This document provides an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of five different academic calendars, including: traditional semester, early semester, quarter, trimester, and "4-1-4." The present California State Code defines the academic year of the California Community Colleges as 175 days, based on the K-12 standard. This constraint makes impracticable certain of the above calendar systems, specifically trimesters. Additional constraints on calendar design include articulation with K-12 public and private school calendars, and with senior institutions to which community college students transfer. The various calendars are discussed with regard to their effectiveness in promoting student progress, faculty success, staff performance, and cost effective management. In addition, surveys of various community college populations concerning their academic calendar preferences are reported. Two-thirds of the students rate their educational program under the present traditional semester calendar as satisfactory. Similarly, faculty and staff prefer the traditional semester calendar. Administrators, on the other hand, favor the early semester calendar, and specifically reject the quarter system as administratively impractical. On the basis of this information, retention of the present system in the San Diego Community College District is recommended. Survey results are appended. (Author/NHM)