The Ball State University Senate voted Thursday to eliminate Saturday finals by making finals week Monday through Friday with fall commencement on Saturday.
The motion, which passed 21-14, now faces implementation decisions from the Office of the President and the provost. Both President Jo Ann Gora and Provost Beverley Pitts voted against the motion.
"This is not a good idea without knowing what's going to happen to that last Monday night class," Pitts said. "Classes shouldn't have to lose a whole week just because people don't want Saturday finals."
After the university eliminated Monday classes to recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day, it never came up with a way to make up the lost Monday classes.
"Monday is an important academic day, and I'd much rather see other kinds of calendar solutions," Pitts said.
The Senate voted to suspend the rules and have a meeting next week on Thursday at 4:15 p.m. in Art and Journalism Building 175 to vote on three more agenda items, including a solution to the elimination of Monday night classes.
The motion, which would combine Fall and Thanksgiving Breaks into one week-long break, passed through the Academic Policy and Student and Campus Life Councils earlier this month.
"This solution, however unpopular, is the only viable solution," Steve Geraci, Student Government Association president, said. "Fall break is already scheduled for week 10 next fall, so it's not locked in."
Fall Break is always moved around at the mercy of athletics, and combining the two breaks would give students a nine-day break in the fall, Geraci said.
"I promised to try to get rid of Saturday finals in my campaign, and we did it," Geraci said. "I would like to see more students at the meeting next week. It's a big decision for them."
Because next year's academic calendar is already set, the university could not make any changes until the 2006-07 academic year.
The Senate also passed changes to the student code, including a privacy violation that prohibits the use of video, audio or photographic devices to make an image or recording of a person. Recording is prohibited if it would cause injury or distress to the person being recorded or if it occurs in a private area.
The Senate meeting next week is open to students and faculty. There will be no new business or committee reports, only voting and discussion on the remaining three agenda items.
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