Fall break proposed
- The Leadership Council voted unanimously for a fall break on a Thursday and Friday in October and to take away one day of Thanksgiving Break.
- The faculty voted with 13 professors voting for leaving the schedule as it is and 13 voting for a change to be made.
By Lynsey Suchy, News Writing Student
Faculty Association members were divided in their view of whether OCCC should add a two-day fall break in October.
About half voted for the break with half voting against it.
The topic of fall break took a good part of the group’s meeting Jan. 22 on campus.
FA Chairman and Math Professor Paul Buckelew told the group President Paul Sechrist had asked the Faculty Association for its opinion on adding a fall break.
Views were expressed on both sides. Several faculty members said taking off a Thursday and Friday in October would create problems in some classes.
Jay Malmstrom, math professor, said concerns are mostly for science and nursing students who have labs. The labs are on a strict schedule and are hard to make up.
Other professors said their students need some time off earlier in the semester, that Thanksgiving week is too late.
Student Chris Stewart, chairman of The Leadership Council, said not having a fall break in October can be an issue for students who have children.
Public schools are out for fall break, meaning parents would have to pay extra money for their children to be watched or parents might even have to miss class.
The Leadership Council voted unanimously for a fall break on a Thursday and Friday in October and to take away one day of Thanksgiving Break.
Three options were presented to the faculty and voted on:
• Leaving the college calendar as it is, with fall break being Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of Thanksgiving week,
• Add a fall break by canceling classes on a Thursday and Friday in October when the public schools take a fall break, then conduct classes on the Monday and Tuesday of Thanksgiving week instead of having Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday off,
• Add a fall break by canceling classes on a Thursday and Friday in October when the public schools take a fall break, and keep the Thanksgiving holidays as they are now.
The faculty voted with 13 professors voting for leaving the schedule as it is and 13 voting for a change to be made.
Two voted to add the break in October without making any changes to the Thanksgiving schedule. The split decision will be given to Sechrist to review.
