Arguing that this year’s Fall Break was pushed back to accommodate football and not academics, the University Faculty Senate introduced a resolution urging University administration to schedule the break no later than Oct. 31 in future fall semesters.
Last week, Student Government passed a resolution supporting Faculty Senate’s efforts, expressing discontent for the late timing of the break and saying students were not pleased that Fall Break fell two weeks before Thanksgiving and two weeks
after midterms.
The resolution says Fall Break should fall in the middle of Labor Day and Thanksgiving.
University Registrar Robert Doolos said when Fall Break was introduced, the University Registrar tried to find an open date that coincided with an SEC away game and the office has always tried to consider football when scheduling the break.
However, Doolos said these dates are always subject to change, but this year’s schedule was not finalized until the beginning of the
fall semester.
Deans of various colleges and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Gil Reeve reviewed a draft of the academic calendar before Fall Break was in place,
Doolos said.
When faculty senators said the Fall Break scheduling
considerations mainly centered around football, Doolos said his office is willing to work with recommendations from the Faculty Senate.
English professor Bill Demastes also introduced a draft of PS 22.05 at the meeting, known as the class attendance policy.
Faculty Senate President Kevin Cope said this issue has cause for great concern because the previous attendance policy was unspecific.
For about two years, PS 22.05 has been in the developmental stages, Cope said.
Professors have various
options when dealing with excused absences, and Demastes said that if students have excused absences, it cannot be held against them.
These recommendations include make-up exams, completing alternative assignments and re-weighing grades.
Additionally, Demastes said if students feel their grades have been affected in some way by
absences, appeal is the
final option.