Published by Acadeum
The winter intersession, often known as J-term or winter term, is a powerful tool for helping students stay on track toward graduation. It provides a flexible and impactful way for learners to catch up, get ahead, and make the most of their academic journey. It’s particularly beneficial for students who may be working part-time, need to make up credits, or want to get a head start on their next semester. For example, a student who took nine credits in the fall could take a winter intersession course to reach full-time status before the spring term. This term is also valuable for student-athletes who need to catch up on a dropped course. With Acadeum course share, it’s easy to leverage this powerful tool. Read on to hear about intersession success stories from the Acadeum network, as well as how to leverage existing financial aid and early planning for an effective intersession launch at your own institution.
Winter Intersession in Action Across the Acadeum Network
Olivet Nazarene University, a private Christian university in Illinois, has found great success in implementing a winter intersession. According to Mark Mountain, the university’s registrar, “We’ve seen many benefits of having our students take a winter course through course sharing on the Acadeum network. It’s helped our student-athletes remain academically eligible for competition, kept students on track in their academic programs, and helped students complete graduation requirements in a timely manner.”
The University of the Ozarks also saw significant success with its winter term. By promoting the program during early November’s spring pre-registration, the university helped students remedy academic deficiencies and take courses they couldn’t access on campus. This allowed students to get ahead on electives, like an extra philosophy course, and helped those who might otherwise have been delayed till fall graduate in the spring or summer. The winter term proved to be a very beneficial and exciting outcome for their students.
The success stories at Olivet Nazarene University and the University of the Ozarks clearly show that a winter intersession can be a powerful tool for student progress, and these institutions have seen firsthand how a well-implemented winter term can help students stay on track toward graduation, catch up on credits, and even get ahead academically. The question isn’t whether a winter intersession is valuable, but rather, what best practices are needed to make it a success at your institution?
Financial Aid: Leveraging Unused Eligibility
One of the most common questions about winter intersession is how financial aid works. For most students, there’s no special federal financial aid application required. The key is to assess if a student has “unused eligibility” from the fall semester. If a student was enrolled in fewer than twelve credits in the fall, they may be able to use the remaining Pell Grant or other aid to cover the cost of a winter intersession course. It’s crucial to advise students not to use their spring aid for the winter session if they plan to be full-time in the spring. However, if they know they will be part-time in the spring, it may be an option to tack the winter course onto the spring term.
The Importance of Early Planning and Communication
To successfully launch a winter intersession, it’s essential to plan early. The conversation should start with students, advisors, and financial aid teams in early fall. Early planning ensures that students understand their options and that financial and academic aspects align. The planning should carefully merge the student’s academic perspective with their financial situation. This approach prevents a student from unexpectedly receiving a bill in the spring because all aid was used on a winter course.
Launching Your Winter Intersession
To get started, Acadeum recommends the following steps:
Talk to your teams now: Have conversations with your advisors and financial aid staff about the benefits and logistics of adding a winter intersession at your school.
Assess unused aid: Work with your financial aid office to identify students who have unused fall eligibility.
Promote courses: Highlight available winter courses through the Acadeum network that students will need to stay on track.
By focusing on these best practices, institutions can create a winter intersession that is academically and financially beneficial for students, helping them succeed on their path to graduation.
A successful winter intersession is more than a short-term academic fix—it’s a long-term investment in student success. The benefits that leaders at institutions like Olivet Nazarene University and the University of the Ozarks have experienced demonstrate that a proactive, student-centered approach can increase retention and on-time graduation rates. By implementing these key best practices—from assessing unused financial aid to promoting courses early—your institution can transform its winter intersession into a powerful engine for helping students achieve their academic goals and stay on the path to graduation.
Additional Resources:
Winter Intercession Guide: https://go.acadeum.com/winter-term-course-sharing-guide
Institutional Spotlight: https://go.acadeum.com/supportingthemoderndaylearner
Institutional Spotlight: https://go.acadeum.com/enhancingstudentopportunitiesumsv
