Column: Administration needs to rethink finals week scheduling

By Jordan Paul

Published May 7, 2010

It is appropriate I discuss the finals week schedule, because it begins today. Roughly a year ago, MU decided to change the finals week schedule from a normal Monday through Friday format to an awkward Friday through Thursday concept (with no finals on Saturday or Sunday). Although the administration and faculty presented a logical basis for the changes, with the main concern being the poor contingency plan in place in the event of inclement weather, it seems the biannual inconvenience to students is outweighing the supposed benefits of this academic insurance policy.

Let's discuss the premise of the change. I understand inclement weather is an issue that should be considered. Yet, in the five years that I've been a student at MU, classes have been cancelled once.

Not once during finals week or for one elongated period of time, but one day. Moreover, the threat of inclement weather is virtually non-existent for the spring semester. I've heard faculty really wanted to extend the time with which they had to submit finals grades. Although I don't know the validity of this claim, even if it were true, the obvious solution seems to be to allow faculty more time to finalize grades after the conclusion of finals week. I don't see anything imperative about the current timetable.

One of the primary concerns raised by students prior to the changes was the worry that they would not have adequate time to prepare for final exams scheduled for Friday. In the old system, students were guaranteed three days of unmitigated time to study, should they choose to use it, prior to the beginning of finals Monday. In the new system, students are only guaranteed one day to devote to study before potential finals. This wouldn't be as much of an issue if students did not have exams, papers, presentations and projects scheduled for the last week of class. Most students know finals week is really a de facto two-week period because some departments and professors schedule their final exams and assignments for the last week of class, and others schedule them for finals week.

The Missouri Students Association hosted a referendum on the issue, and the student body voted against the proposed changes. Despite this, the administration indicated that it would implement the new system. Student leaders insisted if the changes were to be made regardless of student opinion, the last week of class must be made free of the aforementioned academic obligations. The administration agreed.

Unfortunately, two finals weeks later, we stand in the same posture with less time to prepare for our finals. I am a student in the College of Arts and Science. I have two exams and two papers the week prior to the beginning of finals week. My brother is a student in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. He has four exams prior to the beginning of finals week. My roommates are in the College of Business and School of Journalism. They have papers and projects due prior to the beginning of finals week too. The university isn't holding up its end of the bargain.

The changes to finals week do not have merit, and the student body has clearly articulated its opinion of the changes. If the administration can't get faculty to decrease our academic obligations during the last week of classes, an area in which we've seen virtually no progress over the last year, the system needs to be scrapped in favor of something that allows students adequate time to prepare.