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 various campus units, 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 benefit student success, as students, faculty, and support units would have more time between semesters. As a result of that work, an implementation committee was formed to prepare an implementation plan to transition to a 15-week (plus one finals week) semester calendar, which will begin in the Fall of 2026.
Key Changes, effective Fall 2026
Key Changes Include:
-Fall and Spring Semesters move to 15 weeks of instruction.
-8-week courses move to 7-week
-5-week courses are still available
-10-week courses have been eliminated
-Summer Term will move to 10 weeks of instruction.
-8-week courses move to 7-week
-5-week courses are still available
-Pre-Term and Extended Term courses have been eliminated