University of Virginia Library

Reading Period Hinges
Upon Departmental Policy

By BARBARA BROWN
and BUCK COLE

A flexible five-day
reading period at the end of
this semester will be provided
for students, depending upon
varying departmental policies
announced Dean Irby B.
Cauthen Wednesday. He cited a
resolution from the Curriculum
Committee approved by the
Faculty May 17, 1972.

Committee Resolution

"The Faculty of Arts and
Sciences has provided a reading
period of no more than five
class days to be used by
students for thorough review
and some independent work
after the course is over and
before final examinations
begin," the resolution
explains.

Because of fewer class-days
on the 1973-74 school calendar,
reading days for next year are
being reconsidered. "Still," a
similar resolution approved
Oct. 31, 1972 stated, "it would
seem highly desirable to
protect the students from
quizzes, papers, etc. in the last
few days of the semester."

No Final-Day Tests

The Faculty Committee on
Curriculum and Educational
Policy recommends that at the
last meeting before
examinations no tests will be
administered or exercises due.

According to Dean Cauthen;
this recommendation provides
that instructors may treat this
period as normal class days if
the time is needed, or use the
period as a review session.

Council Action

Some Student Council
action may be taken
concerning the lack of reading
days in next year's calendar.
According to Greg Luce, the
co-chairman of the Academics
and Athletic Affairs
Committee, "There are not
enough days for a reading
period unless we start in
August, but the committee will
probably propose a guaranteed
week of class review without
tests or new material."

"The faculty is unable to
give us the best of both worlds.
We can't finish the semester
before Christmas and still have
a reading period as we know
it," added Mr. Luce.

Commenting upon the
upcoming absence of a reading
period, Dean Cauthen said, "It
should not affect the students'
exam grades. If they
understand the new procedure,
they should be able to make
preparations."

Although each department
was urged by the Curriculum
Committee to decide and
announce its departmental
policy concerning this year's
reading period as early as
possible, some departments are
leaving the policy decision to
individual professors.

Architecture Dean J.
Norwood Bosserman is
allowing each professor to
decide whether to have classes
during the period as long as no
new material is introduced.

Individual Decisions

Following a similar policy,
David C. Jordan, chairman of
the Government and Foreign
Affairs Department, is using no
fixed departmental policy,
therefore, each professor will
discuss it with his students.