2008 Woodie Awards
Fall break will return this year
By Lexxie Shiring
Rocket Contributor
Issue date: 4/13/07 Section: News
More than 80 percent of students and faculty who responded to a university-wide survey regarding fall break were in favor of the break returning this year.
Of the 1,568 respondents, 1,309 were in favor of the new five-day weekend addition to the academic calendar.
Classes were cancelled on Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 16 and 17, 2006, marking the first fall break in SRU's history.
"The idea was first brought about a few years ago by the Student Government Association, who strongly endorsed it, and the agreement was that we would try it out then a decision would be made," said Eliot Baker, executive director of Academic Records, Summer School.
Support for a fall break began as early as 2004, under Jude Butch, the SGA president from 2004-2005.
"There had been talk about a fall break for years among the calendar committee, but it was the actions of Jude Butch and the rest of the (SGA) executive board at the time who really started to endorse fall break," said Kurt Sterling, current vice president of Academic Affairs.
The survey was administered at the beginning of this semester, asking students and faculty via e-mail if they thought fall break was a success and whether it should return.
"The deal was that we wanted to experience one complete semester with a fall break, and we agreed that after that we would survey to ask whether or not they would like a fall break in the future," Baker said.
Despite the perks of having an extra two days off, some downfalls exist as to how it affects SRU's academic calendar.
"The downside of fall break is that it leaves less time for students to study and unwind," Baker said. "The last day of classes is held on a Monday, and finals begin on Tuesday, which causes the new exam period to have more exams per day."
He said he did not think the absence of a weekend, which would usually separate the last week of classes and finals week, would be an issue.
"I thought that most students would vote in favor of fall break, but I did not know how the students who usually finished up on Wednesday during finals week would feel about having to stay on campus until Friday for exams, so I did not know how that would balance out in the end," Baker said.
Of the 1,568 respondents, 1,309 were in favor of the new five-day weekend addition to the academic calendar.
Classes were cancelled on Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 16 and 17, 2006, marking the first fall break in SRU's history.
"The idea was first brought about a few years ago by the Student Government Association, who strongly endorsed it, and the agreement was that we would try it out then a decision would be made," said Eliot Baker, executive director of Academic Records, Summer School.
Support for a fall break began as early as 2004, under Jude Butch, the SGA president from 2004-2005.
"There had been talk about a fall break for years among the calendar committee, but it was the actions of Jude Butch and the rest of the (SGA) executive board at the time who really started to endorse fall break," said Kurt Sterling, current vice president of Academic Affairs.
The survey was administered at the beginning of this semester, asking students and faculty via e-mail if they thought fall break was a success and whether it should return.
"The deal was that we wanted to experience one complete semester with a fall break, and we agreed that after that we would survey to ask whether or not they would like a fall break in the future," Baker said.
Despite the perks of having an extra two days off, some downfalls exist as to how it affects SRU's academic calendar.
"The downside of fall break is that it leaves less time for students to study and unwind," Baker said. "The last day of classes is held on a Monday, and finals begin on Tuesday, which causes the new exam period to have more exams per day."
He said he did not think the absence of a weekend, which would usually separate the last week of classes and finals week, would be an issue.
"I thought that most students would vote in favor of fall break, but I did not know how the students who usually finished up on Wednesday during finals week would feel about having to stay on campus until Friday for exams, so I did not know how that would balance out in the end," Baker said.
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