ASU recently announced dynamic changes to its academic calendar that will take effect during the spring 2012 semester, a move that will allow students to opt for condensed classes, but some students remain unaware any changes are set to take place.
The newly revised academic calendar will be composed of fall and spring semesters that allow students to choose between taking two 7.5-week sessions, or one 15-week session. Summer semesters will be offered in a similar fashion with the option of two 6-week sessions or one 8-week session per semester.
Journalism sophomore Brittany Everhart said that she was completely unaware of the academic calendar changes. ASU informed students by blasting one e-mail explaining the adjustments.
“You would think that they would put it on the main website,” Everhart said. “I have a lot of friends who never check their ASU account so they would never get that e-mail.”
Yazareth Lucio, an exploratory student, said that she was frustrated with ASU’s lack of focus on informing its student body of the changes in the calendar.
“One e-mail? That’s what they sent out? I didn’t know,” Lucio said. “They should have announced it so more students are aware of what’s going on.”
The spring semester of 2012 will be the first semester that includes these changes, according to the e-mail sent out by Elizabeth Capaldi, executive vice president and provost of ASU.
Assistant Vice Provost for University Academic Success Programs Duane Roen said that students will be able to take a maximum of nine credit hours during the 7.5-week sessions. Students who wish to enroll in more than nine credit hours have to petition to the university and receive permission in order to do so.
ASU will no longer offer a winter session and there will be a two-day fall break in the middle of the fall semester in order to allow professors to post grades as well as accommodate issues regarding enrollment for the second session.
According to Roen, students who have taken some of the already available 7.5-week classes said that they favor the condensed schedule.
“They tell us that they like to focus their attention on several courses for 7.5-weeks, take a short break, and then turn their attention to new courses,” said Roen. “These students tell us that the shorter sessions make it easier to learn more effectively.”
Andrea Perez, a journalism sophomore, agrees with ASU’s decision to add the shortened sessions to the academic calendar.
“I think it’s beneficial for those who want to graduate early. I’m definitely interested so I can get (general education) classes out of the way so I can focus on my journalism classes,” Perez said. “But I think that they could have publicized it more. Not may people are aware of it.”
The calendar changes were made in order to “provide greater flexibility in how classes are offered and to enhance the academic experience,” according to ASU’s Student Resources website.
“I think that the schedule I have now is fine, but if we could choose I think it would be cool to have that option,” Everhart said. “It might help people who have to work and have internships.”
For the faculty of ASU, the academic calendar change does not come easily.
Loida Gutierrez, a Spanish professor on the Downtown campus, said that modifying the class curriculums to include the same amount of work in a shorter period of the time will be a challenge.
Faculty must ensure that each course’s objectives are being fulfilled despite the shortened 7.5-week sessions, Gutierrez said.
“It takes coordination,” Gutierrez said.
“I think that ASU needs to communicate more,” said Gutierrez, referring to the single e-mail that was sent to inform the university of the calendar changes. “With all of the resources we have, we shouldn’t be surprised about changes that are made. We get one message and it gets lost with the other 500 we get every day.”
Roen said there is still ample for the university to raise awareness among students about the calendar changes.
“We did what we thought would get the message out,” said Roen. “We’re still almost a year out. People still have time to prepare.”
Contact the reporter at apsmith5@asu.edu
