Semester Transition

PUC plans to launch its semester calendar in fall 2028. Until then, the college will continue operating on quarters while courses, degree plans, systems, calendars, and student transition plans are developed.

PUC’s goal is that the transition will not delay students who follow their approved academic plans.

PUC is developing a “PUC Promise” for transition students: if students follow the academic advice they receive, meet required deadlines, and do not change their degree plans, PUC will ensure that the semester transition does not add time, fees, or avoidable barriers to completing their programs.

Students affected by the transition will receive an individualized completion plan showing how their remaining quarter requirements will carry into the semester curriculum. Advisors and Records staff will work with students to review these plans and identify any necessary adjustments.

Students will not be expected to figure out the conversion on their own.

Credits already earned will remain on students’ permanent academic records. They will not disappear or lose their value.

Semester and quarter credits are converted using an established equivalency: one semester credit is equivalent to 1.5 quarter credits. PUC will apply the conversion in a way that preserves completed requirements and overall degree progress. This is also the conversion ratio PUC currently uses when evaluating transfer credit.

No. Students will not be required to repeat successfully completed coursework solely because PUC changes calendars. Departments and the Records Office will determine how completed quarter courses apply to the semester version of each program.

PUC will help every student affected by the transition, but changing a major, adding a minor, repeating courses, or departing from an approved completion plan may affect the expected graduation date or cost. Students considering a change should speak with their advisor before making it so they can see its full effect.

Departments will map double majors, minors, cognates, electives, and courses that fulfill more than one requirement. Students with more complex degree plans will receive individualized reviews to ensure that requirements are not unnecessarily duplicated.

Yes! PUC wants students to retain opportunities to explore interests outside their majors. Mini-mesters—short, focused courses offered during part of a semester—may allow students to take electives, activity courses, creative experiences, or specialized topics without committing to a full-semester course.

Some electives will continue as traditional semester-long courses, while others may be offered in a mini-mester format or on a rotating schedule. Departments will consider these options as they redesign their programs so students can continue exploring new subjects while making timely progress toward graduation.

Semester courses will generally meet over approximately 15 weeks rather than 10. The longer term should allow more time for students to absorb difficult material, receive feedback, revise their work, and engage in projects, research, discussion, or practical experiences.

Semester courses should not simply be quarter courses stretched over additional weeks. Faculty will redesign courses to fit the new calendar and credit structure.

Students will generally complete fewer academic terms each year and may take fewer courses simultaneously than under quarters. The exact number will depend on the student’s program and the number of credits assigned to each course.

Departments are developing semester course sequences that balance progress toward graduation with a manageable workload.

Longer courses should provide greater depth, not unnecessary repetition. Faculty will be encouraged to use varied learning activities, meaningful checkpoints, projects, experiential learning, and appropriately paced assessments.

Student feedback will remain important as the new courses are introduced.

The academic year will include a fall semester, a spring semester, and summer offerings. Each main semester will provide approximately 15 weeks of instruction, followed by final examinations. Exact dates, including holidays and breaks, will be published after the academic calendar receives final approval.

Because semesters require more instructional weeks than quarters, fall classes will begin earlier than they currently do, and the spring semester will end earlier than the current spring quarter.

The PUC Promise protects students from additional tuition or fees caused solely by the semester transition, provided they follow their approved completion plans, meet deadlines, and do not make changes that affect those plans.

Most financial aid is based on the academic year rather than the number of terms. Under semesters, aid that is currently divided across three quarters will generally be divided across two main semesters.

PUC’s Financial Aid Office will review every transition process to ensure continued compliance with federal, state, and institutional requirements. Students will receive individualized guidance before the semester calendar begins.

PUC recognizes that nursing programs have clinical-hour requirements, tightly sequenced courses, licensure expectations, and external placement schedules that differ from many other programs.

A dedicated Nursing Transition Team is developing program-specific plans. Students will receive information based on their particular program rather than a single transition plan for all nursing students.

PUC intends to preserve the established pathway and timely completion of the ASN program. The ASN program is expected to follow a phased transition and remain on quarters initially while the rest of the college moves to semesters. The precise conversion date and curriculum sequence will be communicated directly to ASN students. [Confirm the approved ASN timeline before publication.]

Each program is being reviewed separately. Program faculty are mapping clinical hours, prerequisites, course sequences, accreditation requirements, and student completion timelines. Students will receive program-specific plans as those details are approved.

No. Revised nursing curricula must continue to satisfy applicable approval, accreditation, clinical, and licensure requirements. The calendar may change how clinical experiences are scheduled, but it will not remove required clinical preparation.

Athletics staff are reviewing competition schedules, housing, dining, travel, eligibility, and intersession participation. Student-athletes will continue to receive academic and athletic support, and program plans will account for seasons that extend across academic breaks.

That is one of the intended benefits. A calendar that aligns with more partner institutions and employers may make it easier to participate in internships, clinical placements, research, study-away programs, and other experiences.

PUC is also considering how intersession can create protected time for short-term experiential learning.

Individual student transition planning will happen during winter and spring of 2028. Students will receive their plans early enough to review them with an advisor and make informed registration decisions well before fall 2028.

PUC will provide regular updates through the semester transition website, email, advising, student forums, and other campus communication channels. Major decisions will be communicated when they are approved, with clear explanations of what they mean for students.

Students will have opportunities to submit questions, attend information sessions, and discuss individual concerns with their advisors and the Records Office. Email: semesterconversion@puc.edu

Students do not need to make immediate changes. For now:

• Continue following your current academic plan.
• Meet regularly with your advisor.
• Complete required courses when they are scheduled.
• Watch for official semester-transition updates.
• Ask before changing a major, minor, or anticipated graduation date.
• Review your individualized transition plan when it becomes available.

Moving from quarters to semesters is a significant change, but PUC is approaching the transition carefully, with one central commitment: to protect your progress and create an academic experience that serves you well.

There is still much work ahead, and your voice will continue to help shape the details. Together, we have the opportunity to build a semester system that preserves what you value about PUC while creating more time for deeper learning, meaningful experiences, and a strong path to graduation. We are excited about what lies ahead—and we will navigate the transition together.