Faculty considers reading day proposal
SARAH NESTOR
Saint Mary's Editor
In a push for campus approval for the reading day proposal Student Government President Kim Jensen and Vice President Elizabeth Jablonski-Diehl gave a presentation to Saint Mary's faculty assembly yesterday.
The reading day proposal, previously known as the study day proposal, has been a concern to student government since 1992. The purpose of the reading day proposal is to leave the Friday before exams week open, so students could study, work on projects or meet individually with professors.
According to Jensen and Jablonski-Diehl there have been several different proposals written, including last year's study day proposal, but none have been as comprehensive as the current reading day proposal.
"Kim and I can be really happy with what we have accomplished," Jablonski-Diehl said. "They [the faculty] had a lot of questions, but a big concern is in dropping Friday they lose a class day."
Jensen and Jablonski-Diehl presented each faculty member with a binder, which included their formal proposal, comparisons between Saint Mary's and 130 other institutions, a sample class schedule with the reading day included and data from last year's study day survey. Students will also have access to the binders, which will be placed at the front desk of every residence hall, in addition to being available in the library and the student government office.
"What's really important now is that faculty hear the student support and convincing faculty that a reading day is as important as a class day," Jablonski-Diehl said.
The study day survey conducted last year found that 89 percent of students, out of 763 surveyed, were in favor of a reading day at the end of the semester. Although Jensen estimates that 95 percent of the student body supports the reading day proposal. Other results from the survey found that 1,071 assignments were given the week prior to finals [Fall 2001] to the 763 students surveyed, which ranges from zero to six assignments per student.
"A strength of the proposal is that it does not go into effect until the 2003-2004 school year, as a pilot program," Jensen said. "Then it will be evaluated at the end of the year."
Jensen and Jablonski-Diehl were invited back to the Dec. 4 faculty assembly meeting, to address faculty concerns and present more information on the 130 institutions used for comparison. Until then Jensen and Jablonski-Diehl ask that professors and students express their concerns and together discuss the proposal.
"I think we shocked a lot of people today with how prepared we were," Jensen said. "We feel really good about it."
The reading proposal was already unanimously approved by the Student Academic Council and the Board of Governance, and will be presented to the Academic Standards Committee this month.
All News Stories for Thursday, November 7, 2002
