TO: Academic Units
FROM: Andrew Blick, Director and Kris Lewis, Assistant Director
SUBJECT: PLANNING FOR SUMMER SESSION 2026
Summer Session 2026 Planning Highlights
- February 2 – Planning schedules are due to Outreach and Continuing Education from the colleges.
- December 1-February 3 – Banner system availability for course input and changes *after this date, any changes will require a change form
- Mid-February – Summer Session website and ClassFinder/Browse Classes will be available.
- REMINDER: This Banner form “SSAACDL – Calculated Drop” will continue to be part of summer session course set-up (was effective Summer Session 2021). Contact the Registrar’s Office for training opportunities.
For more information, review the Calculated Drop Guide
- REMINDER: This Banner form “SSAACDL – Calculated Drop” will continue to be part of summer session course set-up (was effective Summer Session 2021). Contact the Registrar’s Office for training opportunities.
- Review the CBA – WWU and United Faculty of Western Washington for the latest updates about Summer Session.
- Review the ACC’s information on credit hour account, course modality approval requirements, and all other necessary curricular processes.
Timeline and Planning Process
A full calendar is available on the Summer Session Timeline page.
To assist you with planning, please refer to the Summer Session Department Planning Resource Sheet and the Planning Form Key (available on the Staff Resources page).
All planning schedules must be routed to department chairs and college deans for review and approval before sending them to Outreach and Continuing Education. The dean, after consulting with departments and with input from Outreach and Continuing Education, determines the Summer Session schedule. Outreach and Continuing Education will do a final review of the planning schedule and contact the appropriate dean’s office for questions or clarification.
Planning materials and information for Summer Session are available on the Summer Session Planning Resources page.
Information available (or forthcoming) includes:
- Department Planning Resource Document
- Planning Document Key (Terminology and Explanation)
- Summer Session Timeline/Calendar
- Block Schedule Guidelines
- Summer Session Reporting
- Tuition and Fee Information
- Summer Session Budget Codes
- Summer Session Contracting Manual (forthcoming)
- CBA – WWU and United Faculty of Western Washington
Summer Session Course Considerations
Online Learning – Faculty are able to participate in training related to online course design and development. Please e-mail WesternOnline@wwu.edu for additional information regarding upcoming workshops and events or visit Western Online’s homepage for additional information.
Course Dates – Summer Session courses should follow the 6- or 9-week schedule, with the exception of sequenced courses (e.g. SPAN 201, 202, and 203 each as a 3-week course). For additional information on course scheduling, refer to the “Summer Session Scheduling / Block Scheduling” page.
High Demand Courses – courses during the academic year that fill quickly quarter after quarter, create bottlenecks for students trying to advance in their major/minor, or are just popular with students, are great options for summer offerings. Offering high-demand sections in the summer reduces and relieves pressure for students and can also make an impact on overall enrollment.
Refer to OIE Fact Book for additional planning resources.
Summer Session Planning Drop-In Sessions
To support department set-up of Summer Session courses, we have scheduled the following planning drop-in sessions. Sessions will be held via MS Teams:
- Tuesday, December 9th from 2-3 PM – Join Session Via Teams
- Tuesday, January 13th from 9-10 AM – Join Session Via Teams
- Wednesday, January 21st from 11 AM – 12 PM – Join Session Via Teams
Summer Session Tuition and Fees
Tuition rates for 2026 have been approved by the Board of Trustees. Other fees will be reviewed and approved by the Board of Trustees and will be posted at a later date on our website.
Marketing and Publicity Efforts
We will continue to promote Summer Session student-focused activities to raise awareness of Summer Session opportunities.
As always, we appreciate your support with Summer Session planning and activities. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns, or if you would like to schedule a meeting to review and discuss your Summer Session schedule.