Carnegie Mellon University
July 06, 2022

Fall Planning Preparations for Pittsburgh-based Faculty

Dear Pittsburgh-based Faculty Members:

I hope you are enjoying a well-deserved restful and happy summer. Please accept my gratitude and congratulations on a successful academic year. This year was not without its challenges and I thank you for your continued commitment to providing our students with an exceptional educational experience.

Looking toward the Fall semester, I wanted to share some reminders with you, especially in relation to the continuation of the 14-week semester pilot. As I announced in my March 14, 2022 communication, we will continue the pilot in AY22-23. This pilot extension aims to put into practice the Calendar Innovation Committee’s full set of recommendations and assess their effectiveness before making a final decision on long-term plans for this model.

As we move forward with the pilot, I want to stress the purpose of this adaptation, which is primarily to support student health and well-being by offering breaks that allow time for true rest and restoration. The intention of a 14-week semester is not to cram material into a shorter timeframe, but rather to assess course content and modify it where necessary to accommodate a 14-week semester.

With the help of the Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence and Educational Innovation, we have made available several tools and resources to set all of us up for success as the pilot continues. In addition to the Eberly Center’s recommended strategies, the following resources and assistance also are available as you plan for the Fall semester and continuation of the 7x1x7 pilot.

7x1x7 Calendar FAQs

The Calendar Innovation Committee developed a set of FAQs to address common questions or concerns about the potential long-term adoption of the 14-week calendar and the implications of the pilot continuation. The FAQs are available on the Calendar Innovation Committee website.

“Adjusting Your Course to 14 Weeks” Workshop on Aug. 9 (via Zoom)

In adjusting your course to a 14-week format, you have various options to consider. Please consider attending this workshop to explore efficient and effective adjustments for student learning, as well as technologies and techniques to make grading more efficient. Register here to attend.

Faculty Consultations with the Eberly Center

To support those seeking strategies to adjust their courses for the upcoming academic calendar, the Eberly Center will provide individualized faculty consultations. Faculty teaching courses in a sequence may sign up as a group. Contact eberly-assist@andrew.cmu.edu to request a consultation.

Listening Sessions (In-person and via Zoom)

I will host two listening sessions for faculty to attend to discuss the 7x1x7 calendar pilot on Wednesday, August 24, from 4 - 5 p.m., and Thursday, August 25, from 9 - 10 a.m. These sessions are intended for you to ask questions about the pilot continuation and to share feedback on its implementation. Register here to attend.

In addition to these listening sessions, we also will be announcing a comprehensive assessment plan to review these changes to the academic calendar.

Additional Fall Planning Resources


Thank you for all that you do for our students’ education and health and well-being, which makes Carnegie Mellon an exceptional place to work and learn.

Sincerely,

Jim Garrett
Provost and Chief Academic Officer