Longer semester up for discussion

The University is one step closer to reforming its academic calendar, with possible changes including the addition of an extra week to each semester, Dean of the College Nancy Malkiel announced in an email sent to the student body yesterday.

Two new potential calendars are being proposed, dubbed Calendars D and E, Malkiel said in a memo sent to faculty Monday. The major change in both is the creation of 13-week semesters, as opposed to the current 12-week semesters. Both new calendars propose the same final exam schedule, with a three-day reading period that would overlap with finals. Final exams would also end four days earlier than they do under the current schedule.

The biggest difference between the two calendars is the existence of Fall Break. "Calendar D retains fall break, adds a full week off at Thanksgiving and has classes ending just before Christmas, followed by a two-week Christmas break," the memo says. "Calendar E eliminates fall break, adds a full week off at Thanksgiving and has classes ending as they do now in mid-December ... followed by a three-week Christmas break."

Student leaders praised the new suggested calendars, especially their creation of 13-week semesters. "We are way behind all of our peer institutions on how many weeks of school we have every year, which is a detriment to Princeton," USG academics chair Sarah Breslow '08 said. Breslow is also a photography editor for The Daily Princetonian.

Harvard and Yale currently have 13-week semesters, while Columbia's academic year is 27 weeks and Stanford's is 29.

The extra week could be put to many uses, USG president Rob Biederman '08 said. "The 13-week semester allows professors not to have class during midterm week," he said. "That's what I really hope will come out of the 13 weeks."

Getting rid of Fall Break would relieve students on financial aid, international students and students who live on the West Coast of the burden of going home an extra time during the semester, Breslow said. Arguments for keeping Fall Break include the time it provides for research, travel and week-long trips for certain classes, according to the memo sent by Malkiel.

Calendars D and E will be discussed informally after the conclusion of a faculty meeting on March 5, Malkiel said in her email. In addition to the input the calendars will receive after Monday's faculty meeting, the Committee would like to receive input from the student body, Malkiel added.

The Committee on the Course of Study went back to the drawing board after faculty were not satisfied with two calendars proposed last fall, dubbed Calendars B and C.

Those calendars both retained the current 12-week semester, eliminated classes during midterm week and Fall Break, lengthened Thanksgiving break to a full week and combined reading period and finals. In Calendar B, fall semester started after Labor Day and ended in mid-December, while fall exams occurred in January. In Calendar C, fall semester started before Labor Day and fall exams took place before Christmas break.

Biederman added that he hopes students will give their input as to which calendar they prefer. "I don't think the USG, based on our reviews, will recommend a calendar," Biederman said. "I think we'll act as a vehicle for the students to give the administration their feedback."

Breslow said she hopes professors will use the new calendar to their advantage. "I would hope the professors would get creative [with the extra week]," she said. "You could have a guest lecture, a review session, class presentations — the opportunities are endless."