termyear

Termyear, or term-year, is a calendar concept used primarily in educational administration to organize a calendar year around academic terms rather than standard semesters or quarters. In a termyear, the year is divided into three or four terms, each with its own instructional period, assessments, and breaks. The structure aims to align scheduling, budgeting, and progression with recurring term-based blocks rather than a single annual cycle.

In a tri-term model, the year typically consists of three terms—such as Fall, Winter, and Spring—plus an extended summer break. In a quad-term model, the year is split into four terms—Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer—with shorter summer and inter-term periods. The exact length of each term varies by institution but often ranges from about 8 to 14 weeks, with breaks between terms. The summer term, when present, may be optional or shorter to accommodate holidays, internships, or intensive courses.

Usage and variants: Termyears are most commonly found in certain schools, colleges, and specialized programs that prefer term-based progression and assessment cycles. Some organizations adopt termyears to streamline admissions, funding blocks, or modular scheduling. Others operate within more traditional semester or quarterly calendars and use termyear concepts primarily in internal planning documents.

See also: academic year, semester, term, fiscal year.