2026-2027 Academic Calendar Updates

In September 2023, Provost Anand Marri invited a group of cross campus stakeholders to carry out a comprehensive review and modernization of Ball State University’s academic calendar. The membership included representation from different units on campus including Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Athletics, Business Affairs, and Enrollment and Planning Management. The committee met throughout the academic year and received information from key campus stakeholders including Human Resources, Business and Auxiliary Services, Housing and Residence Life, Office of the Registrar, Academic Affairs, and Financial Aid. The group also broke into subcommittees including policy and practice review, best practices for calendar revisions, best pedagogical practices, and institutional data. Finally, the committee gathered information on more than 20 peer institutions. Overall, the consensus was that a shorter calendar would be beneficial for student success given that students, faculty, and support units would have more time in between semesters. As a result of that work, an implementation committee was put together to prepare an implementation plan to move to a 15-week (plus one finals week) semester calendar, which will begin in Fall of 2026.

Ball State University will operate under a 15-week instructional schedule plus 1 week for finals exams, beginning in Fall 2026. A full calendar for the 26/27 academic year can be found here.

Faculty will now have more time in between semesters, as well as in the lead-up to the fall semester, to prepare their courses. If individual faculty members choose to revise their course content, they are encouraged to revisit the primary syllabus for the course to ensure they can execute the SLOs. Faculty members should also consult with their unit heads before implementing any changes.

The additional time before the fall semester begins allows for professional development, departmental meetings, and individual work time. Faculty development sessions and department schedules will be announced closer to the start of the Fall 2026 semester.

With the new calendar dates, various events, such as advising schedules, move-in dates, and registration dates, may be adjusted. We recommend that you check with your supervisor during the 2025 academic year to ensure compliance. A comprehensive operational calendar is currently being developed.

As you’ll notice on the full calendar available here, we offer full-term, 7-week, and 5-week classes during the typical semester. Summer schedules will also include a 10-week option.

At this time final grades are still due at the close of business on the appropriate day. Final grade submission guidance is found in the Professional Personnel Handbook in section 110.1. Please continue to monitor that section for any changes to policy that may occur.