Schedule

What is the schedule for the semester? What deadlines do I need to meet?

Program Schedule

  • Pre-registration and tutorial scheduling period: Students admitted to a course during the pre-registration period will be asked to submit schedule information to the FCCWL office at fcmlp2@umass.edu by the end of pre-registration. Students included in this first round of scheduling will receive tutorial times and times for "to be assigned" conversation sessions in May/June for the following fall semester and in late Dec./early Jan. for the spring semester. Students applying for courses after the first round of scheduling will need to be able to fit into remaining available slots in order to be given approval to register.
  • Prior to the start of the semester:
    Purchase textbooks; locate syllabus and study guides; access required multimedia material. If you have any problems finding textbooks or accessing other materials, contact the FCCWL staff as soon as possible for assistance.
  • First week of the semester:
    Attend your first tutorial and conversation session with the first week's assignment from your syllabus already prepared. There will be no general introduction to the course; your mentors and conversation partners will start working with you immediately on the assigned language learning materials. This online tutorial functions as your orientation and introduction to the course format and requirements.
  • Schedule changes during add/drop:
    If you develop a schedule conflict with your tutorial or conversation session times during add/drop, you will no longer be guaranteed a space in the course. If there are alternate spaces available, you may request a change, but changes are not guaranteed and the opportunites to change to a different time are extremely limited.
  • During the semester:
    Organize your time wisely. Set regular daily times for oral and written work. Homework is due at your tutorial. Self-assessments are due at the end of every week. Self-assessments will be considered late if they arrive after 9:00 am the following Monday morning.
  • Holiday and Break Schedules:
    All sessions meet on the regularly scheduled day and time throughout the semester. This includes fall break (Colombus Day weekend) and other days when only one campus has days off or follows an altered schedule, such as Mountain Day, Rally Day, Advising days, federal/state holidays at UMass, and days when UMass follows an alternate day's schedule. The only weeks when sessions are cancelled are Thanksgiving week in the fall and Spring Break week in the spring semester. Address questions about your individual situation to the FCCWL staff.
  • Full-course mid-terms:
    Students in full courses will have midterms around the 5-6th week of the semester. Consult your syllabus for the dates. The mid-terms mark the end of the first half course. Mid-term orals are typically held during the student's regular tutorial time. There will be drop-in hours for completing the writing skills assessment.
  • End of the semester final oral evaluation scheduling:
    Scheduling individual oral evaluations for all FCCSWL students is a monumental task each semester. The outside evaluators have very tight schedules and there is a limited window of opportunity within which oral evaluations can be conducted. The program assistant in charge of scheduling will request updated schedules from all students in mid-Oct. or mid-March. STUDENTS MUST REPLY PROMPTLY WITH UPDATED SCHEDULE INFORMATION. Students who fail to reply will be scheduled without consultation and will be required to meet the time scheduled or take an F for the evaluation. Students must be aware that it may be necessary to reschedule work study or other non-academic commitments in order to take an oral evaluation.
  • Final evaluation period:
    The dates for the final evaluation period are on the syllabus. Do not make travel plans before you know the date and time of your final oral evaluation. If you anticipate a serious conflict, discuss your situation with the program director/associate director prior to the start of the semester in order to see if it is still possible for you to take the course.