No end to Fridays off

After 12 years of five-day-a-week schooling, many college students decide that four school days of classes per week is plenty. While some universities are increasing their Friday course offerings after realizing just how many students have Fridays off, Tufts does not plan to follow the trend.

At some colleges, the number of classes that meet on Fridays is almost two-thirds smaller than the amount that meet on other weekdays, according to a Boston Globe article last May that reported some colleges wanted to put an end to Fridays off. A quick glance at the University's block schedule, however, reveals that there are fewer blocks offered on Friday than any other weekday at Tufts.

Director of Administration Paul Stanton said it is too early in the semester to know approximately how many students have no Friday classes, but that for many, a three-day weekend is standard. Faculty members often avoid teaching classes on Fridays, understanding that students prefer not to have classes on that day.

Before the current block schedule was created, the administration considered a system in which classes would meet either on Tuesdays and Thursdays, or on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The plan was negatively received.

Dean of Admissions David Cuttino said that the main focus of the revamped block schedule was not on increasing Friday course offerings.

"I think the primary focus here has been on the quality of the educational experience and the best use of time," Cuttino said. "The focus has been on students having access to the courses that are of interest to them and developing the most effective schedule to allow students and faculty to accomplish their academic goals."

Dean of the Colleges Charles Inouye agreed, noting that in 14 of the most popular blocks of the old schedule, one class conflicted with over 100 other courses.

"With the new, modified block schedule and a policy to go along with it, we've managed to spread things out a bit more," Dean Inouye said.

During his Tufts career, senior Chris Just has had two semesters with classes on Fridays. This semester, Just has Fridays free, as do many seniors.

"It seems like a lot of people now have Fridays off, but there's always that one friend who's feeling left out when everyone else is going out Thursday nights," Just said.

The ability to schedule no classes on Fridays often depends on students' majors. Stanton pointed out that in subject areas such as Physics, where students must take certain labs, they might be more likely to have classes on Fridays.

Some universities are now cracking down on the three-day weekend that many students try to create, according to the Globe article. At Clark University in Worcester, the faculty recently decided that a four-day school week was harmful to academic life on campus. As a result, faculty there voted to increase the number of classes offered on Fridays.

Some university officials in the Globe article argued that when students take Fridays off from classes, it makes it more difficult for students and faculty to gather for out-of-classroom sessions or other non-course-related academic pursuits. According to Stanton, having Fridays off can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how students spend that free day. Some students use the extra day off for internships or jobs, while others are less productive with their time.

"[Fridays off can be negative] if academic life is reduced to time in the classroom during the day Mondays through Thursdays," Stanton said.

College administrators may worry that students choose classes based on when they are offered rather than the classes themselves, but the hope is that college students are interested enough in academics not to base their schedule solely on meeting times.

"I first start on what I want to take and then tweak it if I can," Just said. "If not, it doesn't really matter."

Freshman Jordan Kanter said that he considered the times that classes were offered in creating his schedule, but unlike many students, Kanter opted for a Friday morning class.

"I kind of like that because if I didn't have any class I'd sort of sit around wasting my day," Kanter said. "The point of being here is to go to class."

Another problem cited with no Friday classes is that it may encourage students to binge drink on Thursday nights. According to the Globe article, studies in the mid 1990s showed that a lack of Friday classes could be a factor in alcohol abuse by students. Some students, however, point out that people in college are going to drink on Thursday nights whether or not they have Fridays off.

"I'm guessing that if people don't have classes on Fridays they're definitely going to go out on Thursdays _ not that they wouldn't anyway," sophomore Kim Folk said.

Much like people in the real world, college students are eager to start their weekend as early as possible. As long as students are able to plan their schedules with Fridays off, many of them will continue to do so.

Though many students are eager to start their weekends early, at least one Tufts administrator says scheduling is all about finding the right kind of balance. "Doing things with your friends on the weekends is fun, and being able to make and keep lasting friendships is all important," Inouye said. "But giving yourself whole-heartedly to what you're studying is also a blast. Work hard, play hard."