The last obstacle for switching to semesters has been cleared, allowing administrators to move forward with scheduling for the next school year.

The Council of the University Senate heard the proposal to switch to a semester schedule on Jan. 29. This was the final step in a process that gained traction at the beginning of the school year with a faculty vote Nov. 7.

The school year, holidays and breaks will remain unchanged according to Principal Stephanie Weber, who advocated for the proposal to the council, which is the academic decision-making body for the University of Chicago.

Concerns about the loss of assessment days and feedback are still being explored, Ms. Weber said. Winter and spring breaks will still be homework-free, but the specific policies to ensure this have yet to be refined, she said.

A working group has been formed by the administration to implement the calendar and to ensure that any problems with the shift are identified and solved. Ms. Weber said the group will be comprised of faculty, administrators and students, and will continue its work next year to review progress and make suggestions and improvements.

“We’ll focus on a classroom level, and we’ll focus on a calendar level,” Dean of Teaching and Learning Noah Rachlin said. “For example, do we need to move parent-teacher conferences, do we need to make them more frequent since there will be less assesment days?”

The Program of Studies was published Feb. 6. Course registration for 2019-20 began Feb. 8 and continues through Feb. 21 via PowerSchool.