UC’s Academic Calendar To Be Considered by Committee for Undergraduate Education

The Committee on College Life (CCL) unanimously voted yesterday to consider a proposal for academic calendar reform, moving the proposal forward to be considered by the Committee for Undergraduate Education this afternoon.

The report, submitted by the Undergraduate Council (UC) on Monday, proposes a revised academic calendar, in which the fall semester would begin on Sept. 2 and final exams would take place before winter break on Dec. 22, allowing students to enjoy an extended intersession until Jan. 20. The spring semester would end on May 12.

According to UC President Ryan A. Petersen ’08, the CCL was receptive to further discussions of the UC report.

“There was a general consensus that this needs to be discussed,” Petersen said. The CCL’s approval was “a key to further faculty and administrative support,” he said in an interview after the meeting.

After the committee’s unanimous vote, Petersen, UC Vice President Matthew L. Sundquist ’09, and Student Affairs Committee Chair Michael R. Ragalie ’09 submitted a letter encouraging members of the Corporation, including Interim President Derek C. Bok, to carefully consider the proposed reforms. The letter cited various benefits to the adoption of a new calendar.

“While student satisfaction is certainly one reason to pursue calendar reform...there are important health-related, personal and administrative reasons to switch from the current calendar to our proposed calendar,” the letter reads.

The letter was also copied to other University officials, including President-elect Drew G. Faust, Dean of the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles, and Dean of the College Benedict H. Gross ’71.

Petersen said he hopes that a final decision on calendar reform will be reached by mid-May.

—Rachel L. Pollack contributed to the reporting of this story.

—ELAINE CHEN