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Semester & Session Management Requirements

Story Prefix: SEM Feature Area: Semester & Session Management System Overview: university-reg-features.md Related docs: Student Registration (reg windows consumed by students) → student-registration-requirements.md | Academic Records (grade submission deadline) → academic-records-requirements.md | Course Waitlists (waitlist deadline) → course-waitlists-requirements.md

SEM-001: Create a New Academic Term​

As a Registrar I want to create a new academic term in the system So that courses can be scheduled, sections offered, and students registered for that period

Acceptance Criteria​

  • Registrars and Administrators can create a term with: name (e.g., "Fall 2026"), term type (semester/quarter/summer), start date, and end date
  • Term names must be unique; duplicate names are rejected with an error
  • A new term defaults to "Draft" status and is not visible to students until published
  • Registrars can publish a term, making it visible in the catalogue and available for section scheduling

SEM-002: Set Registration Open/Close Dates per Term​

As a Registrar I want to configure when registration opens and closes for each term So that students can only register during the designated window

Acceptance Criteria​

  • Registrars and Administrators can set a registration open date/time and a close date/time per term
  • Registration is automatically enabled and disabled by the system at the configured dates/times without manual intervention
  • Attempting to register outside the window displays a clear message stating when registration opens or closed
  • Registrars can manually open or close registration early for exceptional circumstances, with the change logged in the audit trail (AUTH-010)
  • Priority group registration windows (see CAP-004) are configurable as sub-windows within the overall registration window

SEM-003: Set Add/Drop Deadline per Term​

As a Registrar I want to define the add/drop deadline for each term So that students and staff know the last date for penalty-free schedule changes

Acceptance Criteria​

  • Registrars and Administrators can set an add/drop deadline (date and time) per term
  • The deadline is displayed prominently on the student registration summary (REG-004) and in the course catalogue
  • After the deadline, course adds are blocked for students; drops are still possible but result in a "W" grade and may require advisor approval
  • Automated reminders are sent to enrolled students 7 days and 1 day before the add/drop deadline (see notifications-requirements.md)

SEM-004: Manage Multiple Concurrent Academic Sessions​

As a Registrar I want to run multiple academic sessions simultaneously So that the university can offer standard semester, summer, and accelerated courses concurrently

Acceptance Criteria​

  • The system supports multiple active terms at the same time (e.g., Spring 2026 and Summer 2026 can be open simultaneously)
  • Each term has its own independent registration window, add/drop deadline, and course sections
  • Students can view registrations across all active terms from their registration summary (REG-004)
  • Section scheduling tools clearly indicate which term each section belongs to and prevent accidental assignment to the wrong term

SEM-005: Configure Application Deadlines for Special Programs​

As a Registrar I want to set application deadlines for special programs (e.g., honors, scholarships, study abroad) So that students are aware of and can meet program-specific requirements

Acceptance Criteria​

  • Registrars and Administrators can create program deadline entries with: program name, application open date, application deadline, and a contact email/URL for more information
  • Program deadlines are displayed on a student-facing "Deadlines" page and on the main student dashboard
  • Automated reminders are sent to eligible students 14 days and 3 days before each program deadline (see notifications-requirements.md)
  • Past deadlines are archived and visible to staff but hidden from the student-facing view

SEM-006: Archive a Completed Term​

As a Registrar I want to archive a term once it is complete So that historical data is preserved and the active term list remains uncluttered

Acceptance Criteria​

  • A term can be archived only after its end date has passed and all grades have been submitted (REC-007)
  • Archiving a term is reversible by an Administrator (terms can be unarchived for corrections)
  • Archived terms are hidden from active registration views but remain fully accessible in academic records and reports
  • Students can view archived term enrollment history in their academic records (REC-002)