Calendar Principles

Maintain 15-weeks of instruction, with no fewer than 74 days, plus one week of final exams for Fall- and Spring semester.
Schedule a four-week Winter session.
Schedule a 12-week Summer session.
Schedule holidays in accordance with the university's holiday policy and Iowa Code Section 1C.2, Paid holidays.
- Note. When a holiday falls on a Saturday, the Friday preceding will be declared the holiday. When any holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday will be declared a holiday.
  - Note. This generally results in nine holidays per calendar year; however, when January 1 falls on a Saturday, the New Year’s Day holiday for the new calendar year will be observed on Friday, December 31. This results in the prior calendar year having ten holidays and the new calendar year having nine holidays.
3-credit Monday/Wednesday/Friday lecture/recitation classes during Fall- and Spring Semesters shall normally meet 50 minutes per class period (i.e., 2,200 total minutes of instruction per semester).
3-credit Tuesday/Thursday lecture/recitation classes during fall and spring semesters shall normally meet 75 minutes per class period (i.e., 2,250 total minutes of instruction per semester).
Balance, as much as possible, M-T-W-R-F classes.
Maintain a final examination week with a M-F format for fall and spring semesters.

Start Fall semester on the latest day possible with following constraints observed:
- Have a full week break the week of the Thanksgiving holiday.
- Hold the last day of final exams no later than December 20.
- Hold commencement no later than December 21.
Maintain 15-weeks of instruction, with no fewer than 74 days, plus one week of final exams for Fall- and Spring semester.

Begin Winter Session on the Monday (if not a holiday) following the end of Fall Semester (i.e., after final exams conclude).
Schedule a four-week Winter Session.

Begin classes on the fifth week after the end of Fall Semester (i.e., after finals conclude).
- Note. Generally, classes for Spring Semester would begin on the third Tuesday of the calendar year (i.e., the day after Martin Luther King Day); however, in years when Winter Session ends two weeks prior to Martin Luther King Day, Spring Semester classes will have to begin on the second Monday of the calendar year.
Schedule Spring Break the week of the eleventh Monday of the calendar year.
Hold last day of final exams no later than May 17.
Maintain 15-weeks of instruction, with no fewer than 74 days, plus one week of final exams for Fall- and Spring semester.

Begin Summer Session following the end of Spring Semester (i.e., after final exams conclude).
Schedule a twelve-week Summer Session.
Schedule at least a two-week break between Summer Session and Fall Semester.

Principles shall be reviewed by the Registrars of the three universities every five years.
- Note. The next review of the Calendar Principles will take place in Summer 2026.

When developing the academic calendar for future years, have Human Resources review to ensure compliance with all employee contract provisions.
Once the academic calendar is approved by the Board Office, it should be shared with area school districts to encourage alignment of breaks (e.g., Spring Break).