• Home
  • Staff
  • Privacy Policy
  • News Tips/Press Releases
  • Advertising
Sunday, June 26, 2022
No Result
View All Result
The Times-Delphic
  • News
    • All
    • Administrative News
    • Campus Events
    • Campus Health
    • Caucus Roundup
    • In Des Moines
    • Politics
    • Student Politics
    • Student Senate
    • The Ones

    Drake University Adds Five New Electric Vans

    Indira Sheumaker, city councilmembers find common ground among conflicts

    Drake urges community to remain cautious as reporting of new COVID-19 cases slows

    Drake urges community to remain cautious as reporting of new COVID-19 cases slows

    Drake to build University Center

    Student Senate passes resolution in support of the transgender community

    • Administrative News
    • The Ones
    • Campus Events
    • Campus Health
    • Caucus Roundup
    • In Des Moines
    • Politics
    • Student Politics
    • Student Senate
    • Senate Elections
  • Sports
    • All
    • Baseball
    • Basketball
    • Column
    • Cross-Country
    • E-Sports
    • Football
    • Golf
    • Rowing
    • Soccer
    • Softball
    • Tennis
    • Track and Field
    • Volleyball

    Promising 2022 NFL Draft for Packers fans

    The two national parks you should visit this summer

    Des Moines lands news USL team and stadium district

    Former Drake Basketball Player Wins National Championship

    The Top Moves of NFL Free Agency

    • Basketball
    • Column
    • Cross-Country
    • E-Sports
    • Football
    • Golf
    • Rowing
    • Soccer
    • Softball
  • Commentary
    • All
    • Horoscope
    • Letter from the Editor
    • Letter to the Editor

    Hip astrology: Relays horoscope

    Painted Street ain’t so sweet when costs are heaped

    Commentary: Top 5 Self Care Tips

    Commentary: Top 5 Self Care Tips

    Commentary: How to meet your next partner in 2022

    Commentary: “Oh… We’re Not Dating…”

    • Horoscope
    • Letter from the Editor
  • Features
    • All
    • Greek Life
    Drake welcomes first Black woman Student Body President

    Student Body President Morgan Coleman shares experiences as a leader

    Painted Street recap

    Bam Bam wins Drake University’s 43rd annual Beautiful Bulldog Contest

    New Casey’s Location on Forest Avenue

    ADA student task force advocates for disability inclusion

    • Greek Life
  • Podcasts
    Drake Weekly Sports Podcast | December 3

    Drake Weekly Sports Podcast | December 3

    Drake Public Safety and the student body

    Drake Public Safety and the student body

    Humans of Drake Podcast

    Bulldog Blitz 1: December 7, 2010

    The Sports Report 2010 7: 11/09/2010

  • Relays Edition

    Bill that would make Iowa a hands-free driving state stalls in the legislature

    New Casey’s Location on Forest Avenue

    ADA student task force advocates for disability inclusion

    Des Moines lands news USL team and stadium district

    The Great Resignation: What Is It? And Why Is It Happening?

    The Great Resignation: What Is It? And Why Is It Happening?

    Hip astrology: Relays horoscope

    State of Sustainability at Drake

    Dean Kathleen Richardson: Leaving a Legacy for the Drake SJMC

    Painted Street ain’t so sweet when costs are heaped

    • Commentary
    • Coronavirus
    • Elections
    • Features
    • In Des Moines
    • News
    • This week in photos
    • Top News
    • Top Stories
    • Uncategorized
    • Video
    • Sports
    • Security Reports
    • Relays Edition
    • Poll
    • Podcasts
    • Online Exclusives
    • Opinion
  • News
    • All
    • Administrative News
    • Campus Events
    • Campus Health
    • Caucus Roundup
    • In Des Moines
    • Politics
    • Student Politics
    • Student Senate
    • The Ones

    Drake University Adds Five New Electric Vans

    Indira Sheumaker, city councilmembers find common ground among conflicts

    Drake urges community to remain cautious as reporting of new COVID-19 cases slows

    Drake urges community to remain cautious as reporting of new COVID-19 cases slows

    Drake to build University Center

    Student Senate passes resolution in support of the transgender community

    • Administrative News
    • The Ones
    • Campus Events
    • Campus Health
    • Caucus Roundup
    • In Des Moines
    • Politics
    • Student Politics
    • Student Senate
    • Senate Elections
  • Sports
    • All
    • Baseball
    • Basketball
    • Column
    • Cross-Country
    • E-Sports
    • Football
    • Golf
    • Rowing
    • Soccer
    • Softball
    • Tennis
    • Track and Field
    • Volleyball

    Promising 2022 NFL Draft for Packers fans

    The two national parks you should visit this summer

    Des Moines lands news USL team and stadium district

    Former Drake Basketball Player Wins National Championship

    The Top Moves of NFL Free Agency

    • Basketball
    • Column
    • Cross-Country
    • E-Sports
    • Football
    • Golf
    • Rowing
    • Soccer
    • Softball
  • Commentary
    • All
    • Horoscope
    • Letter from the Editor
    • Letter to the Editor

    Hip astrology: Relays horoscope

    Painted Street ain’t so sweet when costs are heaped

    Commentary: Top 5 Self Care Tips

    Commentary: Top 5 Self Care Tips

    Commentary: How to meet your next partner in 2022

    Commentary: “Oh… We’re Not Dating…”

    • Horoscope
    • Letter from the Editor
  • Features
    • All
    • Greek Life
    Drake welcomes first Black woman Student Body President

    Student Body President Morgan Coleman shares experiences as a leader

    Painted Street recap

    Bam Bam wins Drake University’s 43rd annual Beautiful Bulldog Contest

    New Casey’s Location on Forest Avenue

    ADA student task force advocates for disability inclusion

    • Greek Life
  • Podcasts
    Drake Weekly Sports Podcast | December 3

    Drake Weekly Sports Podcast | December 3

    Drake Public Safety and the student body

    Drake Public Safety and the student body

    Humans of Drake Podcast

    Bulldog Blitz 1: December 7, 2010

    The Sports Report 2010 7: 11/09/2010

  • Relays Edition

    Bill that would make Iowa a hands-free driving state stalls in the legislature

    New Casey’s Location on Forest Avenue

    ADA student task force advocates for disability inclusion

    Des Moines lands news USL team and stadium district

    The Great Resignation: What Is It? And Why Is It Happening?

    The Great Resignation: What Is It? And Why Is It Happening?

    Hip astrology: Relays horoscope

    State of Sustainability at Drake

    Dean Kathleen Richardson: Leaving a Legacy for the Drake SJMC

    Painted Street ain’t so sweet when costs are heaped

    • Commentary
    • Coronavirus
    • Elections
    • Features
    • In Des Moines
    • News
    • This week in photos
    • Top News
    • Top Stories
    • Uncategorized
    • Video
    • Sports
    • Security Reports
    • Relays Edition
    • Poll
    • Podcasts
    • Online Exclusives
    • Opinion
No Result
View All Result
The Times-Delphic
No Result
View All Result
Home News Administrative News

Drake considers moving J-term to May

byAndrew Kennard
February 6, 2022
in Administrative News, News, Top Stories
0 0
0
Drake considers moving J-term to May

Photo by Taylor Vroman

On Wednesday, the Drake University faculty senate considered the potential impact of the provost’s office’s proposal to replace January Term with a May Term. 

“There was a little less trepidation from the people who are arguing against it, and there was a little less excitement from the people who are arguing for it than maybe I expected,” Faculty Senate President Matthew Zwier said. “And that’s actually again a good thing, because it means that we’re not going to rush into something that’s not wise. We’re going to have a solid discussion about this.”

In an interview and at the faculty senate meeting, Provost Sue Mattison outlined possible advantages of switching to May Term, including adapting to COVID-19, expanding opportunities for outdoor work, and allowing first-year students to take travel seminars. She said the proposal would also allow all students to start summer work sooner and address financial planning problems related to students who take 18 credits in the spring semester and a J-Term course. 

“And as someone who’s taught many J-Terms, I personally think I would prefer going spring term to May Term in terms of workload, just because that turnaround between J-Term and spring is just overwhelming,” Drake Registrar Jennifer Tran-Johnson said in an interview. 

Mattison, who is also an epidemiologist, also said that viral transmission would be decreased during some travel seminars in May Term because students could spend more time outside. 

“If COVID-19 follows a similar cyclic pattern, similar to influenza where in the winter months the case numbers increase, which may or may not be the case,” Mattison said in the interview. “Again, we don’t know everything about COVID. But if it does follow that pattern, as well as students traveling over winter break and then coming back, it would hopefully reduce the number of positive cases on campus.”

At the meeting, faculty members raised points about how this choice would affect students’ mental health in the winter months, the ability to hold field courses during the spring and the quick transition from J-Term to spring semester. Professor Rachel Paine Caufield noted that switching to May Term would prevent her J-Term class from attending the presidential inauguration or the swearing-in of a new Congress. 

Amber Guzzo, Drake’s student senator for academic affairs, raised concerns about May Term’s potential impact on student burnout at the end of the semester. She also brought up the possibility that if students have the opportunity, they may choose not to attend May Term so they can end their lease early to save money on rent.

Guzzo said that she is working with other student senators to set up a forum and potentially a survey to get student feedback on the May Term proposal. 

“I have some concerns,” Guzzo said. “But the problem is, you know, I’m only one person, so I want to hear way more students’ [opinions] on this before I make my final opinion, because I personally loved J-Term, but maybe some students would appreciate the warmer weather.” 

Zwier set the table for the discussion with three options: keeping J-Term as is, moving it to May or retaining it for some number of years before making the transition. The faculty senate did not vote on Wednesday, and the discussion will continue. 

Calendar Changes

Tran-Johnson said she thinks that starting May Term next year could still be on the table; however, it would be difficult because students’ financial aid packages would have to be modified if the dates of the spring semester change. During the meeting, Tran-Johnson explained two possible ways that Drake could alter the 2023-2024 academic calendar to accommodate a May Term. 

Under the first option, spring semester would start three weeks early, on Jan. 8, and end on April 26 with commencement on April 28. May Term would run from April 29 to May 17, and summer classes would start on May 20. The second option is essentially the same as the first, except the above dates occur approximately a week later. 

Tran-Johnson said the first option would sometimes overlap between the Drake Relays and finals week, which “makes it not as attractive for me.” This would also make it more difficult to utilize the Knapp Center and Bell Center for commencement activities, she said. The second option wouldn’t have the same overlap, but would still be close to Relays.  

“If I was a betting person, I would say more people will be inclined to want to go with option two, solely because of — you know, that kind of Relays overlap is not super attractive,” Tran-Johnson said. “And it gives still a decent break between the fall and the spring semester because I know that was a concern faculty had brought up for those that don’t teach J-Term.”

Financial Fix-It

According to Mattison, there are “hundreds of students who take three credits in J-Term and 18 credits in the semester,” which is the maximum credit load before students are charged an overload fee. 

“But because of the glitch in the system, they have not been [charged] up to this point,” Mattison said. “So now that it’s been discovered and they’re addressing it, that’s going to be an issue. That’s going to be a real issue.”

If Drake moves J-Term to May, Mattison said, it won’t be part of spring semester, allowing these students to avoid that fee. 

“Some of these details like budgeting, what does it mean for student credit load? Those were not fully rounded out when J-Term was first launched,” Zwier said in an interview. “And so the university could say, well, we’re just going to suddenly start charging everyone … It speaks a lot to how much the university cares about everyone involved that they’re not just doing that because the administrative side of the university, they have that power. They could just say, ‘Okay, starting this year, we’re no longer automatically waiving those overload fees. We’re just going to start charging them.’ ”

According to Zwier, there are also logistical issues that factor into this decision, such as when different funding sources distribute funds. 

“There’s a financial difficulty maintaining J-Term exactly as it currently is. There’s a logistical difficulty making it its own academic term,” Zwier said. “And it’s enough of a logistical difficulty that with some of these other questions, like, what is COVID going to look like year over year? What are the impacts on student and faculty mental health? Those are enough to have us asking the question, well what if we did it this other way?”

Tags: administrative newsj termmay termnews

Andrew Kennard

Next Post
Crew Scholars expands, asks for more mentors

Crew Scholars expands, asks for more mentors

Twitter Feeds

The Times-Delphic
The Times-Delphic @timesdelphic

The Times-Delphic is still hiring for the positions of Student Senate Beat Writer, Business and Finance Manager and Distributor for the 2022-23 school year! Apply online or reach out to grace.altenhofen @drake.edu for more information. https://t.co/U9VY5TtOZt
View on Twitter
timesdelphic photo
0
1
The Times-Delphic
The Times-Delphic @timesdelphic

BREAKING: Drake President Marty Martin announced in a campuswide email that Drake's number of active cases is projected to decline to 80 by the end of the day, down 241 since early Friday afternoon.
View on Twitter
2
10

Recommended

A run-down of spring semester

11 years ago

Harper Lee’s morals and ethics live on in Atticus and Scout

6 years ago

Popular News

  • Twitch Streamer Raises Money for LGBT Community

    Twitch Streamer Raises Money for LGBT Community

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Gladwell’s “Outliers” reveals the many factors of success

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Drake ranks among Ivy Leagues on Economist list

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • The history of Indian boarding schools in Iowa

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Music as a political platform

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Drake Weekly Sports Podcast | December 3

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Humans of Drake Podcast

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • The Sports Report 2010 7: 11/09/2010

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Familiar face helps bring massive skatepark to Des Moines

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • The rise and fall of Motown Records

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Connect with us

  • About
  • Home
  • Podcasts
  • Privacy Policy
  • Virtual Edition
  • Advertising

Copyright 2015 Fuel Themes. All RIGHTS RESERVED.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Administrative News
    • The Ones
    • Campus Events
    • Campus Health
    • Caucus Roundup
    • In Des Moines
    • Politics
    • Student Politics
    • Student Senate
    • Senate Elections
  • Sports
    • Basketball
    • Column
    • Cross-Country
    • E-Sports
    • Football
    • Golf
    • Rowing
    • Soccer
    • Softball
  • Commentary
    • Horoscope
    • Letter from the Editor
  • Features
    • Greek Life
  • Podcasts
  • Relays Edition
    • Commentary
    • Coronavirus
    • Elections
    • Features
    • In Des Moines
    • News
    • This week in photos
    • Top News
    • Top Stories
    • Uncategorized
    • Video
    • Sports
    • Security Reports
    • Relays Edition
    • Poll
    • Podcasts
    • Online Exclusives
    • Opinion

Copyright 2015 Fuel Themes. All RIGHTS RESERVED.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Bodybuilder is fighting for his life after taking dirty steroids femara uk trump's "operation warp speed" for mass vaxxing. "big bucks for big pharma" - global research