Tips for Working around the

Academic Calendar*

1. If you will be working with faculty members, make your initial contact with the faculty member or the CEL at least two or three weeks before the academic period begins.

2. If you are planning on working on a curricular or academic activity involving a particular faculty member in the fall, you may need to initiate contact before the spring semester has ended.

3. If you have a service-learning oppportunity, it is best to contact the CEL at the beginning of the semester. Later in the semester it becomes more difficult to schedule activities because there are more competing interests.

4. Check the academic calendar and talk with students and faculty about final exams and holiday breaks. Plan for the likelihood that students will not be available during those times.

5. In particular, don't be overly reliant on student volunteers if you need extra staffing during the November-December holiday period. Students frequently travel during this time and often have final exams then.

*Adapted from The Promise of Partnerships, by Jim Scheibel, Erin M. Bowley, and Seven Jones. A Campus Compact publication. www.compact.org