Are you trying to meet that essay deadline? Spending all night in the Library? Or mugging up for an important exam?

Just take a minute, though, to put Thursday 20 September in your diary – because the structure of the academic year is changing this autumn.

September 2012 will see the implementation of one of the biggest teaching developments at Sussex in recent years.

From September, there will still be three terms (autumn, spring and summer), but now there will be two 12-week periods of teaching – one in the autumn, one in the spring.

The Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning), Professor Clare Mackie, explains: “The 12-week teaching period will enable more effective feedback to students during their course.”

Because the teaching period is 12 weeks rather than 10, teaching will start earlier than in previous years – on Thursday 20 September.

There will be a mid-year examination and assessment period in January, between the autumn and spring terms.

Professor Mackie says: “The mid-year assessment period reduces the heavy exam load at the end of the year, enabling students to be assessed on courses they’ve just completed.

“The 12-week teaching periods and the mid-year exam period will improve assessment and feedback for Sussex students – which is something that students consistently say that they want.”

The summer term will be mainly for end-of-year examinations and assessment (although postgraduates may have some teaching).

That’s next summer, of course. Right now you’re probably more concerned about this summer. But when you’ve submitted that essay and got that exam out of the way, find out more about the changes at www.sussex.ac.uk/sept2012

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