Month-by-Month Planning Calendar for Department Chairs

Fall 2026

Date(s)Note / Description
August 28Residence halls open at 9 a.m.
August 31Convocation
September 1First day of Fall 2026 classes.
Deadline for submitting Faculty Senate Meeting #1 materials by noon.
September 4Deadline for submitting UPC, LAC, and RPPC agenda items by noon; holiday-adjusted from Monday, September 7.
September 7Labor Day (university closed).
September 8Last day for undergraduate and graduate students to add a course without a permission number.
Faculty Senate Meeting #1.
UMPO CASA and Board of Trustees meetings.
September 14P&T: Deadline for individuals to file for promotion and tenure and submit all supporting materials for Department Chairpersons via file share deadline by 5 p.m. ET.
P&T: Registration deadline for the September 23 Provost preparation meeting for P&T reviewers.
UPC, LAC, and RPPC meetings.
Deadline for submitting GPAC and CORE items by noon.
September 15Official notification deadline from the Provost's Office for reappointing or non-reappointment of applicable untenured TT faculty, based on year of service.
Last day for undergraduate students to add with a permission number and drop without record.
Graduate: Last day for tuition/fee refund and add/drop with a permission number.
September 21GPAC and CORE meetings.
Deadline for submitting EXEC materials by noon.
September 23P&T: Provost preparation meeting for P&T reviewers, 9-10:30 a.m.
September 28Faculty Senate Executive (EXEC) meeting #1.
Deadline for submitting Faculty Senate Meeting #2 materials y noon.
October 1Sabbatical: Faculty's submission of Sabbatical Leave Request due to DPC via online portal begins.
October 5Faculty Senate Meeting #2.
Deadline for submitting UPC, LAC, and RPPC agenda items by noon.
P&T: Chairpersons submit all individual promotion and tenure materials, including external letters and reviewer information, to Department Personnel Committees.
October 9Deadline for submitting GPAC and CORE items by noon; holiday-adjusted from Monday, October 12.
October 10Deadline for Faculty's submission of Sabbatical Leave Request due to DPCs via online portal.
October 12Indigenous Peoples' Day (university closed).
October 13Monday class schedule.
UPC, LAC, and RPPC meetings.
October 14Mid-semester feedback/evaluation for undergraduate courses.
October 16Graduate: Spring 2027 schedule of classes viewable in SIS at 4 p.m.
October 19Extended undergraduate advising and graduate advising begin.
GPAC and CORE meetings.
Deadline for submitting EXEC materials by noon.
October 26Spring 2027 registration begins for undergraduate and graduate students.
Faculty Senate Executive (EXEC) meeting #2.
Deadline for submitting Faculty Senate Meeting #3 materials by noon.
P&T: Department Personnel Committees forward recommendations and personnel materials to Department Chairpersons.
October 30Sabbatical: Department Personnel Committee recommendations and departmental impact statements due to the College Dean.
November 2Faculty Senate Meeting #3.
Deadline for submitting UPC, LAC, and RPPC agenda items by noon.
P&T: Last day for candidates to respond to Department Personnel Committee recommendations.
November 3Graduate: Declaration of Intent to Graduate and/or Certificate Clearance forms due to the graduate coordinator.
November 6Extended undergraduate advising and graduate advising end.
November 9UPC, LAC, and RPPC meetings.
Deadline for submitting GPAC and CORE items by noon.
P&T: Chairs forward recommendations and personnel materials to College Personnel Committees.
November 10Sabbatical: College Dean recommendations and supporting documents due to the Provost.
November 11Veterans Day (university closed).
November 12Last day for undergraduate students to withdraw from a regular-session course with a grade of W.
November 14Graduate: Last day to submit a draft thesis/dissertation of the library.
November 16GPAC and CORE meetings.
P&T: Last day for candidates to respond to Chairperson recommendations.
November 21Graduate: Last day to defend a thesis or dissertation.
November 23Deadline for submitting EXEC materials by noon.
November 25Sabbatical: Provost recommendations due to the Chancellor.
November 25-28Thanksgiving Recess; university closure/recess period.
November 30Faculty Senate Executive (EXEC) meeting #3.
Deadline for submitting Faculty Senate Meeting #4 materials by noon.
December 1UMPO CASA meeting.
December 3Last day for undergraduate term examinations.
Graduate: Deadline to submit thesis/dissertation to the library.
Graduate: Last day to withdraw from a regular-session course with a grade of W.
December 4Last day to complete Spring 2026 and Summer 2026 incompletes.
December 7Faculty Senate Meeting #4.
P&T: College Personnel Committees forward recommendations and personnel materials to College Deans.
Deadline for submitting UPC, LAC, and RPPC agenda items by noon.
December 8UMPO Board of Trustees meeting.
December 10Last day of Fall 2026 classes.
Sabbatical: Chancellor and Provost notify applicants of sabbatical decisions.
December 11Reading Day - no classes or examinations.
December 12-19Fall semester examinations.
December 14UPC, LAC, and RPPC meetings.
Deadline for submitting GPAC and CORE items by noon.
P&T: Last day for candidates to respond to College Personnel Committee recommendations.
December 21GPAC and CORE meetings.
Make-up final examination day if examinations are postponed because of weather.
December 25Christmas Day (university closed).
December 28Final grades, including Spring 2026 and Summer 2026 incomplete, due in SIS by 4 p.m.

Bold: contractual dates.

Faculty Senate and committee meetings begin at 3:30 p.m. unless announced otherwise. Agenda items and materials are due by noon one week before the meeting; when a Monday deadline falls on a holiday, submit by the preceding Friday.

For further information, including meeting locations, please visit the Faculty Senate meetings page.

P&T: Recommendation letters must be emailed to candidates and copied to pandt@uml.edu for upload. Candidate response letters should be emailed to pandt@uml.edu for upload.

If examination days are postponed because of weather, the first postponed examinations will be made up on December 21, 2026.

Spring 2027

Date(s)Note / Description
January 1New Year's Day (university closed).
January 11P&T: College Deans forward recommendations and personnel materials to the University Rank and Tenure Committee.
January 15Deadline for submitting EXEC materials by noon; holiday-adjusted from Monday, January 18.
January 17Residence halls open at noon.
January 18Martin Luther King Jr. Day (university closed).
January 19First day of Spring 2027 classes.
P&T: Last day for candidates to respond to College Dean recommendations.
January 25Last day for undergraduate and graduate students to add a course without a permission number & for instructors to publish course and attendance requirements on the syllabus for class members.
Faculty Senate Executive (EXEC) meeting #4.
Deadline for submitting Faculty Senate Meeting #5 materials by noon.
January 31Annual Faculty Report due. Any faculty member not submitting an Annual Faculty Report by January 31 of each year shall have their basic teaching load increased by 6 credits per year and their performance deemed to be "unsatisfactory" with respect to any salary increase (Refer to: 2024-2027 UML MSP Memorandum of Agreement)
Unit member merit evaluation materials due.
February 1Graduate: Last day for tuition/fee refund.
Last day for undergraduate and graduate students to add/drop with a permission number.
Faculty Senate Meeting #5.
Deadline for submitting UPC, LAC, and RPPC agenda items by noon.
February 4-5P&T: University Rank and Tenure Committee meets to review applications (Day #1 and #2).
February 8UPC, LAC, and RPPC meetings.
Deadline for submitting GPAC and CORE items by noon.
February 12Deadline for submitting EXEC materials by noon; holiday-adjusted from Monday, February 15.
February 15Presidents' Day (university closed).
Department Personnel Committee deadlines for unit member merit evaluations.
February 16Monday class schedule.
GPAC and CORE meetings.
P&T: University Rank and Tenure Committee forwards recommendations and personnel materials to the Provost.
February 22Faculty Senate Executive (EXEC) meeting #5.
Deadline for submitting Faculty Senate Meeting #6 materials by noon.
Summer 2027 schedule of classes will be viewable in SiS at 4 p.m.
February 23P&T: Last day for candidates to respond to University Rank and Tenure Committee recommendations.
March 1Faculty Senate Meeting #6.
Faculty Senate Curriculog form feature to start new proposals close (faculty should start their proposal prior to March 1).
P&T: Provost forwards recommendations and personnel materials to the Chancellor.
Chair deadline for unit member merit evaluations.
March 2Mid-semester evaluation required for undergraduate courses.
March 7-14Spring Break.
March 8Deadline for submitting UPC, LAC, and RPPC agenda items by noon.
P&T: Last day for candidates to respond to the Provost's recommendation.
March 15Classes resume.
UPC, LAC, and RPPC meetings.
Deadline for submitting GPAC and CORE items by noon.
Chair recommendations to the Dean due for applicable TT and NTT annual evaluations.
P&T: Chancellor issues the list of recommended candidates for tenure and promotion before appeals.
March 19Departmental faculty senators for AY27-28 election results due to Faculty Senate Administrator.
March 22GPAC and CORE meetings.
Deadline for submitting EXEC materials by noon.
P&T: Deadline for eligible candidates to submit an appeal to the Chancellor.
March 26Graduate: Fall 2027 schedule of classes viewable in SIS at 4 p.m.
March 29Extended undergraduate advising and graduate advising begin.
Faculty Senate Executive (EXEC) meeting #6.
Deadline for submitting Faculty Senate Meeting #7 materials by noon.
March 31Salary review applications due to respective College Dean no later than the last day in March.
April 1Faculty Senate nominations for 2027-2028 Officers and Committee Members open.
Department Personnel Committee recommendations to the Dean due for applicable TT and NTT annual evaluations.
College Dean deadline for unit member merit evaluations.
April 3P&T: Chancellor issues the final list of recommended candidates for tenure and promotion to the Board of Trustees after appeals.
April 5Fall 2027 registration begins for undergraduate and graduate students.
Faculty Senate Meeting #7.
Deadline for submitting UPC, LAC, and RPPC agenda items by noon.
April 6Last day for undergraduate students to withdraw from a regular-session course with a grade of W.
April 12UPC, LAC, and RPPC meetings.
Deadline for submitting GPAC and CORE items by noon.
April 16Extended undergraduate advising ends.
Deadline for submitting EXEC materials by noon; holiday-adjusted from Monday, April 19.
April 19Patriots' Day (university closed).
Faculty Senate nominations close.
April 21Monday class schedule.
GPAC and CORE meetings.
April 22Last day for undergraduate term examinations.
Graduate: Last day to withdraw from a regular-session course with a grade of W.
April 23Last day to complete Fall 2026 and Winter 2027 incompletes.
April 26Faculty Senate Executive (EXEC) meeting #7.
Deadline for submitting Faculty Senate Meeting #8 materials by noon.
April 29Last day of Spring 2027 classes.
April 30Reading Day - no classes or examinations.
May 1-8Spring semester examinations.
May 3Faculty Senate election and Meeting #8.
May 9Residence halls close at noon.
May 10Make-up final examination day if examinations are postponed because of weather.
May 11Final grades, including Fall 2026 and Winter 2027 incompletes, due in SIS by 4 p.m.
May 14University Commencement - Doctoral and Master's ceremonies.
May 15University Commencement - Bachelor's ceremonies.
Official notification deadline from the Provost for reappointment or non-reappointment of applicable NTT teaching and clinical faculty, based on year of service.

Bold: contractual dates.

Faculty Senate and committee meetings begin at 3:30 p.m. unless announced otherwise. Agenda items and materials are due by noon one week before the meeting; when a Monday deadline falls on a holiday, submit by the preceding Friday.

For further information, including meeting locations, please visit the Faculty Senate meetings page.

If examination days are postponed because of weather, the first postponed examinations will be made up on May 10, 2027.

Abbreviation Glossary

  • BOT - Board of Trustees
  • CASA - Committee on Academic and Student Affairs
  • CL - Clinical Faculty
  • CORE - Core Curriculum Committee
  • CPC - College Personnel Committee
  • CV - Curriculum Vitae
  • DIG - Declaration of Intent to Graduate
  • DPC - Department Personnel Committee
  • EXEC - Faculty Senate Executive Committee
  • GPAC - Graduate Policy and Affairs Committee
  • LAC - Library Advisory Committee
  • MSP - Massachusetts Society of Professors
  • NTT - Non-Tenure-Track
  • P&T - Promotion and Tenure
  • RPPC - Research, Production, and Performance Committee
  • SIS - Student Information System
  • TT - Tenure-Track
  • UMPO - UMass President's Office
  • UPC - Undergraduate Policy Committee
  • URT - University Rank and Tenure Committee