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SOU studies semester switch Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Returning students at Southern Oregon University in Ashland line up Monday morning in Churchill Hall to pay fees and receive financial aid. University officials this month will seek permission to consider a switch to semesters instead of quarters. If it goes through, the change would stretch fall and spring classes to 15 weeks instead of nine. University is gun-shy since last effort was shot down By TONY BOOM ASHLAND � Once bitten, twice shy. The old saying will guide Southern Oregon University as it again considers a switch from academic quarters to semesters. With an aborted switch to longer terms in the late 1980s fresh in the minds of many, SOU officials this month will seek permission from the state Board of Higher Education to explore the change. SOU will consider the idea independently, but the university will proceed only if it has an assurance it won�t be halted if school officials decide to make the switch. Students differ on choice When asked for their preference, SOU students who have not attended semester-system schools said they favor retaining the quarter system. One student who has experienced both likes the longer terms. "I like the quarters because we can take more classes. It seems like the semesters are way too long for one class," said Katie Fankhanel, a senior geography major. "People I�ve talked to tell me that a semester ends up being a little bit too long," said Michael Sikarski, a senior sociology major. "I like the quarters. You get more variety of classes," said Sara Robbins, a sophomore psychology and criminology student from San Francisco. "Also I like the way finals are right before major holidays." She included spring break in her major holiday list. A transfer student from the University of Montana prefers the longer session. "The semester system gave me much more time to get classes done," said Sara Pardulek, a junior wildlife biology major. "Terms here seem real short. They compress a lot of knowledge. It seems like it should be stretched out more." Most semester arrangements include two 15-week sessions during an academic year. The first starts in late August and runs to mid-December. The second runs from mid-January to mid-May. SOU now has three nine-week quarters that run from late September to early December, January through late March, and April to early June. More than 90 percent of U.S. four-year institutions use semesters. "It hasn�t been a discussion on campus yet," said Peg Sjogren, art professor and president of the Faculty Senate. "Unless we felt certain we�d actually be able to do this, we didn�t want to go through the big discussion on campus." Fall of 2003 would be the earliest a semester system might begin � if the university decides it�s the right move, said SOU interim President Sara Hopkins-Powell. "Putting student learning first" is the main reason Hopkins-Powell wants to consider the change. While there may be some cost savings, that wouldn�t be the primary reason for the switch. Among benefits for students would be more time to engage a subject deeply, to analyze and to be creative. Hopkins-Powell knows many faculty are still wary following the failed change in that direction in the late 1980s. "Faculty did a lot of work and had the rug pulled out from under them," she said. "If there�s no assurance, why put in the work and effort?" Officials governing the state�s universities told all system schools to prepare to switch in the earlier effort. After countless hours of curriculum revision and other tasks needed for a change, the board reserved itself under lobbying efforts from the canning and tourist industries. Those groups felt the revised calendar would reduce their student work force. Hopkins-Powell initially presented the suggestion at the board�s December meeting. OUS Chancellor Joseph Cox said the board, not the Legislature, had the authority to approve a change to semesters. Conversion of courses from quarters to semesters will take time, but the change from three- to four-unit quarter courses has already accomplished some of the work, said Hopkins-Powell. Many of those courses could be converted to three credit-hour semester classes. "Nobody�s gone the other way (back to quarters)," said Neil Kunze, provost, of the national trend towards the longer terms. Kunze said the change might give students a break on textbook purchases. They�d have to buy books just twice per year. Most of the books are designed to work with the prevailing semester system. "They usually have about 15 chapters," said Kunze. "The key difference is going to be two terms of administrative processes rather than three," said Mike Corcoran, SOU�s registrar. "There would be financial savings." "I would think the board would want to do some serious evaluation before they would authorize any campus to move foreword," says OUS spokesperson Bob Bruce. "Superficially, there appear to be some cost savings, but there�s also some expenses involved in preparing for that move." "My thought is that it�s going to happen. More people are in favor of it now than they were," said Karen Shafer, chair of the communication department and president of the Associate Professors of Southern Oregon University. Her department would offer fewer courses and have to combine some offerings. Shafer thinks it serves students better to have a greater variety of courses. SOU theater arts students would have a better chance to get involved in summer theater under a semester system, according to theater arts Professor Dennis Smith. He says most summer theater productions begin before SOU students have finished classes in June. "There�s maybe a 60/40 split in favor," said math Professor Sherry Ettlich. She has talked to a number of people who are concerned about Southern going alone from the system due to transfer issues and not wanting to make things difficult for students. Reach Ashland bureau reporter Tony Boom at 482-4651, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.