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ARCHIVES 7
) COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY, SPRING, 1973

The system, if highly promoted and thoroughly scheduled, offers
“the possibility of greatly increasing the use of academic space in
conjunction with the four-day schedule. It would have beneficial
side-effects, also, such as lessening rush hour traffic, reducing the
demand for parking space, and making it possible for athletic and
recreational equipment and facilities to serve more people.

There is the possibility that the flexibility of the two-session week
would attract students not now being served by higher education,
but the existing facilities and equipment would not be overtaxed.

 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
  
 
 
 
 
  
   
   
 

This would lead to higher producuvity and the opportunity to
employ additional professors and support personnel.

Student services personnel and secretarial assistance would have
to be available throughout the seven-day weck, but this should
necessitate slight if any increases in personnel, although some reor-
ganization might be required. Any expenditures required should be
easily offset by reduction in demands for new construction and
new equipment. Top administration might need to continue the
regular five-day week so as to overlap each session. Academic de-
partments might need to designate a vice chairman to handle any
routine problems occurring during the period of the week in which
the chairman is not on duty.

One ground rule required to insure the workability of the two-
session week would be the restriction of teaching loads and student
class loads entirely to one or the other session so that the advantages
of the truncated teaching week could not be undercut. Additionally,
it would be necessary to carefully schedule classes so that a wide
selection would be available in each session each semester and so
that required courss would be available in each session at reason-
able intervals.

There doubtless would be opposition from those who follow
tradition o1 who have deeply ingrained work habits. Those who
cherish the Sabbath aay also be opposed, although the facts of
life are that the Sabbath has already been breached by business
and industry and the secular interests of a large portion of
American society. Those who object could merely elect the mid-
week session,

Not all institutions, of course, could) profit by this two-session
system. Tamas be appleable only in Larce urban areas or in insti-

tutions without Laee numbers of resdent students. It niiy be an

idea whose time has not arrived and which must await wider
adoption of the four-day week in other sectors of society. No
rearrangement of calendars or workweeks will solve all or more
than a small part of the problems facing American higher educa-
ion, but the potential benefits from and general adoption of the
four-day week may demand its consideration.

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submitted by ;
Gerry Della Mattia

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