College Division of the Day

In order to protect the wealth and diversity of activities at Williams, first academics, but also athletics, performances, cultural events, volunteer work, and others, the College has reserved the hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 to 9:40 p.m. Monday evening for academic courses. This rule, which is overseen by the Calendar and Schedule Committee (CSC), is called the “Division of the Day.”

All required class meetings, events, and activities, including tutorial meetings, normally should be scheduled during these hours. Classes and labs should end at the publicized hours, and a student, who has to leave on time, whether it’s to attend another class or an extracurricular activity, should never be put at a disadvantage. All extracurricular activities, including athletic captains’ practices and suiting up, should be scheduled outside these hours. We suggest scheduling evening events such as rehearsals no earlier than 8 p.m. to avoid conflicts with occasional evening exams.

Athletic conflicts during regular hours
As noted above, all extra-curricular activities including athletic practices and suiting up should be scheduled outside of regular class hours. However, because athletic competitions involve coordination of schedules with other schools, in some cases competitions or travel to competitions may conflict with the Division of the Day. Such potential conflicts are monitored by the Athletics Committee.  It is important that student-athletes consult with their instructors at least a week before missing classes.