Although no set changes have been made for a new academic calendar, several proposals have been discussed.
The committee is exploring its options and is collecting input on possible changes that the university will need within the next year. The changes would be for the 2014 to 2020 academic calendars and would not be implemented until the fall of 2014.
“The reason we are doing this is that the current multi-year calendar is expiring in a year, thus we have to deal with it,” Frank Galey, dean College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, said. Galey also sits on the committee that is putting the new calendar together.
Myron Allen, UW’s Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, had the committee look into the calendar and recommend changes.
There currently are three calendar proposals that need to be voted on. The proposals include beginning classes two weeks prior to Labor Day, beginning one day, or one half week prior to Labor Day.
However, there are calendar-planning constraints that they have to abide by. These include having at least two weeks of class after Thanksgiving, five-day final examination periods and Martin Luther King Equality Day as a UW administrative holiday and Spring Break in mid-March.
One of the objectives when looking into calendar changes is making it work well for staff and faculty.
“The number one objective is to try to encourage a family-friendly work environment for people who are working here at the university and keep our calendar consistent with Albany County schools as well as Laramie County Community College,” Agricultural and Applied Sciences professor Mariah Ehmke said. Ehmke also is on the committee for the new calendar proposals.
Comments from UW faculty are inconsistent. Some faculty members would prefer to start after Labor Day while others would rather start the same time as area schools do for child care reasons. UW student government members stated they prefer an earlier start. Student government also expressed they do not want to change Thanksgiving break and that they think Christmas break is long enough, so they would rather not make it longer.
Recommendations are being revised on March 15 and Provost Allen will provide the official recommendation to the Board of Trustees.
