During the 2014-2015 academic year, the University Curriculum Council (UCC) created a committee to survey the possibility of revising Trinity’s class scheduling grid. This proposition was discussed to resolve two key issues in the schedule: the preference of Tuesday-Thursday (TR) time slots to Monday-Wednesday-Friday (MWF) time slots and the over-scheduled nature of the current system.
To fix the first problem, the committee suggested the option of 75-minute time slots on Monday-Wednesday (MW) or Wednesday-Friday (WF). Because so many professors prefer the longer periods, offering more extended periods would allow more flexibility for both students and faculty.
“The availability of more 75-minute time slots would enable some faculty members to shift their classes from TR to MW or WF, thus easing the pressure on the TR schedule,” said Duane Coltharp, associate vice president for Academic Affairs.
Because students and faculty are so over-booked, the committee decided to revise the schedule by adding a “common time,” which would allow for the scheduling of lectures, committee meetings or department meetings. In the current proposal, it is MWF 11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. However, these changes are still in the proposal stage.
“It’s not a done deal by any means. I’m in the process of meeting with various department chairs so that we can think through the possible consequences of these changes. I’ve discussed the proposal with the University Curriculum Council, and I plan to meet with the Faculty Senate in the near future,” Coltharp said.
The proposal intends to lighten the load of both Trinity professors and students by allowing an uninterrupted time for both groups. The changes will address the hard-working culture of Trinity by providing a few moments throughout the week that allow a break.
“The committee I’ve been working with has given a lot of thought to the atmosphere on campus. We’ve noticed that everyone seems to be busy all the time. We think a “˜common time’ could help to address the culture of busyness, if you will, by providing a few moments during the week when everyone could stop, take a breath and do something that’s not totally task-oriented,” Coltharp said.
Some students agree that this proposal would help them manage their time better. The option of having classes on MW and WF offers a greater range of flexibility for students.
“I already take an engineering class that’s like that, and it’s pretty helpful,” said Christian Oakes, junior.
Having MW or WF classes relieves the pressure of TR classes. However, some disagree with the “common time” part of the proposal as it may interrupt their focus.
“For the clubs I’m involved in, later meetings are better. Once I’m in class mode, I’m in class mode,” said Parker Cormack, junior.
Whether or not students are in favor of this proposal, many agree too many classes were scheduled on TR this semester, which makes it harder for students to be flexible with the courses they want and need to take.
“It seems, for this coming semester, a lot of the classes are Tuesday-Thursday. More Monday-Wednesday would help balance out schedules,” said Ella Lutz, first year.
These changes are still in a proposal stage. Before they can take effect, they must be approved by the UCC and the Academic Faculty Assembly. Coltharp met with the Student Government Association to discuss the proposed changes.