2008 Woodie Awards
Shortened academic year plan awaits Regents nod
BRIAN MINK
Issue date: 3/18/08 Section: News
The University may have a shorter academic calendar and more reading days if a resolution is noticed and acted upon by the Board of Regents.
The University Council Educational Affairs Committee passed the
plan Monday asking the Regents to shorten the calendar and allow the University to create extra reading days.
Denise Mewborn, committee chair, and Student Government Association President Connor McCarthy said they would develop formal wording of the plan to present to the full University Council at an upcoming meeting. The council plans to meet on Thursday.
Informally, the committee suggested a shift from a 15-week instructional period per semester to 14 weeks, developed out of an SGA proposal advocating a "preparation week" before finals.
The Regents mandate a 15-week instructional period per semester at all public colleges and universities in the state. Shortening the number of class meetings per semester would allow the University to schedule two or three reading days instead of the one it currently provides.
Committee members encouraged McCarthy to build support at other state institutions for a 14-week instructional calendar.
SGA's preparation week proposal, which McCarthy presented, includes an established week before final exams in which no assignments worth more than 15 percent of the total grade could be due.
"Often we have tests, projects [and] major papers that are due ... and that hinders" students' ability to study for final exams, McCarthy said.
Several faculty members strongly opposed the proposal as an infringement on academic freedom.
Mandating a preparation week is "telling me how to teach my class." said William Vencill, chair of University Council's Executive Committee.
"I tell my students, 'You need to be preparing for the final from day one.'"
The University Council Educational Affairs Committee passed the
plan Monday asking the Regents to shorten the calendar and allow the University to create extra reading days.
Denise Mewborn, committee chair, and Student Government Association President Connor McCarthy said they would develop formal wording of the plan to present to the full University Council at an upcoming meeting. The council plans to meet on Thursday.
Informally, the committee suggested a shift from a 15-week instructional period per semester to 14 weeks, developed out of an SGA proposal advocating a "preparation week" before finals.
The Regents mandate a 15-week instructional period per semester at all public colleges and universities in the state. Shortening the number of class meetings per semester would allow the University to schedule two or three reading days instead of the one it currently provides.
Committee members encouraged McCarthy to build support at other state institutions for a 14-week instructional calendar.
SGA's preparation week proposal, which McCarthy presented, includes an established week before final exams in which no assignments worth more than 15 percent of the total grade could be due.
"Often we have tests, projects [and] major papers that are due ... and that hinders" students' ability to study for final exams, McCarthy said.
Several faculty members strongly opposed the proposal as an infringement on academic freedom.
Mandating a preparation week is "telling me how to teach my class." said William Vencill, chair of University Council's Executive Committee.
"I tell my students, 'You need to be preparing for the final from day one.'"
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Winfield J. Abbe
posted 3/18/08 @ 7:44 AM EST
This is a bad idea. If anything the semesters should be extended in length. Students need more time to think about new and unfamiliar ideas they likely have never been exposed to. (Continued…)
anonymous
posted 3/18/08 @ 4:34 PM EST
Terrific idea. If the university wants to emulate other, more elite schools in regards to academic rigor, we should try to adopt a similar finals preparation period as well. (Continued…)
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