Changing the calendar

We're hoping Professor Lawrence Rosen's column in last Monday's 'Prince' about revising the University calendar is turning some heads. As Harvard, the only other university with an odd schedule akin to Princeton's, has recently proposed to reconsider their schedule, it is high time we seriously reassess ours.

There are many merits to Rosen's proposed changes. He calls for an examination period prior to winter break as well as the creation of a weeklong Thanksgiving break in place of the current Fall Break. No doubt, many students would welcome these changes. Finals before Christmas would reduce the stress that currently ensues while on it and Princeton students would finally have more time with friends from other schools who have more normal college schedules. Additionally, as Rosen notes, the Fall Break was initially instituted during the politically tumultuous years of the 1960s when students were expected to campaign during that free week. Today, Fall Break is simply treated as another vacation, not a political venture.

Perhaps most audacious is Rosen's proposal to create a "J-Term" between the fall and spring semesters. The concept, similar to what Harvard is considering, calls for a five week period extending through January in which students could do research abroad. It provides a great opportunity for students to taste the abroad experience without having to sacrifice precious time at Princeton, while equally affording faculty a consolidated period of research.

Another possibility worth considering is expanding the semesters from 12 to 15 weeks. This would greatly reduce the pressures on faculty to cram enormous amounts of material into such short periods of time, as it would mitigate the pressures on students to learn so much information in so little time.

To be sure, there are drawbacks to any serious calendar changes. Many administrators complain the logistics are too difficult, and the need not dire enough. Undoubtedly making such important changes is no small feat, but the real problem is the administrator's failure to probe the level of the student body's discontent. The logical next step is for the administration to do just that. A survey addressing the want for change among students is a much needed one. Reassessing the calendar demands serious thought, but without a proper evaluation of its necessity, it's time wasted.