Academic Calendar - 2024
Western University Academic Calendar. - 2024
return to: Administration
STRUCTURE OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR
Structure of the Academic Year
Hours of Instruction
The hours of instruction at The University of Western Ontario will be:
8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Monday to Thursday
8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Friday
As a subcategory of the above, the hours of instruction for first-entry undergraduate programs at The University of Western Ontario will be:
8:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Monday to Thursday
8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday
Notes:
- Exceptions, for sound academic reasons, may be made for make-up classes with the consent of the Dean of the Faculty.
- Classes during the 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. time period are scheduled only at the request of the department.
- Evening classes begin at 6:30 p.m. or 7:00 p.m. (6:00 p.m. start time is possible only in exceptional cases with the approval of the Dean).
- Graduate and second-entry professional programs and Scholar’s Electives programming may have classes that deviate from this schedule from time to time based on the needs of the instructor or students.
- Class lectures, laboratories, tutorials, clinics and seminars always finish 10 minutes before the end times that appear in the Master Timetable, e.g., the timetable may indicate that a class begins at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 9:30 a.m. but, in fact, the class will end at 9:20 a.m. to allow students 10 minutes to get to the next class.
- For scheduling of examinations see: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/exam/scheduling.pdf
GUIDELINES FOR THE STRUCTURE OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR
Undergraduate Fall/Winter Teaching Terms
Not applicable to: Ivey Business School, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Law, certain programs in the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, and School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
1. Scheduling and Length of the First and Second Terms
- Each term will be comprised of at least 60 "lecture days."
- The last day of registration for either the Fall or Winter term will normally be seven days from and including the start date of the session (excluding weekends).
- The first day of classes in the Fall term in all teaching divisions should not be scheduled on the first or second day of Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish new year) or on Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), unless the cancellation of classes on those days would result in a term of less than 60 “lecture days.” In that case, classes will proceed as usual.
2. Scheduling Study Days and Examinations
- There will be at least one study day (including Saturdays and Sundays) between the completion of lectures and the first scheduled final examination in December and April.
- The final day of examinations will be no later than December 22 in the first term and April 30 in the second term.
- The final examination period will be at least 12 days in the first term and at least 17 days in the second term.
- No examinations are to be scheduled on Good Friday or Easter Sunday.
- No examinations are to be scheduled on the first two days of Passover unless the avoidance of those dates would extend the final examination period beyond the end of April. In years where examinations are scheduled on the first two days of Passover, affected students may request accommodation and arrange with their instructor(s) and/or Dean for an alternative examination.
3. Scheduling Thanksgiving Weekend, Fall Reading Week and Spring Reading Week [revised for September 1, 2024 to August 31, 2025]
-
Thanksgiving Weekend will be scheduled to begin as of 6:00 p.m. on the Friday prior to Thanksgiving and end at 11:59 p.m. on Thanksgiving. No lectures, tutorials, labs or other regularly scheduled course-related academic activities or evaluations may be held during Thanksgiving Weekend. No undergraduate evaluations may be scheduled or have a deadline during Thanksgiving Weekend. This includes essays, quizzes, tests, examinations, lab reports, or evaluations of any other kind.
- A Fall Reading Week will be scheduled to begin as of 12:00 a.m on the third Monday after Thanksgiving and end at 11:59 p.m. on the subsequent Sunday.
Scheduling Fall Reading Week and Spring Reading Week [effective September 1, 2024 to August 31, 2025]
- A Fall Reading Week will be scheduled to begin as of 6:00 p.m. on the Friday prior to Thanksgiving and end at 11:59 p.m. on the Sunday following Thanksgiving.
- A Spring Reading Week will be scheduled to begin as of 6:00 p.m. on the Friday prior to the third Monday in February and end at 11:59 p.m. on the subsequent Sunday.
a) No lectures, tutorials, labs or other regularly scheduled course-related academic activities may be held during either Reading Week.
b) No undergraduate evaluations may be scheduled or have a deadline during either Reading Week. This includes essays, quizzes, tests, examinations, lab reports, or evaluations of any other kind.
c) Learning activities such as field work, experiential learning, and clinical placements that are an integral part of the course, and for practical purposes (e.g., travel abroad) must take place during one of the Reading Weeks may be exempt from the restrictions outlined in points a) or b) upon approval of the Dean.
School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
Policy available via the University Secretariat: School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day Policy
That two minutes of silence be observed on November 11 at 11:00 a.m. throughout the University and that, where this is not possible, two minutes of silence be observed between 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon.
That students be permitted to be absent from class to attend a Remembrance Day Service, provided the instructor is informed in advance of the intended absence.
National Day For Truth and Reconciliation Policy
National Day For Truth and Reconciliation Policy
That September 30 be recognized as a day that honours the survivors of the Canadian residential school system, their families, and communities. Acknowledgement of the horrendous abuses committed at the schools is a critical part of establishing collective awareness of our history, but it must be accompanied by broader reflection and response to the legacy of colonization and disenfranchisement that spans centuries. September 30 will be observed as a non-instructional day to allow students and employees to observe this day as an opportunity to advance the work of ‘Truth and Reconciliation’ as we reflect on the meaning of decolonization, and the actions required by the Western community to achieve it. If September 30 falls on the weekend, the Office of Indigenous Initiatives will be consulted as to when to observe the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Guidelines for the Structure of Undergraduate Spring/Summer Sessions
1. Spring/Summer Sessions The Spring/Summer Session shall be comprised of three periods:
• Twelve-week period - May to August (Summer Evening and Spring/Summer Distance Studies)
• Six-week period - May to June (Intersession)
• Six-week period - July to August (Summer Day)
2. The last day of online registration for Summer Evening and Spring/Summer Distance Studies, Intersession and Summer Day will be two days before the start of classes.
3. Scheduling of classes will be within the following hours
a. 8:00 a.m. to 9:40 p.m. for the May/June (Intersession) period;
b. 8:00 a.m. to 3:40 p.m. for the July/August (Summer Day) period;
c. 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. for the May to August (Summer Evening) period; and
d. no classes will be held on statutory holidays.
Note: Scheduling of classes in the undergraduate Spring/Summer Sessions may vary from the Hours of Instruction noted above.
4. A first-term full (1.0) or half (0.5) course (comprising twelve or six weeks for Summer Evening and Spring/Summer Distance Studies and six weeks for Intersession and Summer Day) will normally begin:
• for Summer Evening and Spring/Summer Distance Studies, on the first Monday in May after May 2
• for Intersession, on the Monday following the first day of Summer Evening
• for Summer Day, on the first Monday in July after Canada Day.
A second-term half (0.5) course for Summer Evening and Spring/Summer Distance Studies will begin six weeks after the start of the Summer Evening and Spring/Summer Distance Studies Session.
5. There will be two study days for Summer Evening, Summer Day and Spring/Summer Distance Studies courses between the end of classes and the examination period (including weekends). For Intersession, there will be two study days.
6. Examinations for Summer Evening, Intersession and Summer Day will be held over two days and for Spring/Summer Distance Studies, over four days, with the exception of the School of Nursing's Accelerated Year 4 program.
Sessional Dates
Due to the COVID-19 world pandemic, dates within the January 1, 2022 to August 31, 2022 timeframe may be temporarily amended. For updated information check https://www.registrar.uwo.ca
The Office of the Registrar, in consultation with the academic community and appropriate administrative offices, will compile all applicable sessional dates for the academic year and recommend them to the Senate Committee on Academic Policy and Awards (SCAPA) for approval. SCAPA will provide the approved sessional dates to Senate for information.
Trois-Pistoles Sessional Dates
As a guideline, the Trois-Pistoles Intersession start and end dates will coincide with those of Campus and Off-Campus Intersession (starting the second week of May), with both the add and drop deadlines set as the third day of the session. The Summer Day Session will commence two weeks following the end of Intersession, and both the add and drop deadlines will be set as the fourth day. The sessions will begin on Mondays in order to ensure weekend arrivals of students and to facilitate orientation in Trois-Pistoles.
Senate Academic Policies and Associated Procedures:
General Policy - Structure of the Academic Year
return to: Administration
STRUCTURE OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR
Structure of the Academic Year
Hours of Instruction
The hours of instruction at The University of Western Ontario will be:
8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Monday to Thursday
8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Friday
As a subcategory of the above, the hours of instruction for first-entry undergraduate programs at The University of Western Ontario will be:
8:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Monday to Thursday
8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday
Notes:
- Exceptions, for sound academic reasons, may be made for make-up classes with the consent of the Dean of the Faculty.
- Classes during the 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. time period are scheduled only at the request of the department.
- Evening classes begin at 6:30 p.m. or 7:00 p.m. (6:00 p.m. start time is possible only in exceptional cases with the approval of the Dean).
- Graduate and second-entry professional programs and Scholar’s Electives programming may have classes that deviate from this schedule from time to time based on the needs of the instructor or students.
- Class lectures, laboratories, tutorials, clinics and seminars always finish 10 minutes before the end times that appear in the Master Timetable, e.g., the timetable may indicate that a class begins at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 9:30 a.m. but, in fact, the class will end at 9:20 a.m. to allow students 10 minutes to get to the next class.
- For scheduling of examinations see: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/exam/scheduling.pdf
GUIDELINES FOR THE STRUCTURE OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR
Undergraduate Fall/Winter Teaching Terms
Not applicable to: Ivey Business School, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Law, certain programs in the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, and School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
1. Scheduling and Length of the First and Second Terms
- Each term will be comprised of at least 60 "lecture days."
- The last day of registration for either the Fall or Winter term will normally be seven days from and including the start date of the session (excluding weekends).
- The first day of classes in the Fall term in all teaching divisions should not be scheduled on the first or second day of Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish new year) or on Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), unless the cancellation of classes on those days would result in a term of less than 60 “lecture days.” In that case, classes will proceed as usual.
2. Scheduling Study Days and Examinations
- There will be at least one study day (including Saturdays and Sundays) between the completion of lectures and the first scheduled final examination in December and April.
- The final day of examinations will be no later than December 22 in the first term and April 30 in the second term.
- The final examination period will be at least 12 days in the first term and at least 17 days in the second term.
- No examinations are to be scheduled on Good Friday or Easter Sunday.
- No examinations are to be scheduled on the first two days of Passover unless the avoidance of those dates would extend the final examination period beyond the end of April. In years where examinations are scheduled on the first two days of Passover, affected students may request accommodation and arrange with their instructor(s) and/or Dean for an alternative examination.
3. Scheduling Thanksgiving Weekend, Fall Reading Week and Spring Reading Week [revised for September 1, 2024 to August 31, 2025]
-
Thanksgiving Weekend will be scheduled to begin as of 6:00 p.m. on the Friday prior to Thanksgiving and end at 11:59 p.m. on Thanksgiving. No lectures, tutorials, labs or other regularly scheduled course-related academic activities or evaluations may be held during Thanksgiving Weekend. No undergraduate evaluations may be scheduled or have a deadline during Thanksgiving Weekend. This includes essays, quizzes, tests, examinations, lab reports, or evaluations of any other kind.
- A Fall Reading Week will be scheduled to begin as of 12:00 a.m on the third Monday after Thanksgiving and end at 11:59 p.m. on the subsequent Sunday.
Scheduling Fall Reading Week and Spring Reading Week [effective September 1, 2024 to August 31, 2025]
- A Fall Reading Week will be scheduled to begin as of 6:00 p.m. on the Friday prior to Thanksgiving and end at 11:59 p.m. on the Sunday following Thanksgiving.
- A Spring Reading Week will be scheduled to begin as of 6:00 p.m. on the Friday prior to the third Monday in February and end at 11:59 p.m. on the subsequent Sunday.
a) No lectures, tutorials, labs or other regularly scheduled course-related academic activities may be held during either Reading Week.
b) No undergraduate evaluations may be scheduled or have a deadline during either Reading Week. This includes essays, quizzes, tests, examinations, lab reports, or evaluations of any other kind.
c) Learning activities such as field work, experiential learning, and clinical placements that are an integral part of the course, and for practical purposes (e.g., travel abroad) must take place during one of the Reading Weeks may be exempt from the restrictions outlined in points a) or b) upon approval of the Dean.
School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
Policy available via the University Secretariat: School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day Policy
That two minutes of silence be observed on November 11 at 11:00 a.m. throughout the University and that, where this is not possible, two minutes of silence be observed between 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon.
That students be permitted to be absent from class to attend a Remembrance Day Service, provided the instructor is informed in advance of the intended absence.
National Day For Truth and Reconciliation Policy
National Day For Truth and Reconciliation Policy
That September 30 be recognized as a day that honours the survivors of the Canadian residential school system, their families, and communities. Acknowledgement of the horrendous abuses committed at the schools is a critical part of establishing collective awareness of our history, but it must be accompanied by broader reflection and response to the legacy of colonization and disenfranchisement that spans centuries. September 30 will be observed as a non-instructional day to allow students and employees to observe this day as an opportunity to advance the work of ‘Truth and Reconciliation’ as we reflect on the meaning of decolonization, and the actions required by the Western community to achieve it. If September 30 falls on the weekend, the Office of Indigenous Initiatives will be consulted as to when to observe the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Guidelines for the Structure of Undergraduate Spring/Summer Sessions
1. Spring/Summer Sessions The Spring/Summer Session shall be comprised of three periods:
• Twelve-week period - May to August (Summer Evening and Spring/Summer Distance Studies)
• Six-week period - May to June (Intersession)
• Six-week period - July to August (Summer Day)
2. The last day of online registration for Summer Evening and Spring/Summer Distance Studies, Intersession and Summer Day will be two days before the start of classes.
3. Scheduling of classes will be within the following hours
a. 8:00 a.m. to 9:40 p.m. for the May/June (Intersession) period;
b. 8:00 a.m. to 3:40 p.m. for the July/August (Summer Day) period;
c. 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. for the May to August (Summer Evening) period; and
d. no classes will be held on statutory holidays.
Note: Scheduling of classes in the undergraduate Spring/Summer Sessions may vary from the Hours of Instruction noted above.
4. A first-term full (1.0) or half (0.5) course (comprising twelve or six weeks for Summer Evening and Spring/Summer Distance Studies and six weeks for Intersession and Summer Day) will normally begin:
• for Summer Evening and Spring/Summer Distance Studies, on the first Monday in May after May 2
• for Intersession, on the Monday following the first day of Summer Evening
• for Summer Day, on the first Monday in July after Canada Day.
A second-term half (0.5) course for Summer Evening and Spring/Summer Distance Studies will begin six weeks after the start of the Summer Evening and Spring/Summer Distance Studies Session.
5. There will be two study days for Summer Evening, Summer Day and Spring/Summer Distance Studies courses between the end of classes and the examination period (including weekends). For Intersession, there will be two study days.
6. Examinations for Summer Evening, Intersession and Summer Day will be held over two days and for Spring/Summer Distance Studies, over four days, with the exception of the School of Nursing's Accelerated Year 4 program.
Sessional Dates
Due to the COVID-19 world pandemic, dates within the January 1, 2022 to August 31, 2022 timeframe may be temporarily amended. For updated information check https://www.registrar.uwo.ca
The Office of the Registrar, in consultation with the academic community and appropriate administrative offices, will compile all applicable sessional dates for the academic year and recommend them to the Senate Committee on Academic Policy and Awards (SCAPA) for approval. SCAPA will provide the approved sessional dates to Senate for information.
Trois-Pistoles Sessional Dates
As a guideline, the Trois-Pistoles Intersession start and end dates will coincide with those of Campus and Off-Campus Intersession (starting the second week of May), with both the add and drop deadlines set as the third day of the session. The Summer Day Session will commence two weeks following the end of Intersession, and both the add and drop deadlines will be set as the fourth day. The sessions will begin on Mondays in order to ensure weekend arrivals of students and to facilitate orientation in Trois-Pistoles.
General Policy - Structure of the Academic Year