Updated 1:51 p.m. on Aug. 27 to include a statement from Rodney Parks.
Elon University’s Office of the Registrar is making changes to the Winter Term schedule for the 2025-26 academic year.
According to an email sent by the Registrar to some faculty members, Winter Term classes will now be extended by 15 minutes. In addition to the extension, morning classes will have an earlier start time at 8:30 a.m. Morning classes in Winter Term previously started at 9 a.m.
Morning classes for Winter Term will occur from 8:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Afternoon classes for Winter Term will occur from 1:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.
Elon University Registrar Rodney Parks wrote in a statement to Elon News Network that the change in scheduling is due to Winter Term starting later in January.
For the 2025-26 academic year Winter Term will start Jan. 5 and end Jan. 22. Last year Winter Term started on Jan. 3 and ended on Jan. 3 and ended Jan. 23.
According to Parks, this change is also being made so that Winter Term classes meet a certain amount of required instruction time. The amount of instruction time determines how many credit hours a class is worth.
According to Elon University one semester credit hour is defined as at least 750 minutes of classroom or direct faculty instruction. A four credit hour course requires at least 3,000 minutes of classroom or direct faculty instruction. Winter Term consists of 13 instructional days.
During Winter Term, which occurs in January, students can stay on campus and take a class Monday through Friday for the entirety of the term.