Shortened Academic Terms
What are Shortened Academic Terms?
Shortened academic terms offer a compelling approach to redesigning postsecondary education in ways that better align with learner’s lives. With shortened course schedules, more flexible and manageable options mean that students have multiple entry points in an academic year, thereby protecting them from losing time and momentum if they have to stop out. This is especially true for students from low income backgrounds, who often balance education with work and family responsibilities.
As colleges focus more on centering equity in their structures, processes, and policies on campus, they are re-examining operations inside and outside the classroom. They are looking to better serve and support traditional community college students in creative and innovative ways. Deconstructing the semester structure changes how classes are offered to students, giving them more flexibility and more continuous on-ramps. This helps support and accelerate students toward a credential of value. There is nothing magical about offering 15 weeks of course delivery; providing flexibility with multiple on-ramps, and fewer courses for shorter periods of time, is helping colleges serve their students more equitably. In a traditional semester format, if a student has a disruption at any point and cannot continue their courses, they lose all momentum and credit for that semester and must wait for the next semester to begin again. Shorter academic terms allow for more immediate credit recovery in the event of a disruption and allow students to get back on track faster.
Some students have more complicated lives. Higher education leaders need to ask whether this traditional option is best for students with families and dependents, those who need to work while attending school, or students who have never been to college. Does the semester structure at two-year institutions represent a design that serves its students well? Or are community colleges applying traditional structures to students who have historically not been served well by higher education?
According to American Association of Community Colleges, in 2020 community colleges served a diverse body of students, with 46% identifying as white, 26% as Hispanic, 13% as Black, 6% as Asian/ Pacific Islander, 1% as Native American, 4% as two or more races, 4% as other/unknown, and 2% as resident alien students. A majority of community college students, 64%, attended part-time. The average age of a community college student was 28, 29% of students were ‑first generation, 15% were single parents, and 20% report living with a disability. Enrollment intensity has an impact on completion for students who attend community college. A recent study from the National Student Clearinghouse indicates that students who attend part-time for even one semester are less likely to complete a credential within six years. Offering fewer courses for shorter periods of time combined with options for continuous enrollment can help community college students with complex lives stay enrolled, maintain momentum, and complete successfully.
Implementing classes in shorter academic terms is not a new concept in higher education. Almost all colleges offer classes in shorter terms during the summer, and many offer various parts of term courses for students who need to pick up an extra class or arrive at the college after the traditional (15- or 16-week) semester start. However, educators have recently been looking at deconstructing the traditional semester structure as an institutional strategy to more equitably serve students on their campuses. Deconstructing the semester structure to include two terms allows students at least five opportunities to enroll in courses over a calendar year, and to focus on fewer courses at a time for shorter periods of time. It provides flexibility for students to attend when they can, with continuous on-ramps to courses.
While shorter terms will not be the single solution to student success concerns, offering flexible options for students with busy lives is one way to contribute to a holistic design and an equitable approach to success and completion. Preparing the college to offer courses in shorter academic terms is transformative work that involves coordinated, collaborative efforts across the institution. Colleges with successful transitions to shorter terms designed systems that increased communication and collaboration across the organization. Successful colleges ensure that their policies and procedures collegewide do not create unintended barriers for students in this new shortened semester format.
Because a shortened academic term format typically requires fewer courses per term, this model, allowing students to focus on fewer classes at a time, leads to a deeper understanding of the material and improved performance. By reducing the cognitive load, students can engage more intensively with each course, often resulting in better retention and academic success. The shorter time frame also helps maintain motivation and momentum throughout the course, reducing the likelihood of disengagement or burnout.
One of the key advantages of shortened terms is the increased flexibility they offer. This format is ideal for working adults and those with caregiving responsibilities, as it provides multiple entry points throughout the year, making it easier to start or resume their education. Students can adjust their course load as needed, allowing them to balance academic, personal, and professional commitments more effectively.
Shortened terms also accelerate the path to degree completion by enabling students to accumulate credits more quickly. This can significantly reduce the time it takes to earn a degree, resulting in lower tuition costs and allowing students to enter the workforce sooner. The ability to use summer terms more efficiently also helps students maintain year-round progress, contributing to a faster completion timeline.
Additionally, shortened terms have been shown to improve retention and success rates. With frequent course start dates, students who face life disruptions can re-enroll more quickly, preventing prolonged gaps in their education. The shorter, more frequent terms provide a sense of accomplishment at regular intervals, boosting student confidence and persistence. Students who struggle can retake courses without long delays, helping them recover quickly and stay on track.
Enhanced student engagement is another significant benefit of shortened terms. The compressed format often leads to more dynamic, interactive class sessions, fostering stronger connections between students and instructors. Many students report feeling more engaged with their peers and teachers in shorter terms, translating into better learning outcomes and higher satisfaction rates.
For institutions, shortened terms allow for more efficient use of resources. With more frequent course offerings, classroom usage is optimized, and faculty can focus on teaching fewer courses at once, which may improve the quality of instruction. This format also supports more frequent curriculum updates, ensuring programs remain relevant in rapidly changing fields.
Shortened terms also align with today’s learning preferences for focused, intensive learning experiences. They work well with online and hybrid models, which are becoming increasingly popular. Additionally, they support a more modular approach to education, allowing for easier integration of certificates and micro-credentials into degree programs.
Finally, shortened terms provide students with a better balance between academics, work, and life. The reduced course load per term can lead to less stress, improving overall well-being. Students can strategically plan breaks between terms for work opportunities or personal commitments, making it easier to manage their academic journey without sacrificing personal or professional growth.
Flexible Course Scheduling: Maximizing Student Success
Other Research and Resources
Benefits of 8 Week Terms for Walsh University https://www.walsh.edu/8-week-terms.html
To Concentrate, to Intensify, or to Shortened: https://www.montana.edu/facultyexcellence/documents/teaching/Concentrate.Intensify.Shorten.Martin..pdf
Academic Success Tip: Offer Short Term Courses https://www.insidehighered.com/news/student-success/academic-life/2024/09/03/report-how-build-eight-week-college-terms
Boeding, L. (2016). Academic Performance in Compressed Courses: A phenomenological study of community college student success.
Geltner, P., & Logan, R. (2001). The influence of term length on student success.
Sloan, R. (2017). Improving student outcomes utilizing 8-week courses.
https://data.generationlab.org/InsideHigherEd/AnnualSurvey.html#q1
https://www.aais.com/resources-insights/white-paper/the-smart-scheduling-guide-to-shortened-terms
https://achievingthedream.org/preparing-for-shortened-academic-terms-guide-workbook-and-spotlights
https://achievingthedream.org/unlocking-the-power-of-shortened-academic-terms-for-student-success/
Watch Video on Scheduling Shortened Terms at Northwest Vista College
Shortened Academic Terms College-wide Presentations
Presented on Friday, October 17, 2025
A Conversation Led By:
Dr. Darryl Jones, Vice President for Academic Affairs
Monica Parrish Trent
Dr. Monica Parrish Trent is a nationally recognized leader in higher education and
student success, currently serving as chief program and network officer at Achieving
the Dream (ATD), a national nonprofit supporting a network of over 300 community colleges
across the country. In this role, she leads large-scale, evidence-based initiatives
aimed at transforming institutions, expanding opportunities, and improving economic
mobility for millions of students.
With more than 25 years of leadership experience at diverse, multicampus community colleges, Dr. Trent has consistently championed strategic change to remove barriers to success and improve outcomes for low-income, first-generation, and historically underserved students. Her expertise spans change management, enrollment and program redesign, developmental education reform, and digital learning innovation — always with a focus on building cultures of efficacy, agency, and belonging for students, faculty, and staff alike.
A 2021–2022 Aspen Rising Presidents Fellow, Dr. Trent is a nationally recognized thought leader in system-level transformation. She serves on advisory boards for the Higher Ed Equity Network, Credential As You Go, George Mason University’s Inclusive Excellence Initiative, and Old Dominion University’s Community College Leadership Doctoral Program. Formerly, she served as a peer reviewer for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and the American Association of Community Colleges Commission on Research, Data and Accountability. Named one of Diverse: Issues in Higher Education’s Top 25 Women in Higher Education (2023), she is a frequent speaker and contributor on leadership, teaching, and student-centered innovation.
Laurie Heacock
Laurie joined the ATD coaching cadre in 2010 and has coached colleges in AL, CT, FL,
IL, MD, NC, OH, PA, TN, TX, VA, and WA. Laurie also served ATD as the vice president
of data, technology, and analytics and senior advisor of data and analytics. In those
roles, she was responsible for recruiting, managing, and training data coaches, launching
the ICAT, and building network colleges’ data, analytics, and technology capacity
through coaching, training, facilitating peer learning, and sharing curricula, tools,
and resources. Laurie led the annual ATD Data and Analytics Summit, managed ATD’s
engagement with the Postsecondary Data Partnership, and worked with partner organizations
on postsecondary metric alignment and policy advocacy.
Laurie has over 35 years of community college experience, including practitioner roles in institutional research, applied research, IT, academic advising, and instruction. She serves on the Data/Metrics Advisory Panel for the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence and on the National Student Clearinghouse’s Data Collective Advisory Council. She is a graduate of the League for Innovation’s Executive Leadership Institute. Laurie is trained in facilitation, appreciative inquiry, design thinking, process mapping, equity-minded data storytelling, guided pathways, racial equity and poverty, Kotter Change Essentials, and Franklin Covey’s 4DX.
Presented on Town Hall Thursday, November 20, 2025
At our last town hall meeting we discussed efforts to identify one or two pioneering programs that can be offered in their entirety on a seven-week basis in order to assess the opportunities and outcomes of full program offerings in a seven-week format. And we had a lengthy discussion at our town hall several weeks ago following the professional development program offered on campus by achieving the dream.
Presented on Town Hall Monday, October 27, 2025
Two weeks ago, many HCCC faculty and staff attended a professional development opportunity regarding full seven-week program offerings. For those who did not attend, the interactive session was led by Achieving the Dream colleagues and generated important and constructive discussion among HCCC family members.
Contact Information
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