Some MSU students refuse to rest and relax until they get a fall break from school.
The University of Michigan Board of Regents decided in December students will get a two-day fall break during October. The student government did research on other schools that have a fall break and met with administrators to push the decision.
MSU’s University Committee on Academic Policy also has been discussing a fall break. MSU administrators have questioned whether the calendar change would be too difficult.
“We haven’t even come to formulate a proposal, but we know students want a break and we are reviewing it,” said Jon Sticklen, chairman of the committee.
Committee member Shaun Phillips, who is the College of Engineering representative on ASMSU’s Academic Assembly, said a fall break is in MSU’s future, but not for fall 2002.
“Hopefully, we will get the ball rolling for someone else to pick up,” Phillips said. “Having no break from Labor Day to Thanksgiving is too long.”
Phillips said a couple of proposals have been written, and will be presented to the undergraduate student government’s Academic Assembly in the next month and a half.
The assembly likely will write a fall break bill.
Matt Nolan, U-M student body president, said he made fall break a priority because of student stress on campus.
“Stress levels are high in the fall and a lot more in the winter,” Nolan said. “There’s going to be burnout, and by adding a break we are offering students a chance to catch their breath.”
A report was put together and submitted to U-M administrators pointing out that the top 25 universities in the nation have a fall break, Nolan said. Research on how a fall break would affect the calendar school year also was put into the report.
About 50 students showed their support for a fall break at the Board of Regents meeting after the provost’s office and the registrar’s office helped U-M’s student government make a proposal.
Nolan said most areas of the university wanted a fall break, and thought it was worthwhile.
“We just wanted to decrease stress levels on campus and make the first semester of the year a lot more manageable to students,” Nolan said.
Criminal justice junior Angie Marineau said a fall break next year would be energizing for students.
“It would be a lot of stress relief,” she said. “Thanksgiving break and Christmas break are so close together so they don’t even help with the stress during the semester.”
