The Arts & Sciences Faculty Council has approved sweeping changes to the academic schedule, as well as curriculum requirements that will affect all programs of study.
Starting in September, Arts & Sciences programs will begin incorporating a whole new bag of tricks termed “degree objectives” into degree requirements. The faculty council proposed that programs implement additional requirements within five years.
The new criteria are meant to enhance academic learning by focusing on areas such as information literacy, communications, social ethics, and quantitative reasoning. “Achieving these degree objectives will prepare our graduates with the transferable skills necessary given the dynamic nature of the workforce and the world today,” said Suzette Stevenson, vice dean of students in Arts & Science, who oversaw the changes.
The restructuring of the academic calendar will take effect in September 2009. The bottom line: more free time. Final exams will not be scheduled after April 30, giving students a chance to find summer jobs that will actually look good on a resume. Both fall and winter semesters will receive an additional “study break”.
This move is meant to ease academic workload by providing students with as much time as possible to focus on classes, without having to worry about cramming for exams.
An “intersession” has also been carved into the calendar. Right before the summer session, students will have a chance to go on field studies or get international work experience.
Combining theories learned in lecture halls with practical and technical training sounds like a great idea. Giving students an extra week to catch up sounds even better. But if students receive more breathing room, only to have to complete another set of requirements, doesn’t that put us back at square one?
