The University’s planned schedule change for next semester is drawing a mixed reaction from students.
The new schedule eliminates 55-minute classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and replaces them with 80-minute classes on a Monday/Thursday, Tuesday/Friday schedule.
The new schedule will also designate all three-hour classes to Wednesdays and Saturdays, and common hour will take place on Wednesdays instead of Tuesdays andThursdays.
“The decrease from two common hours to one a week will disrupt student activities, allowing clubs to meet only once a week or limiting students to one club,” said Kamara Edwards, a junior. “I think this will really hurt student organizations, as well as student life.”
In 2008, University officials announced schedule modifications that were planned for the fall 2009 semester.
Under this plan, 55-minute classes on Mondays and Wednesdays were also removed and replaced with 85- minute classes like those on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
This schedule included the addition of two more common hours bumping them up Mondays through Thursdays.
This schedule plan was postponed for the spring 2010 semester and eventually turned into the latest schedule proposal.
“There was a concern with that, that itwould become a four-day University andstudents didn’t want that to be happeningand Student Life didn’t want that to behappening,” Julia Upton, UniversityProvost, told the TORCH Feb. 10.
According to Student Government,Inc. members, surveys were given tostudents last school year asking whatUniversity policies they wanted to seechanged and modifying the class schedulewas the biggest concern.
SGI president Patrick McBurney saidhe thinks the new schedule will benefi tstudent organizations and should belooked at as an opportunity.
“Anytime you change the status quo,there will be some kind of impact,” hesaid.
“It’s going to up to the organizationsto make the best of it. The new scheduleshould put more of an emphasis onprogramming, especially programming atnight.”
Sholanty Taylor, a sophomore, saidshe does not like the fact that commonhour will be reduced to once a week.
“The schedule change is going tocause a lot of frustration for people whoare really involved,” she said.Katie Belackas, a freshman, alsothinks that student engagement willsuffer.
“I think two common hours are easierto get involved, having just one day limitsstudent involvement,” she said.
Upton said that although the changesmight not be popular, it will be benefi cialto students.
“In the end, it’s not a popularitycontest,” she said in an interview withthe TORCH on Feb. 12. “It’s a decisionbased on what’s going to make a betteruniversity.”
“In 80 minutes you can have moresubstantial discussion. More studentsenroll in these classes and professorswant to teach those classes.”
Jodi Cox, director of CampusActivities, also stressed the importance ofstudent organizations taking the initiativein terms of their programming.
“Since we cannot predict whatwill happen, Campus Activities andultimately our student leaders will haveto remain open to change and proactivewith our efforts to reach as many studentsas possible during our programmingefforts,” she said.