The Cavalier daily :: Friday, March 17, 1972 :: University of Virginia Library

The question of calendar
reform was taken up in a
recent "Colloquium" by Mr.
Horan (Cavalier Daily, March
9, 1972). While I do not want
to precipitate a spate of
suggested calendars, I would
like to put a proposal that may
prove satisfactory to both
those who desire reform and
those who do not.

Before presenting my
(slightly) modified semester
plan, however, I am compelled
to comment on some of Mr.
Horan's statements.

He apparently feels that a
delay allowing a committee of
the College Faculty to study
the educational impact of the
proposal is "completely
unfounded". I disagree.

Clearly the Faculty of Arts
and Sciences should have
considerable input to the
question of calendar reform. It
is the largest division of the
University in both the numbers
of students and of faculty.

I should also point out that
Mr. Caplow's resolution at the
February 29th meeting of the
faculty of the College passed
by a considerable margin. Note
that Mr. Caplow is not alone in
his concern for the academic
impact of the calendar, as
might be supposed from the
comments of Mr. Horan.

It is simply not sufficient to
claim that many other schools
are changing their calendars
and, hence, that we should
also. I, for one do not feel
overly concerned in being at
the last school in the ACC to
adopt calendar reform. It is
sufficient for me that this be
the best school in the ACC,
academically.

My last comment on the
Horan "Colloquium" is that he
seems to take quite a bit upon
himself in speaking for all 2000
members of the second year
class, but (perhaps) he is their
spokesman.

The (slightly) modified
semester plan that I would like
to propose involves the
concept of a study break just
prior to exams (see attached
example for 1974-75). This
break of a week or more could
be used as the student sees fit.

For example, he might stay
at the University for part or all
of the break to use the library
or to discuss problems directly
with his professors in order to
deepen his knowledge and
understanding.

He could use the time,
either at home or at school, to
work on term papers and
required reading. Or, of course,
he could just take time off. In
any case, the study break
would be followed directly by
three or more reading days
and, then, a week of exams.

Given that such a study
break would be a useful
addition to the school
calendar, I would conceive of a
calendar which always begins
after Labor Day and always
ends by I June. A calendar in
which the first day of classes is
always a Monday and the last
day always a Friday. A
calendar which, excluding
reading days, always contains
14 full weeks of classes per
semester (except a two day
break for Thanksgiving and a
one day break for Founder's
Day).

In this calendar classes
always end before Christmas,
but exams occur after
Christmas. In fact, the
Christmas and Spring
Vacations are incorporated in
the study breaks. Such a
calendar can be worked out for
all possible arrangements of
Christmas and Labor Day. An
example of such a calendar for
1974-75 is attached.
Comments would be
appreciated.

A (Slightly) Modified
Semester Plan 1974-75:

Labor Day-Mon. Sep. 2

Begin Registration-Tue.
Sep. 10

Classes Begin (First
Semester)-Mon. Sep. 16

Classes End-Fri. Dec. 20

Winter Break (18
Days) -Sat. Dec. 20-Tue. Jan. 7

Reading Days-Wed. Jan.
8-Fri. Jan. 10

Exams-Mon. Jan. 13-Wed.
Jan. 22

Classes Begin (Second
Semester)-Mon. Jan. 27

Classes End-Fri. May 2

Spring Break (11
Days)-Sat. May 3-Tue. May 13

Reading Days-Wed. May
14-Fri. May 16

Exams-Mon. May 19-Wed.
May 28

Graduation-Sun. Jun. 1