1. Commencement Timeline Proposal
Mary Callahan, Registrar, Senior Associate Dean
Ian Waitz, Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate and Graduate Education

2. Rationale for potential change
Too many days (14) between the end of finals and commencement
Scheduling commencement in the first week of June requires some graduates to commit to housing arrangements in Cambridge for that full month
Some graduates must delay employment or other summer opportunities
Freeing Residence Hall and other spaces earlier would allow for maintenance and/or additional programs

3. How MIT compares to Ivy+ peers
Name
Final Exam Period
Commencement
Days from end of finals until commencement
Brown
May 8-17
May 26 9
Columbia
May 10-17
May 22 5
Cornell
May 11-18 8
Dartmouth
May 31-June 4
June 9
Harvard
May 9-18
May 30 12
MIT
May 20-24
June 7 14
Princeton
May 15-25
June 4 10
Stanford
June 7-12
June 16 4
U Chicago
June 10-14
June 15 1
U Penn
May 6-14
May 20 6
Yale
May 2-8

4. Context
From , Commencement was typically scheduled calendar days (7-8 business days) after the last day of Finals. The ceremony was most frequently scheduled on a Monday, though some years it shifted to Friday or Tuesday.
In 1994 we moved from 3.5 weeks of IAP to 4 weeks of IAP and have had our current schedule ever since.

5. Proposal
Upon considering many different permutations, the following changes are believed to achieve the goals of decreasing time while ensuring the integrity of the degree awarding process and providing the greatest benefit to the community:
Eliminate one class day in IAP
Shift Spring Registration Day to be coincident with the last day of classes in IAP
Reduce the final exam period from 5 to 4 days, but arrange the schedule so that it straddles a weekend, effectively adding additional reading time
Reduce the number of days between the end of finals and Hooding from 14 days (8 or 9 business days) to 7 days (5 business days)

6. Additional data
Last IAP we had 20 classes meet on the last day, they had 571 registrants (six G subjects with 107 registrants, one UG/G with 2 registrants, and 13 UG subjects with 462 registrants)
7000 G and 4500 UG students.
Most faculty who are late turning in grades are those who do not have final exams.
The majority of graduating students have zero or one final exam in the spring.

7. Example End IAP / Start Spring Schedule

8. Example End of Spring Schedule

9. Potential issues to be considered
One fewer teaching days in IAP
Spring term begins on a Friday potentially impacting large lecture classes that may prefer to meet in lecture ahead of recitations
2 grading days eliminated
One fewer work days for departments to collect grades and review satisfactory progress for degree candidates in the spring term
Less time for students to complete outstanding work from previous terms

10. Potential issues to be considered (cont.)
Risk of increased number of graduates unable to complete requirements
Increased number of back-to-back exams in Spring
One fewer Tuesday/Thursday class day, if the Tuesday after Patriots day is retained as a student holiday. However, shifting that holiday to the Friday before Patriots Day weekend would balance Tuesday/Thursday and Monday/Friday teaching days if desired.

11. Advantages of these ideas
Days between end of finals and commencement decreased
Commencement complete on or before May 31 in 5 of 7 years
Spring term grades are due on a weekday, which allows for more efficient collection of late grades.
Minimal disruption to existing processes, rules & regulations, etc. compared to other possible models

12. Advantages of these ideas (cont.)
2 Day Patriot’s Student Holiday is preserved
Bookending the first day of finals with 2 reading days on each side would provide students with additional preparation time for final exams.

13. Option 1A, as suggested by Dean’s Group
Keep the last day of IAP on Friday and start Spring term classes on Monday.
In exchange, one of the two student holidays on Patriot’s Day weekend would revert to a day of classes.

14. Example End IAP / Start Spring Schedule – Option 1A

15. Option 1A – Adjustments to potential issues cited on slide 9
Eliminate the issue of losing a day of teaching in IAP
Eliminate issues associated with starting the Spring term on a Friday
Eliminate the issue that there is one fewer Tuesday/Thursday class. The number of classes would be balanced across each day of the week
Add the issue that one student holiday is eliminated
Add the issue that, with Spring Registration Day occurring on a Friday, there might be a decrease in the number of students that register before classes begin. Thus class lists may not be as accurate.

16. Option 1A - Adjustments to advantages on slide 11
Eliminate the advantage that two Patriot’s Day student holidays are preserved
New advantage that classes would begin on a Monday, which allows a full week for the first cycle of lectures/recitations

17. Questions and discussion?