Academic Calendar Fall Semester 2020
Updated and Revised
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Sunday - Saturday, August 16 - 22, 2020 | Orientation Week for New Students |
| Monday, August 17, 2020 | Fall Registration: Course Request Period begins for incoming undergraduate students |
| Thursday, August 20, 2020 | Deadline: Course Request Period ends for incoming undergraduate students at 12:00 p.m. Fall Registration: Add/Drop Period begins for incoming graduate students at 5:00 p.m. Fall Registration: Add/Drop Period begins for incoming undergraduate students at 7:00 p.m. |
| Monday, August 24, 2020 | FIRST DAY OF CLASSES - START OF THE FALL SEMESTER BEGINNING OF INSTRUCTION |
| Monday - Friday, August 24 - 28, 2020 | Fall Registration Continues: Registration continues for undergraduate, graduate, and visiting students |
| Friday, August 28, 2020 | Deadline: Last day for instructors to submit final grades to resolve "Incomplete" (INC) grades for courses taken in previous Spring semester Deadline: Last day for instructors to submit final grades to resolve "Other" (OT) and "Incomplete" (INC) grades for courses taken in previous Summer semester |
| Friday, September 4, 2020 |
Deadline: Last day to add courses online via ESTHER |
| Monday, September 7, 2020 | LABOR DAY (HOLIDAY - NO SCHEDULED CLASSES) |
| Friday, September 11, 2020 | Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 70% refund for tuition |
| Friday, September 18, 2020 | Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 60% refund for tuition |
| Friday, September 25, 2020 | Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 50% refund for tuition |
| Thursday, October 1, 2020 | Deadline: Last day to submit New Course Request Forms to the Academic Deans for SCRC review (for new courses in the upcoming Spring semester) |
| Friday, October 2, 2020 | Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 40% refund for tuition |
| Friday, October 9, 2020 | Deadline: Last day to drop courses online via ESTHER (full-term courses) Update (on 10/09/2020): The "last day to drop courses online via ESTHER (full-term courses)" deadline has been extended 3 weeks (to Friday, October 30, 2020) Deadline: Last day to designate as "Audit" a course in which one is currently registered for credit (via Special Registration Form - Instructor Permission Required) Update (on 10/09/2020): The "last day to designate as "Audit" a course in which one is currently registered for credit" deadline has been extended 3 weeks (to Friday, October 30, 2020) Deadline: Last day for instructors to submit Mid-Semester Grades for first-year undergraduate students online via ESTHER Deadline: College course plans due to Dean of Undergraduates office for following Spring semester Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 30% refund for tuition |
| Friday, October 16, 2020 | Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 20% refund for tuition |
| Friday, October 23, 2020 | Deadline: Last day to withdraw from the university with a 10% refund for tuition |
| Friday, October 30, 2020 | Deadline (Updated 10/09/2020): Last day to drop courses online via ESTHER (full-term courses) Deadline (Updated 10/09/2020): Last day to designate as "Audit" a course in which one is currently registered for credit (via Special Registration Form - Instructor Permission Required) Deadline: Last day to designate a full-term course status to "Pass/Fail" option Graduation Deadline: Last day for Undergraduate Students to file an online Application for Degree via ESTHER for December (Fall) degree conferral with the Office of the Registrar Graduation Deadline: Last day for Graduate Students to file a paper Application for Degree (accessible in ESTHER)for December (Fall) degree conferral with the Office of the Registrar either in-person or via email to registrar@rice.edu Graduation Deadline: Last day for December (Fall) degree candidates to declare any additional, major, minor or university certificates, if applicable (Undergraduate Students only) Graduation Deadline: Last day for Undergraduate Students to file an online Application for Degree via ESTHER for May (Spring) degree conferral with the Office of the Registrar Graduation Deadline: Last day to file the following in the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for December (Fall) degree conferral: Thesis masters candidacy petitions; Certification of non-thesis masters; Form for candidacy masters; Ph.D. candidacy petitions |
| Tuesday, November 3, 2020 | ELECTION DAY (Regular class day; however, no assignments can be due on this day and all instructional material covered on this day must be available asynchronously) |
| Wednesday, November 11, 2020 | Deadline: Last day for instructors to submit textbook orders for upcoming Spring to 1545txt@follett.com |
| Thursday, November 12, 2020 | Spring Registration: Spring 2021 Course Schedule published to courses.rice.edu Spring Registration: Course Request Period begins for undergraduate students |
| Friday, November 20, 2020 | END OF INSTRUCTION |
| Monday - Tuesday, November 23 - 24, 2020 | INDEPENDENT STUDY DAYS (NO SCHEDULED CLASSES) |
| Wednesday - Friday, November 25 - 27, 2020 | THANKSGIVING RECESS (HOLIDAY - NO SCHEDULED CLASSES) |
| Monday - Friday, November 30 - December 4, 2020 | INDEPENDENT STUDY DAYS (NO SCHEDULED CLASSES) |
| Friday, December 4, 2020 | LAST DAY OF CLASSES Spring Registration: Course Request Period ends for undergraduate students at 5:00 p.m. Deadline: Last day to drop courses (for Fall undergraduate matriculants only) - students must go to the Office of the Registrar or submit the Special Registration form to registrar@rice.edu by 4:00 p.m. Graduation Deadline: For a December (Fall) degree conferral, students must submit thesis to the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies by 12:00 noon |
| Saturday - Tuesday, December 5 - 8, 2020 | Study Days - NO EXAMS |
| Monday, December 7, 2020 | Spring Registration: Spring Registration begins for currently enrolled graduate and undergraduate professional (BArch) students at 5:00 p.m. |
| Tuesday, December 8, 2020 | Spring Registration: Add/Drop Period begins for undergraduate students at 7:00 a.m. (Canceled) GRADUATION - Convocation Ceremony for Summer and Fall 2020 -- degree recipients encouraged to participate in May 2021 ceremonies |
| Wednesday - Wednesday, December 9 - 16, 2020 | Final Examinations for all undergraduate courses (All Final Exams are to be administered in a remote format) |
| Friday, December 11, 2020 | Spring Registration: Last day to register for the upcoming Spring semester by 5:00 p.m. without a Late Registration Fee |
| Saturday, December 12, 2020 | Late Registration Begins: Continuing students that have not registered for any Spring classes are charged a Late Registration Fee to add classes |
| Wednesday, December 16, 2020 | END OF THE FALL SEMESTER |
| Friday, December 18, 2020 | Summer Registration: Summer Registration begins for currently enrolled degree-seeking Rice undergraduate and graduate students via ESTHER Applications: Visiting student application process opens for Summer 2021 |
| Wednesday, December 23, 2020 | Deadline: Last day for instructors to submit Fall semester Final Grades for all students online via ESTHER |
| Wednesday, January 6, 2021 | Deadline (New/Updated on 11/18/2020): For Fall 2020 degree candidates, the last day to drop Fall 2020 courses via a Special Registration Form* submitted to the Office of the Registrar at registrar@rice.edu (the extension to this deadline is due to the COVID-19 pandemic and for Fall 2020 only) * PLEASE NOTE: On the Special Registration Form, please check the "Late Drop" box. Please note that EX&S or GPS approval is not required. |
| Wednesday, January 13, 2021 | Deadline (New/Updated on 11/18/2020): For all continuing students, the last day to drop Fall 2020 courses via a Special Registration Form* submitted to the Office of the Registrar at registrar@rice.edu (the extension to this deadline is due to the COVID-19 pandemic and for Fall 2020 only) * PLEASE NOTE: On the Special Registration Form, please check the "Late Drop" box. Please note that EX&S or GPS approval is not required. |