The University Senate is considering a plan that may prove to be a double-edged sword for students, giving them more flexibility in class scheduling options while forcing them to take more classes on Friday.

The Senate Committee on Instruction presented a new class scheduling scheme that would alleviate classroom shortages and time scheduling conflicts by nearly doubling the number of 80-minute, twice-per-week class blocks and would set aside Wednesday afternoon for university community activities. The plan was first developed by a committee created by Vice Chancellor Deborah Freund, then given to the Committee on Instruction for review. The committee will gather feedback from the university community before passing the proposal on to the Senate.

The new paradigm developed by the committee shifts 80-minute classes to blocks on either Monday and Thursday or Tuesday and Wednesday, with 55-minute classes to be scheduled for the morning on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.

The new proposal came about in response to a shortage of 80-minute class blocks and student complaints, said Ernest Hemphill, a biology professor and chairman of the Committee on Instruction. Many students were upset that 80-minute classes scheduled on Monday and Wednesday prevented them from enrolling in classes that meet three days a week. Under the current system, a student required to enroll in an 80-minute class would be barred from hundreds of electives, Hemphill said.

“At a time when we are promoting interdisciplinary learning for our students, we are essentially making it impossible,” he said.

In addition to boosting the number of 80-minute time slots, the new system reserves the period between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Wednesday for university community activities. During this time, classrooms would be free for use by student organizations and orientation groups such as the Freshman Forum in The College of Arts and Sciences, Hemphill said.

The new plan would also increase the number of classes held on Friday. Ronald Cavanagh, vice president for undergraduate studies and one of the proposal’s creators, said that more Friday classes may help to prevent problems caused by students who begin their weekend revelry Thursday night. The link between the decrease in Friday classes and the increase in alcohol-related problems can be seen at other colleges beside SU, and several schools have already contacted the university about the new plan, Hemphill said.

The Committee on Instruction has set up a Web site (http://cstl.syr.edu/scheduling/survey.asp) to gather student and faculty reactions to the plan. While faculty may initially need to reformat their classes to fit in the new plan, Hemphill hopes that the plans long-term benefits, such as an increased amount of time available for research and travel, will help win approval among the faculty.

“If this goes through, I think that three of four years down the road we will be scratching our heads wondering how we ever did without it,” he said.

In other USEN news:

n The Committee on Academic Freedom, Tenure and Professional Ethics reported to the Senate on four cases heard this year, including two sexual harassment complaints. One of the cases involved a complaint by a graduate student against a faculty member. Both cases were investigated by the committee and neither was sustained, said Diane Murphy, a professor of social work and committee chairwoman.

Published on April 23, 2003 at 12:00 pm