Harvard's New Coordinated Calendar: What It Means for HSPH

Starting in fall 2009, a new calendar that coordinates the academic schedules of schools across Harvard will take effect, announced President Drew Faust on January 15.

According to the announcement made in the Harvard Gazette, the changes will include:

• Fall terms beginning in early September with exams completed in December before winter recess
• Spring terms starting in late January with Commencement scheduled for the end of May. The first May Commencement will be held in 2010.
• Coordinated Thanksgiving and spring breaks
• A three-week optional session in January

The changes are intended to ease cross-registration among schools, align the calendar with many other U.S. colleges and universities, and promote intellectual exchange.

The new Harvard calendar reflects in part recommendations made by HSPH students a few years ago and incorporated at the School, said Stanley Hudson, HSPH Associate Dean for Student Services. For example, the School ended its fall term before the winter recess and introduced a four-week WinterSession for the first time in the 2002-03 academic year. (The new University-wide calendar will shorten the HSPH WinterSession to allow for graduation to occur in May.)

Separately, Hudson added, the School adjusted its calendar two years ago so that spring break coincided with schools at which there were the highest numbers of cross-registrants with HSPH.