The purpose of this protocol is to establish a mechanism in which an annual academic and administrative calendar for an upcoming year can be established so that the entire University community is fully-informed of all significant academic and administrative activities in advance. 

Scope

This is an interdepartmental protocol between the Academic Department and the Administrative Department.

Referenced Laws, Regulations, and/or Policies 

This is the University protocol.

Protocol

Determining an institutional calendar that shows institution-wide academic as well as administrative activities requires collaborative efforts among different offices and units of the departments. An institutional calendar, which runs from July–June must include significant academic dates, important student service activities, crucial administrative activities, institutional holidays, administrative holidays, and academic recesses. All the activities and dates shown on an institutional calendar must be of consequence to other offices and units of the University. All this information on a single institutional calendar ensures close collaboration and streamlining among different offices and units. This is particularly important, given the fact that academic and administrative staff working within the University reside in different time zones and countries. An institutional calendar must be released to the University community via email and on the website at the end of April each year, and the Unit of Student Support Services must be in charge of gathering this information from all relevant units from the University and presenting them in an institutional calendar. 

Significant Academic Dates

The institutional calendar must include all significant dates and activities regarding the academic undertaking of the University. Every February, the Dean of Academic Affairs, the Registrar, and the Director of Admissions and Students Affairs must collectively identify all important academic dates for an upcoming year. These dates must include, at minimum, beginning and end of semesters, registration, adding/dropping courses, withdrawal from a course, the workshops/programs, orientation, grades submission, first and last faculty meetings, academic recesses, and Year-specific activities (major declaration at the end of second year, thesis submission for seniors). All these activities and dates from different offices of the University must be coherent and consistent for the service of students. 

Important Student Service Activities

The institutional calendar must include Important Student Services activities planned for an upcoming year. Given the fact that the University is offering only online courses, the University must develop institution-wide activities to build a collegiate environment. The Unit of Student Support Services must invite student-led groups to participate in planning for institution-wide activities, and these activities will then need to be included in the calendar so that all members of the University can participate. 

Crucial Administrative Activities

Each Administrative Office under the Administrative Department must identify administrative activities that members of the University must be aware of. For example, financial clearance or payment dates must be clearly communicated in the institutional calendar. 

Institutional Holidays

Given the fact that the University is licensed in the United States, while the primary population of beneficiaries is in Burma and Southeast Asia, declaring institutional holidays is an important activity. All public holidays as observed in the United States will be declared as institutional holidays. To honor the roots of the University, the University will select some of the public holidays as observed in Burma and declare them as institutional holidays.  Therefore significant national Burmese holidays such as the New Year Festival in April and Lighting Festival in October will be celebrated as institutional holidays, and therefore will be included in the institutional calendar. It is to be noted that some of these holidays are practiced not only in Burma alone, but also in other Southeast Asia countries. There will be no academic and administrative activities on institutional holidays. As no teaching takes place during the institutional holidays, faculty shall take the institutional calendar into account when designing their courses so that course objectives and student learning outcomes  will still be achieved. For example, content of class sessions that fall on institutional holidays could be offered through make-up classes or through pre-recorded lessons. 

Administrative Holidays

Even though the University is licensed in the United States, the administrative staff of the University are employed by either the US-based Parami University, Inc. or the Burma-based Parami University Company Limited by Guarantee. Therefore, the University will announce, in advance, all administrative holidays that are to be observed by the staff of both entities to avoid confusion and to promote productivity. All institutional holidays are, by definition, administrative holidays, although the reverse is NOT true. Teaching will happen on some administrative holidays, if they are not institutional holidays.

Academic Recesses 

The University will announce several academic recesses throughout the year. Academic recesses are established to suit academic purposes. There will be no teaching during academic recesses. However, administrative staff will be required to work during academic recesses unless they are institutional holidays.

Staff Leave Entitlements 

All leave requests, with the exception of sick leave and parental leave, will be reviewed in light of compatibility with institution-wide academic as well as administrative activities in the institutional calendar. 

Review

The Unit of Student Support Services is responsible for ensuring compliance with this protocol in various offices of the University. 

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