Summer Semester

This playbook provides academic units, departments, and Dean’s offices with comprehensive guidance for planning and managing UVM’s Summer Term (called Summer U for marketing purposes). It outlines policies, procedures, and best practices for course scheduling, budgeting, faculty hiring, and student support. The goal is to ensure a smooth, data-informed, and student-centered approach to summer operations that advances institutional priorities for enrollment growth, academic excellence, and financial sustainability.  The Summer Term plays a critical role in UVM’s academic and financial ecosystem. Our strategic priorities include:

  1. Expanding access and flexibility for students seeking to accelerate degree completion or explore new academic areas.
  2. Optimizing enrollment and revenue through data-informed scheduling and targeted program development.
  3. Supporting student success by offering high-demand courses and ensuring continuity of academic progress.
  4. Encouraging innovation in teaching modalities, including online, hybrid, and experiential learning.

Summer operates differently than other academic terms.  During Summer, departments handle course identification and scheduling, faculty recruitment, and enrollment review; Dean’s Offices ensure academic quality, approve budgets, and maintain alignment with college priorities; and PACE oversees the summer schedule, prepares preliminary budgets for unit approval, manages contracts and payments for most courses, and provides marketing, enrollment support, and analytics to guide decision-making.  Primary contacts to make Summer Semester a success are:

  • PACE Academic Operations: guidance on scheduling, budgeting, and contract processes
  • PACE Academic Operations: Faculty hiring, contracts, and payroll, and guidance on scheduling, budgeting, and contract processes
  • PACE Enrollment & Marketing: marketing, promotions, and communications
  • Academic Unit Dean’s Offices: academic oversight and coordination
  • UVM HR Operations: faculty appointment setup and compliance
  • UVM Payroll: Payroll schedule, deadlines, and payments
  • UVM Registrar’s Office: schedule of courses dates and deadlines

Questions should be directed first to PACE Academic Operations (Amanda Chase). If escalation is needed, PACE leadership will coordinate directly with the Dean’s office and HR.