Merrie Skaggs, associate professor of education, has brainstormed an idea that would completely change the format of the academic calendar.
“The new schedule would allow for more flexibility,” Skaggs said. “Teachers would be able to be more creative with their class plans and not worry about students missing other classes.”
The new calendar idea would include a rotation between what are being called blocks and minimesters.
During blocks students will spend 3 1/2 weeks in one class that will meet daily. For more intensive courses, a class may meet twice daily. For example, a science course may have lecture in the morning and lab in the afternoon.
The next rotation of classes would be considered a minimester. During minimesters, students would take three classes during a seven-week, two-day period.
Classes would meet on the traditional days. One class would meet from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and a second class would meet from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. A third class would meet from 9 a.m. to noon Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Skaggs said during these times classes would stay in the same classroom every day so there would there be more continuity.<br/>The idea for the different format of the academic calendar was introduced in Carolyn Doolittle's Introduction to Education and Evaluation Techniques classes.The idea for the different format of the academic calendar was introduced in Carolyn Doolittle's Introduction to Education and Evaluation Techniques classes. The idea for the different format of the academic calendar was introduced in Carolyn Doolittle’s Introduction to Education and Evaluation Techniques classes.
“This calendar would let students dive right in [to a class],” Doolittle, assistant professor of education, said.”It will allow students to focus on a few things rather than several.”
Doolittle said there are some bugs that need to be worked out, but she saw several positive aspects to the idea.
She acknowledged she can see how it could worry some people, however, because it is outside of the norms.
“I like how the schedule is now,” sophomore BreAnne Hendricks said. “It might help… But I think that it would be more stress throughout the year because you have to worry about that class’s final every 3 1/2 weeks.”
While the idea for the new academic calendar has yet to be presented to the Baker University Student Senate, Skaggs is hoping to start proposals by the end of the fall semester.