Two resolutions introduced during a recent Student Senate meeting could start a domino effect for changes to the University’s academic calendar. One resolution urges the University to move the spring break holiday to the week after Easter to make the holiday more in-line with other East Baton Rouge schools. The resolution was written by Sen. Andy Palermo, chair of the Housing, Infrastructure and Technology Committee; Sen. Amanda Gammon, College of Arts and Sciences; and Sen. Meghan Hanna, vice chair for the Athletics, Academics and Administration Committee. University Registrar Robert Doolos said the University is required to have a minimum of 42 Monday, Wednesday and Friday official class days each semester to meet federal guidelines. Under the current academic calendar, the University meets the federal minimum and fulfills its obligation of not holding classes on the state holiday Good Friday. Doolos said if the University moved the spring break holiday to the week after Easter, the University would still be required to cancel classes on Good Friday. Though students would probably enjoy an added day to their spring break, the University would be one day short of meeting the minimum number of required class days each semester. Palermo said Doolos and the Student Government Academic Calendar Review Committee came up with one reasonable solution – to resume classes at 12:30 p.m. on Ash Wednesday. “When we had a half-day of Ash Wednesday class, it gave us the flexibility to have Good Friday in addition to the whole week of spring break off and still have 42 Monday, Wednesday, Friday class periods,” Doolos said. Palermo said resuming classes at 12:30 p.m. on Ash Wednesday would allow the spring break holiday to be the week after Easter and be more in-line with the EBR parish school system. But there are no guarantees moving the University’s spring break will always coincide with the EBR parish school system. “The East Baton Rouge school system can vary and be the week before or after,” Doolos said. Doolos said he understands why the Faculty Senate and Student Senate are pushing for changes in the academic calendar. He said child care issues surface when the University’s spring break holiday is not the same week as other schools. He said faculty and staff who have children often do not get to spend their spring break holiday with their children. “If the students are off, what do [faculty] do about child care?” he said. The Senate favorably passed a second resolution during this past Wednesday’s meeting proposing another change in the academic calendar. The bill urges the University to end classes at 12:30 p.m. the Wednesday before the Thanksgiving holiday to allow students travel time. The bill passed unanimously with one absence and will now be sent to the Office of Academic Affairs. Hanna said attending class the Wednesday before Thanksgiving frustrates many out-of-state students. “They have had to skip their classes before and some didn’t get home until late Thanksgiving Day because of a late class,” Hanna said. Palermo said he is confident the Senate will pass the resolution Wednesday. requesting the University change the spring break holiday. “As far as the University hearing us out, I’m not sure,” Palermo said. “I hope they will hear and honor the students’ opinion on this matter.” Iftekhar Rouf, accounting freshman, said re-evaluating the academic calendar is a great idea, but he doubts students would attend a half-day of class the day after Mardi Gras. “The sincere students who care about their grades, participation and classes will attend no matter what,” Rouf said. “But if it is the only logical solution we can come up with, then we should go with it and leave it up to the students to attend classes.” Though Rouf is skeptical about the practicality of re-instating the half-day of class after Mardi Gras, he said he likes the idea of moving the spring break holiday. “I’ve heard about problems from my friends even when I was in high school that their brother or sister’s spring break and their spring break did not match so they couldn’t go anywhere for vacation,” Rouf said. Missy LaPlace, theatre sophomore, said SG is on the right track with its review of the academic calendar, though she does not believe reinstating the half-day on Ash Wednesday is a good idea. “I just know that the halls will be empty on Ash Wednesday,” LaPlace said. “As much as some people might hate to admit it, LSU is still a party school. Who is going to go to class the day after Mardi Gras?”
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