MSU will not implement more Friday classes in '10
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Wilcox
Plans to add more Friday classes to students’ schedules next fall are on hold.
Provost Kim Wilcox announced Tuesday at an Executive Committee of Academic Council meeting that a scheduling change for classes held on Mondays and Wednesdays would not be implemented next year.
Officials previously said the move to shorten class times and add an extra meeting day on Friday would begin next fall. Wilcox said the move was meant to reduce scheduling conflicts for students.
“I have not changed my mind,” he said. “I just agreed we will spend more time discussing the current policy.”
University officials adopted the Monday, Wednesday and Friday schedule as the university’s standard scheduling procedure more than a decade ago, but Wilcox said exceptions to the procedure led to a large number of classes meeting only on Mondays and Wednesdays.
“Things will look like last year,” Wilcox said at the meeting. “I think that’s a regret. I think it’s unfortunate for the campus, personally. But that’s how it will be.”
On Monday, Wilcox notified the Office of the Registrar to abandon plans to schedule classes previously held on Mondays and Wednesdays to include a third session on Friday.
ECAC Chairman Harold Hughes said Senior Associate Provost June Youatt apologized to faculty members at a Sept. 29 ECAC meeting for how the university notified people about the schedule changes. The special ECAC meeting was held in response to faculty concerns about not being included in the decision to increase Friday classes and how it could affect faulty research, Hughes said.
“Dr. Youatt sat here and apologized for the way it was handled, which was not appropriate in her opinion and in my opinion and in most people’s opinion,” Hughes said. “This year, the registrar will accept things the way it has been the last few years. After that, we will have the appropriate conversations and a decision will be made.”
Wilcox said although he will listen to community concerns about the schedule, a longer wait to implement the change could impact more student schedules.
“This is all about facilitating student access to classes,” Wilcox said. “The more we vary from this standard schedule, the more conflicts we have. That’s the reality.”
Richard Weber, an associate professor of accounting and information systems, said he hopes a decision will be made after each side is able to voice its concerns.
“There’s the other issue, some of which the provost raised, and there are the other issues that the faculty have raised that didn’t appear to have been considered by the provost,” Weber said. “We’ll get those all considered over the next year and hopefully get a rational decision made out of it.”
ECAC will consider how to include students and faculty in the schedule discussion at its next meeting scheduled for Nov. 3.
Commentary
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Soo...
(10/06/09 11:44pm)Report
Was there a survey done of students? I highly doubt Wilcox suddenly woke up one day and said “MORE FRIDAY CLASSES! NOW!”
What’s the impetus behind this change, besides the one “flexible scheduling” mantra that was tired from the second it was said?
student
(10/07/09 12:02am)Report
This is not an academic decision but an administrative one which I support because it leads to savings for MSU and less impact on my tuition.
OldTimer
(10/07/09 4:30am)Report
MSU used to teach 44 weeks a year: 10 class weeks plus finals, four terms a year, which included a fairly full summer schedule. 44 weeks times 5 days makes 220 days.
The present two-semester calendar (summer offerings are now quite limited) has about 16 weeks times two semesters, maybe 32 weeks. OK, say you stay home most Fridays, then 32 times four is 128 class days, more or less.
Compare this to the “real” world, where workers show up about 250 days a year.
Yes, I know that research and grad studies go on more or less constantly. Grad school is different, been there. But one core business of MSU, the instruction of undergrads, now happens about one day out of three.
There are two big cost factors. One is MSU’s cost of facilities — their fixed cost for instructional space, plus the very rapid depreciation on modern equipment — any business would say each is “under-utilized.” The other factor is each student’s cost of living during the four, five, even six years of an undergrad education.
In school, if you do have a job, you still earn far less than you will soon be worth. Many recent graduates earn $100 a day more than you do. So you should want graduation ASAP. (This is one drawing point for those all-business private schools: you work harder, but the reward comes sooner.)
Administrators administer. One thing they can and should do is enforce efficient scheduling. (This includes paying attention to reality: 15 minutes to get from Holmes to Wells in a blizzard? Or if you can’t make that, just sit down and wait for another two idle hours?) If you’ve tied up most of a 40-hour week to fit 15 odd-shaped class hours in your schedule (been there, too) you might wish for a saner alternative.
Efficient scheduling can save MSU some big bucks, can save lots of your own wasted time, and, bottom line, can get you through college as much as one year earlier. Try it, you may like it.
Erin
(10/07/09 8:28am)Report
More times meeting in class means more time wasted walking to and from classes, not less. It also means more “class time” wasted getting everyone settled, and time wasted when a professor is interrupted by someone showing up late (in small classes). And I’ve yet to see anyone buck up the claim that this will save money except for this fantasy argument that this will allow you to graduate sooner. It will not make a significant impact on the number of courses most students can take in a semester. With the current set up I have never had a significant difficulty with being able to fit a schedule of 16 or more even more credits.
I could fit a lot more required credits into one semester and be able to make it to the class than I would even have the financial aid to cover, or the ability to keep up with outside of class work.
MWF and TH courses will not have a significant impact on the number of courses taken each semester, especially when most of us have things other than the schedule limiting us (like Financial Aid limits).
And in reality, considering how many professors don’t want to teach MWF courses, this change will only make scheduling more difficult as previously MW classes are not TH classes creating more TH courses, and more courses students need being scheduled at the same times.
we get it
(10/07/09 9:27am)Report
Erin. Will you stop complaining about it now?
uhater
(10/07/09 9:27am)Report
I think it look likes this one http://rapid4me.com/
SWEEEET
(10/07/09 11:46am)Report
There is no way that extra Friday classes reflects the will of the student body. Couldn’t they take a poll at the very least? I’m very glad they are holding off on this and hopefully it never comes up again. VIVA LA THIRSTY THURSDAY!
MSU Alumnus
(10/07/09 6:11pm)Report
I’ve read a lot of comments and agree that the core problem (if it happens) is the breaking up of classes that are already scheduled into two hour blocks. For example, a 4 credit hour class that goes Monday and Wednesday for two hours or Tuesday and Thursday for two hours is much more effective from an academic standpoint than a class that lasts 50 minutes, where 10 minutes are dedicated to getting started and another 10 to winding down. However, if the school wants to schedule 4 credit hour classes with two hours on Wednesday and two hours on Friday I don’t see a problem with that. The short and sweet explanation…
classes broken up from 2 hours to 1 for the purpose of accommodating Friday classes = BAD
classes scheduled on Friday = Life and not a big deal