BOG debates reading day issue
Sarah Nestor
Saint Mary's Editor
Saint Mary's Board of Governance passed a new proposal to alleviate the 10-year push to have a study day built into the academic calendar. Written by Student Body President Kim Jensen and Student Body Vice President Elizabeth Jablonski-Diehl the "reading day" proposal was unanimously approved by BOG last Thursday.
Since 1992 students began voicing their need for a study day by pursuing avenues in which a study day could be added to the schedule. Last year Jensen and Jablonski-Diehl took on the issue again by asking for students to participate in a study day survey and used the data to write the new reading day proposal.
"Past proposals have not been as comprehensive, with only a few paragraphs or suggestions," Jablonski-Diehl said. "People are impressed by this proposal and are telling us that we did do our homework."
The three-page proposal includes data from the study day survey results, a comparison to the academic calendars of other colleges, accreditation information and a calendar of the reading day format. The reading day proposal is different that the study day proposal as it will not rearrange the calendar or take away days that have previously been off. The reading day would occur on the Friday before exams week and would cancel all classes.
"The study day proposal has gained a negative connotation," Jablonski-Diehl said. "When we did the survey we did not ask about this proposal, but I think that the general consensus is that the extra day would help students."
The study day survey did find that 89 percent of the student body supported a reading day at the end of the semester. The proposal emphasizes the fact that the reading day would alleviate stress and is not "based on a lack of time management skills by Saint Mary's students."
"Most of those Friday's are used for review days and professors could still assign projects to be due or hold review sessions," Jablonski-Diehl said. "No matter what you use the day for it's going to help you prepare for finals."
The next step that Jensen and Jablonski-Diehl are taking is to present the proposal to the faculty assembly for their approval. While they are not asking the faculty assembly to vote on the proposal, they would like to gain their support.
"I think the big concern of the faculty is how we are going to know if this is working and their second concern is that it will be used as a party day, which is a cheap shot," Jablonski-Diehl said. "To them we go to class, go home and do homework, but that is not realistic with the level of student extracurricular involvement on campus."
Regardless of what the faculty assembly decides the proposal will move on to the Academic Affairs committee to vote on the proposal. Jensen and Jablonski-Diehl also plan to present the proposal to the Parents Council on Oct. 4.
BOG will continue to sponsor discussion groups where students can express their concerns about the proposal and also pick up reading day buttons to wear to show their support of the proposal.
All News Stories for Friday, September 27, 2002
