The academic calendar of a college or university consists of the number of terms during an academic year; the number of weeks in a term; the number of weeks on break; and course scheduling [Page 14]within the term. Course scheduling within a term includes choices of the earliest and latest class meeting time during a day, the frequency of class meetings, and the length of each class meeting. The academic calendar must satisfy a variety of constraints imposed by accrediting bodies, classroom availability, and, in the United States, federal financial aid rules.

The academic calendar affects a variety of aspects of a college or university. Course scheduling choices include the choice of length of breaks between classes, the time of day of class meetings, and the ...