Summary of Calendar Possibilities

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Wilfred Carson
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1 Summary of Calendar Possibilities March 1, 2017 What we have: Two possible fall calendar frameworks and four possible spring calendar frameworks. What we need: Indications from the community as to which of the eight possible year-long frameworks makes the most sense. 1

2 Finding the Overall Best Calendar Given the emphasis on academics that is part of our charge, the Committee has focused on: - how to position breaks so that they maximize learning and well being - how to increase summertime opportunities for scholarship and employment - how to enhance the value of class days just before and just after Thanksgiving - how to structure an effective orientation period and study/exam period As much as possible, we also address concerns that relate to religious practice, childcare, and a host of practical issues such as getting grades in on time, big course prep, getting the dorms ready for graduation families, etc., etc., etc. 2

3 Possible Fall Calendar Frameworks Fall Calendar Framework F1 2-day Fall break 3-day Thanksgiving break A modified study/exam period Four August class days moved to December Fall Calendar Framework F2 2-day Fall break 5-day Thanksgiving break A modified study/exam period Two August class days moved to December An effectively longer orientation period 3

4 ing Fall Semester Concerns The Issue Does F1 Does F2 The fall semester start date is too early Yes Yes The orientation period needs improvement. No Yes The low-attendance class days before Thanksgiving. No Yes The five class days after Thanksgiving have reduced value. Yes Yes The study/exam period is too long compared to peers Yes Yes The issues were identified from community input and committee research. 4

5 Possible Spring Calendar Frameworks Spring Calendar Framework S1 February break is one week later Spring break stays the same A modified study/exam period Spring Calendar Framework S2 The 5-day break is positioned in March The 2-day break is positioned in April A modified study/exam period Spring Calendar Framework S3 Commencement is 2 weeks earlier February break and spring break remain A modified study/exam period Classes start about 13 days earlier Spring Calendar Framework S4 Commencement is 2 weeks earlier No February break A modified study/exam period Classes start about 8 days earlier 5

6 ing Spring Semester Concerns The Issue Does S1 Does S2 Does S3 Does S4 The Spring semester start date is too late No No Yes Yes The 2-day break is not necessary No No No Yes The 5-day break not positioned properly. No Yes Yes Yes The study/exam period is too long compared to peers Yes Yes Yes Yes Commencement forces a late start to the summer. No No Yes Yes The issues were identified from community input and committee research. 6

7 Modifying the Study/Exam Period The current study/exam period is 13 days long: 4 study days + 4 exam days + 1 study day + 4 exam days Most of the proposed calendar frameworks can be formulated with either an 11-day study/exam period, e.g., 4 study days + 7 exam days or a 12-day study/exam period, e.g., 5 study days + 7 exam days 4 study days + 8 exam days 7

8 Perspective: Cornell s 13-day Study/Exam Period is on the High End School Style Ugrad Grad Early S Days* Study Days Exam Days Exam Slots Fall Finals Spring Finals Exam Length Sat? Sun? Sat? Sun? Cornell Semesters Yes No Yes Yes 2.5 U Penn Semesters No No No No 2 Columbia Semesters No Yes No Yes 3 Harvard Semesters Yes No Yes No 3 Yale Semesters Yes Yes Yes Yes 3 Princeton Semesters Yes Yes Yes Yes 3? Brown Semesters Yes Yes No Yes 3? Dartmouth Quarters No Yes Yes Yes 2 U Chicago Quarters No No No No 2 Stanford Quarters No No No No 3 MIT Semesters No No No No 3 Johns Hopkins Semesters Yes Yes No No 3 Duke Semesters Yes Yes Yes No 3 Berkeley Semesters No No No No 3 U Michigan Semesters No No No No 2 U Rochester Semesters Yes No No Yes 3 *Early S Day: A study day before the first exam day 8

9 Designing a Modified Study/Exam Period The distribution of exam slots across the exam period is very important as is the mapping of classes into those exam slots. Considerations include: - the number of exam conflicts - the number of back-to-back exams - the number of 3-in-24 violations - the number of weekend exams - having enough time to submit final grades Regardless of the final design, the committee will strongly recommend that the final exam schedule be published before the drop/add period begins, thereby allowing for timely travel arrangements and exam-conflict management. Learn more about study/exam periods. 9

10 Calendar Math is Not Math When reasoning about a possible calendar, do we think about learning over the whole semester? (class days + study days) + exam days Or do we think about the study/exam period as if it is something separate from the preceding 15 weeks? These two points of view are not equal. It is not a simple math equation like (68+4)+7 = 68+(4+7) class days + (study days + exam days) 10

11 A Last Note Before Looking at the Calendar Summaries What follows are descriptions of Fall Calendars F1 and F2 and Spring calendars S1, S2, S3, and S4. They are illustrated for AY For the same reason that Labor Day has a one-week range (Sept 1 to Sept 7), every possible semester calendar has a one-week range when it comes to the first day of class and the last day of exams. These ranges are reported on the slides that follow. Keep in mind that we have calendar situations when Labor Day is early or late! 11

12 F1: Overview Illustrated for 2016 Fall Calendar F1 Current Fall Calendar Earliest: Aug 21 Latest: Aug 27 Earliest: Dec 13 Latest: Dec 19 Earliest: Aug 27 Latest: Sep 3 Earliest: Dec 17 Latest: Dec 22 The F1 Framework The F1 Motivators 1. The summer is too short. 2. The last seven class days have diminished value. 3. The 2-day Fall break works. 4. The 3-day Thanksgiving break works. 5. The over-the-weekend orientation period works. 6. The study/exam period is long compared to our peers. 7. August child care days are particularly hard. R R 1. Move four August class days into December. 2. Reduce the study/exam period from 13 to 11 days. (The 4+7 distribution is shown.) Variation: To have a 12-day exam period you can have just 8 class days after Thanksgiving. Make this up by reducing fall break to one day or holding class on Labor Day. More F1 Details Instruction Day Break Day Study Day Exam Day Orientation Fall Recognition Move-In/Out Day R 12

F2: Overview Illustrated for 2016 Fall Calendar F2 Current Fall Calendar Earliest: Aug 23 Latest: Aug 29 Earliest: Aug 21 Latest: Aug 27 Earliest: Dec 17 Latest: Dec 22 Earliest: Dec 13 Latest: Dec

13 F2: Overview Illustrated for 2016 Fall Calendar F2 Current Fall Calendar Earliest: Aug 23 Latest: Aug 29 Earliest: Aug 21 Latest: Aug 27 Earliest: Dec 17 Latest: Dec 22 Earliest: Dec 13 Latest: Dec 19 The F2 Motivators 1. The summer is too short. 2. The last seven class days have diminished value. 3. The 2-day Fall break works. 4. The 3-day Thanksgiving break adds to end-of-term anxiety. 5. Weekend orientation days are not effective. 6. The study/exam period is long compared to our peers. 7. August child care days are particularly hard. R R The F2 Framework 1. Move two August class days to December. 2. Add two days to Thanksgiving break. 2. Reduce the study/exam period from 13 to 11 days. (The 4+7 distribution is shown.) 3. Have an all-weekday orientation. Variation: To have a 12-day exam period you can have just 8 class days after Thanksgiving. Make this up by starting orientation one day earlier and moving a December class day to August. More F2 Details Instruction Day Break Day Study Day Exam Day Orientation Commencement Move-In/Out Day 13

14 S1: Overview Current Spring Calendar Earliest: Jan 21 Latest: Jan 27 Earliest: May 19 Latest: May 25 The S1 Motivators 1. The February break is too early. 2. It is important to have two breaks. 3. Too little time to prepare dorms for graduation. 4. The study/exam period is long compared to our peers Illustrated for 2017 Spring Calendar S1 Earliest: Jan 22 Latest: Jan 28 Earliest: May 20 Latest: May 26 The S1 Framework 1. Delay the February break by one week even though it creates two childcare days. 2. Live with an unusually placed spring break compared to other schools. 3. Reduce the study/exam period from 13 to 11 days. (The 4+7 distribution is shown.) 4. It is OK to add one Senior day and to start one day later. Variation: Same as S1 but with a Wednesday start in January and a 12-day study/exam period. More S1 Details Instruction Day Break Day Study Day Exam Day Orientation Commencement Move-In/Out Day 14

15 S2: Overview Current Spring Calendar Earliest: Jan 21 Latest: Jan 27 Earliest: May 19 Latest: May 25 The S2 Motivators 1. The February break is too early. 2. The Spring break is too late. 3. It is important to have two breaks. 4. Too little time to prepare the dorms for graduation. 5. The study/exam period is long compared to peers. Illustrated for 2017 Spring Calendar S2 Earliest: Jan 22 Latest: Jan 28 Earliest: May 18 Latest: May 24 The S2 Framework 1. Reverse the order of the two breaks and position them based on what is best academically. 2. Reduce the study/exam period from 13 to 11 days. (The 4+7 distribution is shown.) 3. It is OK to add one Senior day and to start one day later. Variation: Same as S2 but with a Wednesday start in January and 12-day study/exam period. More S2 Details Instruction Day Break Day Study Day Exam Day Orientation Commencement Move-In/Out Day 15

16 S3: Overview Current Spring Calendar Earliest: Jan 21 Latest: Jan 27 Earliest: May 19 Latest: May 25 The S3 Motivators 1. The February and Spring break are not well-positioned. 2. Having a 2-break spring is important. 3. The study/exam period is long compared to our peers. 4. The between-semester break is long compared to our peers. 5. The summer break is too short. 6. Commencement on Memorial Day weekend is late. Illustrated for 2017 Spring Calendar S3 Earliest: Jan 8 Latest: Jan 14 Earliest: May 8 Latest: May 14 The S3 Framework 1. Move the last 8 class days into January. 2. Reposition the spring break. 3. Stage Commencement two weeks before Memorial Day weekend. 4. Reduce the study/exam period from 13 to 11 days. (The 4+7 distribution is shown.) Variation: Enable a 12-day exam period by moving the last class day to January. More S3 Details Instruction Day Break Day Study Day Exam Day Orientation Commencement Move-In/Out Day 16

17 S4: Overview Current Spring Calendar Earliest: Jan 21 Latest: Jan 27 Earliest: May 19 Latest: May 25 S4 Motivators 1. The February break is not necessary. 2. The study/exam period is long compared to our peers. 3. The between-semester break is too long. 4. The summer break is too short. 5. Commencement on Memorial Day weekend is too late. Illustrated for 2017 Spring Calendar S4 Earliest: Jan 12 Latest: Jan 19 Earliest: May 5 Latest: May 11 The S4 Framework 1. Remove February break. 2. Move the last 8 class days into January. 3. Reposition the spring break. 4. Stage Commencement two weeks before Memorial Day weekend. 5. Reduce the study/exam period from 13 to 11 days. (The 4+7 distribution is shown.) More S4 Details Instruction Day Break Day Study Day Exam Day Orientation Commencement Move-In/Out Day 17

18 Quick Summary F A L L The Issue Does F1 Does F2 The fall semester start date is too early Yes Yes The orientation period needs improvement. No Yes The low-attendance class days before Thanksgiving. No Yes The five class days after Thanksgiving have reduced value. Yes Yes The study/exam period is too long compared to peers Yes Yes S P R I N G The Issue Does S1 Does S2 Does S3 Does S4 The Spring semester start date is too late No No Yes Yes The 2-day break is not necessary No No No Yes The 5-day break not positioned properly. No Yes Yes Yes The study/exam period is too long compared to peers Yes Yes Yes Yes Commencement forces a late start to the summer. No No Yes Yes 18

19 Between-Semester Break and Summer Break This table shows (roughly) how these important breaks compare to what we have now. Proposed Between-Semester Summer Break Full-Year Calendar Decreases By Increases By F1+S1 3 days 7 days F1+S2 3 days 7 days F1+S3 17 days 20 days F1+S4 13 days 20 days F2+S1 3 days 3 days F2+S2 3 days 3 days F2+S3 17 days 16 days F2+S4 13 days 16 days 19

20 Weekday Renaming: Why and How? Problem. Here is a calendar with 69 class days distributed as follows: 12 Mondays 13 Tuesdays 14 Wednesdays 15 Thursdays 15 Fridays This kind of imbalance can shortchange certain courses, e.g., a MW course. Solution. Define the first Thursday class day to be a Monday class day. Define the first Friday class day to be a Tuesday class day. We then have 13 Mondays 14 Tuesdays 14 Wednesdays 14 Thursdays 14 Fridays Many schools do this and so will we as required. 20

21 Another Look at Our Peers There are 48 research universities in the USA that are on the semester system and belong to the American Association Universities (AAU). There are 6 comparable Ivy League schools from the calendar point of view: Cornell, Harvard, Yale, Brown, Penn, and Columbia. (Dartmouth is on the quarter system and Princeton s fall semester ends in January.) 21

22 How many AAU s (Ivy s) have earlier commencements than us? 46/47 5/5 How many AAU s (Ivy s) have shorter between-semester gaps than us? 45/47 5/5 How many AAU s (Ivy s) have more class days after Thanksgiving than us? 44/47 4/5 How many AAU s (Ivy s) have either no Fall break or a 1-day Fall break? 26/48 2/6 How many AAU s (Ivy s) have just one break in their Spring semester? 43/48 4/6 22

23 Wrap-Up Timeline February March 1-14 March 15-April 7 April May Fine-tune the website and the survey Open for comments on website, distribute survey Committee formulates a proposal Faculty Senate Presentation Senate, SA, GPSA, EA vote Report & Recommendations to Provost who decides. New calendar (probably) takes effect

S2: Overview. Illustrated for 2017 Spring Calendar S2. Current Spring Calendar. First Class Day: Earliest: Jan 22 Latest: Jan 28

S2: Overview. Illustrated for 2017 Spring Calendar S2. Current Spring Calendar. First Class Day: Earliest: Jan 22 Latest: Jan 28 : Overview Spring Calendar First Class Day: Earliest: Jan 21 Latest: Jan 27 Last : Earliest: May 19 Latest: May 25 The Motivators 1. The February break is too early. 2. The Spring break is too late. 3.