Vermont Academy Will Make The Change To Trimesters

May 14, 2012 - PRLog -- After lengthy discussions at department and administrative levels, Vermont Academy will switch from a semester based academic calendar to one divided by trimesters beginning in the 2012-13 academic year. The 2012-2013 calendar will be divided by major breaks and seasons; fall trimester will run from the opening of school to Thanksgiving break,
winter trimester from Thanksgiving to March break and spring trimester from the end of March break  to graduation. Sports seasons will fall naturally into the trimester schedule.

This decision was driven by three primary factors. The first was balance. The Academy's current semester system was unbalanced with a 14-week fall semester and a 19 week spring semester which raised many questions about syllabi, assessments, length of semester courses in the fall versus the spring, and the offering of credits.

Secondly, traditionally the winter “term” at VA was an entity unto itself, with its own shortened daily schedule providing time for student athletes to participate in snow sports practices and competitions. The concept of “sticking with the seasons” will now afford the winter its own term.

Lastly, Vermont Academy is hoping to provide more opportunities for international off-campus programs for its students. The growing and successful VA in Spain program is not currently coordinated with the semester schedule. In fact, the Spain program is now approximately eleven weeks in length, which is exactly equal to one trimester. For the present, students and teachers have found it difficult to leave school in the middle of a term. By moving to trimesters, planning for Spain (and other upcoming international programs) will be simpler and fairer to all parties when the calculation of grades and credits is taken into account.

Vermont Academy is a private, college preparatory boarding and day school in Saxtons River. Visit Vermont Academy's website (http://www.vermontacademy.org) for more information.