After receiving three consecutive snow days for the first time in MU’s history last week, students will pay the price later in the semester with a series of makeup days, university officials say.

Faculty Council chairwoman Leona Rubin said the council is working on a plan to make up for lost time but does not yet have any concrete plans.

In an mass e-mail last week, Chancellor Brady Deaton said faculty members should not make any adjustments to their class or final exam schedules until a final decision is reached.

Rubin said there is a possibility of the academic calendar changing.

The MU spring semester, which began Jan. 18, is currently scheduled to conclude May 13.

“We have to deal with the Missouri Department of Higher Education requirements with the number of hours that students are required to be in class for a certain amount of credits,” Rubin said. “We have to do this without messing up finals week or compromising any Saturdays for religious reasons.”

According to the public policies of the MDHE, one semester credit hour consists of 750 minutes of instructional time, or 15 weeks of a 50-minute class period.

In order for students to receive credit recognized by the state, the missed class time will have to be accounted for.

“That’s the reason we’re trying to deal with this quickly,” Rubin said. “We know faculty and students are trying to figure it out.”

Faculty Council will likely have decided on a course of action that should be announced by the Provost’s office before the meeting next week. Rubin ascertained the dates for graduation will not change.

At the meeting next week, the council will also be discussing the proposed diversity course requirement. The proposal was on the agenda for the last meeting, which had to be canceled due to the inclement weather.