A new academic schedule, originally set to be implemented this fall, has been postponed until Spring 2010, according to school officials.

The proposed schedule change calls for the elimination of 55-minute classes on Mondays and Wednesdays and replaces them with 85-minute classes like those on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The proposed schedule will also feature a common hour from Monday through Thursday.

University Registrar Joseph Capobianco said the proposed changes are a significant shift for everyone at St. John’s and officials want to ensure that the transition to the new schedule is as smooth as possible.

One of the main reasons for delaying the implementation of the schedule change is to fine-tune how Friday classes will be arranged, according to Capobianco.

“We are still in discussion about the type of classes to be held on that day – whether they be one-hour or three-hour classes,” he said.

Capobianco also said that while the number of one-hour versus three-hour classes on Fridays is still being debated, it won’t be a one-size fits all approach.

“Circumstances will vary from college to college, campus to campus,” he said.

The decision to hold off on the schedule change was made on Feb. 19 after numerous discussions with University administrators and deans, Capobianco said.

Dr. Julia Upton, university provost, also confirmed the decision to stick with the current academic schedule for next semester.
“We are being cautious. You always have to have a back-up plan,” she said.

“You just never know with these things, and we feel it is better to be prepared.”

Capobianco said that between now and the Spring 2010 semester, administrators will continue to fine tune the proposed schedule change.

Some students said that they wished they were part of the decision-making process regarding the schedule change.

“I was an orientation leader, and students are required to fill out surveys there, so why not slip in a question about preferred schedules?” said senior Jen Rais.

Senior Astley Graham agreed, but said that waiting an extra semester before implementing the change could be a good thing.

“The delay is fine,” he said. “Give them time to get it right.”
Some students do not like the idea of eliminating 55-minute classes on Mondays and Wednesdays.

“I get easily bored in 50 minutes, so doing more than an hour for each class could get me stressed out,” said freshman Lily Yu.
Rais believes that making most classes 85-minutes long could prove problematic for certain subject areas.

“Certain classes should not be an hour and a half because of the requirements for the class,” she said.

“And some students prefer hour-long classes. Many students pick hour-long classes for a reason.”