TENS of thousands of Curtin University students will have their holidays shortened and study weeks slashed as the institution eyes a switch to a trimester-style academic calendar from 2020.

The move has infuriated the Curtin Student Guild, which claims the university back-flipped on a promise to drop the plans and is attempting to sneak changes through during the semester break.

The proposal will be put to the Curtin University Academic Services Committee at the end of the month, before being put to the board for final approval on July 27.

Guild president Liam O’Neill said the introduction of a summer trimester, running from early November to mid-February, would mean condensed teaching opportunities across all trimesters and the removal of study weeks and tuition-free periods. He also believed it had the potential to discourage students looking for a traditional WA university experience.

The proposed 2020 academic calendar shows the number of study weeks in each semester dropping from three to one, including removing the seven-day break before the start of exams.

Students studying across all three trimesters would have their holidays slashed from 24 weeks to 11.

A Curtin University spokeswoman stressed the institution was not proposing a mandatory trimester model and there would be no expectation that students study in all three periods to retain full-time status.

“The proposed changes are designed to facilitate inclusion of a summer study period,” the spokeswoman said.

“This will support students who may wish to fast track their studies and it will also assist part-time students who may wish to study over the summer.”

The move would bring WA into line with Curtin’s Singapore, Mauritius and Malaysia campuses and make overseas study easier to access.

Mr O’Neill said he was concerned courses would quickly become tailored to trimester delivery, leaving students no choice but to accept the model.

“If the summer semester is compulsory it would take away their ability to work full-time over the current long break,” he said.

“This is on top of the added stress these changes will have for students squeezing study, assignment and exam commitments into less time.”

Curtin University law students already operate on a trimester model, although the current eight-week break they have through summer would be reduced to a single week over Christmas under the new model.

The university said it was willing to hold off on a decision until after the semester break. The Guild plans to launch a petition against the changes.