: 1) facilitate student enrollment at more than one institution and in collaborative programs, 2) enable institutions to share resources, including courses, faculty, and physical facilities, 3) encourage and support the formation of consortia and partnerships, 4) permit greater efficiency in system-wide information technology resources, and 5) support data collection for compliance and accountability.

 

Policy/Guideline

Each community college will establish and publish in the institution’s Catalog, a minimum of one, full year Academic Calendar that includes fall, spring, and summer semester, and any other academic timeframe(s) provided as options for enrolling in and completion of courses during the 12-month academic year, in accordance with the parameters and framework defined in the procedure.

Procedures

  1. Academic Calendar
    1. All TBR community colleges will offer fall and spring terms that follow the Academic Calendar Template described in this procedure.
    2. Institutions may offer terms of alternate length in addition to the 15-week fall and spring semesters, but should be mindful of calendar conflicts and federal financial aid requirements.
    3. Institutions may develop the summer semester with the flexibility to optimize educational opportunities to best serve students, the community, and workforce needs.  It is the responsibility of the institution to address potential calendar conflicts, federal financial aid requirements, and deadlines for data reporting that will be provided by TBR for the summer semester. 
    4. Each semester, the 14th day of class must be identified as the last date a student can drop a class (withdraw) without a grade designation, including a “W,” appearing on the transcript. When providing alternate class formats, the institution is responsible for documenting equivalence in terms of student outcomes and competencies.
  2. Template
    1. Fall Semester, Full Term
      1. Week 1 of Fall Semester begins with the first day of class.
        1. Classes begin the fourth Monday in August.
        2. Labor Day Holiday (1st Monday in September)
        3. It is recommended that Fall break for community colleges must be scheduled for Monday and Tuesday of week 8 or may be scheduled for the Monday and Tuesday of Thanksgiving week. However, community colleges may schedule Fall Break to align with Local Education Agencies (LEAs), providing that no other requirement of the common academic calendar template for fall semester is altered.
      2. Thanksgiving Break (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday)
        1. Monday and Tuesday of Thanksgiving week may also be included if the fall break option described above is used. Wednesday is an extension of a break period where no classes will be held.
        2. Administrative close days are not impacted.
      3. Classes End
        1. Flexibility is provided at the end of the semester to allow institutions to address concerns with the number of class sessions, lab availability, etc.
        2. All grades must be submitted no later than Monday of week 17.
        3. Each TBR institution must establish and publish an end-of-term schedule for the last day of class and final exams. Appropriate time for completion of end of course assignments and preparation for final exams must be included in the schedule.
        4. The institution assumes responsibility for communicating any variations in breaks or end of term schedules to students and faculty engaged in collaborative programs.
      4. Spring Semester, Full Term
        1. Week 1 of Spring Semester begins with the first day of class.
        2. Classes must begin on Tuesday after MLK holiday with the exception of when MLK is on the 21st of January, when classes will begin on the Monday before MLK holiday.
        3. Martin Luther King Holiday (3rd Monday in January)
        4. It is recommended that Spring break begin on Monday of week 8.  However, community colleges may schedule Spring Break to align with Local Education Agencies (LEAs), providing that no other requirement of the common academic calendar template for spring semester is altered. 
      5. Classes End
        1. Flexibility is provided at the end of the semester to allow institutions to address concerns with the number of class sessions, lab availability, etc.
        2. All grades must be submitted no later than the Monday of Week 17.
        3. Each TBR institution must establish and publish an end-of-term schedule for the last day of class and final exams. Appropriate time for completion of end of course assignments and preparation for final exams must be included in the schedule.
        4. The institution assumes responsibility for communicating any variations in breaks or end of term schedules to students and faculty engaged in collaborative programs.
    2. Registration
      1. The published registration schedule for each institution must designate specific registration deadlines for each phase of registration. 
      2. Late registration shall not exceed seven calendar days from the first day of class, for regular fall and spring semester courses.  Late registration may be established by the institution for summer semester and alternate timeframes, but shall not exceed seven            calendar days from the first day of class. 
    3. Exceptions
      1. Exceptions to this policy for specialized programs may be approved by the President, with notification to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.
      2. Other exceptions to the calendar and registration guideline must be approved, in advance, by the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and the Chancellor. 

Sources

Authority

T.C.A. § 49-8-203

History

Presidents Meeting February 10, 1987; Presidents Meeting May 21, 2001; Presidents meeting August 13, 2002; Presidents meeting November 8, 2006. Presidents meeting November 7, 2012; Revised at TBR Board Meeting September 19 & 20, 2019.