The university bylaws define the academic year as the approximately nine-month period beginning two working days before registration in the fall term and ending on the last day of final examinations in the spring term.
Faculty members are not free to depart the campus before submitting grades for their spring term courses.
The summer period is defined as the period between the last day of one academic year and the first day of the following academic year.
Faculty members on both nine-month and twelve-month appointments are expected to be present throughout the academic year (barring leaves of absence, university holidays, and legitimate professional travel) to meet their academic responsibilities.
The provost has authority for setting the details of the calendar after consulting with the Student Assembly and the Faculty Senate.
Small variations, announced in advance to the university community, are sometimes introduced into the calendar.
