Spring Break
Administration, SGA to extend Thanksgiving vacation
Issue date: 9/25/08
Members of the administration and the Student Government Association are working in conjunction to implement a new fall schedule next year that will include a longer Thanksgiving break and a day-earlier start to the academic year.
Paula Burger, dean of undergraduate admissions, and Susan Boswell, dean of student life, met on Sunday with Prasanna Chandrasekhar, SGA president, and David Roceach, SGA vice president, to discuss this proposal.
According to Burger, the choice to extend Thanksgiving break by one day is a practical decision that should have been implemented in past years.
"The notion is that classes are obviously sparsely attended that Wednesday before Thanksgiving, so why try to deny it? The practical reality is that we have students who come from far-flung places, and it would be a disservice to them to continue holding classes that day," Burger said.
According to Chandrasekhar, the decision was made in light of the stress that many students face when heading home for the break.
"Wednesday [before Thanksgiving] is the busiest travel day of the year and also the most expensive, so if students were able to head home after their Tuesday classes, it would really relieve the time burden and the economic burden," he said.
To make up for the lost academic time, the deans plan to propose a change to the academic calendar that would move the first day of fall classes from Thursday to Wednesday.
This earlier start to the academic year may actually be welcomed by students, according to Burger.
"By the time that Wednesday comes around, many students are excited to get started with their academics and really start being students," Burger said.
"So in this way, we don't think the day-earlier start will be too much of a sacrifice."
Another advantage to this earlier start will be that classes on the Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule will be able to meet twice during the first academic week.
Paula Burger, dean of undergraduate admissions, and Susan Boswell, dean of student life, met on Sunday with Prasanna Chandrasekhar, SGA president, and David Roceach, SGA vice president, to discuss this proposal.
According to Burger, the choice to extend Thanksgiving break by one day is a practical decision that should have been implemented in past years.
"The notion is that classes are obviously sparsely attended that Wednesday before Thanksgiving, so why try to deny it? The practical reality is that we have students who come from far-flung places, and it would be a disservice to them to continue holding classes that day," Burger said.
According to Chandrasekhar, the decision was made in light of the stress that many students face when heading home for the break.
"Wednesday [before Thanksgiving] is the busiest travel day of the year and also the most expensive, so if students were able to head home after their Tuesday classes, it would really relieve the time burden and the economic burden," he said.
To make up for the lost academic time, the deans plan to propose a change to the academic calendar that would move the first day of fall classes from Thursday to Wednesday.
This earlier start to the academic year may actually be welcomed by students, according to Burger.
"By the time that Wednesday comes around, many students are excited to get started with their academics and really start being students," Burger said.
"So in this way, we don't think the day-earlier start will be too much of a sacrifice."
Another advantage to this earlier start will be that classes on the Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule will be able to meet twice during the first academic week.
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