University faculty and staff are discussing the possibility of making Thanksgiving break a weeklong holiday before the Faculty Senate votes on the resolution March 15.
The resolution states the basis for making the break a week long are provisions for faculty members with school-age children who face child care issues, faculty members seeing low attendance by students during those days and students’ alleged disinterest in the days leading up to the holiday.
“Anytime I have a break, I’m not compelled to go to class at all,” said Jasper Cook, computer engineering freshman.
Garrett Klotz, electrical engineering freshman, said since other schools have a week off it makes sense for the University to also have the full week.
“We had a week off in high school in Slidell. It’s hard going to only having those two days off,” Klotz said.
Kevin Cope, Faculty Senate president, said it has been discussed that most students travel home for the holiday, and it’s not always easy to fly during that time of the year, but the issue may be exaggerated.
“The reality is that 85 percent of LSU students come from three parishes within Louisiana, so the story of students needing to make air connections is a little bit extenuated,” Cope said.
However, Cope said if the University wants to increase its national prominence, it may have to consider travel time as an issue.
The fall 2011 semester starts Monday, Aug. 22, but if this resolution passes and is approved by the Provost, the fall semester could start earlier — on Wednesday, Aug. 17.
University Registrar Robert Doolos said the semester would have to start on a Wednesday to meet the required 42 Monday, Wednesday and Friday class periods.
“The real question is, can we make it a week long?” Doolos said of Thanksgiving break.
Doolos said the change would affect Residential Life, Greek Affairs, Orientation and other University departments and events.
He said starting the semester earlier will cause backward planning for finishing orientations, getting fee bills paid before the pay purge date and a number of other events that must take place before the fall semester starts.
The University tried starting the semester in the middle of the week about 10 years ago, Doolos said.
Doolos said there are a number of mainframe computer programs that must run the weekend before classes begin, and when the University tried to start in the middle of the week, the programs couldn’t finish running overnight and created problems on the first day. The problems included the class lists not being up-to-date and students being unable to add or drop classes.
Doolos said with new technology formed during the last 10 years, the programs might be able to run over night.
Cope said students’ and faculty members’ summer activities, like internships and research projects, should be considered in the decision.
To make up the potential days lost, Faculty Senate also considered taking away fall break.
Ana Siqueiros, visual arts senior, said fall break is a much needed break.
“Fall break is really important for students to have time to relax,” Siqueiros said.
Doolos said fall break isn’t an option for replacing the missing days because the half day on the Wednesday of Thanksgiving break counts toward the number of required class days.
“If we were to not have fall break, we would still be lacking one Monday-Wednesday class,” Doolos said.
Cope said it would also be difficult to place the days at the end of the semester because it would delay graduation ceremonies.
 
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Contact Celeste Ansley at [email protected]