Academic calendar to remain despite Harvard reforms

Though Harvard University is considering changing its undergraduate academic calendar, which is nearly the same as Princeton's, the University is not considering any modifications to its calendar, the registrar's office said.

Harvard's Committee on Calendar Reform, formed nearly two weeks ago at the urging of Harvard President Lawrence Summers, will seriously consider changes to aspects of the university's schedule, including its late start and finish dates as well as its fall term examination period, which, like Princeton's, is after winter break.

"The goal is to make it more possible for undergraduates to take advantage of [Harvard's] first-class professional schools, which is impossible if the schedules don't coordinate," said Harvard Professor Lizabeth Cohen.

Because Princeton does not have professional schools operating on a different calendar system than the undergraduate college, there is no similar need to make changes to its calendar, Registrar Joseph Greenberg said.

But for years now, many Princeton undergraduates have bemoaned the University's odd academic calendar.

In addition to the shortened winter break followed by final exams, USG Vice President Jacqui Perlman '05 said there is a great deal to examine and consider revising in the University's schedule.

The University keeps relatively short semesters — Princeton has 12-week semesters, while most other American colleges have 14- or 15-week terms — which start and end at unusual points in the year.

The University also lacks a "shopping" period at the beginning of each term.

"[The schedule] is still something we are interested in working to improve and see changed, if not for our classes than for future Princetonians," Perlman said.

However, the odds of a student-initiated schedule overhaul or any institutional alterations in the academic calendar are slim, both students and administrators emphasized.

Greenberg said a major revamping of the calendar "is a very profound change for an institution."

Not only would the University's faculty have to agree to the changes to the calendar, but it would also be a serious break with a general calendar structure that has been in place for nearly a century, Greenberg said.

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Since at least 1890, the University has had its fall exams after winter break, as did most colleges in that day and age. Even the most "recent" changes to the academic calendar, like the advent of a fall recess, have been in place for nearly 30 years. Thus, in addition to the pragmatic problems, tradition may prove to be a major obstacle to restructuring the schedule.

And some students consider the schedule a boon.

"The long reading period [after winter break] provides ample time to get back into the academic mode," Mike Daylamani '06 said. Greenberg said ultimately, the current calendar is sufficient.

"The main thing is that Princeton has not changed its calendar in over a century," he said. "We could see benefits, but we do what meets Princeton's needs."