Subject: Common Academic Calendar

Revision Effective Date: Spring 2026
Review Cycle: 3-year cycle
Revision and Review History: Implemented Fall 2011, Revised Spring 2017, Fall 2019, Spring 2026
Corresponding BOT Policies: Policy Manual Section 302: Academic Calendars

Purpose and Scope

In keeping with nationwide best practices and to assist multi-campus students, students in collaborative programs, distance education students, and faculty teaching at multiple campuses and sites, the University of Maine System has adopted a common academic calendar based on the parameters below.  The parameters provide a solid framework that brings structure to the system-wide academic calendar while allowing a degree of flexibility for each individual institution to best serve its students and pursue its unique mission.

Definitions

  • Break – A defined period of time during which no classes are held.
  • Session – A defined period of instruction within a semester. 
  • Please see the UMS glossary for a full list of definitions

Common Academic Calendar 

Fall Semester

  • All UMS campuses are expected to start the fall term on the same date, which will typically be either the Monday before or the Tuesday after Labor Day. The length and variability of student orientation should be considered when making the final determination.
    • Fall Break – Each campus will observe a one-to-three-day fall break, typically beginning the Monday of the second full week of October. All campuses should begin this break on the same day.
    • Thanksgiving Recess – Each campus will observe a break from Wednesday through Sunday in the week of American Thanksgiving.
    • Veterans Day—Each campus must observe Veterans Day. However, observing this holiday as a formal break is optional and depends on where the day falls on the calendar.
  • A minimum of 68 class days, not including the final exam period

Spring Semester

  • All UMS campuses will start the spring term on the Tuesday after the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.
    • Break schedule:
      • President’s Day
      • Spring Break – One week spring break, Monday through Sunday, at the midpoint (typically 8th week) of the spring semester
  • A minimum of 68 class days, not including the final exam period

Summer Semester

UMS campuses’ starting and ending dates for the summer semester may vary within a delineated summer term range. Within those dates, each campus may schedule sessions that begin and end according to the needs of its campus.

To ensure learners enrolled in multi-campus academic programs are offered a consistent experience, campuses offering summer coursework strive to coordinate in advance to ensure all such offerings utilize common session dates. However, dates may not always align across universities. 

Short Session Courses

With the exception of national holidays, any additional breaks or holiday observances will be at the discretion of the instructor.

Procedures for Submission of Academic Calendars

Academic calendars are developed by the University Registrars group and submitted to the Vice Chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs (VCASA). The Vice Chancellor, or their delegate, will present the proposed calendar as an informational item to the Academic and Student Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees no later than at their January meeting.  Universities shall submit academic calendars in two-year increments.  The Office of the Vice Chancellor will set the schedule for the submission of academic calendars and will notify universities of submission due dates.

Exceptions

Departure from an established calendar must be approved by the Vice Chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs.

Revisions and Change Approvals

This APL provides guidelines for the Common Academic Calendar. Future modifications may be considered based on recommendations from the UMS Registrars, VCASA, or affiliated groups. APL revisions should be reviewed by groups including Registrars, Chief Academic Officers Council, Faculty Governance Council, Student Affairs, and Financial Aid officers. The final authority for approving modifications sits with the Vice Chancellor of  Academic and Student Affairs. Any changes to this APL should be distributed to Provosts for further announcement to their university communities.

The VCASA will determine if changes to the APL are substantive or non-substantive. Substantive changes are required to follow the APL creation and revision process. Non-substantive changes to this APL do not require any review beyond the VCASA. Non-substantive changes are minor changes that do not affect the overall purpose and instructions outlined by the document. Non-substantive changes may take many forms, including, but not limited to: grammar or spelling corrections, inclusive language, technical revisions, updated names and contacts of pertinent offices or departments, or reorganized APL sections.

Contact Information

For questions regarding the APL on the Common Academic Calendar, please contact the Office of the Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs.