After nearly a year since the Students’ Association first submitted a proposal to extend fall break, which would include an additional Tuesday, the Faculty Council voted on Monday Nov. 30, to table the proposal until the SA could provide more specific details about what changes UR students want made to fall break.
The proposal to extend fall break, which was initiated last year by SA President and senior Eric Weissmann, was sent to the SA Senate in the fall of 2008.
The Senate then passed a motion to extend fall break. Afterward, the proposal was given to Dean of the College Richard Feldman for review. Feldman assessed the proposal and submitted to the Faculty Council Steering Committee, which approves the agenda of the Faculty Council. The steering committee approved it, meaning it then goes to the Faculty Council.
The next step for the proposal, pending that it passes in the Faculty Council, is to go to the Faculty Senate council.
The SA Senate felt that a fall break consisting of two days would be a more effective use of time rather than the current system.
‘Two days allows students more flexibility to travel, go home, catch up on academics or simply relax,” Weissmann said in an e-mail message.
The proposal includes two options for the extension of fall break, both of which include adding Tuesday to the pre-existing three-day vacation.
The first option is to compensate for the extra day by starting the fall semester a day earlier, on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2011.
The second option will account for the additional day by starting the semester two days earlier, on Tuesday Aug. 30, 2011, and also to have the last day of classes a day earlier, on Monday Dec. 12, 2011. Therefore, the reading period will begin a day earlier as well.
Feldman agreed with the sentiments made by the SA and Weissmann, but he expressed concerns.
‘I see the value of extending the break,” Feldman said. ‘However, there are lots of constraints on our schedule.”
Berkowitz is a member of
the class of 2012.
