Calendar revisions for Fall 2011 will encompass more than just the end of Fruesday.
When President Jo Ann Gora endorsed the University Senate's latest proposal, she agreed to a two-day Fall Break at the expense of holding class on the Monday of Finals Week. The new calendar also calls for regular Tuesday classes on the week of Thanksgiving.
During the senate meeting Thursday, Gora interrupted Chairperson Eric Kelly as he was about to introduce the latest proposal for the fall calendar.
"I'm the hold up here," she said as she stood. "I'm going to endorse the recommendations of the Senate."
However, her announcement came with some stipulations.
"My concern is with the four-day work week," she said. "I'm going to ask for an analysis to be done within a year's time. If it works, then so be it. If it is a problem, then I will probably come back to the Senate with a plan that faculty probably won't mind and students won't like."
Along with her endorsement, Gora asked for a statistical sample to be compiled after Finals Week next fall, showing a comparison of how many students had three exams in one day compared to the number of students who had three exams in one day during Fall 2010.
Undersecretary of the University Senate Melanie Turner said the idea for Fruesday was first approved by the senate March 30, 2006.
"First, we were going to send it to the Undergraduate Education Committee, but the motion failed and we approved the calendar that was written," she said.
As an undergraduate student herself, Turner said it just took time some getting used to.
"I don't have any dogs in this fight," she said. "You just want to make sure what works works, and apparently it hasn't."
Proposed fall calendar
Maintain Labor Day as a holiday
Eliminate practice of holding MWF classes on Tuesday of Thanksgiving week (Fruesday)
Two-day Fall Break on a Monday-Tuesday or Thursday-Friday
Thanksgiving week: MWF classes meet Monday and TR classes meet Tuesday
No classes Wednesday, Thursday or Friday
Students go to their regular Monday class on the Monday of Finals Week
Four-day finals schedule, Tuesday through Friday (no MWF finals on Tuesday)
Quad Talk
What do you think about the changes to the fall calendar for 2011?
"I don't really like my finals week being scrunched up because I tend to have a lot of my finals on InQsit. I think it's worse because I feel like a lot of people have an idea of how they like to prepare for their finals, and now they'll have to adapt."
Collin VanMeter, sophomore psychology major
"It seems weird that they make it a more complicated process than it should be. At IU, they have a whole week off for Thanksgiving and no Fall Break."
Anna Kalk, junior anthropology major
"I don't really like Fruesday right now. With the way the week is, you have Monday then you have Friday. It screws up your schedule. But I don't see [the change] as a big deal."
Hank Mezza, junior architecture major
"I kind of like it the way that it is because then if you have finals [starting] Monday, you can leave earlier. Starting Tuesday, it's more drawn out."
Kayleen Richard, freshman nursing major
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