The Spring 2000 semester academic calendar may be shortened by a week, depending on the outcome of recent discussion. The one-week cut would be facilitated by combining spring and Easter breaks and shortening Senior Week from eight days to three or four days.

University Provost Dorothy Brown and the Council of Associate Deans that represents all main campus schools have produced a proposal containing two alternatives to the current academic calendar model, which have been submitted to the campus community for feedback.

While the 2000-2001 calendar, like that of previous years, allows students a one-week vacation for Spring Break and a three-day Easter vacation spanning a weekend, the two proposed calendars suggest a combined vacation of six school days off spanning two weekends. This configuration has been used in past years, and would continue when Easter falls early in the semester, allowing for classes to be “less disrupted,” according to the proposal.

The proposals also include shortening Senior Week from eight days to three or four days between final examinations and commencement weekend. This change would allow commencement ceremonies to avoid occuring on Memorial Day weekend, relieving parents and family members of traveling to Georgetown during one of the most-traveled weekends of the year.

The proposal also states that moving up commencement ceremony dates will make securing speakers for graduation easier.

Both proposals begin classes on, Jan. 9. The two drafts differ in the day of graduation, with Draft A calling for undergraduate commencement ceremonies on a Saturday, while Draft B schedules the events for the Sunday of Graduation Weekend.

According to the proposal, the new calendar drafts would allow for several benefits not available under the current calendar. With an abbreviated graduation week, students working or volunteering with graduation events would be able to accept internships and jobs that would otherwise overlap with the later graduation date.

The proposal also says an extra week of summer vacation as beneficial to faculty, staff and their families, and states that an earlier end to the semester would reduce overhead costs for the university. By allowing seniors to vacate housing facilities earlier in the summer, the university could maximize summer occupancy with conferences and summer interns who must begin work the first of June and need to take occupancy by the end of May.

Brown said the proposal was not “a money factor,” but did say that the university could make money by extending summer programs.

The proposal acknowledges possible drawbacks to the changes in addition to its benefits. Primarily, the tight time frame allotted between exams and graduation would preclude establishing class rank and an official list of graduates by commencement. According to the proposal, ranking would not be posted later than one week after graduation.

Students seem to have found other drawbacks not addressed by the proposal. Junior class GUSA representative Aaron Kass (COL ’02) proposed a resolution in opposition to the suggested academic calendar changes. The proposal raises several issues, including the possibility of problems arising for student service organizations that use Spring Break week to perform major humanitarian projects. GUSA will vote on this proposal by October 31.

Kass points out that these projects may be adversely affected by students faced with a decision about spending their one vacation opportunity in service, with family or with friends. Kass’ proposal favors having two vacation opportunities to travel different places and pursue varied interests during the spring semester.

The Kass proposal also objects to reducing Senior Week, saying it is “a vital tradition, giving the seniors one last opportunity to spend a substantial period of time with their classmates within the Georgetown atmosphere.” The proposal calls for a GUSA-sponsored student forum for discussion of the calendar issue.

“Senior Week is the last time seniors have to spend with each other,” Kass said. “It’s their last time to reflect, which is something Georgetown is always talking about.”

The junior class committee is not supporting the proposed calendar changes, according to vice-chair Greg Voigt (SFS ’02).

“The Senior Week represents a culmination of four years of schooling,” he said. “It’s our last chance to be together, and it’s something we’ve earned. There’s no good reason to cut it.”

The junior class committee supports Kass’ proposal and will possibly be circulating a petition opposing the calendar proposal.

“We will involve the support of the senior class, as well as the sophomores and freshmen,” Voigt said. “We think everyone can identify with our position. This affects all people.”

Brown said the administration is very mindful of Senior Week, which could be reduced to three or four days. “Different constituents will have different reactions,” she said.

Kass said he hoped the proposed forum would demonstrate to the administration how the calendar proposal would affect students. “I understand that there are economic concerns at play, but I don’t think the administration has fully examined the implications of how it will affect students. We have a legitimate concern.”

Although the combined spring and Easter breaks may affect Volunteer and Public Service organizations utilizing that time period for events, the overall affect would be positive according to Sharon Morganthaler, acting director of VPS. Morganthaler said with the current calendar, students’ Spring Break and Easter scheduled breaks often conflict with vacations scheduled in public schools where they volunteer or work/study.

“With the new calendar, we would have more students here during the semester which would be a better plan,” she said.

“It looks like the new calendar could put students in an uncomfortable position,” Spring Break in Appalachia President Ryan DuBose (COL’02) said. “Students will have to choose between going home and doing a service project. Frankly, this is a Catholic school and most people will probably go home to spend Easter with their family.”

DuBose said he was concerned that people would not choose to participate in the program, but the group will continue to offer the opportunity to travel to Appalachia for service despite calendar changes.

“It won’t be nearly the success that we’ve had in the past. We usually have between 100 and 150 people, and there’s no way we can get those numbers under the new calendar.”

“I’ve always thought Georgetown had a cool and unique approach with two breaks,” DuBose said. “We’re a Jesuit university dedicated to service, and now students must choose between service or celebrating with their families.”

Morganthaler was unsure what organizations that are dependent on structured vacations like Spring Break in Appalachia and the Border Awareness Program would do if the current calendar were altered.

The calendar proposal will be discussed in the upcoming weeks, with all comments from the campus community requested to be turned in to the office of the provost by Nov. 10. According to Brown, the date is not a hard and fast deadline, but a decision needs to be made by Thanksgiving break.

Related Links

 Shortening Calender Hurts Students (10/27)