Academic Policy  1405.20 

Intersessions

Background

The University of Arkansas has three intersession periods (January, May and August). These are held between regular terms in order to offer students a concentrated experience, allowing them to focus on only one subject area for the session. [Specifically, “students will only be able to enroll in a maximum of one lecture or lab course, with the exception of corequisite courses, for a maximum of four credits.”] The intention of intersessions is to provide opportunities for students to move toward degree completion. These intersession classes can also address academic deficiencies for some students prior to enrollment in regular terms.

Not all classes and class content are appropriate to teach within the format of intersessions. Maintaining academic rigor and quality is important and is the responsibility of the department and/or programs.

Number of Courses a Student May Take During an Intersession

Students may take up to 4 credit hours per intersession—if taking more than 1 course, they must be co-requisites.

Student Financial Aid for Intersessions

The May intersession attaches to the summer term for financial aid purposes, so the Academic Challenge Scholarship (lottery scholarship) would not be awarded (just like summer), but financial aid would disburse for the summer session once the student takes an appropriate summer load in the regular summer term.

Credit hours taken during the August intersession will count toward fall enrollment eligibility requirements for scholarships, Federal financial aid, and Arkansas state aid (including the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship) and credit hours taken during the January intersession will count toward spring enrollment eligibility requirements for scholarships, Federal financial aid, and Arkansas state aid (including the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship).

Student Residence Hall Options for Intersessions

Housing requires that students either have a spring or a summer contract to live in the residence hall during the May intersession, a current academic year contract during the August intersession, and either an academic year contract or a spring contract during the January intersession.

Specific Intersession Dates

5-year academic calendar- http://registrar.uark.edu/506.php

Workload Form

Workload forms should be completed according to the instructions and submitted by deans to the office of the vice provost for academic affairs no later than April 1st for May intersessions, July 1st for August intersessions, and November 1st for January intersessions

Salary/Funding

Following the summer school financial paradigm, enrollment in these classes should generate enough tuition dollars to cover all the costs associated with offering the class. Faculty will be paid 2 1⁄2% per credit hour of the last year’s FTE 9-month salary. View and print the workload form.

Graduate Teaching Assistant Teaching in Intersession

January Intersession

Graduate teaching assistants may have the opportunity to teach during the January intersession for either additional pay or a reduced assignment during the spring or fall semester, as approved by both the student and the sponsor (person responsible for the funding and duty expectations for the graduate assistant) of the teaching assistantship, in consultation with the student’s major advisor. They may not be required to teach during the January intersession. Teaching assistants need not be enrolled during the January intersession if they are enrolled in the spring semester. Students on 9-month or 12-month graduate assistantships must have the approval of the sponsor of that assistantship.

May and August Intersessions

Graduate teaching assistantships will be handled during the May and August intersessions consistent with summer teaching policies. Students must be enrolled for a minimum of three hours for a 9-month position or six hours for a 12-month position; they may be enrolled for these hours in any session of the summer or the May or August intersession.

Reformatted for Web October 9, 2014
10/1/13