Academic calendar changes in the air
The Spring Semester calendar for the next school year is very likely to change, but a specific course of action has not been decided on.
Assistant Provost Sydney Peterson presented three different options for next year’s calendar in Monday’s Faculty Senate meeting. Peterson said the changes have to be made because the current schedule is short-changing the Registrar’s Office.
Currently, Spring Semester 2005 is scheduled to start Jan. 10 and end May 6. This schedule allows for 73 instruction days, one interim day before finals begin and five days of testing with virtually no time between finals and graduation to close out students.
The first proposed calendar change would end classes three days early and remove the interim day with commencement still being held on May 6 and 7. An Associated Students of Utah State University representative voiced her concerns over this schedule, saying students feel very strongly about having an interim day to prepare for finals.
The second proposal allows for 70 days of instruction, one interim day, four and a half days of testing and a half day of close-out. Peterson said the biggest concern with this proposal is that it may put some students in the position of having three finals in one day.
Finally, a proposal was made to begin the semester earlier starting Jan. 5, allowing for 72 days of instruction, one interim day, and five days of testing. The biggest objection to this proposal was the shortening of Winter Break, considering that Fall Semester 2004 is ending a week later than this year.
A vote of preference was taken on each proposal without one gaining a clear majority. Peterson said the proposed calendars will be taken to different groups to receive more feedback and a final calendar will be brought back to the Faculty Senate at a later date.
She said that work will be done in the future to look at possibilities such as changes to Spring and Winter Breaks in order to provide the most optimal schedule for both students and faculty. Rise in employee insurance costs
Kevin Kesler, Faculty Senate president, presented the senate with information on a 123 percent increase of faculty and staff health insurance costs. The increase will raise individual cost of insurance from $21.03 a month to $46.96 and cost USU more than $1 million. Kesler said negotiations will be on-going between the university and its health provider Regence Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Utah to lower this increase. However, Kesler said the university is prepared to go out and bid for a new health care provider if an acceptable compromise cannot be reached.
Internet presentation to educate staff
Jodi Bailey from the internal audits department introduced a new program designed to help all USU staff receive better control awareness training. The training includes a 20-minute presentation that can be accessed online.
According to the Web site for the internal audits department, recent business scandals have led to legislation that requires publicly traded organizations to make sure that internal controls are in place and functioning properly. The presentation is just one part of a program at USU to help all staff members better understand their role in internal controls.
“Control is everybody’s business,” Bailey said. “Everybody has a responsibility to controls.”
-bnelson@cc.usu.edu