By Sidney Madden, Special to the Chronicle
With Thanksgiving break fast approaching, many University students who purchase plane tickets, bus reservations or even set aside gas money will find themselves reevaluating travel plans because of the University's academic schedule this year. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving break, November 23, known as one of the busiest travel days of the year, will not be a day off for students and faculty in the Fall 2011 calendar. The same is true for the Fall 2012 calendar.
News of the scheduling decision has been met with confusion and frustration from much of the University's student body. In a random survey of 100 students, both in state and out of state, 96 percent answered that it does not make sense to hold class that Wednesday and 50 percent answered that they do not plan on attending class. When asked for a reason for skipping, some survey takers answered that their professors were "cancelling class that day anyway."
Dr. Herman Berliner, Hofstra's Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, described how the calendar is drafted two years in advance. It passes through the Calendar Committee and then the University Senate for review.
"The Senate is comprised of about five student representatives, administrators, staff and faculty," said Berliner. "Additionally, every faculty member gets a chance to vote on the schedule."
Dr. Liora Schmelkin, Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs, noted that by New York state law an undergraduate course is required to meet for 750 minutes per credit in a semester (2,250 minutes for a three-credit course, for example), while a graduate course is required to meet 500 minutes per credit. "It's like trying to fulfill a wish list," she said.
Berliner agreed that the change in Thanksgiving break was necessary. "We need to meet the need," said Berliner.
Adhering to laws and fitting in days off means that some holidays take precedence over others.
"The Senate conducted a student survey back in 2005 and 2010 offering different scenarios," said Schmelkin. "Sixteen hundred students replied, and it was resounding that they didn't want to start before Labor Day [and] didn't want to do away with the religious holidays [like] Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Good Friday."
Religious observations leave little room for other dates like the Wednesday ‘travel day,' and are the reason why the bonus date can only be worked in when the calendar is reviewed on an annual basis.
Although the Wednesday is off on a more sporadic basis, it's clear that student opinion reaches administration. Other calendar concerns are being addressed and slowly met. Within the same Senate-conducted survey, the results of which are on the University site, 18 percent of students answered that our spring break is too late in the semester.
"When it comes to spring break, the students are right," concluded Berliner, who foresees a spring break in March in about two academic years.
Religious tradition trumping modern day travel headaches may not be the most ideal scenario for some, but at least there are only 22 days until winter break once we get back—one scheduling fact for which we can be thankful.