In preparation for the upcoming credit hour shift effective in fall of 2026, Academic Affairs identified the need to revise Samford’s current academic scheduling “grid.” At the Provost’s request, the University Registrar convened a committee of campus partners, including faculty, staff, and student representatives. The committee was charged with developing a grid to best meet the needs of the entire campus community. The grid below was approved by the Executive Leadership Team effective for all courses starting in the fall of 2026.
Courses must be distributed over all listed time periods to allow for students to have equitable course selection and schedule flexibility. Our hope is that this change will positively impact students and improve classroom utilization.
| Monday (M), Wednesday (W), Friday (F) | Tuesday (T), Thursday (R) |
|---|---|
| 8:00 – 8:55 AM | 8:00 – 9:20 AM |
| 9:10 – 10:05 AM | 9:35 – 10:55 AM |
| 10:20 – 11:15 AM | 11:10 – 12:10 PM T – Convo R – Flex Time |
| 11:30 – 12:25 PM | 12:25 – 1:45 PM |
| 12:40 – 1:35 PM | 2:00 – 3:20 PM |
| 1:50 – 2:45 PM | 3:35 – 4:55 PM |
| 3:00 – 3:55 PM | |
| 4:10 – 5:05 PM |
- M/W/F classes must be 55 minutes in length to adhere to Samford’s Credit Hour Policy
- T/R classes must be 80 minutes in length to adhere to Samford’s Credit Hour Policy
- Breaks were extended from 10 minutes to 15 minutes to accommodate travel time across campus
- Flex Time = a block of time that can be utilized for labs, cadres, 1hr and 2hr courses, or various meeting needs
- Convo – still on T/R but now starting at 11:10 AM
- Course may be scheduled after 5PM as long as the time frame complies with Samford’s Credit Hour Policy
- Departments are required to follow the approved set of standard time patterns (Grid) when scheduling classes.
- To maximize student access to courses, departments are encouraged to schedule classes outside of peak hours (9 AM – 2 PM) whenever possible.
- Departments must distribute lecture and laboratory/special laboratory sections evenly between morning and afternoon hours, as well as between MWF and TR patterns.
- Standard class blocks are 55 minutes (MWF) and 80 minutes (TR). Any sections utilizing a non-traditional meeting pattern should use a start time from the Grid above to minimize conflicts with subsequent courses. See Non-traditional Meeting Patterns standards below.
| Semester Credit Hours | Days | Required Length for Class Meeting |
|---|---|---|
| 2 hour class | MW or MF or TR or WF | 55 min |
| 1 hour class | M or T or W or R or F | 55 min |
- Studio, Labs, Clinical, Practicum courses, or didactic courses taught with clinical or practicum classes.
- Graduate courses taught during peak hours (9 AM-2 PM) are exempt if they meet in a room with a capacity of 15 or less. Graduate courses taught at non-peak hours are exempt regardless of room capacity.
- The scheduling policy does not apply to summer terms.
