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ASM pushes for full study day
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by Nick Penzenstadler
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Representatives of the University of Wisconsin student government officially proposed adding a guaranteed full "study day" prior to the start of finals week Monday.
During a meeting of the University Committee, the highest committee of the Faculty Senate, representatives from the Associated Students of Madison asked for the academic calendar to be revised for fall semesters beginning in 2009.
Currently, when Labor Day falls on Sept. 4 or later, exams begin on the same day as the university-designated study day, which is intended to fall between the last day of classes and the first exam day.
ASM has proposed moving the exam period at 7:45 p.m. on the designated study day to 5:05 p.m. on the same day of commencement, which currently has exams scheduled at 7:45 a.m., 10:05 a.m. and 7:45 p.m.
The proposed change would not have an effect on commencement scheduling.
According to ASM's letter to the Faculty Senate, which is responsible for approving academic calendars, UW is the only university in the Big Ten to at least occasionally begin its exam period the day after classes end.
"It's the best proposal to fit all the rules and make everybody happy at the end," ASM committee member Hannah Karn said. "At the ASM spring kickoff, a lot of students showed up just to show their support for the campaign."
The ASM committee presented a large orange board filled with dozens of signatures from students who supported adding a full study day.
ASM Student Council Chair Dylan Rath, who also headed the committee, said the impetus for change came after the fall 2006 exam period, when some students had exams the day after classes ended Dec. 15.
"When there wasn't a study day last semester, I got a flood of e-mails from people who did have exams the next day saying, 'We need to do something about this,'" Rath said.
William Tracy of the University Committee expressed concern with the timing of commencement.
After hearing the proposal, Tracy said they would discuss the students' concern and weigh the options before deciding whether or not to forward the proposal to the full Faculty Senate.
"My reaction is it would be great to have an extra day — it's just a question of if it's too much of a hardship on the commencement," Tracy said. "We have to consider what the students prefer least."
When Tracy raised the possibility of graduating seniors having a final exam during commencement weekend, the ASM committee suggested scheduling freshman and sophomore-only classes during the proposed time period.
However, Secretary of the Faculty David Musolf said the senate would need to check the feasibility of such an idea.
"They'll have to talk with the Instructional Space Office to find out about the scheduling," Musolf said. "They've said it's very hard to sequester or divide out courses only offered to freshmen and sophomores."
Musolf said the Faculty Senate already has addressed the issue in the past, and made it a "top priority." However, due to space constraints — and the number of courses — the faculty runs into problems itself when Labor Day is after Sept. 4.
Karn said the ASM committee has secured support from Dean of Students Lori Berquam, and is in the process of obtaining endorsements from several student organizations.
"Realistically, I think we're expecting they'll get back to us with their thoughts with a few recommendations," ASM committee member Gideon Martin said. "[W]e hope to … get it approved before the year is out."
Anonymous (March 27, 2007 @ 7:25am):
If you don't know the material by your final exam, you're not going to be able to learn it in one day. I suggest you attend class daily, do your homework, and study. And, Jeeze, there is never any reason to wear sweatpants to class.
Anonymous (March 27, 2007 @ 7:58am):
yes! yes! yes! yes! yes! yes! yes! yes! yes! yes! yes! yes! yes! yes! yes! yes! yes! yes! yes! yes! yes! yes! yes! yes!
please approve this!
Anonymous (March 27, 2007 @ 8:09am):
when I had a final with no study day last semester....let's just say it was the worst time of my life. I hope the faculty senate hears students out on this one.
Anonymous (March 27, 2007 @ 10:27am):
I remember signing a petition for this!! This is an issue students care about - I think it would be an AWESOME way to help students in that final push with final exams.
Katie O.
Anonymous (March 27, 2007 @ 11:47am):
Think this through, children. Your final exams are usually graded on curves; therefore, you want yourself to do better than average and everyone else to do poorly. With one extra study day, you will do slightly better, but so will everyone else. You have yourself a net gain of ZERO.
Anonymous (March 27, 2007 @ 11:59am):
7:25am
You got it! While a study day may help a few procrastinators, it's a general waste of a day. We don't need to be on campus any longer than necessary.
Your class registration tells the exact time and place of the final. And you get a syllabus on the first day of class, confirming the final exam details. There is no reason to have an extra day "to study." Just plan ahead and get on with your life!
Anonymous (March 27, 2007 @ 12:03pm):
All that study day will amount to is one last chance to party before finals! And we already have a day like that anyway. It's called the Mifflin Street Block Party.
Anonymous (March 27, 2007 @ 12:13pm):
Here's an even better idea, you can have the entire semester to study for your final exam!
Seriously, if your time management skills and class attendance are that bad that you need an extra day to cram before a final exam, you're not learning anything anyway.
Anonymous (March 27, 2007 @ 12:40pm):
Of course space and timing are concerns for faculty and Musolf, but a study day is simply something that students must have - and the fauclty senate should be willing to make whatever change is necessary.
Come on - just one day?!?!
Anonymous (March 27, 2007 @ 12:48pm):
No wonder the world thinks we're soft.
Anonymous (March 27, 2007 @ 12:50pm):
isn't this a no-brainer? Students want time to STUDY. why wouldn't you give it to them?
Anonymous (March 27, 2007 @ 12:55pm):
To the first commenter who said you can't learn it all in one day: then how exactly do you explain my 3.6?
Anonymous (March 27, 2007 @ 1:14pm):
damn right there should be a study day. and there shouldn't be exams on commencement day, either.
Anonymous (March 27, 2007 @ 2:30pm):
Stephanie Biese looks like the dog she is trying to push through a worthless idealistic reform.
Anonymous (March 27, 2007 @ 3:14pm):
I think that study days would be amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anonymous (March 27, 2007 @ 3:30pm):
To the decentors: no one is asking for this study day so that we can all skip class and cram a semesters worth of material into a single day. Nor is ASM asking to extend the semester, they are simply asking to restucture the exam schedule so that it includes a true study day. The extra day can benefit everyone and will hurt no one.
To "no wonder the world thinks we're soft", we're the only big ten school without a study day. Even more Harvard has a whole week, is one day really to much to ask for?
Finally I'll ask once again, who does this hurt?
Anonymous (March 27, 2007 @ 3:53pm):
@3:30,
went to other b10 school in late 80s early 90s....never had study day. Never heard of this until today to be honest. Weekend before finals week was "study day"
Anonymous (March 27, 2007 @ 4:50pm):
What a pointless campaign, well maybe something so pointless with finally be a victory for ASM.
- Germain E. Stemme
Anonymous (March 27, 2007 @ 5:17pm):
to 3:53...that's the point. there is no weekend before finals. you have class on friday and exams on saturday.
Anonymous (March 27, 2007 @ 5:36pm):
decentors?
Anonymous (March 27, 2007 @ 5:52pm):
we don't compare to harvard - we're better!
Anonymous (March 27, 2007 @ 7:12pm):
The funny thing is that if you look at any UW calendar the day right after the semester ends (a Saturday) says study day. We already have it...they just don't follow it!
Anonymous (March 27, 2007 @ 7:46pm):
@ 3:53,
There's a reason why ohio state doesn't have a study day...
Anonymous (March 27, 2007 @ 8:36pm):
I think two study days would be better than one, but one would still be great!
Anonymous (March 27, 2007 @ 8:37pm):
the calendar says "study day," however, we have exams on that day! it's like the university wants us to think we have one when we really don't!
Anonymous (March 27, 2007 @ 8:39pm):
the thing is, we don't have a weekend before final exams....last semester, classes ended on friday and exams started on saturday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anonymous (March 27, 2007 @ 8:41pm):
a full study day would be great!
Anonymous (March 27, 2007 @ 9:03pm):
This is a worthwhile cause if you ask me. Actually, it wouldn't push the school year back one bit the way ASM has it planned. I think slacker students who don't really study anyway won't appreciate this but they need to shut up because guess what?... You can do other things than study on a study day!
~ Math Dept. TA
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