On behalf of the project team, I would like to recognise and thank all colleagues for their considerable efforts. Academic and professional staff colleagues within Schools have been making critical curriculum changes, including reductions to exams, while colleagues across our Professional Services have been adapting their operational plans and services to meet the calendar changes coming into effect in 2025/26 and beyond.
The work to date is a testament to the engagement, effort, and time that have gone into this. It goes without saying (but we’ll say it anyway) that change is complicated and sometimes difficult, your patience and continued support are both welcomed, essential and not taken for granted.
As a result of our collective effort and focus, we have already made significant progress towards making changes which will support the following developments coming into effect in the new academic year 2025/26:
- The 2026 Futures Festival (previously known as Loughborough Employability Week) will include a wide range of careers employability, innovation and entrepreneurship activities delivered both in-person and online.
- The Easter break will be reduced from its current four weeks to three weeks to accommodate the academic year starting one week earlier from 2026/27.
- Wolfson, Loughborough Business School, and Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering are piloting a Study week in Week 7 of Semester 1 to help test and inform the wider adoption of this week across the University in 2026/27. The School of Social Sciences and Humanities will continue to hold its Study Week in Week 6 of Semester 1 as in previous years, before moving its study week to Week 7 in 2026/27.
More information on the Academic Year Changes can be found on the project website.
Although our work on this project continues, for now, we hope you enjoy the opportunity to celebrate our students’ successes at graduation next week. Thank you all again and let’s keep the conversation moving forward, together.