3.34.1 Academic Calendar

Responsible Position

Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs

RELATED ITEMS

Minnesota State Board Policy

• 3.34 Academic Semester Start Dates

Minnesota State System Procedure

• 3.34.1 Official Academic Semester Start Dates

PROCEDURES

Alexandria Technical and Community College develops an academic calendar that complies with Minnesota State Board Policy and the MSCF contract. The college utilizes the following consultation process to develop the academic calendar:

1. Academic & Student Affairs prepares a draft calendar.
2. Faculty Shared Governance and Leadership Council discuss the draft and work for compromise, if needed.
3. Student senate reviews a presented draft.
4. Faculty Shared Governance, Leadership Council, and Student Senate must approve the final draft.

Mid-Semester Advising

Alexandria Technical and Community College designates a mid-semester advising day as part of the academic calendar for each fall and spring semester. Academic advising is to occur on this date, along with registration for the following semester.

End of Semester

In an 80+ instructional-day semester, the last day of the semester shall be non-instructional for all programs and faculty (no students). The preceding school days of that calendar week may be used in the following manner based on each course instructor’s discretion.

• If an instructor uses a final exam for end of semester assessment, instructional class hours may be cancelled. Final exam hours are to be scheduled within the listed course meeting times. Any final exam schedules requiring student attendance outside of the normal course schedule times must be approved by Academic & Student Affairs.
• If an instructor uses final course/program capstone projects, these days may not require normal class attendance by students when the project(s) is completed.
• If an instructor chooses not to use final exams or final projects (see above), classes shall meet in a normal manner through the final "instructional" day of the semester.

Where programs/divisions are tightly cored, coordination and communication between instructors regarding what their intentions are will provide a more professional semester end for our students.