Following last week's simulation of a proposed new block schedule, students and faculty members continue to question the need for change and whether the suggested modifications will prove beneficial. A Daily poll conducted last week suggests that the majority of students do not see any problems with the current system.
Results of the simulation - in which courses meet in either 50-minute blocks on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays or in extended 75-minute blocks on Tuesdays and Thursdays or Mondays and Wednesdays - will be analyzed during the summer, and administrators will continue to gather student and faculty input in the fall, when each department conducts a second simulation.
Out of 105 students surveyed, 59.2 percent said they were opposed to changing the schedule to the proposed format. While 52.9 percent said they have had "moderate difficulty" planning their schedule, only 32 percent believe that some change is necessary. And 41.2 percent of students reported that they have had no difficulty fitting their classes into the current schedule.
The most frequently mentioned problem with the block schedule is overlapping blocks, which 57 percent of students mentioned. While the administration says the proposal will make it easier to schedule internships, only 4.2 percent of those surveyed say they have had difficulty doing so under the current schedule.
Many students credit the block schedule for allowing them to schedule an entire day off, and 32 percent of students said they purposefully schedule classes for only four days a week.
"The only problem is that it conflicts with sports practices, but that would happen with a new schedule, too," said one student. "I like the block schedule other than that."
Other students found problems with the current schedule but say the new model might exacerbate the situation. "Too many classes are scheduled on Tuesdays and Thursdays," wrote one student. "I'm often overwhelmed on those days and have only one or two classes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays... I don't think the proposed schedule would fix that problem, I think it might actually make it worse."
Overall, 61.2 percent of the 105 respondents said they do not see a need for change.
Both students and faculty members have expressed concerns that the proposed schedule would limit flexibility, especially in terms of scheduling labs, writing workshops, night classes, and classes at the Museum School.
"I don't think it's the world's greatest idea," psychology department chair Robin Kanarek said. "It's not going to solve the problem it's meant to solve.... We've dealt with [the block schedule] for so many years and it gives us flexibility that we don't think the new one will give."
The Biology department is concerned that the lack of three-day blocks will force some classes to be taught twice a week. "We had no trouble grafting the courses into the new schedule, though we felt it gave is some problems with flexibility as to when courses could be offered," department chair Harry Bernheim said. "It's more of a pedagogical problem than a logistical problem."
During the simulation, however, the department was able to solve one problem it currently faces - resolving scheduling conflicts between the introductory courses in biology, chemistry, and physics.
The administration will address faculty and student concerns that arose during the block schedule simulation during its evaluation, and modifications could be made to the proposal before it is tested again in the fall.
Administrators say they are looking to evaluate methods of scheduling and that change is not definite.
"We have an opportunity to see common themes and try to find a solution," Kristine Dillon, dean of academic services and student affairs. She did say, however, that finding amenable solutions will likely prove difficult and that "no one will come up with exactly the same ideas on this problem."
Dillon and Vice President of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering Mel Bernstein have led the most recent efforts to change the schedule, and both are interested in getting the "right result" from the evaluation, according to Dillon.
"If [the block schedule] is the best even with the criticism, the one we will choose will be the one met with the most constituencies," Dillon said.
Dillon said she believes that the hype surrounding the proposed changes is the result of exaggeration, as no official decisions have been made about the schedule's implementation. "The level of reaction of students is more anecdotal than representative," she said. "If they're willing to take the simulation seriously, they can substantiate their concerns... This is a process - a campus-wide opportunity to see what's going to be."
Following the fall simulation, administrators hope to create student focus groups that will test the proposal by creating hypothetical versions of their own schedules based on the results of the department simulations.
For mock registration, groups of ten to 15 students time will meet in Dowling and look up courses with assistance from administrators and faculty members. SISOnline will not be used for this process because a computerized model of the proposed schedule does not exist.
