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USM Forum -- Message Board -> AAUP-USM MESSAGE BOARD -> USM just eliminated the Monday-Wednesday class ...
Post Info TOPIC: USM just eliminated the Monday-Wednesday class ...
The Bachelor

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USM just eliminated the Monday-Wednesday class ...
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option.  Word swirling all over campus about it now.  Students no longer have the option of taking 75 minute classes on Mondays and Wednesdays.  These courses will revert back to 50 minute courses, and a Friday session will be added. 


Word on this is just getting to the students.  Hold on to your hats.



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New Adjunct

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Any idea why the change was made?  Seemed like a good deal to me.  Once was at a place where they had Mon-Tue-Wed classes, which worked well.

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TGIF after 5:00pm

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The rationale for this is:


a.  students have short attention spans and 50 minutes pushes the limit


b.  there is a concerted effort to create more of residential campus feel and having the students around on Fridays will help with that


c.  here's one more way to make sure we get a "day's work for a day's pay" out of our faculty members who normally golf on Fridays


d.  change for the sake of change


e.  another way to make on-line classes more attactive



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TGIF after 5:00pm

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quote:
Originally posted by: TGIF after 5:00pm
"The rationale for this is: a.  students have short attention spans and 50 minutes pushes the limit b.  there is a concerted effort to create more of residential campus feel and having the students around on Fridays will help with that c.  here's one more way to make sure we get a "day's work for a day's pay" out of our faculty members who normally golf on Fridays d.  change for the sake of change e.  another way to make on-line classes more attactive"
I should have posed this as a question, not as a statement - sorry.

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New Adjunct

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We're allowed to play golf?

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TGIF after 5:00pm

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Not you...Southern Mess wants more overworked, underpaid adjuncts...it's the other kind. 

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educator

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You know, back in the day when I worked at USM, I found that my M/W and T/Th classes were far more productive than the traditional MWF classes. At my new university, I've suggested going to that format with our classes since we seemed to accomplish so much more in them and my assignments appeared to be more thoughtfully carried out by the majority of my students. Naturally, since it was a positive move on USM's part - no wonder it's being removed. That day's work for a day's pay thing!  God forbid that we don't constantly appear to be busy.


 



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Green Hornet

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RE: RE: USM just eliminated the Monday-Wednesday c
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quote:
Originally posted by: educator
"You know, back in the day when I worked at USM, I found that my M/W and T/Th classes were far more productive than the traditional MWF classes. At my new university, I've suggested going to that format with our classes since we seemed to accomplish so much more in them and my assignments appeared to be more thoughtfully carried out by the majority of my students. Naturally, since it was a positive move on USM's part - no wonder it's being removed. That day's work for a day's pay thing!  God forbid that we don't constantly appear to be busy.
 "



Educator,
Of course you work at an institution were common sense is used to structure the curriculum and input from faculty is listened to. Although I've seen those studies where attention span is measured at various spans of time, I agree with you. We have T/Th classes in our professional prep curriculum that meet 75 min. and although I don't golf, I can see where this administration wants "day's work for a day's pay"
To be productive and get results depends on the subject matter and the delivery as well as the students interest and motivation. Students in their content area tend to pay attention.

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New Adjunct

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RE: USM just eliminated the Monday-Wednesday class
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I don't know what kind of students the admin talks to, but a lot of mine have jobs, some have children, and being able to free up Friday afternoon would be a godsend. Are there any stats on the actual usage of the MW timeframe?

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Trojan Man

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RE: USM just eliminated the Monday-Wednesday class ...
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This is why the faculty should "turn the other cheek" on this one. The students and their parents will fight this one much more effectively. Chalk this one up to another one of Shelbo's PR nightmares.

Southern Miss to the toilet!

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Googler

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quote:
Originally posted by: The Bachelor
"option.  Word swirling all over campus about it now.  Students no longer have the option of taking 75 minute classes on Mondays and Wednesdays.  These courses will revert back to 50 minute courses, and a Friday session will be added.  Word on this is just getting to the students.  Hold on to your hats."
To clarify for people on this board who may not be familiar, the 75 minute M-W classes are those that begin at 2 PM, 3:30 PM, 5 PM, with night classes starting at 6:30.

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COST faculty

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This is not a done deal. Dean Gandy of CoST did a classroom usage survey and found that classrooms weren't being scheduled on Friday afternoons. This was news to him and he decided that he was going to push for removal of the MW classes to optimize classroom usage. There has been some resistance from the chairs, but he seems determined to push this issue. There is no final decision on this yet at the university level, but there is no university policy that would prohibit MWF afternoon classes.


It is fair to say that the SGA has not been involved.



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Subtle Pressure

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Our dean informed us that this decision had been made and endorsed by Thames.  I agree it is not a done deal, but it can only be reversed by student pressure.  The faculty cannot fight this one, it would put faculty members in the position of saying "we don't want to work Friday afternoons."  Inform the students then let it go.  I have a feeling they will carry the tourch.

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Subtle Pressure

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torch-too early not enough coffee

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The Shadow

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RE: USM just eliminated the Monday-Wednesday class
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Were the Faculty Senate and Academic Council consulted?

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Green Hornet

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quote:
Originally posted by: The Shadow
"Were the Faculty Senate and Academic Council consulted?"
The leadership of Academic Council may have been, but I have it on very good authority that the general members of Academic Council were not.  I can see where the Council would possibly be concerned, but I would also see this to be within the control of the registrar and provost.  For example the recent change of academic contact minutes did not come before the Council nor was it approved by the Council, that was an IHL matter.

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Invictus

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RE: RE: USM just eliminated the Monday-Wednesday c
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quote:
Originally posted by: COST faculty
"This is not a done deal. Dean Gandy of CoST did a classroom usage survey and found that classrooms weren't being scheduled on Friday afternoons. This was news to him and he decided that he was going to push for removal of the MW classes to optimize classroom usage."


This is a big leap backwards considering how many institutions are implementing short-term & flexibly scheduled classes to better meet the needs of working adults. I guess USM is focussing on traditional students.

Another approach to "optimizing classroom usage" would be to create a whole category of Friday afternoon classes that would meet once a week (similar to night classes) for, say, 3 hours. This might fly, especially if the courses were selected in consultation with area employers who might be able to release employees for three hours ONE day a week (& Friday afternoons do tend to be the least productive in a lot of shops)...

Of course, returning to the MWF system (which I suspect still prevails in most areas) would be one way to move USM away from being a "suitcase college."

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