Student Government Association (SGA) Academic Affairs Chair Ruby Yantz introduced a resolution that would eliminate mandatory classes the Monday of finals week.
At its Wednesday meeting, SGA held a Q-and-A session for “The Elimination of Classes the Monday before Exams” resolution. Voting on the bill is scheduled for the Feb. 12 meeting.
Yantz said she worked with SGA and a fellow senator, Megan Parsley, to send a survey to students in spring 2019 to ask their thoughts on the productivity of Monday classes during the week of final exams.
“We didn’t really see the point with having classes during exam week,” Yantz said. “Our survey found not only do students think those classes are pointless, but that they’re harmful because they are losing time to study.”
If passed, the resolution would allow professors to hold review sessions for exams Monday. Students not attending these sessions would not be penalized.
To allow instructors to adjust their syllabi, this resolution would not take effect until the fall 2024 semester.
Yantz said she thinks the resolution will pass in SGA, but passing in University Senate might be more difficult.
“I’m not positive where it will go once it hits the University Senate, but I’m hoping that it will at least start some conversations,” Yantz said.
Not holding Monday classes during the week of final exams would result in unequal class time between the Monday, Wednesday, Friday classes and the Tuesday, Thursday classes. Yantz said Indiana University has unequal class time and provides a full week before finals for students to study. The University of Notre Dame and Northern Illinois University also provide days to study before finals for their students.
Also in Wednesday’s meeting, a resolution to reduce the required GPA for the Pro Tempore from 2.8 to 2.5 was introduced.
Authors Chase Braden and Justin Plowdrey said because the Pro Tempore is elected by senators instead of the student body, like executives, the GPA requirement should be equal to the requirement for all other senators.
Finally, SGA Vice President Cameron DeBlasio encouraged senators to attend Dining in the Dark at the Retreat in the Noyer Center Feb. 11 for which SGA voted to buy chocolate and environmentally-friendly straws and napkins.
Contact Grace McCormick with comments at grmccormick@bsu.edu or on Twitter @graceMc564.
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