Due to a recent directive, changes made on Ottawa University’s academic calendar have bumped up the end of the semester to May 1 and graduation on May 8 for the 2009-10 school year.
The academic affairs office has given a mandate requiring that the college and adult campus calendars parallel. Karen Adams, university registrar, created the calendar and believes it creates greater prospects for the students on the campus.
“As the two calendars align, college students will have more opportunities to take online or adult classes,” Adams said. “This was done for the students and in compliance with government and financial aid.”
With advisor approval, all students except freshmen with a 2.5 GPA from the prior semester will be allowed to take online courses that would not have been available to them previously.
“There’s an advantage in that students can take classes that might not be offered that semester on campus,” Adams said. “Students can take necessary courses now, in order to finish up or to avoid scheduling conflicts. There’s also an exposure to other instructors.”
Sophomore, Meg McFarland sees the advantage in the alignment.
“It’s going to help further the education for people that are behind, or trying to get done early,” McFarland said. “They work hard and want to advance – it makes it easier for the student.”
For the 2009-2010 academic school year, the fall semester would start on August 24 and end December 12 while the spring semester would begin January 11 and commence May 1.
“To some students, this may sound like it is earlier,” Adams said. “It’s still a full semester: still 15 weeks,” Adams said.
Though classes will be ending earlier, there could be possible conflicts with spring athletes and their conference tournaments. These scheduling conflicts could be difficult but Adams is hopeful that they can be worked out if not completely avoided.
“Scheduling with athletics is an issue now,” Adams said. “Everyone [students, instructors, coaches] will be working together to do the best to take care of the students. It may be difficult but the goal is to make sure exams are done and students meet their goals.”
Lori Ewalt, junior elementary education major, sees the schedule as a bit of a challenge in her final year.
“The change in the schedule adds a bit of pressure to senior spring athletes next year,” Ewalt said. “We’ll be trying to finish up a lot of different things and then to balance a possible reschedule of our finals around our sport makes it seem pretty tough.”