Five-Star Fridays

[zippyfan34]

Got this from the Prez today:

 

I would like to share with you some exciting news about The University of Akron. 

After discussion by the colleges and a detailed review by the Registrar’s Office, as well as much-appreciated input from all sectors of our University community over the past four months, we have decided to move forward with the implementation of an innovative class schedule and new student success program beginning fall 2018. This initiative has been vetted and carefully thought out. Quality learning, student success, and serving the needs of our students will be the primary foci of what we have deemed as “Five-Star Fridays.” 

Five-Star Fridays – Briefly

Our new Five-Star Fridays initiative will enable UA to better respond to the needs of current students, creatively distinguish ourselves in the marketplace, and implement unique approaches that attract traditional and nontraditional students. 

In short, most students will attend classes Monday through Thursday and then participate in practical, career-focused learning experiences on Friday. Courses will be taught for the same amount of classroom time and involve the same academic rigor as they currently do. They will just be organized a bit differently throughout the week to allow for a more concentrated and purposeful set of experiential learning opportunities for students as a result of making Fridays available in this manner. 

This initiative will be unique among universities in our region. In essence, it is an institution-wide commitment to provide UA students with even more opportunities for cooperative education, internships, practical skills development, work, co-curricular activities, community service, lab work, research, advising, tutoring and more. Students also will be encouraged to use Fridays to attend special events, collaborate with faculty and peers, and take advantage of expanded academic counseling, tutoring, career fairs, and other career services. This schedule will give students three days of concentrated time to prepare for classes, engage with study groups, and participate in meaningful study and research. 

The new scheduling will be applied throughout the University, but exceptions will be made when necessary. Deans, department chairs and school directors will work with faculty members to identify courses that for pedagogical reasons must be exempted. For example, some courses in music, dance and art require daily engagement with students. They will be accommodated. 

Five-Star Fridays – Reception

Since last fall, the Five-Star Fridays concept has been openly discussed at college level and administrative unit town hall meetings. We have openly discussed it at UA’s Faculty Senate and University Council meetings. Personally, I have sent out written communications inviting feedback from faculty, staff, administration, and students. We have received the support and endorsement of our Undergraduate Student Government. The concept has been fully discussed among University leadership and within colleges and departments. Our Registrar has modeled the new schedule and confirmed that we can make this work. 

I was truly pleased by a comprehensive survey that we conducted of all UA undergraduate students last semester. With the assistance of Undergraduate Student Government, we surveyed about 15,000 undergraduate students and received nearly 5,000 responses. Very positive conversations have also been held with dozens of area high school counselors, numerous high school principals, and employers. 

While this is a novel step for our region, a number of departments at major universities in the Washington, D.C., area do not schedule Friday classes so that students can intern with government agencies that day. In addition, the use of two-day classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays has existed here for decades and is a standard practice across the country. 

Five-Star Fridays – Welcome Addition

The Five-Stars Friday initiative and our new approach to scheduling will assist students with their organization and preparation, make possible more flexible learning opportunities and be yet another of UA’s distinguishing features for prospective and current students. It will make scheduling job and internship interviews easier for all students. It will also facilitate greater student preparation for entering the workforce, and potentially allow our working students to earn even more money towards their education while studying at UA. As students use the new schedule wisely, it will certainly enhance their experience and increase the value of their degree. It will also help prepare them for emerging flexible workplace trends. 

As a daily witness to the professionalism and caring extended by our staff and faculty, I have no doubt that come next fall, our students will have ample opportunities and incentives to use their Five Star Fridays wisely. This is the latest in our continuing efforts to strengthen and advance The University of Akron through innovative initiatives. As always, I welcome your thoughts and suggestions, and thank you for your continuing support. 

Go Zips!
 
Matthew J. Wilson
President
The University of Akron

[Balsy]

This sounds like a gimmick/flavor-of-the-month type of move made in desperation to stand out in the crowd; in the ilk of the previous university president.  I don't see this having any practical, or tangible change.  Hope I'm wrong.  I guess my question is: are there any other serious main-stream institutions that do this already?  If the answer is no...we shouldn't be either...if we're to be considered a "main-stream institution".

Edited January 24, 2018 by Balsy

[zippy5]

11 minutes ago, Balsy said:

This sounds like a gimmick/flavor-of-the-month type of move made in desperation to stand out in the crowd; in the ilk of the previous university president.  I don't see this having any practical, or tangible change.  Hope I'm wrong.  I guess my question is: are there any other serious main-stream institutions that do this already?  If the answer is no...we shouldn't be either...if we're to be considered a "main-stream institution".

"While this is a novel step for our region, a number of departments at major universities in the Washington, D.C., area do not schedule Friday classes so that students can intern with government agencies that day. In addition, the use of two-day classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays has existed here for decades and is a standard practice across the country. "

 

You complain when students aren't consulted, now they're consulted and it's desperate

 

"I was truly pleased by a comprehensive survey that we conducted of all UA undergraduate students last semester. With the assistance of Undergraduate Student Government, we surveyed about 15,000 undergraduate students and received nearly 5,000 responses. Very positive conversations have also been held with dozens of area high school counselors, numerous high school principals, and employers. "

[Balsy]

2 minutes ago, zippy5 said:

1)  "While this is a novel step for our region, a number of departments at major universities in the Washington, D.C., area do not schedule Friday classes so that students can intern with government agencies that day. In addition, the use of two-day classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays has existed here for decades and is a standard practice across the country. "

 

2)  You complain when students aren't consulted, now they're consulted and it's desperate

 

3)  "I was truly pleased by a comprehensive survey that we conducted of all UA undergraduate students last semester. With the assistance of Undergraduate Student Government, we surveyed about 15,000 undergraduate students and received nearly 5,000 responses. Very positive conversations have also been held with dozens of area high school counselors, numerous high school principals, and employers. "

 

1) Okay...which ones?  And their reasons are so they can intern at government agencies.  My friend (and alumni) texted me and said she was shocked.  Had Akron been on a Mon-Thur class schedule she likely wouldn't have attended.  Neither likely would I, past the first year (it was already hard enough with M-Friday courses to schedule all of the labs and science courses and other courses I had to take, and time is a factor...).

 

2) Yes; students should be consulted on governance of the university, and decision making.  That doesn't mean because they were consulted (I don't consider a survey true consulting), therefore it is a good decision.  Especially when the 5,000 that responded, are motivated to respond.  This is not, IMHO, the correct way to say "students are on board with this".  Because it's inherently biased.  They sent surveys to 15,000 undergrad students; 1/3 responded...and those are likely the ones motivated to respond (for whatever reason).  That's not a good way to make informed decisions.  See below for further:

 

3)  I would like to see that "Comprehensive Survey."  Surveys can ask pretty nebulous questions that don't lead to very clear decisive courses of action.  I'm sure any student you could ask if they would like to have Friday classes, or no Friday classes and have "experiences" instead they'd choose the latter without actually having a frame of reference for it; a certain number would pick it simply because they never want to have Friday classes, not because it is tangibly better for them.  I'd argue it's tangibly worse, because M/W/F science courses are far easier to manage with T/Th labs...especially if your taking multiple science courses at the same time...if the classes are only M-Th AND the 3-hr lab is being crammed in there...somewhere...for multiple courses...that sounds awful, just awful, and doesn't to me seem like a recipe for success...or for graduating on time.  Not to mention if you don't live on campus, your day has just become a lot longer.

 

Why would High School Counselors and High School Principals have ANY bearing on what would be positive at the Collegiate level?  Employers?  Really?  Which ones!?  Which ones in this immiediate area have that much of a need to have students coming in to do "experiences" on a Friday that are somehow radically different than the internships they would be preforming on a regular basis at another time in the students collegiate career.  Call be a skeptic, not buying it.

 

I'm just straight shooting here; I don't buy it.  This sounds like another "flavor-of-the-month" thing being flung at the wall to make "Hill-Top-High" seem regionally "unique".

 

 

[zippyfan34]

When I went to UA and wayne college in the 2002-2004 timeframe I didn't have Friday classes.  Most classes were m-w and t-th.  There may have been some mwf but I didn't take them.  This was great for working students.  I was then able to work 12 hour shifts at a restaurant Friday And Saturday along with 9-10 hours on Sunday.

[zippy5]

CBA didn't have Friday classes when I was there either.

[LZIp]

Sorry balsy, but you are the type of guy that will argue the sky isn't blue. It doesn't hurt anything. M-W classes will simply be 25-30 mins longer and the students will get an extra full day off to do whatever they deem the best use of their time as a result.

Edited January 25, 2018 by LZIp

[zippy5]

Let's put it this way, when the CBA went back to Friday classes my last year, I don't know a student who liked it.

[KNCLZip]

An email from Wilson to faculty on January 9 did address labs:

 

"If possible, these would be scheduled Monday through Thursday to maximize student benefits. Scheduling labs on Friday would still be possible, because that is consistent with the experiential learning concept associated with Five-Star Fridays."

 

So 3-hour labs wouldn't necessarily have to be squeezed into already-packed days.  I could see labs being on Fridays a lot now if scheduling demands it.

[Balsy]

9 hours ago, LZIp said:

Sorry balsy, but you are the type of guy that will argue the sky isn't blue. It doesn't hurt anything. M-W classes will simply be 25-30 mins longer and the students will get an extra full day off to do whatever they deem the best use of their time as a result.

 

I'm not.  I'm the guy who says it has to be more complicated than simply stating "the sky is blue" as a fact, and there must be an explanation for why we perceive it that way. 

 

I'm just not as easily convinced as apparently other people are, that this is a good idea, and expressing it.  My lengthy response was because someone wanted to try say that I'm not consistent/hypocritical.  Which I'm not.  The length of the class 25-30 min longer isn't the issue.  It's the time slots that are.  Because you're then going to have less options, less flexibility, less physical time to schedule certain classes because their now longer.  There's now greater chance that one-time long commitment classes will overlap with the 3-credit (but now 25-30 min longer) classes.  

 

I do care about UA.  And "unique" moves like this make me worry that UA will not be viewed as a reputable-institution and revert to that "Hill-Top-High" view of the general public.  But w/e...I'm a badguy for voicing concern...guess I should just fall in line and blindly accept whatever's thrown against the wall...or better yet not care like the vast majority of people who graduate from UA.  

 

7 hours ago, KNCLZip said:

An email from Wilson to faculty on January 9 did address labs:

 

"If possible, these would be scheduled Monday through Thursday to maximize student benefits. Scheduling labs on Friday would still be possible, because that is consistent with the experiential learning concept associated with Five-Star Fridays."

 

So 3-hour labs wouldn't necessarily have to be squeezed into already-packed days.  I could see labs being on Fridays a lot now if scheduling demands it.

 

IMHO, that sounds awful.  And students would be on board for that?  

[ZachTheZip]

4 hours ago, Balsy said:

IMHO, that sounds awful.  And students would be on board for that?  

 

The ones that already do it? This is already how most class schedules are structured in most programs at UA.

 

How long has it been since you've taken classes at UA? This move is just a formalization of how classes have been scheduled for over a decade now. Most programs already don't offer classes on Fridays and have not for a very long time. You seem to be apprehensive over this move, but it's nothing but marketing. Nothing is changing, because it's been this way for a while, just informally.

[Balsy]

3 hours ago, ZachTheZip said:

The ones that already do it? This is already how most class schedules are structured in most programs at UA.

 

I will conceed that perhaps there's been a whole-sale change in when laboratories are offered  I rarely had one on a Friday, and I took labs in physics, chemistry, biology and geology. The only ones I had on a Friday was a summer course (which was every day), and Genetics which met Friday morning (which had another section that I couldn't take because it conflicted with the other labs for other science courses).  

 

But I don't agree with you, I don't believe most programs are structured that way at UA.  Pulling up the Chem Labs via the master schedule right now of labs that meet on Fridays:

 

General Organic/Biochem II:  4/11  (all non-friday aren't evening and are in prime times for other classes on a M-Th schedule, hence my concern)

Chem I: 0/3  (the two that aren't evening are in prime times for classes on a M-Th schedule, hence my concern)
Qualitative Analysis: 0/9 (this is a twice a week class)

OChem II: 0/5 (twice/three times a week)

Advanced Chem lab: 0/1

 

So in the Chem Laboratories offered at UA in the Spring 4/29 (13%) have one on a Friday, and the majority of those during weekdays are during "prime-times" hence my vocied concern.  And if you're taking classes, with multiples labs, from even multiple departments...good luck fitting them if it looks anything like the Chem department's.  (hint: it does; that's the reality I lived for 5-years at UA...delicately making/planning schedules so that I could actually take the classes I needed when I needed to).

 

I worked on campus for two-ish years signing freshman up for classes in science.  It is, by no means, organized the way you imply it is.

 

 

Edited January 25, 2018 by Balsy

[KNCLZip]

Fall Chem labs are far "worse" on Fridays.  Friday 2:15-5:00 labs last fall were fully used.  Spring chem labs are always a little lighter because not everyone takes Qual, and the Qual meets MW or TR.  However, I could see a shift to Friday for many more labs if the scheduling requires it.

 

The big unease about this is that it is not a zero-sum game of time we are playing here.  We are indeed losing a day for classes so there will be crunching required to fit in the 25 minutes to add to MW classes that used to be MWF.

Could classes start at 7:30 instead of 7:45?  Might help along with evening classes starting a little later (5:30 instead of 5:10, for example, to let the daytime classes finish up).  It will be interesting to see what happens, for sure.  I know that fewer, larger sections of some classes would ease the burden of scheduling somewhat--might as well pack MGH 111 with 255 twice instead of 170 three times if you need to get 510 students through and time is crunched.

[UAZippers]

In terms of actually scheduling the classes, this should actually make things simpler and easier to look at. The 50 minute classes with 15 minutes between caused weird start times due to classes starting every 1 hour and 5 minutes (7:45, 8:50, 9:55, ...).  75 minute classes allow classes to start every 90 minutes at only the top and bottom of the hour (7:30, 9, 10:30, ...). 3 hour lab sessions also will now fit into the usual time slots instead of just being scheduled seemingly randomly. 

 

As other people have said in the thread, it was only intro level courses and specific majors that have ever really scheduled classes on Fridays even before this change. This change is probably negative for science majors, but I can't imagine that they would make the change with no foresight into how they plan on making labs work in the new structure.

[g-mann17]

I have an undergraduate and graduate degree, didn't spend a single Friday on campus.  1996 was my first year.  Most every student I knew always found some way to avoid Friday classes.  In fact several 4 credit and lab courses were already scheduled Monday - Thursday, or M-W-Thursday because they know students work, and the prime hours almost everywhere are Friday, Saturday, Sunday.

[Balsy]

2 hours ago, g-mann17 said:

In fact several 4 credit and lab courses were already scheduled Monday - Thursday, or M-W-Thursday 

 

Most aren't though, which is what I outlined as a concern above.  Most every student I knew had classes M-F.  So I suppose it's a push.  But here's another angle:  UA is limiting the opportunity to choose.  One of my students who's graduating and going to Akron in the fall I've been helping/giving advice to; was shocked to hear that there would not be Friday classes next year...and didn't feel confident that not having Friday classes would be good for them.

 

He said, she said, I know.  I just don't feel as if this is a move meant for students.  They'll use students and "community and professional" as a PC shield, when in reality it's some type of move designed to save money in some way, while actually denying students the opportunity of choice.

[zippy5]

[Balsy]

23 hours ago, zippy5 said:

 

 

Thanks for substance.

[pdt1420]

I like this move. I can’t comment on how the schedule has been in recent years, but 10 years ago in engineering I had classes MWF with an occasional T lab, or T Th classes. So it was near impossible to have an open day of the week. The closest I’d get is a Thursday with only one or two classes.  I would have liked to compress my schedule to only four days. 

[Blue & Gold]

Man, what a great, encouraging editorial from UA alumnus and executive editor of the Canton Repository, Rich Desrosiers.

 

Rich Desrosiers: Campus changes points of pride for UA alums

Edited January 28, 2018 by Blue & Gold