Slope Day on Wednesdays

[cornellsun.com]

Erin Ellis, Cornell Daily Sun
If the [academic calendar] changes are passed by the Faculty Senate [first since 1984], the University would add two vacation days in February; condense the exam study period from seven days to four and exam week from eight days to six; shorten Senior Week from seven days to three; and change the Wednesday before Thanksgiving from a half day to a full day off. Additionally, Slope Day would fall on a Wednesday, rather than a Friday.

This is perhaps to encourage less Slope Day intoxication because the date, like some students, would fall on a weekday? Story also says that even with fewer exam days, the odds of exam conflicts would be minimized because Cornell would use a scheduling algorithm, says Cornell. Now there's a formula worth seeing.

Why doesn't Cornell look at the quarterly system? You can start after Labor Day, have time for a week at Thanksgiving, and still finish by mid-December. If the spring semester finishes a couple weeks later, that's not a bad thing. Ithaca gets nicer in late May and early June. It does mean spending an extra week or two in Ithaca in January for the start of winter semester.

There have been a few other articles about this in the past month or two. I don't think reducing alcohol consumption has anything to do with it. Nor do I think moving Slope Day to a Wednesday would have any significant effect on alcohol consumption. I think the reason Slope Day would move is that the University wants to add a few extra days off without changing the number of class days.

Are two days off in February really necessary? February never seemed that bad to me. I'm assuming it would be President's Day weekend?

French Rage
Are two days off in February really necessary? February never seemed that bad to me. I'm assuming it would be President's Day weekend?

As a student, this calendar seems more, not less, stressful.

If they're going to add days off, I think they should base it off Easter and Passover, not President's Day.

css228

French Rage
Are two days off in February really necessary? February never seemed that bad to me. I'm assuming it would be President's Day weekend?

As a student, this calendar seems more, not less, stressful.

I agree. A shorter reading period and the same number of exams in fewer days is going to make the end of term more stressful. If it ain't broke....

After a couple of slight tweaks, and in a close vote, the Faculty Senate approved the new calendar, sending it to President Skorton for approval.

kingpin248
After a couple of slight tweaks, and in a close vote, the Faculty Senate approved the new calendar, sending it to President Skorton for approval.

Does this whole thing scream "solution in search of a problem" to anyone else?

French Rage

kingpin248
After a couple of slight tweaks, and in a close vote, the Faculty Senate approved the new calendar, sending it to President Skorton for approval.

Does this whole thing scream "solution in search of a problem" to anyone else?

Yes. If the calendar really needed to be changed the obvious answer would be to shorten winter break.

French Rage

kingpin248
After a couple of slight tweaks, and in a close vote, the Faculty Senate approved the new calendar, sending it to President Skorton for approval.

Does this whole thing scream "solution in search of a problem" to anyone else?

As someone who once had four final exams and paper due in the first two days of exams a shorter study period sounds like cruel and unusual punishment. One of the articles mentioned a "scheduling algorithm" to prevent exam conflicts in a shorter exam week but we had a "system" back in the day as well. No system is foolproof.

nyc94

French Rage

kingpin248
After a couple of slight tweaks, and in a close vote, the Faculty Senate approved the new calendar, sending it to President Skorton for approval.

Does this whole thing scream "solution in search of a problem" to anyone else?

As someone who once had four final exams and paper due in the first two days of exams a shorter study period sounds like cruel and unusual punishment. One of the articles mentioned a "scheduling algorithm" to prevent exam conflicts in a shorter exam week but we had a "system" back in the day as well. No system is foolproof.

Also, you can prevent direct conflicts but still leave students with three exams in two days (or a similarly stressful situation). A shorter exam period makes this far more likely.

The Provost has approved the new calendar with a few modifications, and it will come into effect in spring 2014.

Coverage: Daily Sun | Cornell Chronicle | Provost's Statement

75 degrees today in Ithaca, partly sunny. For those in Ithaca, enjoy. I'd go but for fear of being honored as the oldest living Cornellian and then expelled for wondering aloud why Wham! and Hootie aren't playing, or at least Green Day.

billhoward
75 degrees today in Ithaca, partly sunny. For those in Ithaca, enjoy. I'd go but for fear of being honored as the oldest living Cornellian and then expelled for wondering aloud why Wham! and Hootie aren't playing, or at least Green Day.

The Oldest Living Cornellian is wondering why Eddie Cantor isn't the headliner.

Trotsky

billhoward
75 degrees today in Ithaca, partly sunny. For those in Ithaca, enjoy. I'd go but for fear of being honored as the oldest living Cornellian and then expelled for wondering aloud why Wham! and Hootie aren't playing, or at least Green Day.

The Oldest Living Cornellian is wondering why Eddie Cantor isn't the headliner.

I read the entire bio before I realized that the page wasn't done up in red and white...