Students, faculty have mixed reactions to changes in academic calendar
Recent changes to the academic calendar have proposed classes starting after Labor Day beginning in the fall of 2014.
An ad hoc committee in the Academic Senate met and discussed the possibility of these changes, and the A-Senate voted last spring to reopen discussion on the issue.
"The Faculty Association and Central Michigan University, following additional discussion, have committed themselves to implementing this new academic calendar in the fall of 2014," said an email sent on behalf of the university and the Faculty Association on Aug. 21.
Students and faculty have had mixed responses to the announcement.
Grayling junior John Lennon said he opposed the calendar change because of its potential effects on the Leadership Safari orientation program.
"The calender change will jeopardize a program near and dear to my heart, Safari," Lennon said. "There is nothing wrong with the way things are, and the change has the potential to hurt the growth of the Leadership Safari program. We have one of the best orientation programs in the nation, and the change will risk that for one extra week. To me, that's unacceptable."
Leadership Safari Director Dani Hiar said that the effects of this calendar change on the program remain uncertain at this point.
"The length and the scope of the program itself would not change; however, our ability to secure some of our specific speakers that are Safari traditions would be in jeopardy," Hiar said. "Really though, it would still remain a Saturday through Wednesday program, though the later start will do one of two things: make the program grow because people would like the opportunity to move in earlier before taking off for one last Labor Day vacation, or it will effectively make Safari go away because of the later start. If we were to lose our ability to contract certain speakers, it would be difficult to replicate some of the things that make Safari, well, Safari."
Although the future of the program is uncertain under the changes to the academic calendar, Hiar said she sees no benefits with the later start.
"Frankly, we do things better at CMU than any other (Michigan universities that start after Labor Day), and I have been around long enough to have had conversations with parents who have shared that same sentiment with us," she said. "The programs we do at the beginning of the year help CMU students and give them tools to be successful. Why on Earth would we want to jeopardize that?"
As for the school year itself, Ron Marmarelli, fixed-term professor of journalism, does not foresee any major changes in classes.
"I'm sure we can adjust, it wouldn't be any major hardship," he said. "Starting after Labor Day would make a lot of sense. Right now we start and then have to stop for a few days because of Labor Day. You learn over time there's only so much (planning for classes) you can do, and if you're wise you'll plan along the way."
Student Government Association President Justin Gawronski declined to comment until meetings could be held to discuss an official stance on the changes.
