The Calendar Committee submits for Faculty Organization approval both the 2001-2002 Academic Calendar [already approved] and a 2002-2003 Academic Calendar which follows exactly the same format and timing as that for 2001-2002 and other recent years.

There is one minor change which we suggest should be adopted for both calendars, namely making the deadline for withdrawal from courses with an automatic grade of "W" one week later than it now is. This change is driven by new federal financial aid regulations, which require that a student "earn" certain kinds of financial aid by being enrolled in a course for at least 60% of its duration; for anything less, the "unearned" portion must be repaid. As these regulations calculate duration, a student who withdraws by our current automatic "W" deadline has been there for only about 55% of the course and must therefore repay 45% of the aid for that course. If the student were allowed to remain one week later, he or she would have attended 60% of the course and would therefore have no obligation to repay any amount of this aid. The financial advantages to the student are obvious.

The academic aspects of this change have already been considered by the Academic Affairs Committee, and that committee has approved it. We therefore recommend its adoption for the 2001-2002 calendar and academic years thereafter.
 

Rhiman Rotz,

Acting Chair, Calendar Committee