Faculty Senate Resolution #03-10

 

University Calendar Committee

Guidelines for Scheduling 11-Week Summer Session Classes

 

On October 15, 1979, the Graduate Council passed the policy that “no graduate or senior-graduate courses be offered granting more than one semester hour of credit per week of classes without the specific approval of the Credit Committee of the Graduate Council before this course is scheduled."  On December 5, 1995, The Faculty Senate passed a resolution (95-44) that stated "At least one calendar week of reflection and analysis should be provided to students for each semester hour of undergraduate credit awarded."

 

In order to have the contact minutes during the summer sessions be consistent with 750 contact minutes per semester hour during a regular semester, the following table indicates how long class meetings should last according to their contact hours (50 minute periods) during the regular semester and the number of class meetings each week during the summer:

 

Fall/Spring                      Summer session days per week and total classes

contact hrs   Semester  5-days    4-days    3-days    2-days    1-day

per week      minutes     50           40           30           20           10 classes

 1                   750                                                                            75                      

 2                   1500                                          50               75           

 3                   2250                          60           75             120           

 4                   3000          60           75           100                                         

 5                   3750          75           95                                               

 

Class meetings of more than 90 minutes should include one or more breaks included in their scheduled times (as night classes during the regular semester that meet 6:30 to 9:30 have 30 minutes of breaks included in their scheduled time).  Classes that meet once a week during the regular semester (e.g., labs) could match their 14 regular semester meetings by meeting twice a week during the first three weeks of the summer and once a week the last eight weeks.

 

Since most courses carry three semester hours credit, they should meet for 60 minutes four days per week or 75 minutes three days per week or 120 minutes (including break) two days per week.  Final exams should be given during a minimum time period of 90 minutes on the last day of the summer session.  Consideration should be given to offering several night classes meeting two, three, or four days each week for students who are employed.  The following guidelines indicate recommended starting times for classes in order not to interfere with the five week summer sessions classes.

 

MTWThF        8:00 AM        

MTWThF        9:45 AM        

MTWThF        11:30 AM      

MTWTh           1:15 PM

MTWTh           3:30 PM

MTWTh           5:45 PM

MTWTh           8:00 PM