Faculty rejects ektended Thanksgiving break

by Andrew Schultz

Next year’s academic calendar will
be just about the same as this year's
because of a vote at Monday's faculty
meeting.

At the meeting, Provost Waldo
Walker presented the faculty wlﬂl two
calendar options, expecting a straw
poll to be taken on which was more
acceptable. But on a motion by faculty
Chairman Ron Kurtz, the faculty
voted for Option isthe calendar form
which is like this year's.

Both of Walker’s options proposed 70
day semesters, but Option 2 included
two short breaks instead of one long
October break. Under this plan, the
first break would come in late October
and last five days, beginning on a
Saturday and going through the
following Wednesday.

The second break would be the five
days over Thanksgiving, starting on
the Wednesday before Turkey Day.
Classes would resume the following
Monday.

Walker admitted neither option of-
fered significant energy or other cost
savings for the college. The second 0p-

support for the proposal “rests
uninsmall matters." Erickson said the
two-break plan could be easily im-
plemented and that the semester
would have a better rhythm to it with
two short respites rather than one long
one.

Erickson also said longsdistance .
travel should be discouraged and the
shorter breaks would make such
travel difficult. He then went on to
complain that ”the failure to
recognize Thanksgiving is an unwar-
ranted inconvenience” for the faculty
and staff. The longer break at
Thanksgiving would allow everyone to
enjoy the holiday that many students
skip town to spend with their ramily
and/or friends

Both Erickson and Athletic Director
John Pfitsch agreed that the athletic
program would be better served by
the two short breaks. The existing
long break encourages students to
leave campus whereas the shorter
breaks would encourage students to
stick around and devote time to their
team sport.

Pfitsch said the long break can ruin

 

The guidelines allow faculty

members to postpone

tenure decisions in cases where

there is not enough

evidence to decide

 

tion allows the semester to terminate
three calendar days earlier than Op-
tion 1. Dean of Student Affairs Jim
Tederrnan pointed out that these three
days could benefit student travel. The
earlier recess could offer better
weather and less intense holiday air
travel.

In defending Option 2, chemistry
Professor Luther Erickson stated that

4

the fall sports season because so many
players leave town and the team loses
its momentum. When faculty
members began to laugh, Pfitsch quip-
ped: "I guess some of you think the
season can‘t be ruined any more than
it already Is...but it can. . .”

Concern of some biology professors
about lab schedules and live animal
experiments under the tworbreak

system was deflated in the following
exchange:

“How are you going to keep a squid
alive over a weekend?" a science pro-
fessor asked, ,

“Who wants to keep a squid alive
anyway?” came a retort from the
back of the room.

G. Robert Turnbull, SGA vice presir
dent. was permitted to address the
laculty with a sampling of student i
opinion, Turnbull said a survey of
students in the dining halls showed
that 574 students were opposed to the
idea of two short breaks rather than
one long break,

“Since there are no energy save
ings,” Turnbull said, “there aren‘t
many students entranced with the
idea " He went on to urge the faculty
to hold an open forum to get a better
feel for student opinion.

philosophy Professor Jack Worley
and Liahna Babener, assistant pro
lessor of English and American
Studies, argued ln favor of the status
quo calendar.

Worley said two short breaks would
be counterproductive. The idea behind
break is to give students a chance to
get away from academics for a while.
But with two short breaks, students
would tend to stay on campus and use
the time to catch up on work.

Babener said that two short breaks
would discriminate against students
who lived far from campus and used
to travel home over the long October
break. She said it is “not fair" to en-
courage students to stay on campus
from late August until mierecember.

The faculty approved Option 1, the
status quo calendar, by a voice vote.

The faculty also considered, and
after extensive discussion approved,
revised guidelines for appointments.
promotion, and tenure. what the revi-
sions essentially do is set six years as
the minimum amount of teaching ex-
perience a faculty member must have
before coming up for tenure.

The guidelines also allow candidates
to put off the tenure decision for two
years~if the candidate feels that the
Executive Council would not have
enough evidence to make a decision.
This decision (to put off the considera-
tion) can only be made by the can-
didate and his or her departmentiit
cannot be made by the administration.

These policies are only
guidelinesithey are not rules concer-
ning how every tenure case should be
handled.

St O’iet & Billi’k‘

 

