A proposed two-day fall break is closer than ever to being approved by the university, but would probably not be in place by next school year.

The break would allow students and faculty extra rest and help to relieve stress, Brandon Sethi said. The proposal will be presented during the Executive Committee of Academic Council today.

"There are going to be some challenges, but I think on the whole, it's going to be pretty widely accepted," said Sethi, the external vice chairperson for ASMSU's Academic Assembly.

The proposed change calls for two days off, on the third Monday and Tuesday in October, and for the semester to begin earlier than usual, on the Wednesday before the current first day of class.

"It absolutely will not be put into place for fall 2007," said Ralph Putnam, an associate education professor. "Even if we were to somehow magically pass this today, it's too close already to next year for the calendar to get changed."

Putnam, the University Committee on Academic Policy chairman, said he thinks the executive committee will send the proposal to different standing committees for "wide input."

The proposed break also would better balance the number of class days between the fall and spring semesters, Putnam said.

The current academic calendar has 72 instructional days in the fall, and 74 in the spring. The proposal, in which the fall semester would begin earlier, would result in 73 instructional days.

The committee worked on the current proposal for about a year, Sethi said. Originally, a fall break was proposed and approved by the committee in 2000, but never went any further in MSU's Academic Governance system.

"Now it was a much more concentrated effort to push it through," Sethi said.

Eric Hinojosa said the proposed changes would not only benefit students, but also faculty members.

"Essentially, it was to help other students by breaking up that long period between the beginning of the year and Thanksgiving, because that can honestly wear on students," said Hinojosa, ASMSU's Academic Assembly chairperson. "It also allows professors the same, for grading papers and to get a little bit of relaxation in there."

Sethi said he hopes the days proposed for the break do not change because having it as a Monday and Tuesday would encourage students to go home.

"I really hope it doesn't end up being a Friday off or a Thursday and Friday, or anything like that, because to me that spells an extended drinking weekend," he said.