2008 Woodie Awards
Officials mull adding day in April
Faculty Association, administration to ponder extra class day
By: Angie Favot
Issue date: 2/8/08 Section: News
Students may have one extra day of classes at the end of this semester.
CMU's Faculty Association will decide whether April 24 - the Thursday before exams - will still be given to students as a study day or a day of classes to make up for snow day cancellations.
Academic Senate Moderator Timothy Hartshorne, a psychology faculty member, said that Tuesday and Thursday classes in particular have been hampered because of snow days and a power outage, so it would be beneficial to have an extra day.
"When students pay tuition, they pay for a certain amount of content," he said. "It's OK for one day, but when you've missed three days, it becomes a lot harder."
Students typically have the Thursday and Friday before finals off.
Associate Vice Provost Robert Martin said the academic calendar is established in agreement with administrators and Faculty Association only.
"In most, if not all, past cases where a change to the calendar was under discussion, we sought advice and counsel from the Academic Senate before making any changes," he said in e-mail to Central Michigan Life.
Hartshorne announced to Academic Senators via e-mail on Thursday he has added the topic to the agenda for the organization's Feb. 19 meeting for discussion purposes only, as long as their executive board complies to the change.
Faculty Association President Donna Ericksen, a mathematics faculty member, said she does not know when the proposed decision would be made to change April 24 to a teaching day, but said if this is brought to motion, it could be finalized quickly.
Hartshorne said the decision needs to be made quickly to allow faculty members to rearrange their schedules.
He said there is a large of support for the idea among senators.
"I think it's such a good idea," Hartshorne said.
Art Professor Steven Barber said the cancellations have not affected his classes much.
"Luckily for me, I don't have a class before 2 p.m., so it hasn't changed my schedule," he said.
Engineering and Technology professor Terence Lerch said he has had classes canceled.
"We are certainly going to be squeezing more in because we have a number of different topics we need to cover," he said. "Getting that time back would always be a benefit for us."
However, Lerch was not so sure students would agree with adding April 24 to the schedule.
Traverse City junior Landis Rabish said he disagrees with the proposed change.
"In all my classes, we have made up the work by cramming it in," he said. "The students should not be penalized."
news@cm-life.com
CMU's Faculty Association will decide whether April 24 - the Thursday before exams - will still be given to students as a study day or a day of classes to make up for snow day cancellations.
Academic Senate Moderator Timothy Hartshorne, a psychology faculty member, said that Tuesday and Thursday classes in particular have been hampered because of snow days and a power outage, so it would be beneficial to have an extra day.
"When students pay tuition, they pay for a certain amount of content," he said. "It's OK for one day, but when you've missed three days, it becomes a lot harder."
Students typically have the Thursday and Friday before finals off.
Associate Vice Provost Robert Martin said the academic calendar is established in agreement with administrators and Faculty Association only.
"In most, if not all, past cases where a change to the calendar was under discussion, we sought advice and counsel from the Academic Senate before making any changes," he said in e-mail to Central Michigan Life.
Hartshorne announced to Academic Senators via e-mail on Thursday he has added the topic to the agenda for the organization's Feb. 19 meeting for discussion purposes only, as long as their executive board complies to the change.
Faculty Association President Donna Ericksen, a mathematics faculty member, said she does not know when the proposed decision would be made to change April 24 to a teaching day, but said if this is brought to motion, it could be finalized quickly.
Hartshorne said the decision needs to be made quickly to allow faculty members to rearrange their schedules.
He said there is a large of support for the idea among senators.
"I think it's such a good idea," Hartshorne said.
Art Professor Steven Barber said the cancellations have not affected his classes much.
"Luckily for me, I don't have a class before 2 p.m., so it hasn't changed my schedule," he said.
Engineering and Technology professor Terence Lerch said he has had classes canceled.
"We are certainly going to be squeezing more in because we have a number of different topics we need to cover," he said. "Getting that time back would always be a benefit for us."
However, Lerch was not so sure students would agree with adding April 24 to the schedule.
Traverse City junior Landis Rabish said he disagrees with the proposed change.
"In all my classes, we have made up the work by cramming it in," he said. "The students should not be penalized."
news@cm-life.com
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 4
Inks.LWC
posted 2/08/08 @ 4:09 AM EST
The public schools are only now adding a day after they've cancelled 7 times. This is nothing compared to them, so I'd say wait at least 1 more cancellation before even considering it. (Continued…)
John Davidson
posted 2/08/08 @ 2:54 PM EST
Students or students' parents are paying the tuition bill for a number of credit hours. The snow days have already "penalized" students and the university owes the students that time. (Continued…)
Nick Smith
posted 2/08/08 @ 9:30 PM EST
Rick is right. Plus, despite a day off seeming nice, the cost of college alone is reason enough as well to have as much class as you can.
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