Student, professor reactions to Friday class increase vary

Reality is setting in for students and faculty regarding the university’s plan for more Friday classes next fall, stirring up mixed reactions as they grapple with the possible side effects.

Timothy Vogelsang, a Frederick S. Addy Distinguished Professor of Economics, said he does not prefer teaching on Fridays and will try to find ways to maintain a similar schedule on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

“The problem for me is, if I want to keep the course being taught in a way I think is most appropriate for students to learn, I’ll have to try to switch to Tuesdays and Thursdays,” Vogelsang said.

He said other professors also are likely to attempt switching to a Tuesday and Thursday schedule for the same reason.

Classes that have been held on Mondays and Wednesdays in the past might now be scheduled on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, a decision made mainly to reduce scheduling conflicts for students, Provost Kim Wilcox said.

The change stems from a standard schedule agreed upon more than 15 years ago, but exceptions to that procedure have led to a high number of classes meeting only on Mondays and Wednesdays, Wilcox said.

The changes will take effect for classes next fall, he said.

Julia Coron, an interdisciplinary studies in social science sophomore, has Friday classes this semester and would not mind adding a few next year.

“You can’t really know what it will be like until you test it out,” she said. “You have the whole weekend and … depending on the class, it might be fun.”

Providing more flexibility for students as they plan their schedules is part of the reason for the scheduling change, university registrar Nicole Rovig said.

“The immediate benefits by going back to the schedule we’ve had in place for years is the accessibility of students to class schedules and reducing their time conflicts,” Rovig said.

Richard Cole, professor and chairperson of the Department of Advertising, Public Relations and Retailing, said faculty in the department would adapt to the change “with a smile on their face.”

“Everybody, at least in our department, … seems to be breathing kind of a sigh of relief that the university is taking actions that are really helping us operate more efficiently,” Cole said.

Still, Cole said, Friday classes might cut into students’ social lives.

“Instead of spending Thursday night in the bar, some students will spend Thursday night studying for Friday classes,” he said.

Some students worry about finding time for jobs and homework if their Fridays are spent in class.

“I can get a lot of my work hours done (on Friday),” English junior Lila Zarski said. “Then, I have my evenings free during the week to do homework. It really frees up my weekends.”

Although some students prefer no classes on Fridays, Associate Provost for Academic Services Linda Stanford said others are concerned with fitting in required courses around the lengthy classes held on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Administrative changes come as no surprise to Vogelsang.

“I’ve been a professor for 16 years now and I’ve learned that you should expect these sorts of things coming down from administration,” he said. “I’m not happy, but I’m not surprised.”