Research & Reports
As the demands on today’s students continue to evolve, the traditional 15- or 16-week semester model doesn’t always serve their needs. As students juggle work, family, and education, they need more flexible options to help them achieve their goals without sacrificing quality or momentum. This is where shortened academic terms come in.
Research has shown that such flexibility can significantly improve retention rates, accelerate degree completion, and enhance academic outcomes for students who may struggle with the pace of traditional semester-length courses.
Benefits of shortened academic terms
Because a shortened academic term format typically requires fewer courses per term, this model, allowing students to focus on fewer classes at a time, leads to a deeper understanding of the material and improved performance. By reducing the cognitive load, students can engage more intensively with each course, often resulting in better retention and academic success. The shorter time frame also helps maintain motivation and momentum throughout the course, reducing the likelihood of disengagement or burnout.
One of the key advantages of shortened terms is the increased flexibility they offer. This format is ideal for working adults and those with caregiving responsibilities, as it provides multiple entry points throughout the year, making it easier to start or resume their education. Students can adjust their course load as needed, allowing them to balance academic, personal, and professional commitments more effectively.
Shortened terms also accelerate the path to degree completion by enabling students to accumulate credits more quickly. This can significantly reduce the time it takes to earn a degree, resulting in lower tuition costs and allowing students to enter the workforce sooner. The ability to use summer terms more efficiently also helps students maintain year-round progress, contributing to a faster completion timeline.
Additionally, shortened terms have been shown to improve retention and success rates. With frequent course start dates, students who face life disruptions can re-enroll more quickly, preventing prolonged gaps in their education. The shorter, more frequent terms provide a sense of accomplishment at regular intervals, boosting student confidence and persistence. Students who struggle can retake courses without long delays, helping them recover quickly and stay on track.
Enhanced student engagement is another significant benefit of shortened terms. The compressed format often leads to more dynamic, interactive class sessions, fostering stronger connections between students and instructors. Many students report feeling more engaged with their peers and teachers in shorter terms, translating into better learning outcomes and higher satisfaction rates.
For institutions, shortened terms allow for more efficient use of resources. With more frequent course offerings, classroom usage is optimized, and faculty can focus on teaching fewer courses at once, which may improve the quality of instruction. This format also supports more frequent curriculum updates, ensuring programs remain relevant in rapidly changing fields.
Shortened terms also align with today’s learning preferences for focused, intensive learning experiences. They work well with online and hybrid models, which are becoming increasingly popular. Additionally, they support a more modular approach to education, allowing for easier integration of certificates and microcredentials into degree programs.
Finally, shortened terms provide students with a better balance between academics, work, and life. The reduced course load per term can lead to less stress, improving overall well-being. Students can strategically plan breaks between terms for work opportunities or personal commitments, making it easier to manage their academic journey without sacrificing personal or professional growth.
An ATD tool for implementation
Introducing and implementing shortened academic terms, however, is not without challenges. A study at Waukesha County Technical College found that while course success rates improved from 63.2% to 75.3% following the adoption of an eight-week term, significant upfront adjustments in educational planning and resource allocation are necessary to ensure success. This is where Achieving the Dream’s expertise can support colleges as they begin their institutional journey with implementing shortened academic terms.
ATD’s Preparing for Shortened Academic Terms: A Guide synthesizes case studies and practitioner expertise to illustrate how compressed course formats can increase flexibility, engagement, and completion rates, particularly for community college students. Research and practitioner data from Trident Technical College, Odessa College, and Amarillo College exemplify how shortened academic terms can transform the student experience, helping students balance responsibilities while achieving academic success:
- Trident Technical College saw an increase in student course success rates from 63.2% to 75.3%, alongside a significant drop in withdrawal rates after it implemented shorter terms.
- Odessa College, after introducing eight-week courses, saw credit accumulation rise, leading to more full-time students and shorter times to credential completion. In just two years after implementing shortened academic terms, Odessa experienced a 26% increase in first-time-in-college enrollment, and its graduation rate doubled to 42%.
- Amarillo College saw improved retention rates and greater student engagement. Faculty at Amarillo College reported stronger connections with students, which contributed to a more supportive learning environment and higher student satisfaction.
Shaped by the experiences of these and other colleges, the guide, and its accompanying workbook, includes strategies, best practices, and resources to help institutions prepare for and implement the transition to shorter, more flexible terms.
An ATD learning opportunity
On Oct. 11, ATD, with support from Ascendium Education Group, will host a virtual workshop, “Redesign for Results: Leveraging Shortened Terms for Student Success,” which is designed for institutions that are considering or in the early stages of implementing shortened academic terms.
Ideal for faculty, advisors, department chairs, and instructional designers, the workshop will explore evidence-based practices for redesigning courses and advising sessions. It will also encourage collaborative learning and practical application of knowledge, as participants will engage in discussions with peers from institutions at similar stages of implementation and will participate in hands-on activities designed to develop initial implementation strategies.
Transforming an institution’s approach to course formatting from a traditional model to a compressed model must be executed with great forethought and planning. With ramifications to course delivery, student support services, and institutional structures, such a transformation is best undertaken with expert guidance. While the adoption — and eventual scaling — of shortened academic terms requires an initial investment of resources, this innovative approach holds great potential to align with a college’s broader student success strategies, creating a more flexible, responsive, and successful learning environment for all students.
Register for the workshop.