"Dead week" is the last week of instruction. In a memo dated February 21, 1991, the Committee on Educational Policy recommended that instructors ". . . use the last week of instruction as a 'summary' or 'reading' week in preparation for upcoming finals. During such week, no new tests would be administered, no new material would be covered, no new readings would be assigned. However, this is only a recommendation... Also, the recommendation should not be taken as a blanket one. For example, as stated in our memo of November 20, 1984, seminars, laboratories, and other courses that do not have finals would not be affected by the recommendation; even though instructors in such courses should want to keep in mind that their students must prepare for finals in other courses. It is finally the opinion of Committee on Educational Policy that no athletic or other extracurricular activities involving undergraduate students should be scheduled during the last week of instruction." Consult the Handbook of the Committee on Courses of Instruction for current procedures.

"Dead week" is not the same as "exam prep days," which are the days between the last day of classes and the first day of final exams. This period varies in length, depending on the Academic Calendar.

last updated on 3/15/07