Shorter semesters, later start

Starting this September Mercer will be shortening its semesters from 16 to 15 weeks in length and adding a new three week winter semester in January.

There will be no longer a finals week. Mercer has currently a 15 week class schedule and an additional week for testing. It is the finals week which is being cut from the schedule. Instructors who give a final exam will now do so on the last day of class.

Some professors worry that students will not have adequate time to study before taking exams, however, Dr. Guy Generals, Mercer's Vice President for Academic Affairs, says, "Students will have to plan differently," but he adds that he doesn't "believe it will adversely affect students who are conscientious. They will adequately prepare."

In addition to eliminating finals week, fall semesters will start later. Dean of Liberal Arts, Robin Schore, says that "the real issue was starting the semester after labor day." According to Schore, Mercer is one of the few community colleges "who started before Labor Day, [and] it seemed to be a disservice to everyone."

In fact, 15 week semesters are quite typical of community colleges. "We were one of the three Community Colleges in the entire state who were on the 16 week" said Generals. This change will "help many students who have kids in camps" continued Dr. Generals, and it "puts us more into the norm of the way most colleges run."

Dean Schore also notes that the amount of early absences in the fall semester attributed to summer vacations and jobs. Now, fall semesters will start after Labor Day on most years and spring semesters will begin just after Martin Luther King Day (ending four days later than usual for spring).

With the later spring semester start, Mercer will have the time to add a three week winter session. Dean Schore notes that back in the 1970's Mercer used to offer a winter semester but it focused mainly on creative courses. "Most colleges in the state offer something in the winter session" says Schore. "It is nothing that is novel or incredibly creative, but it's helpful." Schore adds.

Dr. Generals says that it will be necessary to "fit the same amount of [class] time into three weeks" and that it "could mean two or three days a week" at a minimum. Courses will be priced at the same level as their summer counterparts.

Three week courses will be only those with high demand. "We'll run what students typically need most" said Dr. Generals about the course selection, "probably gen[eral. ed[ucation] courses." He adds that "more difficult courses we'll probably shy away from. so don't expect to finish differential equations in January." (Mercer does not currently offer a differential equations course).

Course offerings for the three week winter session have not yet been finalized. Schore says that it "hasn't been completely thought through what we are offering" but that the ones that "would be most valuable would be brush up [courses]." Students will be able to use this semester to either retake courses they failed or help get out of Mercer earlier.

There is still question as to who will be teaching these classes. According to Schore, "we have no idea who would want to teach, we can only speculate." Dr. Generals says classes will be taught by "mostly adjuncts" and "occasionally full-time [faculty] on overload," adding that for the full-time faculty "it would be up to them if they wanted to teach."

Finally, the advent of these winter semesters may help Mercer fix its looming budget issues. "That is part of the goal: to draw in more students and eventually more revenue," says Dr. Generals. "I think it's a win-win for the students, the community and the college" Generals adds.