Dear Faculty Colleagues,

Welcome back (or, if you’re new to the Questrom family, welcome aboard)!  What follows is a memo containing important information regarding the Spring 2017 semester: dates, international student check-in, etc.  Should you have any questions or concerns, please respond to this email or call me at 353-9106.  You can also stop by my newly door-enhanced office, Room 150A, just to the left of the stairs on the first floor.

I. Your Class Meeting Time and Location

I strongly encourage you to consult the University Class Schedule to review your finalized class meeting time and location.  The University Registrar’s Office was grappling with both the adoption of the new university block schedule (see below) and new “optimizing software” which put them well behind their usual pace and meant that rooms weren’t finalized until just before Christmas.  You should consult the Link (click “Faculty” and “Class Lists”).  Should this not work, you may consult the general University Class Schedule (choose “SPRG 2017” and “QST” – contact me with questions) to verify your location and time.

Most of you will recall that Spring 2017 marks the semester when we enter the brave new world of the university block schedule.  The effects of this change will include:

  • Some undergraduate courses switching to aMonday/Wednesday/Friday (50 minutes per session) offering pattern.
  • Other courses that were listed on the schedule as meeting twice weekly for 90 minutes, but with an implied dismissal time 10 minutes prior, will now be listed as 75 minutes with the expectation that they will meet for that entire period.  To emphasize, the time listed on the class schedule is now the actual meeting time!
  • In most cases, there is a built-in 15 minute passing time between classes, rather than the previous (implied) 10 minutes.
  • Evening courses now begin at 6:30 and let out at 9:30.
  • The afternoon sections of the undergraduate Cross-Functional Core will begin at 12:20 (MWF) and 12:30 (TR).

A fuller description of the changes brought about by the conversion to the new university block schedule appear at the end of this email for your reading pleasure.

II. Spring 2017 – Important Dates

Please read through this relevant calendar information including Registrar’s Office semester dates and class meeting dates by course meeting pattern. Please remember that faculty members are expected to make allowances for any student who must miss class due to religious observance; if you have questions regarding this policy or a specific holiday observance, please ask us.

While I encourage you to review the links listed above for the important information they contain, here is a quick overview:

Standard Calendar
Jan 19Feb 20Feb 21Mar 4-12Apr 17Apr 19May 3May 8-12
Classes BeginHolidaySubstitute Monday ScheduleSpring BreakHolidaySubstitute Monday ScheduleLast Day of ClassFinal Exams
MBA-Specific Dates
Mod 3January 23 – March 2
Mod 4March 13 – May 3
Concentrated Core Session 1Monday (January 23 – March 13)
Thursday (January 19 – March 2)
Concentrated Core Session 2Monday (March 20 – May 1)
Thursday (March 16 – April 27)
Dates of Interest
Patriots win Super BowlFebruary 5
Red Sox Home OpenerApril 3

III. Spring 2017 Class List Available On Faculty Link

You can view and download your class list on the Faculty Link. Please let me know if you have trouble accessing the Faculty Link.

IV. Final Exam Schedule

Allison Bello and/or Rebecca DiMattia will soon be sending you an e-mail about the final exam schedule. Please respond to that e-mail as quickly as possible so that we can move along with the final exam scheduling process. The final exam period is May 8-12. The final exam schedule will be finalized and published in February. The Registrar’s Office provides a grid setting the final exam times and dates according to where courses fall in the class schedule. Deviating from the grid increases the likelihood that a faculty member will have to schedule make-up exams for students who have conflicting exam times.

Any student needing to make travel plans before the final exam schedule is published should plan to travel on the evening of May 12, as travel plans are not considered a valid reason for a final exam to be rescheduled!

V. Check-In For International Students

The U.S. federal government requires all continuing international students to physically check in at their respective program office during the first week of each semester, and new international students must check in at the International Students and Scholars Office at 888 Commonwealth Avenue.  Please make an announcement during your first two class meetings.

V. Check-In For International Students

The U.S. federal government requires all continuing international students to physically check in at their respective program office during the first week of each semester, and new international students must check in at the International Students and Scholars Office at 888 Commonwealth Avenue.  Please make an announcement during your first two class meetings.

Appendix

If you would like to know more about the minutiae of the block scheduling changes referred to in item #1, please read this.

Norm Blanchard
Director – Course Planning
Boston University Questrom School of Business
Rafik B. Hariri Building
595 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA  02215
normanb@bu.edu
(617) 353-2650