Overview
The Five-Year Academic Calendar at CWRU is drafted according to a formula reviewed and approved by the Faculty Senate and Board of Trustees. Each year, during the Spring semester, five academic years of future event dates that are based on this formula are presented by the University Registrar to the Faculty Senate for approval.
Calendar Construction Rules (for the Fall and Spring semesters)
70 Teaching Days
5 (or 6 depending on MLK day) Vacation/holidays
2 Reading Days
6 Final Exam Days
Fall semester will begin: on a Monday between August 23 and August 29, inclusive
Spring semester: start date is determined by backward calculation from spring degree conferral date
Spring degree conferral: Friday preceding the 3rd Sunday of May; Occurs 6 days after final grades are due
Fall holidays (5 days) consist of: Labor Day, Fall Break (Monday and Tuesday of 9th week), Thanksgiving (Thursday and Friday)
Spring holidays (5 or 6 days) consist of: 9th week of the semester as Spring Break, Martin Luther King Jr. day (if it falls within the semester) celebrated Monday of the week in which it falls
Calendar Construction Rules (for the Summer term)
Summer term: The Summer term will begin on the first Monday in June (or on the first Tuesday in June if June 1 falls on a Tuesday) and will end 40 teaching days afterward. The Summer term will be organized into sessions of various lengths. Courses must be scheduled such that the total contact hours are appropriate for the number of credit hours associated with the course.
Summer holidays are celebrated according to the Master Schedule of University Observed Holidays. If a holiday falls on a Saturday, the holiday will be observed on the preceding Friday. If a holiday falls on a Sunday, the holiday will be observed on the following Monday. Furthermore, in the summer sessions, no classes will be in session on all official university holidays.
Recent Change History and Notes
Summer 2023: changed specific summer holidays to align with those observed on the Master Schedule of University Observed Holidays and established that no classes will be in session on all official university holidays.
Fall 2022: changed the Spring semester degree conferral date from the 3rd Sunday of May to the Friday preceding the 3rd Sunday of May.
Summer 2022: formalized calendar construction rules for the summer term to include the observance of the Juneteenth holiday, established start and end dates based on 40 teaching days, and recognized sessions of various lengths.
Teaching Days: 70 teaching days fall & spring since Fall 1989; 73 teaching days fall & spring 1986-1989; teaching days vary from 70/75 teaching days in fall & 75/80 teaching days in spring in the early-mid 1980s
Fall 2014: changed Fall Break on 2013-2018 Academic Calendar, one time only, from 9th week to 10th week; from Oct 20-21, 2014 to Oct 27-28, 2014
Fall 2005: resequenced fall semester reading days / final exam days; changed from having two reading days at the beginning of the first exam week, to one reading day on Monday of the first exam week and one reading day on Friday of the first exam week
Fall 1997: Fall semester start change from "last Monday in August" to "a Monday between August 23 and August 29, inclusive." Number of final exam days formally changed from seven to six (with a note that six exam days had been scheduled in recent years)
Commencement 1991: established as 3rd week of May, 8 days after final grades are due (moved up one week for School of Medicine and back one week for majority of other schools)