1. C ONSIDERATIONS OF T RANSITIONING TO A 16 -WEEK C ALENDAR F ACULTY F ORUM

2. R ATIONALE A.Moving from an 18-week to a 16-week calendar has been discussed for some time. During this time, there have been numerous meetings held and batches of research collected. B.It is not our function today to argue whether a 16-week calendar is superior to the 18-week, nor will we be presenting data for your consideration. It is the function of this forum to consider and respond to the following question: How does a change to the 16-week format provide a significant benefit to students? It is in answering this question that we need your assistance. C.We need faculty to think outside of the box to aid in the development of a model of pathways and programs that will warrant the need for a 16-week calendar. These programs should focus on increasing the following: student access, student success, and completion velocity.

3. R ATIONALE 1.Student Access = typically refers to the ways in which educational institutions and policies ensure—or at least strive to ensure—that students have equal and equitable opportunities to take full advantage of their education. Increasing access generally requires schools to provide additional services or remove any actual or potential barriers that might prevent some students from equitable participation in certain courses or academic programs 2.Student Success = a favorable or desired student outcome, most frequently indicative of student retention (persistence), educational attainment, academic achievement, student advancement, and holistic development 3.Completion Velocity = college completion commonly measured by retention rates, transfer rates, and graduation rates (i.e. those that earn a certificate or degree)

4. S CHEDULING P ATTERNS Where should this discussion begin? A.Let’s start with scheduling patterns like ADTs, for example. In using a 16-week calendar, how can major requirement courses be scheduled so the student can complete them in 4 semesters, or 2 years? B.The same question needs to be applied to general education courses. Perhaps they could be broken down and mapped out by program.

5. S CHEDULING P ATTERNS Full-time AA/S-T Student - 2 years

6. S CHEDULING P ATTERNS Full-time AA/S-T Student - 2 years

7. S CHEDULING P ATTERNS Part-time AA/S-T Student - 2 years

8. S CHEDULING P ATTERNS Part-time AA/S-T Student - 2 years

9. S CHEDULING P ATTERNS Full-time BSI AA/S-T Student – 2.5 years

10. S CHEDULING P ATTERNS Full-time BSI AA/S-T Student – 2.5 years

11. S CHEDULING P ATTERNS CTE Student – 1 year

12. C ONSIDERATION OF C ALENDARS We have considered nearly every possible combination of session patterns.

13. C ONSIDERATION OF C ALENDARS To illustrate potential configurations, we are focusing on 2 options: 16-6-16-8 and 16-5-16-5-5. 16-6-16-8: 1 16-week spring session 1 6-week winter session 1 16-week fall session 1 8-week summer session 16-5-16-5-5: 1 16-week spring session 1 5-week winter session 1 16-week fall session 2 5-week summer sessions There will also still be an opportunity to have sub-sessions, or short-term classes, within the regular 16-week semesters.

14. O THER I SSUES Other items to consider include: 1.Flex days 2.Possible longer instructional days (7 am – 11 pm OR continue to offer courses primarily between 8 am and 10 pm, with the resulting loss of one section per classroom) 3.Loss of dead hour 4.Classroom impacts (lack of classrooms) 5.Meeting pattern adjustments 6.Various session lengths (short-term classes)