Definition
The approximately nine-month period from late summer through spring when classes are in session, traditionally divided into semesters, quarters, or trimesters. Does not actually correspond to a calendar year, because academia loves making everything needlessly complicated.
Example Usage
The academic year runs from August to May, which means my 'yearly' salary as an adjunct covers only nine months of rent.
Origin
Structure dates to agricultural cycles when students needed summers for farm work; persists due to institutional inertia
Fun Fact
The traditional academic year calendar costs the US economy an estimated $28 billion annually in 'summer learning loss,' yet changing it faces enormous resistance.
Related Terms
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