A Fair Fall for AllA Working Joint Proposal by the Undergraduate Student Councils on the Fall Academic Calendar
Respectfully Submitted bySue YangPresident, Columbia College Student Council
Whitney GreenPresident, Engineering Student Council
Katie PalilloPresident, Barnard Student Government Association
Katherine EdwardsPresident, General Studies Student Council
Alex FroumanSenator, Columbia College
Why is this Important to Students?Impacts on Academics, Health, Family, and Travel
Students Voice ConcernsCouncil-Sponsored Survey
745 responses
By School 74% CC 16% SEAS 8% GS 2% Barnard
By Year 17% Seniors 26% Juniors 28% Sophomores 28% First-Years
Student-Initiated Facebook Petition
Launched independently by students, Dec. 2009
As of 1/24/10: 2,414 members = 25% entire undergraduate population
Academic ImpactM
on
. 1
2/1
4 o
r earl
ier
Tu
e.
12
/15
Wed
. 1
2/1
6
Th
u.
12
/17
Fri
. 1
2/1
8
Sat.
12
/19
Su
n.
12
/20
Mon
. 1
2/2
1
Tu
e.
12
/22
Wed
. 1
2/2
3
Aft
er
Wed
. 1
2/2
3
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
50
4 2
66 61
1 2
179
134
211
1 exam
2 exams
“How many exams did you have on the following days?”
Resp
on
den
ts
Dates
Academic Impact
0 1 2 3 4 5 60
50
100
150
200
250
300
“For how many final exams/papers did you feel you were NOT prepared?”
Resp
on
den
ts
# Final Exams / Papers
Academic Impact
Other
Spend time relaxing, doing leisure activities
Have a paper proofread by others
Organize a study group
Meet with the Professor / TA
I might have done better on a final paper/project
Complete previously unfinished readings
Sleep
Study more, review notes
19
120
175
196
249
378
389
434
675
“If you had one more day to study (3 instead of 2), how would you have used the time?”
Health Impact
1 2 3 4 50
100
200
300
400
500
24
219
386
108
8
1 2 3 4 50
100
200
300
400
500
334
160
431
117
1 2 3 4 50
100
200
300
400
500
600
2 13 41
206
483
“How would you rate your stress level during the following times of the year?”
During semester, on average
During normal finals period During Fall 2009 finals period
Travel Impact
51% of students left campus on Wed. Dec. 23
It cost more to travel this time for
52% of students surveyed
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400 51%
15%19%
Travel Impact“To where were you traveling?”
USA, N
E
USA, S
E
USA, M
idwes
t
USA, S
W
USA, W
/NW
Intl,
N. A
mer
ica
Intl,
S. A
mer
ica
Intl,
Eur
ope
Intl,
Asia
Intl,
ME
or A
frica
Intl,
Afri
ca0
50100150200250300350400
33%
13%
Travel internationalor to the West coast
Travel international
Travel Impact“How much did you pay to travel home/away for winter break?”
Under
$50
$50 -
$100
$101 -
$200
$201 -
$300
$301 -
$400
$401 -
$500
$501 -
$600
$601 -
$700
$701 -
$800
$801 -
$900
$901 -
$1000
Ove
r $1000
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
20%Paid Over $500.00
Family Impact
The late conclusion of the semester interrupted family
plans for 78% of students surveyed.
Including all StakeholdersStudents remain top priority for the undergraduate councils, but other stakeholders have also been included and taken into consideration.
Including StakeholdersInformation collected and funneled from various groups to understand needs, constraints
Athle-tics
Health Servics
StudentsFaculty &
Admin.Other CU Members
Logistics
Some Facult
y
Senate Edu.
Main Findings, Issues Raised
Grad. Apts
Clarifying the ProblemWith constraints and needs identified, areas of compression and flexibility can be better targeted in the calendar
Within a 1-Year Frame
Thanks
giv
ing
August September DecemberNovemberDecember
Week
befo
re L
abor
Day
Stu
dy D
ays
/ Fi
nals
Fall
Bre
ak
PROPOSED SOLUTION:Start a week earlier to end a week earlier in SOME years
All:Agree that we should try to end before 12/23.
Students:87% of students surveyed would support starting before Labor Day
Faculty:
Starting before Labor Day is hard
for those with children
Faculty proposal suggests removing Monday of this fall break. Students react with strong disagreement.
FIXED
BUT looking only at a 1-year time frame is incorrect and doesn’t allow for much flexibility to accommodate all stakeholders. It mistakenly assumes every year to be the exact same.
A 10-year outlook is truer to the situation, accounting for nuances from year to year.
It becomes clear: the fall semester calendar is only a problem in some years.
4 / 10 Years End on Dec 232 / 10 Years Especially Problematic
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
Fall semester ends on 12/23 in these years, according to the current plan
Especially compressed: Additionally, 2 total days must be cut, either both from study period or 1 from study period and 1 from exam period
ProposalAdjust for years only in which Labor Day falls late in September.
Start one week earlier in just:
2011201520162020
2011-2020 Fall Academic Calendars
Fall2012
Fall2013
Fall2014
Fall2017
Fall2018
Fall2019
Fall 2011
Fall2016
Fall2015
Fall2020
Shifting the fall calendar one week earlier in just these 4 years alleviates the compression that would otherwise be experienced at the end of these 4 fall terms.
Comparisons Against Current Cal.How Columbia’s Fall 2010 calendar (which we are not looking to change) compares with that of other Ivies and NYC Public Schools.
In Comparison with other Ivies(Princeton & Dartmouth are not included as they follow a trimester system)
FALL 2010 AS EXAMPLE:
COLUMBIA
Brown
Cornell
Harvard
UPenn
Yale19-
29
SEP OCT NOV DECAUG
3-
10
11-
18
8 9-
12
24-
29
11-
14
15-
22
12
11
26-
29 4-
12
13-
21
25 6
66
9-
12
24-
29
5-8 8-
17
61
11 11
24-
28
4-8 9-
17
7 1-2
25-
28
14-
15
16-
23
Days Off During Semester
Start Date Study Days
Final Exam Period & End DateLa
bor
Day
Thanksg
ivin
g
7 25-
28
14-
15
16-
23
In Comparison with NYC Public Schools
FALL 2010, AS EXAMPLE: (again, we are not proposing to make any changes to this year)
COLUMBIA
NYC Public
SEP OCT NOV DECAUG
1-2
9-
108 11 2 11
25-
28
23
Actual:
30
25-
28
14-
15
16-
23 COLUMBIA1-2
What it would have looked like under the proposal:
6
Days Off During Semester
Start Date Study Days
Final Exam Period & End DateLa
bor
Day
Th
an
ksg
ivin
g
Faculty with children would have needed childcare on 5 days (8/30, 8/31, 9/1, 9/2, 9/3).
Columbia provides a Backup Care Program that helps subsidize up to 100 hours of family care each year beginning on July 1. According to the Work-Life Office, starting a week early would require more funding for this program or the creation of a day camp or childcare program for that week.
FLEXIBILITY exists if we consider the nuances from year to year over 10 years.
A FAIR solution for all can be achieved. Starting a week in advance just in the few years when Labor Day falls late (Sep. 5th or later, we have found), alleviates the compression at the end of the fall term, allows for an earlier conclusion, and does not require permanent compromises.
The FALL semester can work for all by just adjusting the start dates for FOUR of the years.