Report of the Semester Conversion Task Force - California State ...

Semester Conversion Task Force ReportTable 3. Possible 2013-2014 datesFall Semester 2013 Spring Semester 2014April 8, 2013 - Sept 19, 2013: Cont students registerJuly 12, 2013: Fall deadline to order booksSept. 3, 2013: Fall Faculty DaySept. 5, 2013: First day of classSept. 19, 2013: No Record Drop Deadline*Sept. 20, 2013: “W” Drop Period begins*Oct. 2, 2013: Add Deadline*Oct. 3, 2013: Census*Nov. 11, 2013: Veteran’s DayNov. 14, 2013: “W” Drop Period ends*Nov. 11-15, 2013: Emergency “W” Period*Nov. 28-30, 2013: Thanksgiving HolidayDec. 14, 2013: Last Day of ClassesDec, 16-21, 2013: Finals WeekDecember 24, 2013: Grades dueNov. 4, 2013 - Feb. 10, 2014: Cont students registerDec. 6, 2013: Spring deadline to order booksSpring Sem. Begins 4th Mon. of Jan.Jan. 27, 2014: First day of classFeb. 10, 2014: No Record Drop Deadline*Feb. 11, 2014: “W” Drop Period begins*Feb. 24, 2014: Add Deadline*Feb. 24, 2014: Census*Mar. 17-22, 2014 (Week 8): Spring BreakMar. 31, 2014: César Chavez DayApril 11, 2014: “W” Drop Period ends*April 14-May 6, 2014: Emergency “W” Period*May 8, 2014: Last Day of ClassesMay 12-17, 2014: Finals WeekMay 16-17, 2014: CommencementMay 21, 2014: Grades dueCONV-2We recommend that departments be granted the flexibility to schedule classes duringfractional terms—e.g., a course may be offered during a 7 week half-term.Scheduling modulesFourteen week terms require that each week include 1/14th of the term’s instructional hours. Since asemester unit is 15 instructional hours, each week must include 15/14 = 1.07 instructional hours persemester unit. (See row D of Table 1.)Since one instructional hour is 50 minutes, each semester unit requires 50 x 1.07 ≈ 54 instructionalminutes per week. For classes of three semester units, once-a-week classes will meet for a single 161minute session, twice-a-week classes will meet for two 80 minute sessions, and three-times-a-weekclasses will meet for three 54 minute sessions.CONV-3We recommend the modules in Tables 4 and 4a for class sessions.14