David Lanier, University registrar and head of the committee that submits calendar proposals to the chancellor, said the coming year's calendar has already been published but that changes will likely take place for the 2003-04 school year.
With a shortened calendar, Lanier said, the academic year likely will start a week later in the fall of 2003 and end a week earlier in the spring of 2004.
Lanier said faculty, students and staff typically plan vacations and time off around the calendar once it is published. Changing the 2002-03 calendar now would disrupt people's plans, he said.
The committee will meet Monday to discuss the next calendar and create a proposal for submission to the chancellor and the provost. The final calendar is usually approved in April.
Eric Mlyn, director of the Robertson Scholars Program, said a shortened calendar year would better allow Robertson Scholars to take classes at Duke University. "We're trying to enhance collaboration between the campuses," he said. "Different calendars make that difficult."
Sue Estroff, chairwoman of the UNC Faculty Council, also said she was delighted by the decision.
"As soon as we can implement it, we will," she said. "We think it's best for the students and best for the faculty."
Senior Adina Dubin, one of four students on the calendar committee, said rigid calendar requirements caused administrative problems and did not allow the school to fully meet student needs.
But Lanier said the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce might prefer that the UNC campus's calendar remain the same.
