4-1-4 Academic Calendar by MERCYHURST UNIVERSITY

ACADEMIC CLAENDAR TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Calendar Change. . . . . . . . . . . 1-9 2. Academic Calendar Development Overview. . . . .. 10-12 3. Literature Review. . . . . .13-15 4. 2013-2014 Academic Calendarâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;J-term version. . . . 16-21 5. Feasibility of Classroom Space under 4-1-4 Calendar. . .22-24 6. APC Report on Preferences and Rationale for 4-1-4 vs. 4-4-1 calendars. . . 25-33 7. Statement Regarding New Calendar: Dept. of Chemistry & Biochemistry/Physics. . .34-39 8. Registrarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office Statement Supporting 4-1-4 Calendar. . . 40-41 9. Admissions Office Letter/E-mail Supporting 4-1-4 Calendar. . . 42-43 10. Athletics Supporting 4-1-4 Calendar. . . . 44-47 11. Sample Feasibility Study Intelligence Studies. . .48-68 12. Adult Programs at Selected Institutions. . .69-71

Appendix: A. Academic Departments Spreadsheet B. Classroom Feasibility Chart

CALENDAR CHANGE Friday May 4-5, 2012 Board of Trustees Meeting The university faces the decision regarding its academic calendar once again. For years the faculty have advocated for a new calendar that provides a sound pedagogical foundation for what is the core of the institution, the academic work faculty do with students. Why has the academic calendar continued to be a source of concern for the faculty? There are a few aspects of the term system that the vast majority of the faculty and OAA find indefensible: 1. The long length of classes Mercyhurst University has the longest undergraduate classes of any college or university in the nation. Why does this matter? Students learn more, they retain more information if they receive course material in shorter increments. This is why college class lengths range from 50 minutes to 65 minutes (MWF classes) and 75 minutes to 85 minutes (T,Th classes). Mercyhurst is far outside this range with 90 minute MWF classes and 130 minute T,Th classes. Shorter class times are especially important for at-risk students such as those who typically attend classes on the NE campus. Students who miss classes because of illness, sports, or other reasons need only miss two Tuesday-Thursday classes to miss 10% of the term’s classes. By contrast, students who miss two Tuesday-Thursday classes on the 4-1-4 calendar miss 7% of the term’s classes. There are more than 7000 colleges and universities in the United States. An extensive search of two and four year colleges as well as universities turned up one four-year college, Augustana College in Illinois, on the same term system as Mercyhurst. Only one community college, Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, was still using the same term system in 2011-2012. They are switching to semesters next year (http://www.cincinnatistate.edu/aboutcs/semester-transition). Doing an internet search of colleges and universities on a trimester or term system is misleading if one is looking only to find those words. Twenty-five schools were found that used the term “trimester,” but of those only two function on the calendar we currently use. “Trimester” is most often used to refer either to a quarter system or a 12-month academic year. A quarter system meets the same number of weeks as our system but for shorter class times and the credits received are not equivalent to semester credits. Our courses have equivalency with semester credits, which is why our classes must be so long in order to meet PDE standards

for semester contact hours. A 12-month academic calendar is often referred to as trimesters where there are the traditional 15-week fall and spring semesters but summer is considered the third trimester. Our calendar does all three semesters in 9 months and adds summer classes to that system. 2. The short length of the terms

10-week terms condense what is typically 14-15 weeks of material for a class into 10 weeks. Consequently, classes have to be held for much longer periods of time and students have 1/3 less time to digest class material. They have fewer weekends with which to work on research and writing projects. The pace at which material is covered makes it difficult for students to learn an aspect of a subject matter, digest it, and then learn the next aspect, and so on. The condensed term means students have to bite off much bigger chunks of course material and digest it at a much faster rate.

3. The winter term The winter term begins after the students have had a two-week non-productive break (a nonproductive break means that students cannot use the time away from classes to work on assignments). Classes are held for 3 weeks, after which a two-week Christmas break follows. From the end of the fall term to the end of the Christmas break, students have four weeks without classes and three weeks with classes. During the Christmas break, students are asked to do academic work. The winter term then picks up a day or two after New Year in the beginning of the fourth week of the term. In short, the two-week break does not come at a natural breaking point, midterm, but at a time when no one would suggest it makes sense to break for two weeks. In fact, all of the term systemâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s big breaks are non-productive except for Christmas, the one time of the year when students should get a break from their academic work and assignments. How does the 4-1-4 calendar help to alleviate these problems? A. Shorter classes

Class Schedule on the 4-1-4 Calendar (65 Minute MWF Classes; 100 Minute T,TH Classes) MWF

8:00-9:05

8:00-9:40

9:15-10:20

9:50-11:30

10:30-11:35

11:40-1:20

11:45-12:50

1:30-3:10

1:00-2:05

3:20-5:00

2:15-3:20 3:30-4:35

Class Schedule on the Current Term System (90 Minute MWF Classes; 130 Minute T,TH Classes) MWF

8:00-9:30

8:00-10:10

9:40-11:10

10:20-12:30

11:20-12:50

12:40-2:50

1:00-2:30

3:00-5:10

2:40-4:10

1. Since additional days are available, a reading day can be included in the academic calendar for both semesters and the j-term. 2. The Academic Support staff has more opportunity to interact with students who are experiencing academic challenges. The longer semester and shorter class hours accompanied by intense tutoring may offer the underprepared student an opportunity to succeed.

B. Longer terms 1. Students who want to transfer to Mercyhurst University could begin their study in January rather than waiting until March. A few students do transfer in the current winter term. However, they may be completing course work at a semester school.

2. Students may have additional time to determine the advisability from withdrawal from a course. In the current system, some students have completed one exam by the withdrawal date and are not certain if the withdrawal is warranted. 3. Students would have more data and time to determine if they should use their pass/fail option. 4. International students who return home will not feel they need to leave early at the end of fall term or return late for the beginning of spring term in order to have a meaningfully long visit home

C. No winter term broken up in a way that makes no sense

D. Undergraduate research would be more productive. 1. Would allow seniors to have an intensive writing and research methodology experience which they could present to the department's community as a way to kick off the spring term. For those applying for graduate school, the timing of the project would be ideal. 2. Would allow students doing research areas to conduct/complete senior research during this time and defend their results in the spring term. 3. Would allow specialized field/research classes not offered in the regular curriculum. 4. Would provide a better opportunity for students to prepare spring performances. 5. Opportunities for specialized field/research classes in January or classes not otherwise offered in the curriculum. 6. Clinical placements in January could roll into student teaching in the spring term. 7. Other departments propose online instruction, independent studies, and internships during January. E. Faculty research would be more productive: 1. Helps faculty with research, conferences, publications, and course prep if they are not teaching every J-term. This is particularly helpful for faculty whose major conferences are immediately after the New Year. 2. Additional time for research in the middle of the year is particularly helpful in fields that require working with people who are off work/school in January.

3. For those faculty not teaching, the long research window is very appealing as a halfway point to summer research, i.e. faculty may be getting responses from journal submissions, publishers, etc. that they submitted at the end of summer and have an opportunity to devote solid uninterrupted time to scholarship without having to wait until the start of summer. 4. With 4-1-4, there is a rejuvenating longer break for faculty members not teaching in January in a given year, and a less grueling, presumably stimulating, 1-course regimen for “on” years, before plowing back into the spring semester. 5. Would allow for a much needed break in between semesters for faculty to develop curriculum and ‘recharge’. Students do have to take more courses at once under the 4-1-4 calendar but the classes meet for much shorter lengths of time. The pace is much slower and more conducive to learning. Current Term System (90 minute MWF Classes): 1 week of classes time (MWF): 4 hours, 30 minutes 1 week of classes time (T,TH): 4 hours, 20 minutes * If students take 3 classes in a term, they are in class for 13 hours, 30 minutes per week. *If students take 4 classes in a term, they are in class for 18 hours per week 4-1-4 System (65 Minutes MWF Classes): 1 week of class time (MWF): 3 hours, 15 minutes 1 week of classes time (T,TH): 3 hours, 20 minutes * If students take 5 classes in a term, they are in class for 16 hours, 15 minutes per week. *If students take 4 classes in a term, they are in class for 13 hours per week

Consequently, if students take a course during the j-term, they are in class for more minutes per week for 14 weeks and less minutes for 14 weeks.

Who is in favor of the change to the 4-1-4 Calendar? 1. Office of Academic Affairs 2. Faculty* 3. College/University Council 4. Registrarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office 5. Admissions Office 6. Athletics 7. Service Learning 8. Study Abroad 9. Adult College** 10. Student Financial Services 11. Campus Ministry

*Concerns have been raised about lab space for students in the natural sciences in a switch to 41-4. This issue is being addressed by some of the natural science by increasing lab size where possible. Other departments will need to offer labs more often, including evening labs. For many students, evening labs may be appealing. Similar issues are being addressed in the studio arts, but all departments in these areas have said a change in calendar is possible. Moreover, many have argued that the increased opportunity for research for students and faculty in a j-term outweighs the inconvenience. One final concern raised is trailer classes, where students who fail calculus and need to make that up fall behind because the courses are not offered as frequently. Placing a priority on hires in the natural science would alleviate many of these concerns.

**A concern was raised for the adult college with students wanting to take classes part time and taking longer to graduate because they would take fewer classes a year. This is an issue of delayed revenue as there are no other colleges or universities in the immediate area on a term system and therefore not a reason to go somewhere else. Moreover, with the Ireland program and other courses in the adult college courses are run for longer class meetings and shorter periods of time (faculty going to Ireland have taught a five week course here and then another five week course in Ireland). Modifications within a 4-1-4 system can be made to accommodate such concerns. Other adult colleges and adult learning programs on both semester and 4-1-4 calendars

provide full and part-time options for adult students. See attached list for a selection of schools providing these opportunities.

Who Favors Staying on the Term System? 1. Learning Differences â&#x20AC;&#x201C; data shows, however, that students with learning differences are aided by longer terms and shorter class meetings. (See attached literature review) 2. Students (60%-40% students favor the term system in a survey), but MSG voted 9-8 in favor of the 4-1-4 and all four MSG representatives voted for the 4-1-4 calendar on College/University Council in January 2012.

Potential Cost and Man-Hour Savings of the 4-1-4 Calendar 1. Registration (2 vs. 3 times per year)â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Registration for the Fall semester and J Term is completed in the previous April. As a result, the Office of Academic Affairs is given more accurate enrollment figures and can plan course offerings for the spring semester. The Finance Office has more complete data to forecast revenue and expenses. 2. Academic Advising (2 vs. 3 times per year): a. 3,000 students advised for 30 minutes each = 90,000 minutes (1,500 work-hours saved per year). The average number of students advisors have is approximately 18, but in some departments this number is much higher while other departments are lower. 3. Billing (2 vs. 3) 4. Students who drop out after 1 term have paid 50% of their yearly tuition vs. 33%. 5. Flat Billing: It is easier for students to overload classes on the term system and graduate earlier. Students take at least one term of 4 classes on the term system. If they take 4 classes more than once, they have overloaded and are one step closer to graduating a term early (graduating a term early on the term system requires students to get three classes ahead of schedule, e.g., if they take one extra class in their Freshmen, Sophomore, and Junior years, they can skip the spring term of their senior year). To accomplish the same objective on the 4-1-4 system requires that they get five courses ahead by overloading in five of the six terms prior to their senior year. 6. Longer Christmas break means savings on heating dorms and offices.

Governance The University has implemented a new governance system over the course of the last decade that ensures that all major constituencies are represented in the process of considering major reforms. Chief among the additions to the system was the creation of the College (now University) Council. Not only has the calendar proposal passed University Council by a unanimous vote, but it has also passed the Faculty Senate by a 3-1 margin. The Senate has conducted numerous forums, met with undergraduate students and graduate students, held a student forum, solicited input from faculty, students, and administrators, held meetings with department heads, and conducted research on calendar and related issues. For a more comprehensive explanation of calendar and the governance process see document: “ACADEMIC CALENDAR DEVELOPMENT OVERVIEW.”

Conclusion The term system is an outdated way of configuring an academic calendar. Only two other schools in the country were found to still be on this system. The trend is clear, colleges and universities have been converting away from a term system since the late 1970s (see attached literature review), and those remaining are not on the term system used here. We have the worst of both worlds, pedagogically speaking, in that we have the shortest terms and the longest classes.

Are there costs associated with converting to the 4-1-4 calendar? Yes, but Jane Kelsey’s study indicates that they are minimal. Has the University incurred costs with respect the other reforms? Yes, for example: 1. University Status 2. Core Change 3. Flat Billing 4. Converting to Electronic Paychecks 5. Converting to and upgrading Datatel 6. Creating a Division I Ice Hockey Program 7. Bringing the Internet and Computers to the College 8. IDST Courses for Freshmen

9. Building a New Freshman Dorm 10. Building a New Academic Building 11. Creating New Academic Programs (e.g., Public Health, Arts Management, Applied Politics)

Why do we incur these costs? Because we believe that they will improve the quality of the education that we provide our students and/or we believe that they may cost more in the shortrun but save money/generate more revenue in the long-run. Calendar reform is this and more. It is difficult to imagine an institutional reform that will have a greater effect on the quality of our studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; education than calendar change. The time has come for Mercyhurst to not only be a university in name, but to act like one where it matters most, in the conduct of its academic life. Student learning is the raison dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;etre of Mercyhurst University. Students learn more the shorter the time they spend in class. We have the longest class times of any college or university in the nation. The time has come for a broken and outdated academic calendar to be replaced by an academic calendar that is by far the consensus and proven model across the nation.

ACADEMIC CALENDAR DEVELOPMENT OVERVIEW Why are we considering academic calendar change? 1. From 2005-2007, the college considered changing its academic calendar in light of strong support from both faculty and students. In spring 2007 the Board of Trustees decided (based on a recommendation from the Academic Affairs Committee) that it was premature to change academic calendars, but that once the college revised the Core and explored flat billing, it should revisit changing calendars. At that time President Gamble and VP OAA Barb Behan advocated the 4-1-4 calendar. 2. In summer 2011 as the college was nearing completion of its 3-year Core revision process, PDE found the college in violation of its contact hours requirement. Consequently, ten minutes were added to every MWF class and fifteen minutes to every TT class. The added minutes created two significant problems: a) the last afternoon class ran so deeply into the day that sports teams and anyone trying to hold meetings had a difficult time finding space and time; moreover, scheduling classes for athletes was especially difficult and b) current undergraduate classes far exceed what is pedagogically responsible. Our TT classes are now longer than most traditional graduate classes. These long class times tax the attention span of a generation of students made impulsive and impatient by texting, television, and technology. 3. In the summer of 2011, OAA asked the Faculty Senate to first try and save the current term system by exploring a longer calendar year or alternative credit requirements. None of the alternatives, proved tenable as both faculty and students rejected the various proposals. 4. The Faculty Senate then was asked by OAA to create a new 3-term academic calendar. 5. The president asked for some version of a 4-1-4 calendar that was under consideration in 2007. The straight semester system was not on the table. 6. Faculty Senate officers met with students Monday, October 10, 2011 (MSG), Wednesday, January 25, 2012 (undergraduate student forum), Tuesday, April 3, 2012 (graduate students), administrators [VP OAA, Provost, President, Gary Brown, Registrar (Sr. Pat), Admissions (Mike Lyden and Chris Coons), Graduate College (Gil Jacobs), Student Financial Services (Carrie Newman), Student Life (Gerry Tobin and Laura Zirkle), Learning Differences (Diane Rogers, via e-mail), and NE] and held a series of faculty forums and Senate meetings beginning in October 2011 to study and discuss calendar change.

7. Faculty Forums were held October 24, 2012, December 12, 2012, January 9, 2012, and Monday, April 2, 2012 to discuss the calendar proposal. The faculty also discussed and worked on the calendar proposal at its Senate meeting beginning in October 2011. Senate committees (especially APC) worked on the proposal. 8. Pat Kelly (Math Department) studied classroom space to determine if the new calendar would fit into the college’s current classroom space. The answer: yes. (See Feasibility of Classroom Space under 4-1-4 Calendar document and companion Room Usage Chart.) 9. Based on these discussions, review of the 2006-07 studies, and administration-imposed constraints a proposal was put before the Faculty Senate to a new 4-1-4 or 4-4-1 calendar. On Tuesday, January 24, 2012 the Senate voted 73-25 to replace the current term calendar with a 4-1-4 or 4-4-1 calendar. 10. On January 25, 2012, College Council voted unanimously to send the calendar proposal to OAA and appropriate BOT committees. 11. On Saturday, February 18, 2012, the Board of Trustees charged the President’s Office and OAA to complete a feasibility study and to make a recommendation on calendar at the May 2012 BOT meeting. 12. On April 18, 2012, the Faculty Senate voted 57-18 for the 4-1-4 vs. the 4-4-1 calendar. It also voted 56-18-1 for the 65 minute vs. the 60 minute calendar. 13. The proposal is the consequence of a collaborative effort between the administration, faculty, staff, and students.

What kind of courses will be offered during the J-term? The idea is for faculty to offer creative courses during the J-term; some may include a travel component and/or field research. While a number of “regular” courses may be offered (i.e., both major courses and Core courses), the emphasis will be on unconventional courses that will likely only be offered during the short term. Academic support would like to offer a course for high risk students during the J-term to help with retention. It is also possible to offer non-credit courses during the short term. (Please see companion document for J-Term programs and courses.)

What would the class schedule look like for the J-term? 5 Days-A-Week (16 days of class) 8:00-11:00 1:00-4:00 5:00-8:00 * This schedule is similar to the short summer term currently in use. How would studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; class schedule change? Students currently take 10 courses per year to graduate on time. They would continue to take 10 courses per year on the 4-1-4 term system. Rather than a typical combination of 3-4-3, they would take 5-1-4 or 5-0-5 or even 4-2-4. How would flat billing change? Currently, students can take up to 36 credits per year (12 per term) at the flat billing rate. Under the new calendar, students could take up to 36 credits per year (18 per term). The short term would be folded into the spring (or fall) term.

LITERATURE REVIEW

In only a few moments on the ERIC database, it is possible to find a number of journal articles and reports discussing the issues of Academic Calendars. Many of these articles are reports from committees and task forces at a variety of undergraduate institutions and twoyear/community colleges.

There a few peer-reviewed scholarly articles; they tend to be

disciplinary-based or involve research in high schools. Still, there is a great deal that can be translated from these articles to the issues of the college/university as a whole.

TRENDS The bulk of the articles that specifically discuss calendar change in regard to either a quarter or term system are from the early 1970s through the mid 1980s. These articles tend to be either prospective in nature (reporting the views of faculty, administration, etc about potential calendar change) or represent a review of literature and other programs around the country. It should be noted that many of these documents refer to the semester, quarter, early-start, and trimester systems. An early-start semester retains essentially the same number of weeks but begins in early to mid August. The trimester systems being referenced are almost entirely an August-December/January-April/April-July format. The 4-1-4 calendar is also discussed, though less frequently than those listed above. From this era of work, one thing is clear: there was an overwhelming shift in calendars during this era. As one paper reports, nearly 50% of the colleges surveyed in 1972 were considering a change1. Many of these were moving toward a 4-1-42 or early-start calendar3 and moving away from other calendars such as quarters and terms. These results are not unique to a single type of institution, but rather represent two-year and community colleges4 as well as liberal arts and comprehensive institutions5. One article of significance during this time provides an analysis of the costs associated with academic calendars. This article suggests that faculty development, student retention, and even the costs of recordkeeping are dependent up on the calendar, and suggests that a 4-1-4 calendar may be an advantageous approach for managing the costs of academia6. Another similar article sheds light on the administrative challenges of any calendar that requires multiple

registration/scheduling sessions, and concludes that semester-based calendars (including 4-1-4 and early-start) are more administratively favorable than trimesters or quarters7. The more recent articles (1990s and later) tend to be a more â&#x20AC;&#x153;hind-sightâ&#x20AC;? analysis of calendar changes that have occurred in a given institution. Some examples of the issues raised in these reports are: student grades, attrition/retention rates, and time-to-graduation, financial analyses, surveys of faculty staff and administration regarding work load, perceived costs/benefits of switching, and overall job satisfaction, and other affective gauges.

INTERIM Much of the existing literature focuses on the interim (short) term. It would appear that this term is the least well-defined in the early phases of the calendar implementation,2 but that it can provide a unique and rewarding experience when fully executed5. In fact, various research describes the interim term as rewarding and well-liked by faculty, staff, and students alike8. It has also been shown to create cross-disciplinary collaboration9 and to provide a forum for both on-campus and off-campus experiences that couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be readily achieved during a traditional semester10. ACADEMIC IMPACT Unfortunately, there are fewer publications that directly focus on the impact of the calendar on academics. This is due, at least in part, to the fact that many of the dramatic calendar changes were occurring at a time that pre-dates the beginning of educational research as a discipline. Still, the literature that does exist either is neutral toward or adamantly supports longer exposure for traditional learning experiences. The most recent of these compared retention of certain economics principles as a function of the college structure.11 A 2010 study in math and science clearly indicates that students who are on a compressed course schedule have a more difficult time learning these subjects. This study goes on to show that struggling students are affected even more, and that trimesters inadvertently further jeopardize at-risk students because of the shortened exposure to the content.12 Even in more general studies, students who took classes in longer terms were shown to have higher grade-point averages than those on shorter schedules.13 Importantly, a recent extensive survey at a two-year college indicated that students experienced no significant differences in reported self-effort levels, college course activities,

faculty interaction, student/peer interaction, skill preparation, or overall satisfaction with their experience between a shorter block-style schedule and a more traditional longer semester schedule.14

Loyd C Oleson, 1971.

Timothy E Lightfield, 1972.

Clinton I Chase, 1974.

Michael R. Eberhard, 1978; Richard M. Parrish and Maie Pascale, 1978.

Lee M. Swan, "The Interim: Academic Strength Through Uniqueness," Liberal Education 67 (4), 304-309 (1981).

Eugene B Habecker and Gerald D. Smith, "Academic Calendars and Academic Costs," Improving College and University Teaching 30 (3), 126-129 (1982).

Florence A. Smith, 1975.

Jack E Rossman, "The Interim after Seven Years," Journal of Higher Education 42 (7), 603-609 (1971).

Jack L. Armstrong, "Interinstitutional Cooperation through a 4-1-4 Calendar," Learning Today 5 (4), 39-44 (1972).

Joh M. Bevan, "Reflections and Projections: 4-1-4," Liberal Education 59 (3), 336-348 (1973).

Daniel K.N. Johnson, Kristina M. Lybecker, and Corinne H. Taylor, "Retention of Economics Principles by Undergrauates on Alternative Curriculur Structures," Journal of Education for Business 86 (6), 332-338 (2011).

Mary Anthony Bair and David Bair, "Scheduling Inequality in Math and Science: How Trimesters Hurt Students at Risk of Academic Failure," American Secondary Education 39 (1), 78-94 (2010).

Jason McCreary and Charles Hausman, 2001.

David Scott Alsobrooks, University of Southern Mississippi, 2010.

2013-2014 ACADEMIC CALENDAR J-TERM VERSION 39 classes 65 minutes MWF, 25 classes 100 minutes TTH

Fall term begins 9/4 Mid-term Break 10/17 – 10/20 Thanksgiving Break 11/28 – 12/1 Classes end 12/7 Exams 12/9 – 12/13

J Term – 5 days per week (12 sessions) 3.5 hr classes Classes Start 1/6 MLK Day – no class 1/20 Classes End / Final Exam 1/23 Spring Term begins 1/29 – 5/23 Mid-Term 3/16 – 3/22 Easter Break 4/17 – 4/22 Classes End 5/9 Exams 5/12 – 5/16 Graduation 5/18

6 MWF Sessions 8-9:05, 9:15-10:20, 10:30-11:35, 11:40-12:45, 12:55-2, 2:10-3:15 4(5) TTH Sessions 8-9:40, 9:50-11:30, 11:40-1:20, 1:30-3:10, (3:20-5)

August 2013 Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

September 2013 Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Classes Begin 8

October 2013 Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Mid Term

Break

Mid Term Break 27

November 2013 Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Break

Break

December 2013 Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

7 Classes End

Finals

Week

Break

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Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Begins

January 2014 Sun

Mon

------

Classes

Tue

Begin 12

Exam

Break

MLK â&#x20AC;&#x201C; No classes 26

Break

Classes Begin

February 2014 Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat 1

Thu

Fri

March 2014 Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Sat 1

Mid Term

Break

April 2014 Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Easter

Break

Thu

Fri

Sat

Easter

Break

May 2014 Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Classes End 11

Finals

Week

Graduation

FEASIBILITY OF CLASSROOM SPACE UNDER 4-1-4 CALENDAR

Conservative Measures: It would be best to begin by explaining a couple conservative measures taken in this analysis. 1. The modified-term calendar was exaggerated to consist of only two terms 2. Evening courses were not included in the analysis

Rationale: 1. If Mercyhurst’s available classroom space can manage the shift from the current trimester calendar to a calendar that has only two terms, then any courses offered during the J-term will only serve to lighten the analyzed load on the university’s facilities. This covers the extreme (hypothetical) case where no student takes a J-term course (which will not be the case—see “Assumptions” below). 2. With shortened lengths of classes, it is conceivable for Mercyhurst to offer two courses in a single evening.* Thus, each classroom is potentially available for two MW evening courses and two TTh evening courses per term, which would be a total of eight potential evening courses per classroom for an entire year (again only considering two terms). Comparably, under our current calendar each classroom is potentially available for only six evening classes per academic year. Considered this way, the current offerings of evening classes can easily be nested in the available timeslots for evening classes under the modified-term system, with room to spare. This spare room was not factored into the overall analysis, though, to avoid the possibility of classroom space only working under the 4-1-4 system at the cost of shifting some day classes to evening timeslots. * It should be further noted that data from the Registrar’s Office clearly shows that current classroom use in the evenings is nowhere near capacity, and further that the second possible timeslot under the modified-term calendar would not be necessary to offer the same number of evening courses currently offered.

Assumptions: 1. All Freshmen will take a course during the J-term 2. All students must take courses in a minimum of two J-terms

3. Political Science will offer 4-5 classes each term in the new building (don't know about Intel and HRIM) None of these assumptions were considered at the time of the analysis, and each of them only serves to alleviate the demands put on the classrooms in the analysis.

Special Considerations In the analysis, the data was pruned of specialized classes and classrooms. In the attached worksheet, it can be noted that specialized considerations (labs, Intel, Fashion Merchandising, Sports Medicine, etc.) are omitted. This was done so that a room that appears to be underutilized does not look as though it could absorb the load of “typical” courses, but then it turns out that that room is a chemistry lab, or that it’s preferentially assigned to a certain department. [NOTE: I do think the classroom-space issue needs to be investigated for each of these specialized entities. The numbers I’ve come up with only represent the feasibility of the more mainstream course offerings of the university, and only using the more public domain of the university’s physical plant.]

Current Classroom Usage The attached worksheet is, basically, a room-by-room breakdown of the university’s current room usage. The important information is the percentage on each line and the last percentage (78.84%) on the “Grand Total” line. Each individual percentage measures at what capacity we’re currently using that specific room; the “Grand Total” line measures the overall campus.

These numbers (especially the 78.84%) are important because it can be mathematically argued that 88.9% or below is a “safe” number for Mercyhurst to be able to switch to the modified-term calendar.

Mathematical Approach of the Analysis Currently, any one classroom can be used 27 times during the school year: 5 times on MWF, 4 times on TTh, and 3 terms. The new calendar would allow each classroom to be used only 24 times during the school year: 7 MWFs, 5 TThs, and only counting two terms. If every one of the university’s rooms were used at 100% capacity, the school could not make the switch (there

would be 27 pigeons we’d be trying to fit into 24 holes). If, though, Mercyhurst is only using 24/27 (88.9%) of our classrooms’ capacities then the switch would be feasible.

Conclusion Since Mercyhurst’s campus average of 78.84% is well below the threshold of 88.9%, it would be feasible to change to the modified-term calendar.

Further Considerations (and Conclusions) If one of the proposed timeslots of the modified-term calendar were to be removed (for instance, having only 6 class periods on MWF rather than 7, which would end the school day earlier and open up faculty’s schedules for meetings and the like), that would reduce the number of times an individual room could be used in a school year to 22 times: 6 MWFs, 5 TThs, two terms. The new threshold would be 22/27 (81.5%). Since Mercyhurst’s 78.84% is still below this, it would still be feasible.

If one of the proposed timeslots of the modified-term calendar were to be removed from the MWF schedule as well as one from the TTh schedule, the threshold would be 20/27 (74.1%). The only way this would be feasible is if further investigation demonstrated that the assumptions and conservative measures of this analysis held enough wiggle room to account for the 4.7% by which Mercyhurst’s 78.84% exceeds that threshold.

ACADEMIC POLICIES COMMITTEE REPORT ON PREFERENCES AND RATIONALE FOR 4-1-4 VS. 4-4-1 CALENDAR

Short-term calendar explanation and rationale: A short-term provides students and faculty with unique educational opportunities. Unlike the Mercyhurst University current trimester system or a traditional semester system, a calendar that incorporates a short-term permits students to take a single, focused experience, whether that occurs in the traditional classroom, or in a field-experience setting. It allows faculty to design a short, but intensive learning encounter for a (presumably) smaller number of students. It is not a general or introductory experience, in all likelihood; rather, it can be a course that will allow students to learn in depth a particular problem, question, issue, or technical skill. In a University such as ours, where experiential and service learning are becoming increasingly more valued and supported, the inclusion of a short-term is a natural fit. Whether the short-term is offered in January or May, there are unquestionable advantages for both faculty and students. These include internship and co-op prospects. In addition, a short-term would seem to be obviously useful to enhancing faculty-student research opportunities. The short-term, in short, offers Mercyhurst University faculty and students the occasion for the continual creation of meaningful, relevant, and contemporary learning experiences that do not require the investment of the many weeks involved in a term or semester. They offer faculty the chance to be experimental and the opportunity to be immediately responsive to the needs of current students. And finally, a version of the short-term already exists at Mercyhurst in the form of the Pre-Summer session; therefore, models of how courses might be offered in a short-term already exist. Note: PDE sets the standard for contact hours, so the shorter the class period the more class meetings there will need to be. A three credit course must meet for 42 hours (2520 minutes). ____________________________________ The following is a summary of preferences and rationale provided to APC by faculty over the last two weeks. The rationales were included as given and connected to the preference with which they were given. The only things removed by the committee were duplicate

rationale within each preference and references to specific departments or individual faculty.

Faculty rationale for preferring 4-1-4 1. Undergraduate research would be more productive. a. Students would be more actively engaged in January. By May exhaustion sets in and students check out. b. Would allow seniors to have an intensive writing and research methodology experience which they could present to the department's community as a way to kick off the Spring term. For those applying for graduate school, the timing of the project would be ideal. c. Senior capstones/senior thesis can be reconfigured for a J-term more effectively for some departments. d. Would allow students doing research areas to conduct/complete senior research during this time and defend their results in the spring term. e. Would provide a better opportunity for students to prepare spring performances. 2. Some intensive courses offered by certain departments would fit best into a 4-1-4 calendar. a. Opportunities for specialized field/research classes in January or classes not otherwise offered in the curriculum. b. Securing clinical placements, which come along with courses in certain departments, would be much more difficult with a May term. The January term is ideal do a field experience in behavioral and social sciences. c. Clinical placements in January could roll into student teaching in the spring term. d. Sequenced courses could make good use of the J-term, and some departments would require students to take at least one J-term to lighten the load, which they might be too â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;burned outâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to do in a May term. e. Other departments propose online instruction, independent studies, and internships during January. 3. There are more schools with a J-term than a May-term and therefore more opportunities for exchange programs with these schools.

4. Travel costs for study abroad would be cheaper in January than in May. a. European travel would also be less crowded and less expensive for specialized courses. b. For students doing a semester abroad, January seems to fit better with the schedule of other study abroad programs for the academic calendar as a whole. c. Taking students to Ireland for the spring after a J-term would be better weather than taking them immediately after Christmas. d. The J term would be a good time for some interesting travel courses, especially if Erie returns to harsh winters in the future. Getting away from Erie for what is, typically, a very tough weather month has appeal and might be enough to entice some students to make great use of the interim term instead of starting their summer vacations early. 5. With a J-term we still have the equivalent Pre-summer courses that could meet the needs of departments preferring a May term for reasons of travel or outside research. 6. 4-1-4 is closer to a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;realâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; semester schedule and therefore helpful for faculty research: a. Helps faculty with research, conferences, publications, and course prep if they are not teaching every J-term. This is particularly helpful for faculty whose major conferences are immediately after the New Year. b. Additional time for research in the middle of the year is particularly helpful in fields that require working with people who are off work/school in January. c. For those faculty not teaching, the long research window is very appealing as a halfway point to summer research, i.e. faculty may be getting responses from journal submissions, publishers, etc. that they submitted at the end of summer and have an opportunity to devote solid uninterrupted time to scholarship without having to wait until the start of summer. 7. J-term provides a healthier academic life for faculty and students: a. Under a 4-4-1 scenario, we would be teaching potentially 130 students in the fall semester, then roll right into (with little time to come up for air) another 100 or 130 for spring semester, depending on whether the individual faculty member is teaching in the May term.

b. With 4-1-4, there is a rejuvenating longer break for faculty members not teaching in January in a given year, and a less grueling, presumably stimulating, 1-course regimen for “on” years, before plowing back into the spring semester. c. Would allow for a much needed break in between semesters for faculty to develop curriculum and ‘recharge’. d. Starting a new lengthy term right away in January does not allow for the creative course preparation that would be possible with a longer break between full size terms. e. J-term would provide a break to the regular routine in the middle of the year. 8. Some students have expressed to faculty a preference for and interest in J-term to get back to campus rather than staying home for an extended period of time. 9. At the same time, international students not taking a J-term course would be more likely to be able to go home for the break. 10. Easier to require students to stay on campus for a J-term. 11. Concerns about a May term a. Some are concerned May term would mean a longer break between terms and provide more opportunities for students to forget information from fall to spring. b. Trying to motivate students for a May term would be a challenge: they've just been through a long term, the weather has changed, it feels like the school year should be ending - and they're starting an intensive new class that will meet for several hours every day. c. May term may not be used as productively by students or faculty due to exhaustion at that time of the year. d. A May term is likely to be seen as an add on and with flat rate billing students might take heavier loads both of the long terms in order to avoid having to stay in May. May would not be seen as a part of the academic year. e. With a May term, seniors not taking a May term course could be less likely to participate in graduation. f. Faculty would be less likely to want to stay to teach in May.

g. It would be awkward to have graduation after a grading period that lasts only a month—especially if students (and seniors in particular) are under no particular obligation to take classes during that term. h. Also, with students having the opportunity to start summer vacation (or summer jobs) early by not taking any “May term” classes, we could find under a 4-4-1 that faculty will have difficulty meeting their contractual obligations for teaching load. i. In general, the warm weather of May was raised as a consistent concern that both faculty and students would be disinclined to participate in courses then in order to enjoy the nice weather sooner. It would be harder for both to concentrate for extended class times.

_________________________________ Faculty rationale for preferring 4-4-1

1. Preference for May co-ops and internships for students that would be better and longer. a. Financially the students could register for the co-op in the May term and therefore still be able to use financial aid towards it as part of the current billing initiative. As it stands right now, students pay out of pocket for co-ops and internships, a less desirable financial situation. 2. Ability of students not taking a May term to start summer jobs earlier, allowing them to be more competitive for better jobs. This is particularly important for students who rely on summer incomes to be able to attend Mercyhurst. Some other institutions finish as early as the first week of May, and some even in the third week of April. 3. A short, intense term at the end of the year better mirrors the natural attention span of most students. 4. Consistency in length between the first two terms will help support students’ ability to acclimate and manage time. 5. Weather at the end of the year would provide more and better opportunities for travel for studies that require outside work.

6. Traveling in January can be unpredictable, whereas travel in May is less likely to run into weather delays. 7. Students have suggested to some faculty that once they are home for the Christmas holidays it is unlikely that they will return until the next term begins, and therefore not take advantage of J-term offerings and have expressed a preference for May over J-term. 8. J-term would increase the time between sequenced courses.

_________________________________ The following responses from the Registrarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office, Student Life, and Athletics give further context for the impact of 4-1-4 vs. 4-4-1 short-term calendars. These are left in the language given in the reports from these offices, but are limited to what each office said about 4-1-4 and 44-1.

Registrarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office preference and rationale for 4-1-4: 1. Provides the structure that promotes fuller student engagement in the pursuit of learning 2. Registration for the Fall semester and J Term is completed in the previous April. As a result, the Office of Academic Affairs is given more accurate enrollment figures and can plan course offerings for the Spring semester. The Finance Office has more complete data to forecast revenue and expenses. 3. Contact hours required by the Pennsylvania Department of Education are more reasonably implemented and sustained than in the current term system. 4.

Since additional days are available, a reading day can be included in the academic calendar for both semesters and the J Term.

5. Additional breaks can be inserted into the calendar during the semesters providing students and faculty additional time for a more leisurely approach to study and research. We view leisure as an essential component of learning. 6. The Academic Support staff has more opportunity to interact with students who are experiencing academic challenges. The longer semester and shorter class hours accompanied by intense tutoring may offer the underprepared student an opportunity to succeed.

7. Students who want to transfer to Mercyhurst University could begin their study in January rather than waiting until March. A few students do transfer in the current Winter Term. However, they may be completing course work at a semester school. 8. Students may have additional time to determine the advisability of withdrawal from a course. In the current system, some students have completed one exam by the withdrawal date and are not certain if the withdrawal is warranted. 9. Students would have more data and time to determine if they should use their pass/fail option. 10. The J Term seems to be best suited to address graduation issues. a. The faculty and administration will have more complete information to identify the students who will receive academic awards at graduation (i.e. Bishopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Award for Academic Excellence; Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Award for Excellence in a School; Mother Borgia Egan Honors Award). The final selection of students who receive other awards (Carpe Diem; Sister Carolyn Hermann Service Award; Frank Barry Leadership Award; Alumni Recognition Award) is somewhat influenced by identifying students who receive the academic awards. It is possible that several potential graduates, enrolled in a May Term course, would be eligible for these awards. Their performance in the course would be difficult to measure by the date these decisions are finalized. Do we want to exclude them from consideration? b. This model provides adequate time to prepare for the commencement exercises (i.e. printing of commencement program; printing name cards; printing the graduation script). c. In addition, this model supports momentum for participation in commencement, a tradition that contributes to maintaining connection of alums to the institution. If potential graduates complete their course requirements in April, will they return to campus for the commencement at the end of May? d. Students who do not enroll in the January term would have the opportunity to work between the conclusion of the Fall Term and the beginning of the Spring Term. e. It is possible that fewer students will request approval for off-campus study if they enroll in the January Term. Is it more likely that students would leave campus after

the conclusion of the Spring Term (4-4-1) and enroll in courses off-campus in their home location? There could be a revenue issue in this situation. 11. Although we do not have evidence that offering a May term would lessen participation in commencement or increase off-campus study, we do have concern about these issues. Finally, we view the 4 -1 -4 option as more academically suitable for undergraduate education. __________________________________ Student Life Analysis of Pros and Cons for each option 4-1-4 Pros 1. Multicultural Center and Service Learning opportunities to create meaningful offerings for MLK 2. Housing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; we will assume students not registered for the J-term will return to their current housing assignment 3. With smaller student census, there would be greater opportunity for spring term planning, - a welcome slower pace in our world 4. Longer period to register transfer students - Transfer students could arrive a few days early for orientation before classes begin 5. International students who return home will not feel they need to leave early at the end of fall term or return late for the beginning of spring term in order to have a meaningfully long visit home Cons 1. If first year students are not required to register for J-term, a second wave of homesickness during a nearly 7 week break could create retention concerns 2. The short break after the J-term could have an adverse effect on the readiness of both students and faculty to begin the spring term 3. Students who are not registered for the J-term on campus a. If permitted, this is a challenge b. If not permitted, many will return early anyway creating a challenge 4. Basketball and hockey will likely have even less student support

4-4-1 Pros 1. The short term gives folks a year to work together in preparing interdisciplinary course offerings, especially ones that would engage service learning 2. Freshmen will have had a year to engage and will likely be able to make more informed May-term course choices 3. Students not registered for the May term will move out allowing for an early start to housing reclamation 4. For students not registering for May term, this gives them an advantage in securing internships and summer jobs Cons 1. Seniors not enrolled in the May term will likely want to remain on campus until graduation â&#x20AC;&#x201C; this will likely result in a 3 week graduation party! â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and challenges for those enrolled in on campus courses _____________________________________ Athletics preference and rationale for 4-4-1 There would be concerns with both schedules. Playoffs are kind of a hit or miss at the end of all of our seasons, some will make it and some will not. At the end of the year there would only be a few teams here at school, whereas in the winter you have not only the winter sports in full swing but also the spring teams beginning their pre-season practices. Our concerns are the housing and meals for the athletes who are not taking a course and how the new schedule would impact the scholarships and financial aid of these student athletes. In the fall, our individual sports have to feed their athletes for the period of time they are here before the school year begins. If they treat taking that extra course like taking a summer course where the students would have to pay for it, it would impact our recruiting efforts. As it is now, the PSAC league that we are in, they don't care that their playoffs are in the middle of our terms and they are either out of school or on vacation.

To: Michael Federici, Faculty Senate President From: Ron Brown, Chair – Chemistry & Biochemistry Re: Proposed Calendar Changes

October 20, 2011 Statement Regarding New Calendar Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry/Physics

There is definite support within our Department for switching to the “4-1-4” or “4-4-1” calendar. This support is unanimous if the teaching load for Science faculty would be 5 courses/5 labs. The faculty would be split if the switch was tied to a heavier teaching load than the 5 course/5 lab model. Some faculty feel a switch to this model is a step in the right direction even with a potential heavier load while others do not.

In order to investigate the effects of a new calendar, concrete plans must be made and to do so this it is necessary to postulate a potential load. For this reason, the comments and conclusions that are presented below are based upon the 5 course/5 lab model for Science faculty [Two lectures/two labs in each of the two semesters and either one lecture/lab, research or administrative release during the January term]. This is equivalent to counting the semester labs as 2-credits for teaching load, as indicated in our proposed model. This model has been chosen for several reasons, including (1) its citation by the Faculty Senate President as a real possibility in discussions with the Provost, and (2) the fact that such a model has been shown to be feasible in our Department without a significant financial impact.

Using the five-course/five lab load model, our Department is in unanimous support of switching to the “4-1-4” or “4-4-1” system. If the load were higher, it appears that the support within the Department may be split. There are several reasons for this support. First, we believe it is a significant improvement pedagogically. Students will be able to spend more time applying difficult concepts, and will have additional time in the lab. Both of these improvements will have a positive impact on our accreditation efforts, and we strongly believe that students will benefit from a full year in our Science sequences (General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physics). Secondly, we believe this calendar offers an advantage in terms of providing faculty with more time for scholarly activity. It would maintain a 2 course/2 lab load during the Fall/Spring semesters but would slow the delivery of material some, plus it would potentially provide an opportunity for a more extensive use of time during the January or May term (henceforth referred to as the “short” term). We would propose that faculty could be awarded “short” term course release under a research contract. Finally, this calendar is preferable in terms of the amount of time spent advising and the types of scheduling confusion that result from constantly offering 2-course sequences spread over 3 terms.

Our primary concerns are that most of our traditional coursework could not be offered during the “short” term. There may potentially be the opportunity to offer core classes, preparation classes, lab experiences and/or research courses during the “short” term, but we are in agreement that the traditional coursework will not be “squeezed” into this timeframe. This leads to the concern that faculty will clamor to not teach during the “short” term and there will be few courses for students who would like a course from which to choose. This may be addressed, however, by careful planning of a curriculum that requires routine participation (such as 50% of the time) of faculty and students in a “short” term course of some type.

We have looked at potential teaching/research schedules under the “4-1-4” or “4-4-1” model and we have no question that it is feasible. A primary component of the feasibility is offering adjunct faculty 1.5 credits for each lab section (~13 weeks) that is taught. This is actually a rate increase over the current model (1 credit for ~10 weeks). Under this model, we would be able to offer our

necessary coursework without a significant increase in adjunct funding. The primary downside is that many of our foundation lecture courses (General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Principles of Physics, General Physics) would have class sizes that would increase. This increase is expected to be on the order of 20-40 students per section increasing in size to 30-60 students per section.

What follows is an outline of a proposed teaching load model, some of the particular aspects of our proposal upon which this based, and a summary of some of our perceived advantages/disadvantages of the “4-1-4”/”4-4-1” system.

Typical Yearly Teaching Load for Faculty Members in the Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Current

Term

Fall

Proposed

Cours

Credit

Hours

Lectur

Term

Fall

Course

Credit Hours

Lecture

Lab

e Lectur e

Winter Lectur

Short

e Lectur

(or

Term 3

Spring

Research

course

Lab

or chair)

Lab

Lectur

Lecture

Lab

Total

Spring

e Lectur e

Proposed Changes •

Teaching credit for lab courses on load increases from 1 to 2 credit hours. Students will still pay tuition and lab fees for 1 credit hour and receive 1 credit hour for lab courses. This will help maintain a yearly 24 credit hour load for faculty and maintain reasonable total credit hours for graduating students.

•

Use the “short” term for research. Granted, this is a short period of time. However, it is reasonable for working with students and/or writing a manuscript. Students in our

department could enroll in our capstone experience courses, CHEM 409 (2 credits) and CHEM 410 (1 credit), Research 1 and Seminar. This term would allow each student to work in the lab without the time constraints that are currently present with multiple courses (i.e. large blocks of time are usually required for chemistry experiments). A typical research contract would be for a 4-credit teaching release and occur during the “short” term. Whether this must include work with registered students still must be determined. •

We also propose creating a new course for the “short” term that will prepare students for General Chemistry 1. Students would take an entrance exam in the fall, and those deemed underprepared for General Chemistry 1 would be required to take the preparatory course in the “short” Term. Those students could then begin the general chemistry sequence in the spring upon successful completion of this new course.

•

The labs would be increasing by 20-30% in meeting periods, therefore the overload and adjunct pay for labs would be set at 1.5 credits per lab (equivalent to of a regular 3credit lecture course). Under a draft 2012-13 schedule, this would allow this change to be made with minimal change in the adjunct budget (our model has an adjunct budget of $26,200, an increase from $22,000 for 2011-12). Furthermore, this would make the recruitment and retention of quality adjuncts for the labs more feasible.

Pros •

Scientific learning and teaching are most likely to improve. We will be able to cover a slightly larger amount of material and provide a more reasonable amount of time for learning science.

•

The number of experiments in lab courses will increase. This will provide students with more opportunities of hands-on experience, which is crucial in the chemical sciences.

•

Credit hours for labs will increase. Many faculty members in the sciences are not happy about the current 1 credit hour for lab courses. It will also maintain the 2 course + 2 lab teaching load per semester that is a current benefit of the term system.

•

Faculty will have a large block of time during the “short” term to dedicate solely to research.

•

A new preparatory course for the general chemistry sequence will help retain some students that may normally cease enrollment due to failing this course sequence.

Cons •

Research during a January Term may not be ideal for faculty members that rely on the outdoors. A May term would be better for this issue.

•

Many science courses with lab components cannot be offered during the “short” Term with reasonable learning outcomes.

•

There will be an increase in the numbers of students in the lecture courses with multiple sections (General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, General Physics). These will generally increase from ~20-40 students per section to ~30-60 students per section.

•

This may accelerate the need for an additional faculty member if we are to continue to offer a variety of courses (such as in the core), and allow release time/teaching load for additional responsibilities such as IDST, secondary education, and forensics.

REGISTRAR’S OFFICE REPORT ON CALENDAR ISSUES The Registrar’s Office staff supports the 4 – 1 – 4 option rather than the current term system. In addition to providing the structure that promotes fuller student engagement in the pursuit of learning, we offer the following advantages: Registration for the Fall semester and J Term is completed in the previous April. As a result, the Office of Academic Affairs is given more accurate enrollment figures and can plan course offerings for the Spring semester. The Finance Office has more complete data to forecast revenue and expenses. Contact hours required by the Pennsylvania Department of Education are more reasonably implemented and sustained. In current term system, class times appear to be too long and do not as readily promote learning. In the current system, we question the quality of learning given the extended class times. Since additional days are available, a reading day can be included in the academic calendar for both semesters and the J Term. Additional breaks can be inserted into the calendar during the semesters providing students and faculty additional time for a more leisurely approach to study and research. We view leisure as an essential component of learning. The Academic Support staff has more opportunity to interact with students who are experiencing academic challenges. The longer semester and shorter class hours accompanied by intense tutoring may offer the underprepared student an opportunity to succeed. Students who want to transfer to Mercyhurst University could begin their study in January rather than waiting until March. A few students do transfer in the current Winter Term. However, they may be completing course work at a semester school.

Students may have additional time to determine the advisability from withdrawal from a course. In the current system, some students have completed one exam by the withdrawal date and are not certain if the withdrawal is warranted. Students would have more data and time to determine if they should use their pass/fail option. The J Term offers the possibility of focusing on and completing an internship. A focused study abroad experience could be offered.

ENROLLMENT IMPACT ON CALENDAR Coons, Christopher Sent:

Thursday, January 12, 2012 12:01 PM

To:

Federici, Michael

Dr. Federici, First let me thank you for reaching out to me regarding my thoughts regarding admissions/enrollment impact on a change of academic calendar. From a traditional student enrollment/admissions perspective, there are three significant reasons a change to a semester calendar would be positive. First and foremost, the change to a semester schedule would allow the Office of Undergraduate Admissions to enroll a much higher number of mid-year transfer students. If Mercyhurst would like to enroll more transfer students throughout the year, a semester system provides the College with a greater opportunity. Secondly, the current trimester calendar allows students three opportunities to withdraw from the College – after fall term; after winter term; and after spring term. Many times, it takes freshmen several weeks/months to adjust to a new environment, with a variety of distractions, etc…Currently, a student may be able to cease after fall term…in a semester system the College might be able to retain that student if there were another month (or three weeks). Furthermore, since it takes some freshmen several weeks to adjust/transition to college, the prospect of having mid-terms five weeks into their first term of college can be quite challenging and exhausting for students. There are possibilities that a student’s GPA might not be able to be recovered to prevent academic probation as there isn’t enough time left in the shorter term. Again, in these cases the student ceases their enrollment from Mercyhurst. Alternatively, the trimester system has been a differentiating factor for Mercyhurst compared to other institutions. While there are many other factors that differentiate Mercyhurst from our competitors, this one difference seems to resonate with students and families. Regarding the non-traditional or adult student population, changing to a semester system may appear to be less attractive. Adult students may find it difficult to manage a full course load of study (5-6 courses) and a full-time job. The Adult Office may see a change in that more students

will enroll part-time (2-3 courses) instead of a full course load. Overall, the Adult Office doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think there will be a decline in new students or that it will have a negative effect on the enrollment of students, but that there may be an shift in part-time and full-time students. But, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to predict at this point. Let me know if you need anything else or if you need clarification on the items listed above. Some of them are easier said than written. Thank you again. Chris Christopher R. Coons Mercyhurst College 501 E. 38th Street Erie PA

16546

www.mercyhurst.edu ccoons@mercyhurst.edu

Quarters to Semesters: Benefits for Athletics Compiled by Lauren Packer Webster Fall 2011

•

Compliance workload of nearly 600 student-athletes will be decreased Compliance officer must certify NCAA eligibility for all student-athletes four times per academic year operating on a trimester system. A semester system would decrease that number to 3. Reporting schedules at the NCAA are geared towards semester schools, which can be at stressful times during the quarter system. Many of the NCAA rules, some overt and others subtle, provide competitive advantages to semester schools.

•

Less bureaucracy with NCAA Academics Requirements Committee The NCAA legislation speaks only to those institutions operating on a semester or quarter system. As a result, Mercyhurst compliance officer must annually apply for waivers and use conversion charts.

Example 1: Each year the compliance officer must apply for a waiver to Bylaw 14.1.8.1.8.2 (Practice or Competition –Nontraditional Academic Calendars or Cooperative Educational Programs). This waiver affects nearly every bylaw relating to eligibility of student-athletes including 14.1.8.1 (General eligibility -- requirement for practice and competition); 14.2 (Seasons of competition: 10-Semester/15-Quarter Rule); 14.4 (Progress Towards Degree Requirements)

Example 2: Calculating terms of eligibility or credit hours using NCAA conversion chart for semesters and quarters/trimesters. Calculations: 2 semesters = 3 quarters 1 semester = 3/2 quarters

1 quarter = 2/3 semesters Similarly: 1 quarter hour = 2/3 semester hours 1 semester hour = 3/2 quarter hours (quarter hours) /[ # of quarters (2/3)] = quarter hours per semester (quarter hours per semester) * (2/3) = semester hours per semester Example: 21 quarter hours in 2 quarters 21/[2*(2/3)] = 15.75 quarter hours per semester 15.75 * (2/3) = 10.5 semester hours per semester â&#x20AC;˘

Greater ease for transfer student-athletes With an academic calendar consistent with the majority of college and universities, transfer student-athletes would have the opportunity to join the institution in the second semester rather than waiting until the spring term or the entire next academic year.

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Class Absence Concerns Faculty and staff are extremely concerned with missed class time due to athletics competition. Although the semester/quarter systems affect each sport differently, for the majority of our sports the percentage of time away from class will decrease as we transition to the semester system.

â&#x20AC;˘

Classroom Experience and Care of the Student Others have commented on the ability to engage more deeply with a subject matter in fifteen weeks. The ability for a student-athlete to more deeply engage in a course and have extra time to succeed will be helpful. Most athletic seasons do not impact an entire semester, but many do impact an entire quarter. (Example: Basketball travels and practices 20 hours a week for almost the entire winter quarter, especially if they make any postseason play. Spring term is very limited for academic/athletic conflicts. Although this is helpful for spring term faculty and student-athletes, winter term is extremely challenging)

•

The chance to be more competitive in championships and vacation periods. With the 14 PASSHE institutions not holding their final exam period until December our athletes our asked to balance a greater academic load than their competitors during the conference championships.

Example 1 Fall Term: In 2011-12, Mercyhurst’s final exam period is Nov. 14-16. Within the four weeks preceding finals, nine teams are asked to prepare for a markedly more demanding academic workload than their competition while trying to outperform those same students in the athletic arena. **Nine teams are football, M/W soccer, volleyball, M/W Golf, M/W cross country, field hockey.

Example 2 Winter Term: In 2011-12, the winter term poses a dual threat with vacation time and finals. In basketball, the PSAC mandates crossover games between the Eastern and Western Divisions during the first week of January. All the PASSHE institutions are on break but Mercyhurst resumes classes on January 3. Additionally, both men’s and women’s hockey will have missed class time as well.

Final exams for this term fall on February 20-22. Basketball is to play a league-mandated game on Feb. 22 against Edinboro. The PSAC conference championship falls during our term break

Example 3 Spring Term: All of the PSAC spring championships are concluded by May 5, which means our student-athletes will again be asked to compete at the highest level possible while maintaining an academic workload greater than the competition. The PSAC does not schedule games or championships during the PASSHE final exam period. Moreover, Mercyhurst teams which qualify for NCAA postseason competition are again at a disadvantage because they are competing against teams that have already completed their academic year.

Using 2010-11 as illustration, men’s lacrosse and baseball missed graduation weekend because of participation in the NCAA postseason.

â&#x20AC;˘

Promotes better scheduling of activities involving other universities and colleges, such as conferences and athletic events Aligning vacation periods allows for a wider range of regional opponents to choose from when drafting schedules.

â&#x20AC;˘

Ease of burden for priority registration and more efficient monitoring With the current trimester system, many student-athletesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; seasons can overlap all three terms. The semester system allows for better alignment of terms for priority scheduling. Additionally, two semesters allows for efficient monitoring of eligibility, financial aid and student accounts. Example: Basketball overlaps all three terms, with its official NCAA championship season concluding at the beginning of the spring term. With a semester system, the athletes benefit from having the entire second half of the schedule fall within the spring semester. With priority scheduling allowed in one term for the year, basketball would only be available for priority registration in the middle third of their season schedule.

BA INTELLIGENCE STUDIES MAJOR REQUIREMENTS Required Intelligence Studies Courses •

RIAP 177: Introduction to Intelligence Analysis

•

RIAP 178: Advanced Intelligence Analysis

•

RIAP 250: Professional Communications (1 credit)

•

RIAP 274: History of U.S. Intelligence

•

RIAP 275: Writing for Intelligence

•

RIAP 276: Law Enforcement Intelligence

•

RIAP 300: Competitive Intelligence

•

RIAP 313: Intelligence and National Security

•

(1) Intelligence Studies Elective

•

RIAP 475: Internship

Required Courses External to Intelligence Studies •

CRJS 101: American Criminal Justice OR CRJS 220: Drugs, Crime, and Criminal Justice

•

MIS 110: Advanced Computer Applications

•

POLI 100: American Government

•

(2) of following: ANTH 109 World Geography, POLI 303: Geopolitics, or POLI 400: Political Theory

•

HIST 102: U.S. History II

•

ECON 105: Macroeconomics

•

MATH 109: Statistics

•

PSYC 101: Introduction to Psychology or SOC 101: Contemporary Social Problems

Required Concentration External to Intelligence Studies Language Concentration

MIS Concentration

• Level 1 Language

• MIS 140: Computer Operations

• Level 2 Language

• MIS 126: Programming I or MIS 125:

• Level 3 Language

Visual Basic Programming

• Level 4 Language

• MIS 260: Networks • MIS 350: Database Management

BA Intelligence Studies Planned Offerings in New System FRESHMEN FALL SEMESTER

J-TERM

SPRING

M-TERM

SEMESTER RIAP 177: Intro to

RIAP 178: Adv

Intelligence Analysis

(5 sections)

(4 sections)

SOPHOMORES FALL SEMESTER

J-TERM

SPRING SEMESTER

RIAP 250:

Professional

Communications (2

sections)

RIAP 275: Writing

for Intelligence (3

for Intelligence (2

sections)

RIAP 276: Law

Enforcement

M-TERM

Intelligence (2

section)

sections)

RIAP 300:

Competitive

Intelligence (2

sections)

section)

JUNIORS FALL SEMESTER

J-TERM

SPRING

M-TERM

SEMESTER RIAP 274: History of

RIAP 274: History of

Intelligence (2

Intelligence (1

sections)

section)

RIAP 313:

Intelligence &

Intelligence and

National Security (1

National Security (2

section)

sections)

RIAP XXX:

Intelligence Elective (

Intelligence Elective

1 section)

(1 section)

SENIORS FALL SEMESTER

J-TERM

SPRING SEMESTER

RIAP 425: Strategic

RIAP XXX:

Intelligence (2

Intelligence Elective

M-TERM

sections)

(1 section)

RIAP XXX:

Intelligence Elective

(1 section)

Sample Four-Year Schedule for BA Intelligence Studies Majors with New Core and a Minor **Note: This schedule is highly contingent upon undergraduate students being able to take courses in core during the J-term or M-term. It also includes an assumption of an overlap of no more than four courses between the core, major, and a minor. Also, since the core classes have not been picked, it canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be anticipated that any current external to the department Intelligence Studies major requirements will overlap with the newly developed core ** FRESHMEN FALL SEMESTER

J-TERM

SPRING SEMESTER

RIAP 177: Intro to

POLI 100: American

RIAP 178: Adv

Intelligence Analysis

Government

Intelligence Analysis

IDST Course

Minor Class

CRJS 101: American Criminal Justice

Research & Writing

MATH 109 Statistics

Core Analysis of

Literary Classics

Individuals & Society I

M-TERM

SOPHOMORES FALL SEMESTER

J-TERM

SPRING

M-TERM

SEMESTER RIAP 276: Law

Religious Traditions

RIAP 250:

Enforcement

COre

Professional

Intelligence

Communications

RIAP 300:

Global Awareness,

RIAP 275: Writing

Competitive

Responsibilities,

for Intelligence

Intelligence

Religions, and Politics I

Language 1

Language 2

Arts Encounter

ECON 105: Macroeconomics

JUNIORS FALL SEMESTER

J-TERM

SPRING SEMESTER

RIAP 274: History of

Philosophy Core

Intelligence

RIAP 313: Intelligence and National Security

Intelligence Elective

Minor Class

PSYC 101: Intro to Psych

Language 3

Language 4

HIST 102: U.S.

Core Choice

History II

M-TERM

SENIORS FALL SEMESTER

J-TERM

SPRING

M-TERM

SEMESTER RIAP 425: Strategic

European or World

Analysis of

Intelligence

History

Individuals & Society II

Natural Science &

Minor Class

Ethics

Lab Global Awareness,

Minor Class

Responsibilities, Religions, and Politics II ANTH 109: World

POLI 303:

Geography

Geopolitics

Sample Four-Year Schedule for BA Intelligence Studies Majors with New Core and a Minor **Note: This schedule is what will happen if core classes are not available in the J-term or Mterm It also includes an assumption of an overlap of no more than four courses between the core, major, and a minor. Also, since the core classes have not been picked, it canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be anticipated that any current external to the department Intelligence Studies major requirements will overlap with the newly developed core ** FRESHMEN FALL SEMESTER

J-TERM

SPRING SEMESTER

RIAP 177: Intro to

RIAP 178: Adv

Intelligence Analysis

IDST Course

CRJS 101: American Criminal Justice

Research & Writing

MATH 109 Statistics

M-TERM

Core Analysis of

Literary Classics

Individuals & Society I POLI 100: American

Minor Class

Government

SOPHOMORES FALL SEMESTER

J-TERM

SPRING

M-TERM

SEMESTER RIAP 276: Law

RIAP 250:

Enforcement

Professional

Intelligence

Communications

RIAP 300:

RIAP 275: Writing

Competitive

for Intelligence

Intelligence Language 1

Language 2

Arts Encounter

ECON 105: Macroeconomics

Global Awareness,

Religious Traditions

Responsibilities,

Core

Religions, and Politics I

JUNIORS FALL SEMESTER

J-TERM

SPRING SEMESTER

RIAP 274: History of

RIAP 313:

Intelligence

Intelligence and National Security

M-TERM

Intelligence Elective

PSYC 101: Intro to Psych

Language 3

Language 4

HIST 102: U.S.

Core Choice

History II Philosophy Core

Minor Class

SENIORS FALL SEMESTER

J-TERM

SPRING SEMESTER

RIAP 425: Strategic

Analysis of

Intelligence

Individuals & Society II

Natural Science &

Ethics

Lab Global Awareness,

Minor Class

Responsibilities, Religions, and Politics II ANTH 109: World

POLI 303:

Geography

Geopolitics

Minor Class

European or World History

M-TERM

MS in Applied Intelligence Major Requirements Required Courses •

INTL 501: Research Methods in Intelligence

•

INTL 510: Intelligence Theories and Applications

•

INTL 540: Competitive Intelligence

•

INTL 576: Law Enforcement Intelligence

•

INTL 580: Intelligence Communications

•

INTL 615: Contemporary Leadership in Intelligence

•

INTL 655: Managing Strategic Intelligence

Required Courses •

3 or 4 per student depending on capstone selection

Require Capstone (choose 1) •

INTL 676: Research-based Project (3 credits)

•

INTL 679 & INTL 680: Thesis in Applied Intelligence (4 credits) MS Applied Intelligence Planned Offerings in New System

FIRST YEAR FALL SEMESTER

J-TERM

SPRING SEMESTER

INTL 501: Research

INTL 580:

Methods in

Intelligence

Communications (2 sections)

INTL 510:

INTL 540:

Intelligence Theories

Competitive

and Applications

Intelligence

INTL 576: Law

INTL XXX: Elective

SUMMER

Enforcement

(3 credits)

Intelligence INTL XXX: Elective (3 credits) INTL 679: Applied Intelligence Thesis Seminar

SECOND YEAR FALL SEMESTER

J-TERM

SPRING SEMESTER

INTL 655: Managing

INTL 615:

Strategic Intelligence

Contemporary Leadership in Intelligence

INTL 676: Research-

INTL XXX: Elective

based Project

(3 credits)

INTL 680: Thesis in

INTL XXX: Elective

Applied Intelligence

(3 credits)

INTL XXX: Elective (3 credits) INTL XXX: Elective (3 credits)

SUMMER

Sample Two-Year Schedule for MS Applied Intelligence Student Thesis Option FIRST YEAR FALL SEMESTER

J-TERM

SPRING

M-TERM

SEMESTER INTL 501: Research

INTL 580:

Methods in

Intelligence

Communications

INTL 510:

INTL 540:

Intelligence Theories

Competitive

and Applications

Intelligence

INTL 576: Law

INTL XXX: Elective

Enforcement

(3 credits)

Intelligence INTL 679: Intelligence Thesis Seminar

SECOND YEAR FALL SEMESTER

J-TERM

SPRING SEMESTER

INTL 655: Managing

INTL 615:

Strategic Intelligence

Contemporary Leadership in Intelligence

INTL XXX: Elective

(3 credits)

INTL 680: Thesis in Applied Intelligence

M-TERM

Research-based Project Option FIRST YEAR FALL SEMESTER

J-TERM

SPRING

M-TERM

SEMESTER INTL 501: Research

INTL 580:

Methods in

Intelligence

Communications

INTL 510:

INTL 540:

Intelligence Theories

Competitive

and Applications

Intelligence

INTL 576: Law

INTL XXX: Elective

Enforcement

(3 credits)

Intelligence

SECOND YEAR FALL SEMESTER

J-TERM

SPRING SEMESTER

INTL 655: Managing

INTL 615:

Strategic Intelligence

Contemporary Leadership in Intelligence

INTL XXX: Elective

(3 credits)

INTL 676: Research-

INTL XXX: Elective

based Project

(3 credits)

M-TERM

Master List of Needed Courses **Note: This does not recognize that some faculty may elect to teach in short term.** Courses Needed Each Term FALL SEMESTER

J-TERM

SPRING SEMESTER

RIAP 177: Intro to

Intelligence Analysis

(5 ERIE sections; 2

(1 HS section)

HS) RIAP 250:

RIAP 178: Adv

Professional

Intelligence Analysis

Communications (2

(4 sections)

sections) RIAP 275: Writing

RIAP 250:

for Intelligence (3

Professional

sections)

Communications (2 sections)

RIAP 276: Law

RIAP 275: Writing

Enforcement

for Intelligence (2

Intelligence (2

sections)

section) RIAP 300:

RIAP 276: Law

Competitive

Enforcement

Intelligence (2

sections)

RIAP 274: History of

RIAP 300:

Intelligence (2

Competitive

sections)

Intelligence (2 section)

M-TERM

RIAP 313:

RIAP 274: History of

Intelligence &

Intelligence (1

National Security (1

section)

section) RIAP XXX:

RIAP 313:

Intelligence Elective (

Intelligence and

1 section)

National Security (2 sections)

RIAP XXX:

Intelligence Elective (

Intelligence Elective

1 section)

(1 section)

RIAP 425: Strategic

RIAP XXX:

Intelligence (2

Intelligence Elective

sections)

(1 section)

INTL 501: Research

RIAP XXX:

Methods in

Intelligence Elective

Intelligence

(1 section)

INTL 510:

INTL 580:

Intelligence Theories

Intelligence

and Applications

Communications (2 sections)

INTL 576: Law

INTL 540:

Enforcement

Competitive

Intelligence

Intelligence (1 section)

INTL 655: Managing

INTL XXX: Elective

Strategic Intelligence

(3 credits)

INTL 676: Research-

INTL XXX: Elective

based Project

(3 credits)

INTL 680: Thesis in

INTL 679: Applied

Applied Intelligence

Intelligence Thesis

Seminar INTL XXX: Elective

INTL 615:

(3 credits)

Contemporary Leadership in Intelligence

INTL XXX: Elective

(3 credits)

(3 credits) INTL XXX: Elective (3 credits)

28 CLASSES

29 CLASSES

Courses Without Faculty (without any overloads) FALL SEMESTER

J-TERM

SPRING SEMESTER

RIAP 250:

Professional

Communications (2

sections)

RIAP XXX:

Intelligence Elective

(1 section)

M-TERM

Sample Teaching Schedule for Intelligence Studies Faculty in New System Breckenridge – 4 load FALL SEMESTER

J-TERM

SPRING

M-TERM

SEMESTER INTL 510:

INTL 615:

Intelligence Theories

Contemporary

and Applications

Leadership in Intelligence

INTL 676: Researchbased Project

Wheaton – 5 load FALL SEMESTER

J-TERM

SPRING

M-TERM

SEMESTER INTL 655: Managing

INTL XXX: Grad

Strategic Intelligence

Intel Elective

RIAP 425: Strategic

RIAP XXX:

Intelligence

Intelligence Elective RIAP 178: Adv Intel Analysis

Grabelski – 4 load FALL SEMESTER

J-TERM

SPRING SEMESTER

RIAP 276: Law

Enforcement Intel

M-TERM

RIAP 276: Law

Enforcement Intel

Wozneak – 4 load (overloaded by 1 credit or so) FALL SEMESTER

J-TERM

SPRING

M-TERM

SEMESTER INTL 576: Law

INTL 676: Research-

Enforcement

based Project (10

Intelligence

weeks online)

Online (or Erie) Graduate /Undergraduate Course INTL 679: Intelligence Thesis Seminar

Mills – 7 load FALL SEMESTER

J-TERM

SPRING SEMESTER

RIAP 275: Writing

for Intelligence

RIAP 274: History of

Intelligence

RIAP 274: History of

INTL XXX: Elective

Intelligence RIAP 177: Intro to Intelligence

M-TERM

Freyn – 7 load (HAS ROOM FOR 1 MARKETING CLASS) FALL SEMESTER

J-TERM

SPRING

M-TERM

SEMESTER RIAP 300

RIAP 300:

Competitive

Intelligence

RIAP 300

RIAP 300:

Competitive

Intelligence

RIAP 365: Advanced

INTL 540:

Competitive

Intelligence

Zidek – 7 load FALL SEMESTER

J-TERM

SPRING

M-TERM

SEMESTER RIAP 177: Intro to

RIAP 278: Adv. Intel

Intel Analysis

Analysis

RIAP 425: Strategic

RIAP 278: Adv. Intel

Intelligence

Analysis

INTL XXX: Elective

INTL 580: Intelligence Communications

Danzell – 7 load FALL SEMESTER

J-TERM

SPRING SEMESTER

M-TERM

INTL 501: Research

INTL 633: Terrorism

Methods in Intelligence RIAP 177: Intro to

RIAP 313:

Intel Analysis

Intelligence and National Security

RIAP 313:

RIAP 277: Terrorism

Intelligence and National Security

Welch – 4 load FALL SEMESTER

J-TERM

SPRING

M-TERM

SEMESTER RIAP 275: Writing

INTL 580:

for Intelligence

Intelligence Communications

RIAP 275: Writing

for Intelligence

Mulligan – 3 load FALL SEMESTER

J-TERM

SPRING SEMESTER

RIAP 177: Intro to

Intel Analysis

RIAP 177: Intro to Intel Analysis

M-TERM

New Faculty Member – 6 load FALL SEMESTER

J-TERM

SPRING

M-TERM

SEMESTER RIAP 177: Intro to

RIAP 313:

Intel Analysis

Intelligence and National Security

RIAP 177: Intro to

RIAP 178: Adv

Intel Analysis

Intelligence Analysis

INTL XXX: Elective

Classroom Space Assessment with New Schedule

RM 309 –

MWF Sections

T/TH Sections

Seats 32

8:00-9:15

8:00-9:45

9:20 – 10:35

9:55-11:40

10:40-11:55

11:50-1:35

12:00-1:15

1:45-3:30

1:20-2:35

3:30-5:25

2:40-3:50 RM 202 –

MWF Sections

T/TH Sections

Seats 24

8:00-9:15

8:00-9:45

9:20 – 10:35

9:55-11:40

10:40-11:55

11:50-1:35

12:00-1:15

1:45-3:30

1:20-2:35

3:30-5:25

2:40-3:50

RM 211 –

MWF Sections

T/TH Sections

Seats 20

8:00-9:15

8:00-9:45

9:20 – 10:35

9:55-11:40

10:40-11:55

11:50-1:35

12:00-1:15

1:45-3:30

1:20-2:35

3:30-5:25

2:40-3:50 RM 203 –

MWF Sections

T/TH Sections

Seats 32

8:00-9:15

8:00-9:45

9:20 – 10:35

9:55-11:40

10:40-11:55

11:50-1:35

12:00-1:15

1:45-3:30

1:20-2:35

3:30-5:25

2:40-3:50

So, to fit in 28-29 class per term, we would have to use all the highlighted blocks every day. This doesn’t yet give consideration to what classes need larger rooms and which can fit in smaller.

ADULT PROGRAMS AT SELECT INSTITUTIONS

The following institutions fall into two categories: 1. Smaller institutions with established adult programs 2. Regional institutions that have publically available information about adult students working within the existing structure of the institution

The following institutions have established adult programs to help adult learners, in some cases, accelerate their degree program.

Carlow

The Carlow program for adult learners provides an evening college with two 8week sessions per 16-week semester. http://adc.carlow.edu/

Muhlenberg

The Wescoe School of Muhlenberg College offers 15 week (full semester), 8 week (condensed semester), and weekend options for adult learners. http://www.muhlenberg.edu/main/wescoe/programCourseOfferings/traditionalD egrees/ Calendar: http://www.muhlenberg.edu/main/newsevents/calendar/wescoe_calendar.html

St. Ambrose

The Accelerated Programs for Adults (ACCEL) at St. Ambrose offers three sessions per semester. The length of the session depends upon the course. http://www.sau.edu/accel.html Calendar: http://www.sau.edu/Documents/Areas/ACCEL/12FAACC%20for%20web%204. 3.12.pdf

Hamline

Hamline offers semester and half-semester options for adult learners. Calendar: http://www.hamline.edu/offices/registration-records/calendars/undergrad.html

Ashland

Ashland's Division of Adult Students offers 16 and 8 week courses per semester. http://www.ashland.edu/academics/division-adult-studies Calendar: http://www.ashland.edu/documents/pdf/2012-2013-academic-calendar

Baldwin-

Baldwin-Wallace's Adult Completion program:

Wallace

http://www.bw.edu/admission/adult/ This program has multiple calendar options including an 8 week "minimester": http://www.bw.edu/admission/adult/accelerate/

The following institutions are regional institutions that have publically available information about adult students working within the existing structure of the institution. That is, evening and (in some cases) weekend classes are available to fit the schedule of adult learners, but they take place within the typical semester. Edinboro

http://www.edinboro.edu/departments/adult_services/adult_student_demographics. dot?host_id=1

Behrend

http://psbehrend.psu.edu/academics/academic-services/adult/current-and-incomingstudents/course-structure

Duquense

http://www.duq.edu/Documents/leadership/undergraduate/_pdf/ug-calendar.pdf

Gannon

http://www.gannon.edu/Admissions/Adult-Learners/

YSU

http://web.ysu.edu/gen/ysu_generated_bin/documents/basic_module/adult_learners _viewbook.pdf

Cleveland

http://www.csuohio.edu/enrollmentservices/registrar/calendar/

State

Evening & Weekend: http://www.csuohio.edu/academic/eveningweekend.html#evening

John

https://web4.jcu.edu:4459/PJCU/szqrterm.P_DispTerm

Carroll Canisius

http://www.canisius.edu/images/userImages/flynn2/Page_13019/425.1011_PROST D_Prof_Tech_Studies.pdf

Count of Room Rooms by Bldg HC L103 L118 M200 M205 M207 M209 M212 M213 M214 U305 U306 U313 U314 LIBR 100 225 306 MAIN 205 206 207 208 210 211 ADV LAB LAB PRES 312 314 SULL 1 2 3 ZURN 114 207 213 214 313 314 (blank) Grand Total

Column Labels 10/FA 109 7 7 7 9 8 7 9 9 9 9 10 9 9 12 5 7 41 7 5 6 7 8 2 1 5 15 8 7 24 8 8 8 47 8 10 7 8 6 8 248

11/SP 11/WI (blank) Grand Total 95 103 307 6 8 21 7 9 23 7 9 23 9 9 27 7 9 24 6 8 21 9 7 25 6 6 21 7 7 23 9 7 25 7 7 24 8 8 25 7 9 25 10 13 35 2 2 9 6 7 20 2 4 6 52 53 146 7 9 23 7 8 20 8 9 23 7 7 21 8 7 23 5 4 11 3 2 6 7 7 19 15 17 47 9 9 26 6 8 21 23 25 72 9 9 26 7 9 24 7 7 22 44 47 138 7 8 23 9 7 26 6 8 21 7 8 23 7 8 21 8 8 24 239

258

745

77.78% 85.19% 85.19% 100.00% 88.89% 77.78% 92.59% 77.78% 85.19% 92.59% 88.89% 92.59% 92.59% 33.33% 74.07% 22.22% 85.19% 74.07% 85.19% 77.78% 85.19% 40.74% 22.22% 70.37% 96.30% 77.78% 96.30% 88.89% 81.48% 85.19% 96.30% 77.78% 85.19% 77.78% 88.89% 78.84%

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