An ad hoc committee in the Academic Senate met and discussed the possibility of changes to the academic calendar, changing the 16-week semester to 15 weeks, and A-Senate voted last spring to reopen discussion on the issue.

On Aug. 21, the Faculty Association and university announced it was committed to implementing the new academic calendar for fall 2014.

The legislation, introduced by SGA senators Marie Reimers, a Saginaw sophomore; Sara O’Toole, a Muskegon junior; and graduate student Binu Prabhakaran, along with Resident Hall Assembly spokesman and Bloomfield Hills senior Scott Cooke, lists 38 reasons why the academic calendar would be detrimental to the Central Michigan University student body.

The legislation, to be voted on Oct. 22, charges the proposed change with not having enough student support and does not appropriately address necessary changes to Leadership Safari, alternative breaks, the athletic program, the marching band program and several other annual programs.

The legislation also takes issue with the very nature of the change, stating changing the academic calendar does not align with CMU's mission to provide student-centered education.

"When representatives of the academic calendar were asked about the positive impact on academics the 15-week calendar change would have on CMU students, they were unable to answer the question," the legislation stated, alluding to events that took place in previous SGA meetings.

Reimers presented the legislation to the House on Monday night. She said changes to the academic calendar are not in best interest of students.

"The decision to change the academic calendar was not properly brought to the students. There was no clear communication," Reimers said. "I'm not saying there aren't any positives, but those positives have not been communicated to us. Therefore, the change looks negative."

Reimers said it was not acceptable that many of the programs essential to CMU have not been fully planned within the frame set of the academic calendar change.

"We shouldn't be planning on how to do things after the calendar has been passed," she said. "This all should have been planned before the calendar was voted on."

SGA President and Macomb junior Justin Gawronski said if the legislation passes, he is convinced the SGA will be able to stop the calendar change from occurring.

"This legislation, if passed, will in my full confidence stop this from happening," Gawronski said to the SGA House on Monday. "The SGA represents the near 22,000 students in the student body. We represent every student in this university.

"I think our voice is the most important voice on campus, and the university and the Academic Senate should recognize that."

While changes have already been announced and the university has moved forward with plans, Gawronski said it would not affect the SGA's stance on the issue.

"I don't see this issue as an inflexible force," Gawronski said. "I think the students have the power to stop this from happening if they see fit."

A-Senate Chairman Jim McDonald said even if SGA passes legislation, he is unsure if it would prevent the changes from happening.

"As I understand the process, the committee that proposed the calendar last year vetted with students, shared with students and shared with faculty before bringing the issue to a vote," McDonald said. "The SGA is certainly free to pass a motion, but in regards to how successful that motion would be, I couldn't say."

McDonald said the SGA does not have direct control over whether or not the academic calendar would be rescinded.

"You can always rescind a motion that has been passed," McDonald said. "But that first has to be brought to the executive board of the Academic Senate, who will have to review that motion. One cannot just simply walk in and present this at an A-Senate meeting"