2020-21 Academic Calendar Update #1

[James Gallicchio]

Hi all,

Thank you again for taking the time to share your thoughts on the academic
calendar. Here's a quick summary of some preliminary results:

   - ~75% feel this semester is *too short*
   - ~80% are *not* in favor of 14wk semesters in a regular year
   - ~70% would *prefer a short winter break* over shorter semesters, but
   this is particularly difficult for international students
   - No consensus on whether to shorten fall semesters in order to fit a
   week-long mid-semester break

We are still collecting responses, *especially from MCS, Dietrich, CFA, and
Tepper students*, so please share the form with any friends you may have in
those schools: https://forms.gle/MBAQFArEV4LUPhRg7

Right now, we're exploring the possibility of *compressing finals week*
next semester. Many staff, in particular advisors, ended up having to work
through Christmas because of the late end to the semester. So if we can cut
a few days from finals week, the 15wk semester is a bit more amenable. A
solid proposal is still being worked out, but we suspect it would include:

   - Shorter (2hr) exam slots
   - Some exams on the weekend
   - Encouraging courses to either not have timed final exams or to give
   students choice/flexibility around when to take an assessment during finals
   week

Once we have a hard proposal, we'll reach out to you all for more feedback.
In the meantime, if you have particularly strong concerns about this,
please email me at jgal at cmu.edu with something like "Compressed Final
Schedule" in the subject.

Thanks!
James Gallicchio

--
SCS Senator, Class of 2023
Academic Affairs Committee
Communications Committee
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