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`Were you one of the students who was required to attend class this past Friday evening or Saturday? The “missing Monday”, which was provided as an opportunity to pay tribute to Martin Luther King Day Jr., is a result of the University’s adoption of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education’s (PASSHE) Common Calendar.
As stated in a campus wide memorandum that was sent out before the beginning of the spring semester, the calendar reduced the 2008-2009 year by one week.
This reduction has resulted in the elimination of reading days and inclement weather make-up days. It is also responsible for the missing Monday, or fact that there were only 13 Mondays included in the spring semester schedule, compared to the 14 Tuesday through Thursday classes.
The University has provided professors with the opportunity to make up classes; at their own discretion.
This may be done through the use of extra assignments outside of class or taking advantage of the two days provided for the make up of class time.
Classes, held Monday before 5 p.m., were assigned to make up class time on Saturday, Jan. 24.
Monday night classes were scheduled to make up class time on Friday, Jan. 23.
Dr. Zeger, professor of biology, is making up missing class time by assigning extra reading to his students.
“I think that there are better solutions to the problem than the current plan,” Zeger said. “Years ago we started the semester the Monday after the MLK holiday, which was a superior schedule to this one!”
He believes the week of finals should be rescheduled.
Dr. DeCaria, professor of earth sciences, chosen not to make-up his class time for his ability to assign extra readings and exercises, as well as his “question as to whether enough students would attend or be fully engaged on a Saturday to make holding class worth while.”
Leaving the decision up to the instructors allowed missed class time to be used in ways that may not have been able to benefit students had the Monday class been held. Professor Katz, professor of computer science, shared her choice to makeup class time through an alternate approach.
“I will be meeting with each team outside of class at various points through the term enough times to make up that missed 50-minute class period,” Katz said. “That’s a better pedagogical use of their and my time than coming in for a lecture on Saturday.”
Dr. Rickard, professor of chemistry, believes classes time should be utilized during the make up period.
“This is what students pay for, this is what I am paid for, and this is what the administration expects me to teach,” Rickard said. “The calendar this year included a day off for Martin Luther King day just as we had Labor day off during Fall semester. Therefore, I will meet my class on Saturday.”
Sophomore, Allison Konnick, attended two make up classes on Saturday.
“I have homework assignments due, and I don’t want to fall behind on class notes,” Konnick said.