Academic Year 2008-2009

This calendar includes an addendum listing religious holidays for use in requesting excused absences according to University Policy 1.9. For religious holidays not listed, the instructor or supervisor may contact the Office of the Chaplain.

Graduate Programs in the Cox School of Business, Perkins School of Theology and Dedman School of Law have different calendars.

Offices of the University will be closed on September 1, November 27-28, December 22-26, 2008; January 1, January 2, January 19, April 10, May 25 and July 3, 2009.

Fall Term 2008

  • April 7 – April 18, Monday – Friday: Enrollment Fall 2008 Continuing Students for all undergraduates and graduate Dedman & Meadows.
  • May/July/August -TBA: Academic Advising, Enrollment and Orientation (AARO) conferences for new first-year and transfer undergraduate students. Conference dates to be announced. Contact New Student Programs, Student Life Office, 214-768-4560, www.smu.edu/newstudent.
  • August 23, Saturday at 9:00 a.m.: Residence halls officially open.
  • August 24, Sunday: Opening Convocation, McFarlin Auditorium.
  • August 25, Monday: First day of classes.
  • August 29, Friday: Last day to enroll, add courses or drop courses without grade record or tuition billing. Last day to file for graduation in December.
  • September 1, Monday: University Holiday - Labor Day.
  • September 2, Tuesday: Follows Monday Class Schedule.
  • September 10, Wednesday: Last day to declare pass/fail, no credit or first-year repeated course grading options. Last day to request excused absence for observance of a religious holiday.
  • September 19-20, Friday-Saturday: Family Weekend.
  • October 10, Friday: Last day for continuing undergraduate students to change their majors beforeNovember enrollment.
  • October 13-14, Monday and Tuesday--Fall Break.
  • October 31, Friday: 60% point of the term that federal financial aid has been earned if a student officially withdraws from SMU—prior to this date a partial calculated return to federal programs will be required.
  • November 3-21, Monday-Friday: Enrollment Spring 2009 Continuing Students for all undergraduates and graduate Dedman and Meadows.
  • November 5, Wednesday: Last day to drop a course.
  • November 7-8, Friday-Saturday: Homecoming.
  • November 11, Tuesday: Last day for December graduation candidates to change grades of Incomplete.
  • November 19, Wednesday: Students should file for May graduation. Last day to file is January 26.
  • November 20, Thursday: Last day to withdraw from the University.
  • November 26, Wednesday: No classes.
  • November 27-28, Thursday- Friday: University Holidays – Thanksgiving.
  • December 2-5, Tuesday -Friday: No final examinations or unscheduled tests and papers.
  • December 5, Friday: Last day for oral/written examinations for December graduate degree candidates.
  • December 5, Friday: Last day of instruction.
  • December 8-13, Monday-Saturday: Examinations (No examinations scheduled for Sunday).
  • December 13, Saturday: Official close of term and date for conferral of degrees.
  • Graduation ceremony for December graduates.
  • December 14, Sunday: Residence halls officially close.
  • December 22-26, Monday – Friday: University Holidays – Christmas/Winter Break.

January Inter-term 2009

(Note: Some areas of instruction offer selected courses during the January Inter-term, December 22– January 19.)

Spring Term 2009

  • November 3- 21, Monday-Friday: Enrollment Spring 2009 Continuing Students for all undergraduates and graduate Dedman & Meadows.
  • TBA: Residence halls officially open.
  • January - TBA: Academic Advising, Enrollment and Orientation (AARO) conferences for new first- year and transfer undergraduate students. Conference dates to be announced. Contact New Student Programs, Student Life Office, 214-768-4560, www.smu.edu/newstudent.
  • January 19, Monday: University Holiday – Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday
  • January 20, Tuesday: First day of classes.
  • January 26, Monday: Last day to enroll, add courses or drop courses without grade record or tuition billing. Last day to file for May graduation.
  • January 29, Thursday: Follows Monday class schedule.
  • February 4, Wednesday: Last day to declare pass/fail, no credit or first- year repeated course grading options. Last day to request excused absence for observance of a religious holiday.
  • March 9-14, Monday - Saturday: Spring Break.
  • March 30, Monday: Last day for continuing undergraduate students to change their majors beforeApril enrollment.
  • March 30-April 17, Monday-Friday: Enrollment Summer 2009 and Fall 2009 Continuing Students for all undergraduates and graduate Dedman and Meadows.
  • April 1, Wednesday: 60% point of the term that federal financial aid has been earned if a student officially withdraws from SMU—prior to this date a partial calculated return to federal programs will be required.
  • April 8, Wednesday: Last day to drop a course.
  • April 10, Friday: University Holiday – Good Friday.
  • April 13, Monday: Last Day for May graduation candidates to change grades of Incomplete.
  • April 24, Friday: Last day to withdraw from the University.
  • April 24, Friday: Students should file for August or December graduation. Last day to file for August is June 8. Last day to file for December is the last day to enroll for Fall 2009.
  • April 29-May 4, Wednesday-Monday: No final examinations or unscheduled tests and papers. May 1, Friday: Last day for oral/written examinations for graduate students who are May degree candidates.
  • May 4, Monday: Last day of instruction.
  • May 5, Tuesday: Reading Day – No Classes.
  • May 6-12, Wednesday - Tuesday: Examinations (No examinations scheduled for Sunday).
  • May 13, Wednesday: Residence halls officially close for non-graduating students.
  • May 15, Friday: Baccalaureate.
  • May 16, Saturday: Commencement.
  • May 25, Monday: University Holiday - Memorial Day.

Taos May Term 2009

  • May 13, Wednesday: SMU-in-Taos: May Term Travel Day and Arrival, 2-6 p.m.
  • May 14, Thursday: SMU-in-Taos: First Day of Classes.
  • May 15, Friday: SMU-in-Taos: Last day to enroll, add courses and drop courses without grade record or tuition billing. Permission of Taos Program required for all enrollments.
  • May 30, Saturday: SMU-in-Taos: May Term Examinations
  • May 31, Sunday: SMU-in-Taos: May Term Departure.

Summer Term 2009

The Summer Term consists of three primary sessions: first session, second session, and a combined session. There are also shorter and longer sessions to accommodate the particular needs of the various instructional units such as SMU-In-Taos, International Programs and Perkins School of Theology.

Combined Ten-Week Summer Session

Classes will meet 2 hours and 15 minutes twice a week or 1 hour and 30 minutes three times a week.

  • June 3, Wednesday: First day of Combined Summer Session classes.
  • June 8, Monday: Last day to enroll, add courses or drop courses without grade record or tuition billing for Combined Session course. Last day to file for August graduation.
  • June 12, Friday: Last day to declare pass/fail, no credit or first-year repeated course grading options for a Combined Session course.
  • June 13, Saturday: Additional class day for M/W/F and M/W classes.
  • July 3, Friday: University Holiday – Independence Day.
  • July 11, Saturday: 60% point of the term that federal financial aid has been earned if a student officially withdraws from SMU—prior to this date a partial calculated return to federal programs will be required.
  • July 17, Friday: Last day for August graduation candidates to change grades of Incomplete.
  • July 24, Friday: Last day to drop a Combined Summer Session course.
  • July 30, Thursday: Last day to withdraw from the University.
  • August 1, Saturday: Additional class day for M/W/F, M/W and T/TH classes.
  • August 4, Tuesday: Last day of Combined Summer Session instructions and examinations. Official close of the term and date for conferral of degrees.

First Session

Classes meet two hours a day, Monday - Friday.

  • June 3, Wednesday: First day of First Session Classes.
  • June 4, Thursday: Last day to enroll, add courses or drop courses without grade record or tuition billing for First Session courses.
  • June 8, Monday: Last day to declare pass/fail, no credit or first-year repeated course grading options for a First Session Course. Last day to file for August Graduation.
  • June 21, Sunday: 60% point of the term that federal financial aid has been earned if a student officially withdraws from SMU—prior to this date a partial calculated return to federal programs will be required.
  • June 25, Thursday: Last day to drop a First Session course.
  • June 26, Friday: Last day to withdraw from the University.
  • July 2, Thursday: Last day of First Session instruction and examinations.

Taos Summer I Session

  • June 3, Wednesday: SMU-in-Taos: Summer I Arrival and First Day of Classes.
  • June 4, Thursday: SMU-in-Taos: Last day to enroll, add courses and drop courses without grade record or tuition billing. Permission of Taos Program required for all enrollments.
  • June 30, Tuesday: SMU-in-Taos: Summer I Examinations.
  • June 30, Tuesday: SMU-in-Taos: Summer I Departure.

Second Session

Classes meet two hours a day, Monday - Friday

  • July 6, Monday: First day of Second Session classes.
  • July 7, Tuesday: Last day to enroll, add courses or drop without grade record or tuition billing for Second Session courses.
  • July 9, Thursday: Last day to declare Pass/Fail, No Credit or First-Year Repeated Course grading options for a Second Session course.
  • July 15, Wednesday: Last day for August graduation candidates to change grades of Incomplete.
  • July 24, Friday: 60% point of the term that federal financial aid has been earned if a student officially withdraws from SMU—prior to this date a partial calculated return to federal programs will be required.
  • July 27, Monday: Last day to drop a Second Session course.
  • July 29, Wednesday: Last day to withdraw from the University.
  • August 4, Tuesday: Last day of Second Session instruction and examinations. Last day for Combined Session official close of the term and date for conferral of degrees.

Taos August Term 2009

  • August 5, Wednesday: SMU-in-Taos: August Term Arrival and First Day of Classes, 2-6 p.m.
  • August 6, Thursday: SMU-in-Taos: Last day to enroll, add courses and drop courses without grade record or tuition billing. Permission of Taos Program required for all enrollments.
  • August 22, Saturday: SMU-in-Taos: August Term Examinations.
  • August 23, Sunday: SMU-in-Taos: August Term Departure.

Major Religious Holidays

August 2008-August 2009

Listing of religious holidays for use in requesting excused absences according to University Policy 1.9. For religious holidays not listed, the instructor or supervisor may contact the Office of the Chaplain.

Christian

Christmas December 25, 2008
Ash Wednesday February 25, 2009
Good Friday April 10, 2009
Easter Sunday April 12, 2009
Easter Sunday (Orthodox) April 19, 2009

Hindu

Janmashtami August 28, 2009
Dasera October 9, 2009
Diwali October 28, 2009

Jewish*

*All holidays begin at sundown before the first day noted and conclude at sundown on the day(s) noted.
Rosh Hashanah September 30-October 1, 2008
Yom Kippur October 9, 2008
Sukkot October 14-15, 2008
Hanukkah December 22-30, 2008
Pesach (Passover) April 9-26, 2009
Shavuot May 29, 2009

Muslim

Ramadan September 2-October 2, 2008
Eid al Fitr October 2, 2008
Eid al Adha December 9, 2008
Islamic New Year December 29, 2008
Ashura January 7, 2009
Mawlid an Nabi March 9, 2009